Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Perspectives and reflections on the writing and publishing life. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, a writer, bookseller, digital publishing advocate, professional speaker, and publishing consultant explores inclusive and collaborative opportunities for writers and book publishing professionals via interviews, discussions, and reflections about the industry. (Mark's personal website is www.markleslie.ca)

EP 382 - From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker 10/04/2024

EP 381 - Showcasing Independent Bookstores, Publishers, And Authors with Andrew Snook 09/27/2024

EP 381 - Showcasing Independent Bookstores, Publishers, And Authors with Andrew Snook 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 many many ago Some of the early novels and novellas that Andrew released Moving to Ottawa to become a newspaper reporter so that he could write full time Moving back to Mississauga and getting a role in the Business-to-Business magazine business Starting up his own company in 2019 The six issues per year of Canadian Independent Publishers Magazine How the magazine is still a cost center and is not yet generating a profit - and how the goal is to have the magazine at least pay for itself The gig Andrew got going to local hockey games and covering them and how that led to an internship with Metroland (who owned the paper), and eventually a job with a local newspaper interested in advertising their books in this magazine The flash fiction contest Andrew is running to help Canadian authors in showcasing their work When Mark and Andrew first met at Hamilton Comic Con several years ago The small reader fee for submitting to this contest, which is $25 How Mark is offering for any Canadian authors listening who are interested in submitting to this flash fiction contest that Mark will pay the entry fee for the first 4 who contact him () The two books in the Remy series Andrew wrote The dice rolling interactive gamebook Andrew published The introductory chapter book Andrew published partially as a way to provide content for his daughter and other similar readers who were interested in the chapter book format, but with slightly longer chapters The impact that working on and producing this magazine has had on Andrew's writing time How Andrew used to work around his family and work schedule to get his writing done Andrew's experience teaching young kids creating writing and how that led to going back to further his post-secondary education Mistakes Andrew has made as a writer And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on a couple of things from his chat with Andrew and then shares how Canadian writers can participate in the promotional ad opportunity as well as in the flash fiction contest. Links of Interest: Mark's Kickstarter for EP 379 - Andrew Snook has been working as a professional writer and editor for 15 years. He started his writing career as a newspaper reporter in the Ottawa area before moving to Toronto to take on various roles as a magazine editor and feature writer for a variety of business publications. In 2019, he founded his content creation company, Snookbooks Publishing. In his spare time, Snook is an avid fiction writer and reader. He has published four works of fiction to date: Remy’s Dilemma (2015); Remy’s Dilemma: Special Delivery (2019); Dungeon Jest: The Ruby of Power (2022); and The Snookie-Cookie Crew and the Cranberry Cookie Cruncher (2022). Snook’s fiction and business writing have won him a combined 22 national and international awards, which is neat, but he's happier knowing he made someone laugh out loud while reading his books during an inappropriate moment. Snook is also passionate about promoting independent authors, bookstores and publishers. In 2023, he founded Canadian Independent Publishers Magazine, which is dedicated to offering a platform for showcasing Canadian writers. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/33227742

EP 380 - Passion Project Publishing with Brianna Wodabek 09/20/2024

EP 380 - Passion Project Publishing with Brianna Wodabek 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 interested in journalism Finding the brand new Creative Writing & Publishing degree program at Sheridan College Learning improv and how that helped with the overall process involved in publishing pitching Thinking that she would be focusing more on the writing program when she got involved, but pivoting over to the publishing side of things Getting an unofficial internship in her first year with a small Canadian publisher in Oakville, Ontario and being able to gain experience wearing multiple hats Her official internship at Wolsak and Wynn publishing in Hamilton Having to deliver her valedictorian speech for graduation via video because of the global pandemic Securing her first job as Digital Marketing Coordinator at Harper Collins US (HTP Books) within 2 months of graduating and then progressing through a series of promotions to other positions The fact that Harper Collins HTP Books interns are paid The in-house influencer program called "The Hive" that Brianna and one of her colleagues created How there's a growing trend of book influencers who collect more than one edition of a book Brianna's passion project achievement with Voyage of the Damned by Frances White and bringing it to North America despite not being an acquisitions editor How the role of the gatekeeping in the publishing world is being lowered due to additional influencers even from outside the publishing realm - social media influencers, for example The way some publishers are reaching out directly to authors via social media DMs Advice Brianna would share to authors and what she would like them to know about the traditional publishing world The value of being you and being authentic And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of a new type of reader who collects multiple editions of a book, how Brianna's passion led to a fantastic acquisition, and the importance of authenticity. Links of Interest: Mark's Kickstarter for EP 379 - Brianna Wodabek, an Honours Bachelor graduate in Creative Writing and Publishing, transitioned from independent publishing to her current role as Assistant Manager of Digital Marketing at HarperCollins. In this capacity, Brianna combines her expertise with her passion for storytelling, having notably personally acquiring important books like "Voyage of the Damned" by Frances White and collaborated with authors such as Colleen Hoover, Mary Kubica, Chelsea Devantez, Eve, and more to enhance their brands. Apart from her professional endeavors, Brianna's written works have been featured in publications like the Journal of Applied Social Science, PAUSE. Magazine, and The Mighty. With her industry experience and creative drive, Brianna is devoted to crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/33133462

EP 379 - Simplifying Your Life & Work with Dre Baldwin 09/13/2024

EP 379 - Simplifying Your Life & Work with Dre Baldwin 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 being able to drop the 80% How, over time, Dre has accumulated little pieces of wisdom that have ended up being part of the training and coaching that he does The first question that Dre often asks which is: What is your goal? The challenge of being inundated with so many messages which results in trying to work on more than one priority How Dre has always been a big reader and a bit of a closet computer geek The appeal of self-generated media and being able to articulate his ideas Putting videos on YouTube about the basketball he was playing professionally and how other players began to take advantage of his advice and coaching How even people who weren't playing sports could benefit from those basketball videos, which led to Dre recognizing he could help people beyond athletes How a lot of Dre's mindset stuff started to come out around 2009/2010 Blogging his ideas and starting to put out his books How discipline is the most important hallmark of the professional The way people can fall off their structure and the importance of finding the structure that works best for you Coaches being one of the ways that people can find/apply the proper structure How a true professional holds themselves accountable to a structure Shortcuts as something that can come from the right coach The way that a coach can KEEP a professional athlete good Human beings doing better work when accountability is involved The importance of showing yourself the same respect you would show to a "boss" or some other supervisor or superior you report to at work How the two golden questions related to your goal (What do you want and why do you want it?) help you build that bridge to the structure that can get you there Knowing that he had always wanted to write a book and combining that with the fact he knew he already had an audience via his YouTube channel The reason Dre didn't really pursue traditional publishing and decided to publish it himself in 2010 Dre's book Buy Me A Game (which is available as a free download) Publishing about 19/20 books between 2010 and 2017 Doing an in person speaking gig in Atlanta all on his own dime and what opportunities that led to, including a New York publisher (McGraw Hill) who was interested in publishing a book for him. That book was Working on Your Game Why Dre wasn't interested in reliving that experience again without the right offer/contract in place Adapting part of the traditional publishing editing process into his own procedure for self-publishing his books Why Dre prefers to have direct sales of his books on his own website How in business the most valuable thing you have is your customer list Dre's book The Third Day: The Decision That Separates The Pros From The Amateurs How a professional shows up and delivers even when they don't "feel like it" - that's what makes them a professional The fact that most people don't hear something you say - repeating it or exploring it in different ways can help And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on several of the points Dre brought up in the conversation, including re-leveraging your own IP by exploring a single topic into further detail and the fact that a professional always shows up. Links of Interest: Mark's Kickstarter for Dre Baldwin is CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. He has given 4 TEDxTalks and has authored 35 books. Dre’s content has been consumed over 103 million times. His daily Work On Your Game MasterClass has amassed over 2,900 episodes and over 7.3 million listeners. Dre had a 9-year professional basketball career, playing in 8 countries. Dre’s framework is the "roadmap in reverse" for professional Mindset, Strategy, Systems & Accountability. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/33030912

EP 378 - Multimedia Storytelling with Dominician Gennari 09/06/2024

EP 378 - Multimedia Storytelling with Dominician Gennari 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 Tolkien about six or seven years later How, when writing, Dominician was imagining the accompanying soundtrack and the way the process became inseparable Learning from one of the most incredible music teachers Dominician's Italian heritage and how his family would gather in the kitchen and, while cooking together, would sing works like the music from Madame Butterfly and other classical sources How that learning is layered and added in to the other styles and genres of music that Dominician composes and plays The way that Richard Wagner would compose music with the elaborate use of leitmotifs (musical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas, or plot elements) Dominician picking ten of the key moments in his story to hit really hard with his own compositions The various members of the local musical community who participated in the recording About the 2nd track, "Light of the Hydroverse" Advice that David Farland, a mentor who worked with Dominician, offered in relation to this project Being told by Dave Farland that Dominician reminded him of Gene Wolfe Unpacking numerous languages in order to re-package them into the original language he created for this universe The Kenorian greeting in the language Dominician invented which says "may serenity follow you" Working with producers on a script adaptation of The War for Ascension but coming to irreconcilable differences that resulted in an end to that project How Dominician connected with Dave Farland via a course he took online from Writers of the Future Turning down what could have been millions of dollars on that cancelled Hollywood project How people can get ahold of the accompanying soundtrack The process that Dominician uses when writing the stories and composing the music What's next for Dominician And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of creating in the kitchen and the power of that type of collaboration, as well as the integrity to say no to a huge opportunity if it crosses the line of what is deemed as acceptible. Links of Interest: Mark's Kickstarter for Dominician Gennari grew up in the rough western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in the 80's after his migrant parents fled war-torn Europe after WW2. As a young child, he would fantasise about imaginary creatures living in his backyard and he would dream of magical worlds. As the years unfolded, Dominician's creative spirit flourished, giving birth to his mythical world, Númaria. This world, meticulously crafted, boasts a rich history and a complex ecosystem, providing the perfect backdrop for the vast timeline of his unfolding story called The War for Ascension. Submerging himself in the fields of forbidden archaeology, esoteric wisdom, USAPs of the US government, and ancient warfare, a great awakening occurred as the veil of secrecy was lifted from his eyes. After learning humanity's obscured past was stranger than fiction, his desire to create a truthful and artistic message through fiction arose. This acquired knowledge segued into writing his epic fantasy series The War for Ascension and the sequential standalone series The Ascension Archive. Having spent 3 years working alongside renowned Hollywood producers, Dominician garnered invaluable knowledge of screen craft and storytelling. But due to unforeseen events, he chose an alternative path to pursue his dream of writing wholesome fantasy stories. Guided by fantasy author and genius, David Farland, Dominician is set to expand his grand mythology, The War for Ascension into a multimedia book and novella opus, along with accompanying soundtracks of epic music. Dominician is also the producer of the epic industrial metal band Ark of Light, and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor and National Champion. He currently lives in Melbourne, Australia. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/32944147

EP 377 - Pivoting Your Publishing Dreams with Denise Massar 08/30/2024

EP 377 - Pivoting Your Publishing Dreams with Denise Massar 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 2020 and how they fueled her in a positive way Denise's agent coming up with a strategy to change the title, to wait a year as publishing shifts and movements within editorial departments would naturally occur, then to try to send it out on sub to the market again Some of the limitations within traditional publishing that happen with titles that might be perceived by some as "somewhat similar" How memoir from an "unknown" person is one of the hardest things to sell Prince Harry's penis Having run the course with her agent on this book, and the respectful mutual decision to part ways Submitting the book to a number of university presses without her agent The sudden health scare that turned out to be a benign lump that Denise had to have surgery to remove Resetting those initial big dreams that she had about what would happen when her book was finally published The importance of her kids seeing her "finish this book" that she'd been working on for 10 years Deciding to take the indie publishing approach which allowed her several freedoms, including changing the title back to MATCHED, working with the cover designer artist that she knew and liked, among other things Leveraging 60 different ARC readers for her memoir The power of hearing readers say things like "me too" - and "I never knew that anybody else went through that" and other ways a writer can come to feel that their writing resonates with readers Writing about her own adoption and realizing that for the first six months of her life, before she was adopted, that she must have been in foster care Altering the names of some of the people in the book in order to preserve their privacy How the eight different birth mothers Denise was in contact with via the course of adopting her son who ended up changing her life Advice Denise would give to her younger self as well as advise she'd give to beginning authors And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on just how significant it is when an editor provides any sort of feedback beyond a form/token "not for us at this time" rejection, as well as an agent that's willing to "re-package" a book in order to try to put it out on submission for a second round. He also reflects on how nothing can stop a determined writer. Links of Interest: Mark's Kickstarter for Denise Massar is a writer, an adoptee, and a mom via birth and adoption. Her essays have been published in HuffPost, Writer's Digest, Mutha Magazine, Raise Magazine, An Injustice!, and she’s a recurring guest blogger for Jane Friedman. Denise’s memoir, Matched, is about the nine months she spent obsessively searching for a baby to adopt, the nine potential birth moms she met on that journey, and how, in a twist of fate, her son’s birth mom led Denise to the one person she thought she’d never meet: The woman who gave birth to her. You can find Matched anywhere you buy books, and you can read the first ten pages right now, and get Denise’s Top Ten Memoir Recommendations on her website, http://www.denisemassar.org/ The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/32807072

EP 376 - Dianne Scott on Writing Historical Mysteries 08/22/2024

EP 376 - Dianne Scott on Writing Historical Mysteries 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 essay, Dianne's teacher suggested that she switch her major over to English The teaching that Dianne has done for the past 30+ years Other writing that Dianne has worked on and published Dianne learning from her father, how he, as a police officer, used to patrol Toronto Island, and the spark of that into some ideas for her novels Deciding to make her main character a female officer in that place in the 1960s Preparing the final and 5th book in the series, FINAL LOOK, for publication in June 2025 Pitching and submitting her work to various Canadian markets The innate conflict that was part of the first novel in Dianne's Christine Lane series The "old VS new" conflict that happens in the stories in this setting Dianne's first two years in self/indie publishing Some of the volunteer work that Dianne does within her realms of expertise The importance of literacy The different types of creativity that can fulfill that internal desire Advice Dianne would give to other writers And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the research Dianne had to do as well as the concept of being creative in different ways. Links of Interest: Mark's Kickstarter for EP 374 - Dianne Scott lives a short ferry ride from Toronto Island, which is the setting of her mystery novels. She is the award-winning author of the Christine Lane Mystery series. The first book, Final Look, was a #1 Amazon bestseller, Kobo Emerging Writers Award nominee and winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award. The second book, Missing, was a Finalist for the CWC Excellence in Writing Award. Lost and Found and Sabotage are the third and fourth books in the series. When Dianne is not writing, she is walking Toronto’s neighborhoods, coffee klatching with friends and cuddling her Bichon Poodle. She also teaches literacy skills and is working on her Erne in pickleball. For more information about Dianne, visit her website at diannescottauthor.com The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/32706247

EP 375 - One Hand Kickstarting 08/15/2024

EP 374 - WMG Publishing Editor Round Table 08/08/2024

EP 373 - Musings on Getting a Masters and Getting Married 08/02/2024

EP 372 - Getting Paid For Authors Interviews and Book Reviews with Rick Hipson 07/25/2024

EP 372 - Getting Paid For Authors Interviews and Book Reviews with Rick Hipson Mark interviews Rick Hipson, author of the new book A REVIEWER'S GUIDE TO WRITING BOOK REVIEWS: AND HOW TO GET PAID FOR THEM. Prior to the interview, Mark thanks Patrons and Buy Me A Coffee buddies, welcomes new patron Kevin J. Anderson, shares comments from recent episode, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Rick talk about: Rick getting his first stint at writing (A ginger man story) back in Grade 2 or Grade 3 Catching the horror bug first when reading "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" when he was about nine years old Getting into vampires and reading stories about them at a young age Starting off writing for publication (fiction, interviews, and reviews) for a magazine called Insidious Reflections Rick's first author interview with Jack Ketchum and how it's one of the most memorable interview and one of his absolute favorites How Jack was a true gentleman who was gracious and so supportive of so many other people in the horror industry Rick interviewing Brian Keene through tweets Some of the struggles with transcription The way that Rick likes to conduct interviews Rick's podcast of interviews with horror authors and the various articles that he writes based on the context from those interviews Rick's interview with Frank Darabont of The Walking Dead, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, and A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors Interview advice that Frank Darabont offered to Rick Leveraging one's non-fiction interview assets in as many ways possible Rick's book, which launched July 26, 2024, A Reviewer’s Guide to Writing Book Reviews: And How to Get Paid for Them Deciding to go with a publisher (Crystal Lake Publishing) instead of self-publishing this title, and why The way that Rick worked his way through having his non-fiction pieces published in various horror markets A horror story Rick shares about his first review The importance of meeting people in person The single conference Rick will go to every single year and why A bit about Rick's podcast, Dark Bites And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on Rick's reasoning to go with a publisher as well as the long-term marketing effect of a reviewer feeling like they "owe" an author. Links of Interest: Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/32261407

EP 371 - Rambling Reflections From The Road July 2024 Edition 07/19/2024

EP 370 - Questioning & Reflecting with Becca Syme 07/11/2024

EP 370 - Questioning & Reflecting with Becca Syme Mark interviews Becca Syme, an author and a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach who has been helping writers with coaching success alignment for more than a decade. Prior to the interview, Mark thanks Patrons and Buy Me A Coffee buddies, shares comments from recent episode, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Becca talk about: How Becca deals with unexpected situations such as someone being late for a virtual meeting (Mark was 20 minutes late getting to this interview) and how this aligns with her strength of "Arranger" The Clifton Strengths personality metric and how Becca uses it to help writers Mark's top 5 strengths and Becca's top 5 strengths The pros and cons that come with a strength such as Empathy How emotions can have residue - that emotions are not false just because they're fictional Becca first taking the Clifton Strengths in 2005 and then immediately wanting to become certified and to figure this out; which is when her coaching began The "Dear Writer"/"Question The Premise" books that Becca has written to help writers How Becca's first book "Dear Writer You Need to Quit" has become a running joke, especially from people who have never read the book and have only heard the title The challenge related to the new place Becca lives and trying to get audiobooks recorded People who are pressure-prompted and the leveraging external motivation VS internal motivation A look at home office versus having an office space separate from the home and how that can work better for some people How our visions of ourselves are not correct because so much of it is based on impressions we were fed before we were able to effectively grasp a more pure vision of ourselves Being able to look at what's often seen as a weakness as a strength How even the more benign moments and experiences in childhood can have a dramatic life-long impact upon us The way that Becca questions almost everything, including the thoughts and feelings that she has Being an intuitive writer verses writing a book to outline How 100% of the things that "everyone says" are for everyone, are definitely NOT for everyone That most people are not lying to you, but they are lying to themselves, often because they just don't understand How a person who NEVER questions themself is a major red flag The "reach for my phone" game that Becca plays when she's traveling or out in public The 12-Hour Walk Becca dating someone who was comfortably disconnected from their phone, rarely ever reaching for it, but just being in the moment The problem with interrupting the thought cycle and being able to get all the way to the bottom of the cognitive process And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on a handful of things that came up in their conversation, which he felt was a lot of good therapy for him. Links of Interest: Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Becca Syme (MATL) is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and has been coaching success alignment for more than a decade. She is the author of the Quitbooks for Writers series and the popular Write Better-Faster course. She also writes mystery novels in her spare time and lives on one of the thousand lakes in Minnesota. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/32105817

EP 369 - The DIY Author With Kaye Lynn Booth 07/05/2024

EP 369 - The DIY Author With Kaye Lynn Booth Mark interviews Kaye Lynn Booth about her writing life and her new book The DIY Author. Prior to the interview, Mark thanks Patrons and Buy Me A Coffee buddies, as well as a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Kaye Lynn talk about: Kaye having written since 1994 and selling her first poem in 1996 Having always wanted to take a DIY approach to her creativity Signing up for a booth at a local fair without having anything to sell and how that led to a creative way of selling her poems Kaye's poem "Voices" and the perfect painting she found to use with it that was also called "Voices" and how that led to another collaborative poem and painting The early blog-related writing that Kaye had done when the internet was still "young" Creating the Writing to be Read brand on her blog/website and writing reviews for books she had read How Kaye's blog remains her biggest marketing tool The blog team that Kaye has writing specific content for her site Getting degrees in genre fiction and screen-writing and then going back with the concentration in publishing Kaye's perspective on what the harder part of writing and publishing is The long-term outlook that Kaye has taken when it comes to creating and building an audience with her blog The breakdown and sections of Kaye's book THE DIY AUTHOR Kaye's first poetry collection: Small Wonders The children's books that Kaye has written The various genres that Kaye writes in as she follows her passion And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects making do with what you have and the creativity that can come when you find you've painted yourself into a corner. Links of Interest: Kaye Lynn Booth's Website EP 356 - Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/32018497

EP 368 - Written Word Media with Clayton Noblit 06/28/2024

EP 368 - Written Word Media with Clayton Noblit Mark has a chat with Clayton Noblit, a senior marketing manager at Written Word Media. Prior to the interview, Mark thanks Patrons, welcomes a few new Buy Me A Coffee buddies, shares a personal update, and shares a word from this episode's sponsor. episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Clayton talk about: What Written Media is (a book marketing/promotions company) Clayton's personal background as a marketer, and a big reader, but not an author The purposeful design of the Written Word Media dashboard to help authors schedule a marketing promotion in about 20 minutes then get back on to the other parts of their day The various Written Word Media reader-facing brands: FreeBooksy, BargainBooksy, Red Feather Romance, New in Books, and Audiothicket Their partnerships with other reader promo sites like eReader News Today, Book Barbarian, Hello Books, and others The strategy of promo stacking by spreading marketing promotions out over a series of 3 to 5 days How the Facebook Ads and Amazon Ads support at Written Word Media works The Written Word Media membership levels (Gold and Platinum) which offer a 10% discount on booking promos as well as additional exclusive promotion options and savings on other third party services The Limelight feature promotion option available for members The content that appears on the Written Word Media blog, including regular surveys of authors and industry trends A few of the responses from a survey conducted in late 2023 A discussion of author's perceptions of AI and social media The importance of diversifying instead of being reliant on a single platform Advice Clayton offers to authors working on promoting and marketing their books After the interview Mark reflects on just how much Written Word Media has grown over the years, by listening to authors, and adding tools and options to allow for greater efficiency in marketing. He also notes how authors are becoming more professional in their approach of planning ahead, and admits to not being as good at making those plans as he'd hoped. Links of Interest: EP 008 - EP 185 - EP 285 - EP 342 - Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Clayton Noblit is a senior marketing manager at Written Word Media. He is passionate about helping authors find their readers and finding ways to sell more books. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, and making beverages. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31927532

EP 367 - Amazing Stories, Fanzines, and Community with Lloyd Penney 06/21/2024

EP 367 - Amazing Stories, Fanzines, and Community with Lloyd Penney Mark interviews Lloyd Penney, the editor of Amazing Stories magazine about his work on Amazing Stories, his forty years of engagement with the fanzine community, and more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Lloyd talk about: Meeting Robert J. Sawyer when they both attended Ryerson University in Toronto Lloyd's first and only published science fiction story (which Rob was responsible for) Getting involved in science fiction fanzines Forty years of experience being engaged with fanzines from Canada, the United States and all over the world The definition of what a fanzine is How the common community ends up talking about almost anything else once they've established their commonalities in related to things they are fans of How the production of fanzines have changed over the years, from mimeographs, to photocopies, to digital Starting off his experience in engaging with fanzines by writing a letter of comment The letter column being the heart of a fanzine Social media having replaced the fanzine in a lot of ways, but how that has reduced the more nuanced, well-thought out responses and behavior The "reaction" of social media verses the "responses" in fanzines An example of a recent fanzine that Lloyd recently received The first issue of Amazing Stories coming out in 1927 A fan, Steve Davidson, who, about 2008, wondered what happened to the copyright on the name Amazing Stories, found it was available and secured them How Spielberg needing to purchase the rights to the name for a TV show helped pay for the production of the first few issues of the new version of the magazine How Lloyd got involved with Amazing Stories in 2018 and then became the editor in chief of the magazine The magazine being (at the time) an online magazine, with no current print issues available The Patreon and merchandise that's available to help support the magazine's operation Running two Kickstarters - one of which funded, and the other, which didn't fund And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the value of getting involved with such a prestigious magazine brand as Amazing Stories, as well as the strong sense of connection and engagement with readers that can happen within the fanzine community. Links of Interest: (Includes Amazing Selects imprint of books) EP 366 - EP 365 - Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Lloyd Penney is a Canadian science fiction writer, science fiction convention organizer and a dedicated fan who took his long time science fiction interest and turned it into a career recently - as the editor-in-chief of Amazing Stories one of science fictions longest running magazines. He had previously written extensively for science fiction fanzines. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31836217

EP 366 - Bolts of Fiction with Daniel Willcocks and Samantha Frost 06/15/2024

EP 366 - Bolts of Fiction with Daniel Willcocks and Samantha Frost Mark interviews Daniel Willcocks and Samantha Frost about their flash fiction anthology BOLTS OF FICTION and the unique engagement they created and managed through the month of February 2023 to inspire the writing community throughout the entire month. In February 2023, the Activated Authors community embarked on an ambitious project: to respond to daily prompts and produce a flash fiction story by the next day. The result was an outpouring of over 500 unique and imaginative pieces, from which the very best were meticulously curated for their anthology. From heart-wrenching tales of love and loss to whimsical adventures in fantastical worlds, each story promises to transport you, even if just for a moment, into a different reality. Whether you have a minute or an hour, you'll find stories that will intrigue, inspire, and leave you yearning for more. Featuring stories from: Quenntis Ashby, Ara Bell, Amy Bulauski, Tracey Byrnes, S.F. Claymore, Cassi Emerson, Geoff Emberlyn, B.A. Ferguson, Michelle L.M. Gale, Renée Gallant, Megan L. Garner, Robert Gelik, Debbie Gravett, Karla Hailer, R.P. Howley, Jacqueline James, Claire Ladds, Arin Laney, Mark Leslie, Daisy Lythe, S.W. Millar, Kiz Moncrieff, Andrew Murray, Laura Nettles, Kymba Nijuck, Carolyn O'Brien, Leila Murton Poole, Karin Redclift, C.M. Simpson, K.T. Tate, and Karen Wicks. In this interview, Mark, Dan, and Sam talk about: June 15th being National Flash Fiction Day What flash fiction is The inspiration for this project The tight deadlines involved Creating daily prompts to inspire writers The blind submission/reading process And more . . . Links of Interest: Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author, award-winning podcaster, author coach, and speaker. Dan writes non-fiction for authors and creatives, as well as dark fiction for the twisted reader, spanning the genres of horror, post-apocalyptic, and sci-fi. Sam Frost a.k.a. "Mastress of None," is a video-editor, poet, writer, painter, actor and creator. Based in the south of England (but not born there, that's an important distinction), Sam is passionate about helping creatives while battling the will of a medium sized human and the "affectionate" sneezes of a smaller sized pug. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31755733

EP 365 - An Interview That's A Hug with Gail Carriger 06/14/2024

EP 365 - An Interview That's A Hug with Gail Carriger Mark interviews Gail Carriger about her writing life, her journey through publishing, analytics, the careful curation of her author brand, being a hybrid author and so much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Gail talk about:- How honored Mark is to learn that Gail listens to the Stark Reflections Podcast Gail's branding phrase of "Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs" and the various experiments she's done with that over the years Always being a person who wrote, or had a passion for writing Reading The Lord of the Rings as a child and deciding to craft her OWN ending for the story Growing up in a "commune" environment with a bunch of poets Gail's career as an academic when her first traditionally published book (Soulless) came out and took off The challenge/dare to herself of wanting to write a genre-blending/cross-genre tale of something that she would enjoy as a reader Negotiations taking a long time because Gail dug in her heels on specific contract clauses Her agent investigating a back-door deal with another publisher who offered her 3X the deal the first was looking at and was willing to adjust the right of first refusal clause The vision that the publishers had that Soulless was the beginning of a series (despite Gail believing, when she first wrote it, that it was a stand-alone) Having a two-book contract and then writing a cliffhanger at the end of the 2nd book in order to grease the wheels of a contract for other books Gail's love-affair with spreadsheets and the fact she reads all 56 pages of her royalty reports One of the main reasons she became an indie author was her ability to have direct access to data about her sales and her readers Gail's cautionary note to authors that with a "right of first refusal" a publisher is allowed to take their time with that offer, which can significantly delay an author's forward-movement plans The possible "rights grab" that a publisher might do even if it's not something within their regular publishing plans How growing up Gen-X and being a non-native to computers and the internet has resulted in an abundance of caution about digital, computers, the world wide web, how she is presented on the internet, etc. Gail's recommendation to test the waters in self-publishing with short stories first Nerding out with Mark about the "old days" of self-publishing and podcasting Being a social scientist by training and loving analytics and spreadsheets Pinging her rabid fan base and testing things all the time Gail's A/B testing on whether it's better to put a newsletter signup link at the front of a book or the end of the book, or both Ensuring that her author brand is not diluted with author business stuff that she's known for from other authors and industry insiders Talking to her readers constantly to continue to stay in the loop on insights The importance, when communicating to your readers to use the same language that they're used to Learning that her readers tend to not have a distinction between libraries and bookstores - that many of them see them under the same umbrella of a place they go to see what books are on display Confirming the reports that "word of mouth" is, by a landslide, the way that most readers find out about new books and new authors to read The value of a recommendation from another author in a newsletter or on social media The challenges of book blurbs A podcast that Gail recommends: Reading Glasses - and that authors should subscribe and listen to it in order to understand the language that readers use The deliberate curation and creation of the Gail Carriger persona, including her love of wearing retro outfits The side benefit of being able to be a fan at conventions, etc when "out of uniform" and how she's rarely recognized when not sporting that specific "look" A little bit about Gail's book THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY The next book for writers that Gail is working on called GOING HYBRID, structured to help established and existing traditionally published authors to learn the indie publishing landscape And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on several different topics that came up in the conversation, including contract clauses, being incognito, and Gails's suggesting for testing the self-publishing waters. Links of Interest: (Mark's Affiliate Link) Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs, mostly comedies of manners mixed with steampunk, urban fantasy, and sci-fi (plus cozy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). These include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School and Tinkered Starsong series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine’s Journey. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31742127

EP 364 - 40 Years of Rubes® Cartoons with Leigh Rubin 06/06/2024

EP 364 - 40 Years of Rubes® Cartoons with Leigh Rubin Mark interviews Leigh Rubin about 40 years of his Rubes® cartoons and his latest book THINK LIKE A CARTOONIST. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Leigh talk about: The fact that in 2024 Leigh is celebrating 40 years of producing Rubes® cartoons Some of the things that have changed since Leigh first started writing the cartoons - such as the way he delivers the daily cartoons The tools that haven't changed over the years, such as the drawing instruments he uses How far in advance the daily cartoons need to be sent in for syndication The fact that Leigh rarely ever takes a day off from drawing something new for the cartoon Leigh's book THINK LIKE A CARTOONIST and the story behind it The various types of essays that appear in this book Leigh's Cartoonist Pledge (inspired by the Boy Scout pledge) The ease of sharing cartoons on social media without any compensation given to the artist What a "workaround" is for cartooning The challenges of when humor doesn't age well because of changing sensitivities Testing the cartoons and deciding not to use certain ones that don't hit just right - (and the big stack of un-used cartoons that Leigh never submitted because they weren't funny enough) And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of what Leigh calls a "workaround" and how a similar thing might apply to writers in general as well as the idea of testing cartoons and not publishing them unless the hit right. Links of Interest: (RIT Press Website) (YouTube Short Inspired by one of Leigh's cartoons) (Mark's Affiliate Link) Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Leigh Rubin is an accomplished author and cartoonist. He has written more than 20 books. 2024 will mark the 40th anniversary of Leigh's internationally syndicated cartoon, Rubes®, which is distributed by Creators Syndicate to hundreds of newspapers and media outlets worldwide. His work has been featured in film, television, and advertising. Leigh also enjoys a busy schedule giving thought-provoking and entertaining presentations on art and creativity at conferences, as well as professional organizations all around the country. In 2018 Leigh began serving at Rochester Institute of Technology as the college's first Cartoonist-in-Residence. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31638897

EP 363 - Greatness Together with Sarah McVanel 05/30/2024

EP 363 - Greatness Together with Sarah McVanel Mark interviews Sarah McVanel, a recognition expert, professional speaker, coach, author, recovering perfectionist, and movement maker about her books, speaking, and her the new podcast she co-hosts with her daughter. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In the interview Mark and Sarah talk about: What Sarah has been up to since Mark last had her on the podcast How Sarah is an expert-based author rather than a "traditional" author The difference between writing for a keynote as a speaker and writing a book The various books that Sarah has previously written and how she went about putting them together, including FLIPSIDE OF FAILING The research and legwork done in order to send hand-signed copies and hand-written notes to medical/health-care leaders for Sarah's book ROCKSTAR: Magnify Your Greatness in Times of Change for Healthcare Leaders Providing space in the back of a specially printed edition of her book ROCKSTAR: Magnify Your Greatness in Times of Change for Women Leaders for conference organizers to put their own messaging in The needless bloating in some non-fiction books; something which Sarah strives to not do Satisfaction that's felt when you finish reading a book How companies, publishers, and authors often bundle products together and how it might affect the reader How we earn the right to be read as authors Participating in physical bundles with other speakers as part of a conference The way the most special readers deserve something special The new podcast (The Greatness Together Podcast) that Sarah has started with her daughter and which runs every other week Various topics related to the human dimension that mother and daughter Sarah and Simonne talk through And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on Sarah's perspective on the author needing to ensure that they deliver on their promise and that after earning the reader's attention, they need to keep it by delivering on that promise in the content. He also reflects on the incredible value Sarah brings as a greatness recognition expert. Links of Interest: (Mark's Affiliate Link) Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Sarah McVanel is a recognition expert, professional speaker, coach, author, recovering perfectionist, and movement maker. She created F.R.O.G. Forever Recognize Others’ GreatnessTM to invigorate companies so they can see their people as exceptional and, together, create a scrumptious, thriving culture where everyone belongs. Sarah has 25+ years of experience training, coaching, and leading teams. From her senior leadership role, she founded her boutique firm Greatness Magnified. Proclaimed as the “Frog Lady,” she can be found freaking out perfect strangers (in a good way) by handing out squishy frogs and asking them, “Have you been frogged lately?” and then acknowledging their greatness. She’s a Certified Senior Organizational Development Professional (CSODP), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL). She is one of 700 Certified Speaking Professionals (CSP) worldwide. She has a BA in Psychology, MSc in Family Relations, and Diplomas in Human Resources and Healthcare Administration. You can catch her kayaking in the summer and snowshoeing in the winter with her husband, or cooking a feast (while listening to an audiobook on double speed). She’s a die-hard carb-ivour, amateur hip hopper, and TikTok embarrasser to her two kids. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31542107

EP 362 - The Book To Read Before Giving Up On Your Writing Dreams with Todd Fahnestock 05/29/2024

EP 362 - The Book To Read Before Giving Up On Your Writing Dreams with Todd Fahnestock Mark interviews author Todd Fahnestock about his latest book for writers: Falling to Fly: The Book To Read Before Giving Up On Your Writing Dreams. This episode is sponsored by the Patrons and Coffee Buddies of the Stark Reflections Podcast. In the interview Mark and Todd talk about: Who Todd is and the edge of the seat epic fantasy he writes A little bit about Todd's memoir of hiking the Colorado Trail with his 15-year-old son The pitch for Summer of the Fetch, one of his one-off books Todd's latest book FALLING TO FLY: The Book to Read Before Giving Up on Your Writing Dreams How the book includes several completely frank episodes where Todd fell flat on his face and failed, and yet picked himself up one more time The idea of failure being the classroom and success being the diploma Being bored with a story where there's no challenge, or struggle, or flaws in the main character How fantasy books saved Todd's life when he was young and the fact he wanted to do the same thing for someone else The "writer dream" interviews that Todd is doing on social media The chapter called "The Little Rebel" and what that particular voice does for Todd The nightmare that inspired the idea for the title FALLING TO FLY And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on how great a storyteller Todd is, how much he enjoyed Todd's latest book, and the value when someone paints an authentic picture of the actual stark realities of the writing life. Links of Interest: (Mark's Affiliate Link) Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Todd Fahnestock is an award-winning, #1 bestselling author of fantasy for all ages and winner of the New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age Award. Threadweavers and The Whisper Prince Trilogy are two of his bestselling epic fantasy series. He is a founder of Eldros Legacy—a multi-author, shared-world mega-epic fantasy series—three-time winner of the Colorado Authors League Award for Writing Excellence, and two-time finalist for the Colorado Book Award for Tower of the Four: The Champions Academy (2021) and Khyven the Unkillable (2022). The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31515902

EP 361 - The Author Wheel with Greta Boris and Megan Haskell 05/23/2024

EP 361 - The Author Wheel with Greta Boris and Megan Haskell Mark interviews Greta Boris and Megan Haskell of The Author Wheel. Prior to the interview Mark shares a brief personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor. Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a word about this episode’s sponsor. This episode is sponsored by (affiliate link). Spend less time logging in to multiple platforms and crunching numbers, and more time writing and marketing your books thanks to ScribeCount’s handy all-in-one interface. In the interview Mark, Greta, and Megan talk about: How Megan started writing as a creative outlet when she was working for a major accounting firm The writing done on the train on the way in to work in Los Angeles and the blogs she had written Continuing writing after having her daughter in 2012 and then publishing her first book before her second child was born Greta's magazine background (her father was an editor and publisher of some major magazines back in the day) The writing she did for a number of magazines over the years and the various genres and topics she took on Being inspired by interviewing a bunch of fiction authors, including Joanna Penn How Greta got her first publisher doing a Twitter pitch Twitter pitches being really good for writing log lines Megan and Greta's "meet cute" at the Southern California Writer's Conference in 2014 Pitching a course to that conference at a later date so they could attend it again without having to pay which got turned into a book (Publish: Take Charge of Your Author Career) How they started The Author Wheel courses, podcast, and other resources The metaphors for The Author Wheel The way they try to break topics down into the smallest bits possible to simplify people Why it's helpful to recognize that authors are all at different places and there are so many different paths and choices an author can make Their course Trope Stacking and Other Genre Magic which is a companion to a quick-guide Understanding Your Genre Greta's pioneering with writing a book she felt was a "Cozy Horror" novel Strategies for mixing and layering in genres that are complimentary to one another while creating something unique How writing to an outline made Megan feel like her creativity was being stifled The way that Megan and Greta collaborate in their writing, the podcast, the social media, and the courses And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of the "Twitter pitch" and the benefit of having to craft writing that has tight restrictions as well as the importance of understanding that there's no one-size-fits-all solution, and that there's no single right way for authors to do things. Links of Interest: Courses: (Mark's Affiliate Link) Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Greta Boris is a USA Today Bestselling mystery and thriller author. Megan Haskell is an award-winning fantasy adventure author. Together, they founded The Author Wheel, publishers of books, courses, and a podcast to help writers overcome roadblocks and keep their stories rolling. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31444512

EP 360 - Foreign Rights Licensing with Roseanne Cheng of DropCap 05/17/2024

EP 360 - Foreign Rights Licensing with Roseanne Cheng of DropCap Mark interviews Roseanne Cheng, an award-winning author, ghostwriter, and book marketer who is passionate about educating authors and publishers about the power and opportunity of having their books elevated to the international market. They talk about her writing life, her author mentoring life, and about how DropCap Marketplace is a great bridge between indie authors and the licensing foreign language rights through traditional agencies and book scouts. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In their interview Mark and Roseanne talk about: Roseanne's background and passion for helping writers The first book Roseanne published (The Take Back of Lincoln Junior High) back in 2013 when she was teaching full-time and how it will always have a special place in her heart Working with Wise Ink Creative Publishing and the great respect that Roseanne has for the women who run that business The various lessons learned with writing and publishing a book and how you can turn the things that you learned (via various mistakes you've made) into positives by helping others on their own journeys Taking on the role of Marketing Director at Wise Ink by leveraging her own experiences to help shepherd other writers through the process of releasing a new book Working with authors to create their own custom marketing plans based on their goals Meeting and connecting with a dear friend, Josie, and teaching one another things they were each good at Creating an online school with Josie called Evergreen Authors in about 2019 How the pandemic ended up helping these courses and various other online teaching and Roseanne's ghostwriting business to really take off The genesis of her first book, The Take Back of Lincoln Junior High Reading the novel after taking a long break (focusing on the endless work and much sleeplessness of raising small children) and recognizing that it was really good How Roseanne's role as a teacher helped prepare her for the work she does in helping authors The co-authored book BUZZ: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BOOK MARKETING Roseanne's books THE EVERYGREEN AUTHOR: MASTER THE ART OF BOOK MARKETING and PORTABLE MAGIC The importance of asking your readers: "Where do you buy books?" The WIDE FOR THE WIN message of being in as many places as possibly and opening as many doors as possible and how it really resonated with Roseanne Getting involved in the "Rights" side of publishing and the entire distribution network that she had not yet been tapped into A story about the first time Roseanne received an email from a foreign publisher who reached out because they were interested in the foreign language rights to her work The creation of DropCap Marketplace as a match-making service between indie authors/small publishers and agents and book scouts The various other marketing resources available for authors on the DropCap site How DropCap marries technology with relationship resources within the industry The special coupon code for Stark Reflections listeners. STARK20 - to get 20% off the listing at DropCap marketplace And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflections on Roseanne's passion for helping writers and the importance for indie authors of recognizing where they can DIY and where they might be better off leveraging experts in a particular area of publishing. Links of Interest: Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off (Mark's Affiliate Link) Roseanne Cheng is an award-winning author, ghostwriter, book marketer, and Director of Business Development DropCap Rights Agency. A lifelong reader and writer, she began her work in book publishing as a Marketing Director for an indie publishing house based in Minneapolis and eventually co-founded Evergreen Authors, an online school teaching authors the business of writing and marketing their creative work. In her current role with DropCap, she has the unique pleasure of matching global rights buyers with titles that have the potential to positively impact their communities. She is passionate about educating authors and publishers about the power and opportunity of having their books elevated to the international market. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31330717

EP 359 - Capturing the Flow with Aaron Palmer 05/09/2024

EP 359 - Capturing the Flow with Aaron Palmer Mark interviews author, songwriter, musician, and podcaster Aaron Palmer. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In their interview Mark and Aaron talk about: Aaron being tested at an early age and it being determined that he had perfect pitch Picking up a guitar for the first time around 6th grade The first big concert he saw when he was in 5th grade was Van Halen - and he was convinced he wanted to do that A time in life when ambitions outweighed abilities How playing the guitar came pretty naturally to Aaron Being a pretty avid reader when he was growing up, consuming almost anything he could get his hands on The writing of Michael Crichton and the very cinematic way he had of writing prose Being in college and having a professor suggest he change his major to English Beginning to write short fiction shortly after that Aaron's podcast Native Tongues and the theme for the show Dealing with ADHD and also regularly multi-tasking How Aaron works through writing down log lines and concepts that are streaming through his mind to return to later to flesh out Finding out that Dave Grohl does something similar The initial concept of the podcast first coming out about five years ago, then beginning to develop the ideas for it in about August of 203 for a January 2024 launch Starting off with a concept or idea and then later fleshing out the characters and character development The idea of spending more time developing characters once you fully understand the world that they're in Reaching to the darker, more speculative or fantastical elements in storytelling out of a relatively mundane, safe, and normal existence Not taking himself very seriously as a writer or creative person Gravitating toward 12-year-old Bacoo rum Loving live music in multiple venues and forms How Aaron's podcast is helping to tie multiple creative aspects together And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on capturing the endless flow of ideas that can come to a creative person and the value of putting a creative work out into the world instead of just holding onto it. Links of Interest: Native Tongues Podcast (Mark's Affiliate Link) Aaron Palmer has been described as this generation's Ernest Hemingway. Not because he can write majestic prose, but because he equally loves to drink lots of rum. Aaron enjoys writing screenplays in the horror and thriller genres in which he has an encyclopedic knowledge of. He hosts the podcast Native Tongues, where he talks to writers and musicians about where they came from and how that influenced their voice. He also plays guitar, is into fitness, travel and loves to read. Oh, and he's got a wife and kids he likes. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31224207

EP 358 - The Way of the Parable Writer with Donn King 05/02/2024

EP 358 - The Way of the Parable Writer with Donn King Mark interviews professor, pastor, speaker, and author Donn King about writing, his podcast, and his books THE WAY OF THE THREE-YEAR-OLD WHY and MEDIUM WELL. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In their interview Mark and Donn talk about: Donn's gradual evolution into becoming a writer with starting work at a newspaper when he was 14 years old An experience in sixth grade discovering science fiction novels in the library and realizing reading could be fun when you weren't being forced to do it The first sci-fi novel Donn remembers reading: Robert A. Heinlein's HAVE SPACESUIT WILL TRAVEL Donn's first foray into writing short fiction in a 3-ring binder with a pencil Learning about his non-fiction writing from Bob Burg, co-author of THE GO-GIVER a bestselling business parable book How elements from writing good fiction apply when writing a parable Drawing upon autobiographical elements even when fictionalizing a parable The difference between Writer's Block and The Well Going Dry Donn's podcast, The Alignment Show The Great Realignment and pausing to step back and consider what really brings value to you Donn's book MEDIUM WELL: The Journey From Believing to Believing In The beautifully inquisitive nature of 3-Year-Olds in Donn's THE WAY OF THE THREE-YEAR-OLD WHY Principal Five - Without emotion, there is no motion The challenges of booking live speaking events when caring for family members who require that additional compassion and care The reality that none of us have any certainty - we merely live with the illusion of certainty The concept of connection before content And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on a few of the topics that came up in their conversation. Links of Interest: (Mark's Affiliate Link) Donn King is "The Confidence Cultivator," a professor, pastor, speaker, and author who lives in the mountains of East Tennessee. He also hosts "The Alignment Show," a podcast to support listeners in living their values so they can value their life. His book, "The Way of the Three-Year-Old Why," the first in the Sparklight Chronicles, came out in 2023, with "Medium Well," the second in the series, came out in early 2024 The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/31092693

EP 357 - 50 Years of Short Stories with Kevin J. Anderson 04/26/2024

EP 357 - 50 Years of Short Stories with Kevin J. Anderson In this episode, Mark interviews Kevin J. Anderson about his writing and the new approach he is taking to incorporate Kickstarter into the launch strategies for some of his indie-published titles. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this cruise. In their interview Mark and Kevin talk about: How Kickstarter has completely upended (in a good way), Kevin's book release strategies Kevin's first novel coming out in 1988 and all the various publishers he has worked with over the years The "Perfect Storm" that was brewing in the book industry when indie publishing became a realistic and viable option Starting to publish his own books (mostly backlist titles he got the rights back to) in 2009 after founding WordFire Press with his wife Rebecca Moesta Kevin's belief that this is the best time to be a writer How Kevin does a little bit of everything. He has a New York literary agent, he works with several major publishers, he indie publishes, and he continues to explore new opportunities that digital publishing offer The way that Kickstarter didn't just open a new door, it completely blew it down, along with a few walls too Dean Wesley Smith's perspective that helped to change Kevin's mind about what Kickstarter was all about Kevin's "Adams Family meets The Naked Gun" series of Dan Shamble Zombie PI novels, and the history of how it started off as a series with a major publisher, flopped, then Kevin got the rights back and did something truly stunning with it once he applied Kickstarter Kevin's first Dan Shamble Kickstarter which brought in 23 times the intial amount he was asking for, and that it paid him more than 6 times the advance he'd rec'd from a major publisher for the last Dan Shamble book he'd done with them The Dragon Business (The Princess Bride meets Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) Kickstarter that brought in 20 times what he'd been asking for The Persephone Kickstarter that Kevin did with Writer/Director Jeffrey Morris Kevin's latest Kickstarter which is a 7 Volume Set of over 130 of his published short stories published over 50 years Writing his first short story when he was 8 years old Publishing his very first short story when he was 14 The personal introductions that he wrote for every one of the stories in this 7 book collection The various levels and Kickstarter rewards he is planning for this Kickstarter The remarkable fact that, despite having published 180 novels with 58 of them being international bestsellers, no publisher would ever even consider publishing a 7 volume hardcover set of Kevin's complete short stories. That he can do this via Kickstarter is a significant paradigm shift How Kickstarter can replace the old "advance" model from traditional publishing The special thing Kevin is doing for all the backers of this latest Kickstarter The Kickstarter will be going live on April 30th for 3 weeks and 2 days And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on Kevin's use of short, effective and very clear log lines to describe two of his series. Links of Interest: (Mark's Affiliate Link) Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 180 books, 58 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as the unique Clockwork Angels steampunk trilogy with legendary Rush drummer Neil Peart. His original works include the Saga of Seven Suns series, the Wake the Dragon and Terra Incognita fantasy trilogies, and humorous Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. series and The Dragon Business series. He has edited numerous anthologies, written comics and games, and the lyrics to two rock CDs. Anderson is the director of the graduate program in Publishing at Western Colorado University, and he and his wife Rebecca Moesta are the publishers or WordFire Press. He worked on the recent films Dune Part One and Part Two from Legendary Entertainment, as well as the forthcoming Dune TV series from MAX, and other films in development, including Persephone and Karousel. He has 24 million copies in print in 34 languages. His most recent novels are Bats in the Belfry, Skeleton in the Closet, Persephone, and Princess of Dune (with Brian Herbert). The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/30923503

EP 356 - The Midlist Indie Author Mindset with T. Thorn Coyle 04/18/2024

EP 356 - The Midlist Indie Author Mindset with T. Thorn Coyle Mark 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: 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: Kickstarter for (Mark's Affiliate Link) 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 and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/30893733

EP 355 - Scribbling Pen Publishing with Melanie Gilbert and Heather Karn 04/11/2024

EP 355 - Scribbling Pen Publishing with Melanie Gilbert and Heather Karn Mark interviews Melanie Gilbert and Heather Karn about their work writing and publishing together under the Scribbling Pen Publishing brand. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, 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: In the interview, Mark, Melanie, and Heather talk about: How Heather got started in writing before Melanie, who started a year later Writing independently for a while before they got into mutual support and collaboration The two books they've published by doing round-robin style writing a couple of paragraphs at a time The plotting VS pantsing struggle that they would sometimes find themselves in The thrill of writing a book without knowing who the bad guy was the entire time until the idea of who it was struck both of them at the same time The process they use when writing, editing, and re-writing How the two of them think of the reader experience when the writer (as related to the Disney Customer Experience training) Leveraging the cats that they made to draw people in which is a great ice-breaker getting them to the books Thinking about the "writing companions" for the books Leveraging crafted book bags in the same way to generate interest - ie "Where did you get that cool book bag?" Determing what scented candle or wax melt varieties would go well with the different books Something special they did to celebrate the "12 Days of Christmas" that they could provide to all of their fans - cover reveals, sample chapters, recipes, music, other books, etc The benefit of personal touches in the newsletter including the fun that started with Griffin the furry manager How their cats and dogs are the ones explaining what's going on in their writer newsletters and their website store How their main goal isn't to sell books but to ensure that the people who visit their table are having a good time And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on the way the sisters leverage conversational items to draw people to their in person table, their focus on creating a genuinely memorable and entertaining experience (rather than focusing on selling books), and providing intriguing entertainment in their newsletter leveraging their pets' perspectives. Links of Interest: (April 10, 2024 - YouTube) (Limited Time Offer) (Mark's Affiliate Link) Melanie Gilbert and Heather Karn in their own words: We grew up in the lovely state of Michigan. We lived in a small town in the country, one of those towns where everyone knows everyone. When we graduated from high school, we went to the same college along with our triplet sister. Our younger sister joined us a couple years later. We’re all really close and that has influenced how we write characters who are siblings. Somehow, we both ended up in Wisconsin a few miles from each other (and even our triplet sister). We now live together and it’s a blast! Wisconsin isn’t too different from where we grew up, so it hasn’t been a big change to live here instead of in Michigan. The only down side to being here is the large lake between us and our family (and Melanie’s in-laws). Going around the lake makes traveling longer, but at least we’re not states away from family. Family is really important to us. Scribbling Pen Publishing was originally Melanie’s idea. Like Melanie’s other idea about writing a co-written book, it took Heather some time to warm up to the idea. Heather is more of a “think it over” personality while Melanie is a “sounds good, let’s do it” personality. Together, we balance each other out. Working together has been amazing. We each have strengths where the other has a weakness. Together we accomplish more than we did apart. Our brands are so similar, it only made sense to combine the work to share our love of books with the world. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/30791838

EP 354 - Lydia and David Sherrer on Power Couple Publishing 04/05/2024

EP 354 - Lydia and David Sherrer on Power Couple Publishing Mark interviews Lydia and David Sherrer about their company Chenoweth Press and the books and games they produce and publish collaboratively. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the awesome supporters of this podcast who provide their supprt via and . With special thanks to Nikki Guerlain for the recent huge BUY ME A COFFEE donation. In the interview, Mark talks to Lydia and David about: How Lydia's role as a writing is part of a biological imperitive Growing up reading everything in sight and also being into Lord of the Rings by the time she was five years old Always telling herself stories and writing some of them down over the years Finding out that what she studied in college wasn't a good career fit and then following her father's example of being an entrepreneur Publishing her first two books around 2012/2013 Lydia and David setting a ten-year plan that by then David would be able to quit his full-time job David enjoying playing Magic The Gathering card game when he was young Getting invited to a gaming store that was in his town and becoming enamored with it Opening up his own gaming store when he graduated from highschool The technical engineering background that David had and how he applied those skills to ads and marketing Getting frustrated with his job at about the time that Lydia was starting to earn good money from her writing Deciding that he wanted to turn his gaming hobby into a career by starting with a spreadsheet How playing cards are one of the easiest and most flexible mediums to make a game in The game Cat Magic taking roughly twenty minutes of calculations and figuring to get the first draft of the game started The catch-phrase for Love, Lies, and Magic Book 8 in that series releasing March 1, 2024 How Cat Magic the novel was the best of Lydia's books that had an existing audience for creating the first game of David's game design career David's role in being an alpha reader and providing Lydia with early feedback on her writing The Kickstarter campaign they ran to get the Cat Magic game off the ground The important Give 90% of the time, ask 10% of the time rule with communities you are engaged in The years of behind the scenes hard work and constantly giving and sharing with the community that built up the success seen in recent Kickstarters 80% of their sales coming from direct sales versus sales from retailers Storing 15,000 copies of Lydia's books in their basement Hiring a college student to help with some of the menial tasks like packaging up books for direct sale orders The various logistics of their shipping operation Hiring a nanny to keep their kids close and at home, but allowing them the freedom to get their work done during the day Their five-year-old discovering capitalism, entrepreneurship, and wanting to become a part of their business Advice that David and Lydia would offer to other couples interested in running a business like this And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on the concept of building the kind of life that you want as well as the community-giving focus as an authentic way to connect and offer something of value. Links of Interest: EP 312 - EP 266 - EP 157 - (April 10, 2024 - YouTube) (Limited Time Offer) (Mark's Affiliate Link) Lydia Sherrer is an award-winning and USA Today-bestselling author of snark-filled adventures creating stories you love to love, and hate to leave. She is the author of the bestselling urban fantasy Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus universe of books featuring several series, which have sold over half a million copies world-wide. Most recently she has released the TransDimensional Hunter series with NYT bestselling author John Ringo. Lydia subsists on liberal amounts of dark chocolate and tea, and hates sleep because it keeps her from writing (though she needs it because she has kids to wrangle). Due to the tireless efforts of her game-designer husband and her fuzzy overlords—i.e. cats—she remains sane and even occasionally remembers to leave the house. David Sherrer is a born storyteller and has been an obsessive gamer ever since he was seduced by Magic the Gathering at the tender age of fourteen. He has alternately owned a gaming store, street performed for a living, and survived eleven years in the soul crushing world of telecommunications. He lucked out by marrying a force of nature who was determined to making living off writing, and has since escaped his 9-5 to become the Marketing Director and Lead Game Designer of Chenoweth Press. His most fond achievements include being Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2006—there’s a story there, just ask him—and that time he made his entire DnD party cry at the end of a campaign. In addition to his work, he wrangles his growing family and a herd of feline supervisors, while secretly plotting how to add to the mountain of board games that he swears to his wife he actually plays. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/30689203

EP 353 - Tao Wong on the Toronto Indie Author Conference 03/29/2024

EP 353 - Tao Wong on the Toronto Indie Author Conference Mark interviews Tao Wong about his writing, LitRPG, entrepreneurship, and the Toronto Indie Author Conference that is coming in May 2024. Prior to the interview, Mark forgoes the usual brief personal update, or comments, and skips right to this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the Toronto Indie Author Conference. The Toronto Indie Author Conference is a two-day event tailored exclusively for Canadian independent authors. Do you dream of transforming your passion for writing into a thriving author business? Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of Canadian indie publishing’s first author business conference. In their interview, Mark and Tao talk about: How Tao has always been writing and telling stories, and how luck played a bit part in it Starting off writing LitRPG when he was living in the Yukon when it was night/dark all the time Writing a few novels and stories for fun, but then discovering Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blog about the business of publishing and how authors were beginning to leverage digital publishing to do it themselves Learning about indie publishing industry, but not being in a place where he thought he would pursue traditional publishing Beginning to put his LitRPG titles up on Amazon in 2017 at a time when it was just starting to become hot (He caught the 2nd wave of Western LitRPG authors) Not having to do any marketing in those early days because he was still working a full-time job running a business, but still bringing in a hearty income from his self-published books Tao's experience doing marketing in selling board games online Flipping between the two hats he wears. 1) The writer hat of getting the book done and 2) the marketer hat of having to sell the things that are written Realizing he was a "scenic route" author, according to Becca Syme's author structure talks and courses Getting to a point where he started to hire staff to help him with some of the tasks Being burnt out from the constant churn in hiring and training staff and them leaving within about two years Joking that being an indy author is the "easy mode" of being an entrepreneur because the cost and minimum setup is a lot less than what he had to do for his business before Laughing at the cost of a $200 cover design bill because not that long ago, he had a single bill from Canada Post that was over $100,000 Working with about 5 active co-authors but realizing that he didn't want to be a publisher Starting the Toronto Indie Author Conference initially out of spite and to bring something useful to Canadian authors who might not be able to afford to travel so far to several US based conferences The importance of not having only 6-figure authors doing the presentations at the Toronto Indie Author Conference Some of the speakers who will be at the Toronto Indie Author Confernce and the various topics they'll be covering The significant amount of time and energy Tao had to invest into this conference The Kobo sponsorship of an accessibility fund for the conference where they'll be giving out 10 to 15 pre-paid seats A discount code STARK10 that members can use to get $10 off their ticket registration for the conference And more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on the importance of those people who see gaps and step up to make a difference. It's a common theme from the past several interview episodes. He also reflects on just how easy it can be for authors as entrepreneurs when you factor in just how little an author has to invest when it comes to money, to get started, particularly in a world that has so many great free resources. Links of Interest: (Mark's Affiliate Link) Tao Wong is a full-time author in the scifi and fantasy genres, writing predominantly in the LitRPG and xianxia sub-genres. A multiple times international Amazon bestseller, he is best known for the System Apocalypse and A Thousand Li universes, with over 40 full-length novels and numerous shorter works published. Tao was a finalist for the Kindle Storyteller UK Award in 2021. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By /episode/index/show/markleslie/id/30590883

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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