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EP 436 - Artisan Publishing with Blue Feathered Quill

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Release Date: 10/03/2025

EP 445 - Overcoming The Self-Sabotage from Buried Trauma with Andrea Torrey Balsara

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews Andrea Torrey Balsara about her writing, her passion in inspiring joy through storytelling and energy healing, trauma, creativity and much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. is available now in hardcover, mass market sized paperback, and audiobook. In the interview Mark and Andrea talk about: The very serious and troubling trauma Andrea had been living with for most of her life without realizing it and how it prevented her from trying to focus and work on The sabotage that kept creeping...

EP 444 - Book Marketing Made Easy with Manuscript Report

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Florin Bulgarov, co-founder of Manuscript Report. 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 an affiliate link to . Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Florin talk about: Florin's background with a PhD in A.I. and how he ended up evolving into creating the toolset of Manuscript Report How Manuscript Report was initially created as an assessment tool for publishers when going through their...

EP 443 - Strategies for Short Fiction

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

This bonus episode of the Stark Reflections Podcast is a recording of a Nov 10, 2025 live chat that Mark did with Matty Dalrymple and Angelique Fawns talking about strategies for short fiction. The conversation was based on content from Mark and Matty's 2nd Edition release of Taking the Short Tack: and Angelique's Substack. Links of Interest: (YouTube) EP 440 - EP 382 - EP 306 - (Mark's affiliate link) (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and...

EP 442 - Dear Writer You Still Need To Quit with Becca Syme

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Becca Syme about her latest project, about the journey she has been on since she launched her first Dear Writer, You Need to Quit book, and the various fiction titles she has written. Prior to the interview, Mark explains that he is at Author Nation in Vegas and that his introduction and post interview reflection were generated by ElevenLabs. Then his digital voice clone from ElevenLabs shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In their interview,...

EP 441 - A Bookstore for Indie Authors with Donovan Scherer

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews artist, author, and indie bookstore owner Donovan Scherer about his writing, his art, and his store in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin. Prior to the interview, Mark welcomes new patrons, shares recent comments, a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Donovan talk about: Donovan background as an illustrator creating various characters, and then eventually moving on to writing middle grade chapter books Never...

EP 440 - Behind the Scenes of The Podcast Guest Playbook with Matty Dalrymple

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark talks with Matty Dalrymple, co-author of the book The Podcast Guest Playbook which was released earlier in 2025. Prior to the interview, Mark shares recent comments, a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Matty talk about: Something that Stark Reflections listeners might not know about Matty related to getting her private pilot license Having worked aviation into at least two of her novels...

EP 439 - Rambling Reflections From The Road to Can-Con

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

On his drive to Ottawa, Ontario for the annual Can-Con (Ottawa's Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Literature Convention), Mark reflects on his experience with that conference from it's initial inception in the early 1990s along with its evolution. He also reflects on the importance of CanCon in general (Canadian Content regulations) and how it has played and continues to play an important role for Canadian musicians, artists, performers, and writers. This episode is sponsored by the 2nd Edition of the book which is co-authored by Mark and Matty Dalrymple and was released this week in October 2025 ...

EP 438 - A Personal Conversation with Malorie Cooper

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark has a personal conversation with Malorie Cooper. In this episode they talk about: The reason she and her family moved from Boston, MA and back to Canada The uniqueness of New England compared to the rest of the United States How Canada is one of the hardest countries to emigrate into Not having ever gotten American citizenship The oppression and fear of being a queer transgender person, particularly in the US How it's virtually impossible for people who aren't oppressed to understand what it's like Losing half her fan base and friends when she transitioned into the person she was always...

EP 437 - Nerding Out Over History, Science, and Maps with Malorie Cooper

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Malorie Cooper, who writes under the name M.D. Cooper, about the various things that fascinate and inspire her writing. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Malorie talk about: Meeting up in New Brunswick in the spring at a writer's conference Mal's passion about writing science-fiction and nerding out about science and history concepts Mal working with her...

EP 436 - Artisan Publishing with Blue Feathered Quill

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark interviews Joshua Smyser and Alex Hale of Blue Feathered Quill Publishing. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, welcome a new patron (), offers a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to . Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark, Alex, and Joshua talk about: Alex's background growing up an avid reader and someone who wrote music and stories, and then going back to school for linguistics in...

More Episodes

In this episode Mark interviews Joshua Smyser and Alex Hale of Blue Feathered Quill Publishing.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, welcome a new patron (S.K. Randolph), offers a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor.

This episode's sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report.

In their interview, Mark, Alex, and Joshua talk about:

Alex's background growing up an avid reader and someone who wrote music and stories, and then going back to school for linguistics in 2020, then later, the Masters of Publishing program at Western Colorado University
Being a fan of writing poetry as well as poetry put to music
Coming to the realization that he enjoyed helping other writers with getting their work ready for publication more than he enjoyed writing
The first book that Blue Feathered Quill published (a sweet-romance with a darker twist): Eth: A Novel
Joshua also having a background in music (taking mandolin lessons) as well as being an avid reader as a young person as well as pursuing the writing/publishing route when he was a youth
Getting a degree in education and starting a teaching career, and then returning to thinking about the world of books and publishing
Joining up with Alex on BFQ as a way to move into publishing and learning more about editing and cover design
The story Josh sold to the "Cupids" anthology that was published by Western Colorado University
The origin of the publishing name Blue Feathered Quill
The cross-country trip with a life-long friend that Alex made several years back
The idea of building a publishing company with a cohort of writers, editors, and other creative people who could help one another out in different ways
A look at the process they take when an author approaches them
The second book that they released on April 29, 2025: THE TALE OF JIRAIYA THE GALLANT (a classic Japanese story from the 1800's which is a bit of a precursor to Manga) and Joshua's passion for bringing this book into existance
How well their first book was already selling when it was first released in the spring of 2025
How authors who are interested in working with BFQ can reach out to them
Advice that Alex and Josh would like to relay to authors as well as those thinking of starting a publishing company
And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on how they are running this company with passion and integrity, with a goal to work collaboratively with authors.

Links of Interest:

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

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