EP 356 - The Midlist Indie Author Mindset with T. Thorn Coyle
Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Release Date: 04/18/2024
Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
info_outline EP 381 - Showcasing Independent Bookstores, Publishers, And Authors with Andrew SnookStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Mark interviews Andrew Snook about his writing and editing work as well as Canadian Independent Publishers magazine, which is celebrating its first anniversary. Prior to the interview Mark welcomes new Patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor This episode is sponsored by FROM PAGE TO PLATFORM by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn. You can learn more about the book at . In their conversation, Mark and Andrew talk about: Celebrating the first year of publishing Canadian Independent Author Andrew's first ventures self-publishing...
info_outline EP 380 - Passion Project Publishing with Brianna WodabekStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Mark interviews Brianna Wodabek, Assistant Manager of Digital Marketing at HarperCollins about her lifelong love of reading, books, and writing, and her evolution in the book industry. Prior to the interview Mark welcomes new Patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor This episode is sponsored by FROM PAGE TO PLATFORM by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn. You can learn more about the book at . In their conversation, Mark and Brianna talk about: How Brianna always loved reading and writing, but also knew that she wasn't...
info_outline EP 379 - Simplifying Your Life & Work with Dre BaldwinStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Mark interviews Dre Baldwin the CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. about his books and his experience helping others in finding their own paths to success. Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor This episode is sponsored by FROM PAGE TO PLATFORM by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn. You can learn more about the book at . During the interview, Mark and Dre talk about: The importance of the simplification process as a great place to begin The 80/20 rule and the less-than-smooth ways we have of not...
info_outline EP 378 - Multimedia Storytelling with Dominician GennariStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Mark interviews Dominician Gennari, a writer, storyteller, composer, and musician about his multimedia book and novella opus, The War for Ascension. Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, a word from this episode's sponsor, as well as a word about a previous episode sponsor. NEWS: Please note that the Feb/March 2025 Writers Retreat at Sea from Cruising Writers has been cancelled. During their conversation Mark and Dominician talk about: How Dominician's creative and artistic voice started with music at about the age of 13/14 Discovering...
info_outline EP 377 - Pivoting Your Publishing Dreams with Denise MassarStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Mark interviews Denise Massar, a writer, an adoptee, and a mom via birth and adoption about her new memoir MATCHED and the ten-year journey she took getting it published. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from a recent episode, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by . During their conversation Mark and Denise talk about: How Denise had been "big five or die" when it originally came to her publishing dream and how and why that changed over the years Some of the feedback that Denise's agent got back on submission of her memoir in...
info_outline EP 376 - Dianne Scott on Writing Historical MysteriesStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Mark interviews bestselling and award-winning author Dianne Scott about her Christine Lane Mystery series which is set on Toronto Island in the 1960s. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from a recent newsletter he sent out asking writers to share their thoughts on the collective noun for a group of editors, a personal update (including the launch of his new ), and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by . During their conversation Mark and Dianne talk about: How, after writing a creative writing piece in University that was supposed to be a research...
info_outline EP 375 - One Hand KickstartingStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
Mark shares some behind-the-scenes insights and helpful tips offered to him for his forthcoming Kickstarter. He also loses it briefly after discovering that 40 minutes of in depth and detailed recording was lost due to a tech issue with Audacity crashing. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, welcomes a new patron, and introduces a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by . Mark's Kickstarter, coming very soon, is for the 20th Anniversary edition of his book One Hand Screaming. Links of Interest: (Preview link as of Aug...
info_outline EP 374 - WMG Publishing Editor Round TableStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
In this episode Mark has a round-table discussion with the seven other editors in the August 2024 WMG Publishing Anthology Workshop. Prior to the main content, Mark shares a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by . The WMG Publishing Anthology workshops help authors see behind-the-scenes on how editors compile and select stories for anthologies. This in-depth and in-person experience involves a panel of editors (for August 2024 it was a panel of 8 editors) debating the merits of stories written by the attending authors. In this round-table discussion, Mark chats with...
info_outline EP 373 - Musings on Getting a Masters and Getting MarriedStark Reflections on Writing and Publishing
In this solo episode, Mark reflects and muses on the past couple of weeks where we got his Masters in Creative Writing with a concentration on Publishing (July 26th in Gunnison, CO) and got married to his partner Liz (July 29th in New York City, NY). Prior to the interview, Mark thanks Patrons and Buy Me A Coffee buddies, welcomes new patron Jo-Ann Carson, shares comments from recent episode, and announces the winner of the mindset coaching session with Thorn Coyle. Links of Interest: Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off The...
info_outlineMark interviews T Thorn Coyle about writing, community, and their new book The Midlist Indie Author Mindset.
Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor.
Cruising Writers - 7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise - Feb 22 to Mar 1, 2025
Featured Guest Speakers: Erin Wright and Mark Leslie Lefebvre
More details at: Cruising Writers
In the interview, Mark and Thorn talk about:
- Getting into writing when they were 5 years old - and the variety of types of writing they did
- Thorn jokingly torturing fiction and deciding to write non-fiction until a few characters showed up and knocked on their door
- Writing mostly fantasy-tinged fiction
- How most of Thorn's non-fiction guides have been about spiritual practice, but that this latest one is their first non-fiction business of writing book
- Thorn's author tagline: "Magic is real. And justice is worth fighting for."
- The way that Portland is such a fascinating city and how Thorn can find magic anywhere
- An appreciation of Charles de Lint
- Thorn's forthcoming book: The Midlist Author Mindset
- The massive mindset shift that comes from being curious about business the way one is curious about writing
- Value that came with learning what worked for Thorn, as opposed to things that work for other writers
- The numerous streams of income that Thorn has been developing over the years
- Looking at long-term sustainability by thinking of it like cultivating a garden instead of seeking out short-term dramatic spikes
- Some of the roadblocks that Thorn encountered on the way to establishing the Midlist Author Mindset
- Understanding that for Thorn marketing was about connection with readers
- How asking "Does social media sell books?" is the wrong question to ask
- The Kickstarter for the book and related materials and exclusive content that runs April 16, 2024 to May 7, 2024
- A little bit about Thorn's fiction series books
- Thoughts and current approach to audiobooks
- Thorn's final words of advice that they would want to leave with writers
- And more . . .
After the interview, Mark reflects on the concepts of sustainable, long-term, and burn-out as well as the important question of what is practical for you and your life and goals.
Links of Interest:
- T. Thorn Coyle's Website
- Kickstarter for The Midlist Indie Author Mindset
- Fiction Titles
- Non-Fiction Titles
- Thorn's Patreon Site
- Writers of the Future - Blog Post Announcing Mark as a Judge
- Stark Publishing Support for Authors Via Margins Agency
- ScribeCount (Mark's Affiliate Link)
- Mark's YouTube Channel
- Buy Mark a Coffee
- Patreon for Stark Reflections
- An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
- The Relaxed Author
- Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
- An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
- Wide for the Win
- Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books
- The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
- Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
T. Thorn Coyle worked in many strange and diverse occupations before settling in to write full time. Buy them a cup of tea and perhaps they’ll tell you about it.
Author of The Witches of Portland, the Seashell Cove Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, the Pride Street Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, The Steel Clan Saga, and The Panther Chronicles, Thorn’s multiple non-fiction books include Sigil Magic for Writers, Artists & Other Creatives, Crafting a Daily Practice, Kissing the Limitless, and Evolutionary Witchcraft. Thorn's work also appears in many anthologies, magazines, and collections.
An interloper to the Pacific Northwest U.S., they pay proper tribute to all the neighborhood cats, and talk to crows, squirrels, and trees.
You can find them at thorncoyle.com.
The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0