Podcasts about author relations

In this episode of the Self-Publishing with ALLi Podcast, nonfiction adviser Anna Featherstone talks with author and indie publishing expert Mark Leslie Lefebvre about how to get your books into libraries. They discuss the benefits of library distribution, strategies for working with librarians, and how to make your book a good fit for library collections. Find more author advice, tips, and tools at our Self-Publishing Author Advice Center, with a huge archive of nearly 2,000 blog posts and a handy search box to find key info on the topic you need. And, if you haven't already, we invite you to join our organization and become a self-publishing ally. Now, go write and publish!  Sponsors This podcast is proudly sponsored by Bookvault. Sell high-quality, print-on-demand books directly to readers worldwide and earn maximum royalties selling directly. Automate fulfillment and create stunning special editions with BookvaultBespoke. Visit Bookvault.app today for an instant quote. This podcast is also sponsored by Gatekeeper Press, the all-inclusive Gold Standard in Publishing, offering authors 100% rights, royalties, satisfaction and worldwide distribution. Gatekeeper Press, Where Authors are Family. About the Host Anna Featherstone is ALLi's nonfiction adviser and an author advocate and mentor. A judge of The Australian Business Book Awards and Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, she's also the founder of Bold Authors and presents author marketing and self-publishing workshops for organizations, including Byron Writers Festival. Anna has authored books including how-to and memoirs and her book Look-It's Your Book! about writing, publishing, marketing, and leveraging nonfiction is on the Australian Society of Authors recommended reading list. When she's not being bookish, Anna's into bees, beings, and the big issues of our time. About the Guest Mark Leslie Lefebvre began working in the book industry in 1992, the same year his first published story appeared in print. In the more than thirty years since, he has published thrillers, fiction, urban fantasy, paranormal nonfiction, and books about writing and publishing. He has also worked as president of the Canadian Booksellers Association, director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Rakuten Kobo, and professional adviser for Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing Honors Program.

Arlington, Virginia writer Jack Nash is the Grand Prize Winner in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest earning him the Golden Pen Award trophy and $5,000. His winning story, "Son, Spirit, Snake," is published in the international bestselling anthology, L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 40 which has an official release date of May 7th. Mr. Nash was honored along with the other winners in the Writers and Illustrators of the Future Contests on April 25th at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California. Jack Nash started writing when he became a speech and ghostwriter for a former head of state and Nobel Peace Prize winner. After his non-accredited work appeared in places like The New York Times, The Economist, and received standing ovations at the Nobel Foundation, he began to wonder what he could achieve if he turned towards fiction. He began seriously writing speculative stories in late 2021, and he received the call that he would be published in Writers of the Future one year plus one day after his first professional sale to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction. As a result, he is now strongly superstitious. Originally from the deserts of the American West, Jack now wanders the urban forests of Virginia with his wife and daughter. The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 41st year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than thirty books that include the award-winning humorous urban fantasy Canadian Werewolf series— hailed by readers as “the thinking man's werewolf”—and his award-nominated ghostly explorations such as Haunted Hospitals and Tomes of Terror. He is also the editor of more than ten anthologies that include titles in the Hugo Award Nominated Pulphouse Fiction Magazine and the Aurora Award-winning Tesseracts series, which showcases the best in Canadian speculative fiction. His work has been translated into French, Italian, and German. While choosing the shorter and easier-to-spell moniker of Mark Leslie for most of his writing, Mark leverages his full name for work in inspiring, informing, and assisting other authors. Mark's first short story was published in 1992, the same year he began in the book industry. He is a tireless advocate for libraries, bookstores, and other authors and has held the roles of president of The Canadian Booksellers Association, board member for BookNet Canada, chair of the Professional Advisor Committee for Sheridan College's Honours Degree in Writing and Publishing, and Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Rakuten, Kobo, Inc. where he launched Kobo Writing Life. A pioneer in digital publishing, Mark has embraced both traditional and self-publishing routes and continues to look for new ways that technology and innovation can improve the industry for all authors. He has appeared on countless podcasts, television, and radio programs and has spoken on stages across Canada and the United States as well as in England, Germany, France, and Italy. Mark's weekly podcast, Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing—launched in January 2018— takes an unflinching look at the reality of the publishing world with a balanced take on the pros and cons of various publishing routes. One of his greatest passions is helping writers navigate the bold new realms and opportunities that continue to unfold as the industry evolves. Mark Leslie Lefebvre became a Writers of the Future judge in Find out more at: markleslie.ca

Mark Leslie Lefebvre has been writing since he was thirteen years old and discovered his mother's Underwood typewriter collecting dust in a closet. He started submitting his work for publication at the age of fifteen and had his first story published in 1992, the same year he graduated from university. Under the name Mark Leslie, he has published more than a dozen full length books. He pens a series of non-fiction paranormal explorations for Dundurn, Canada's largest independent publisher. He also writes fiction (typically thrillers and horror) and edits fiction anthologies, most recently as a regular editor for the WMG Publishing Fiction River anthology series. The very same year, Mark saw his first short story in print he started working in the book industry as a part-time bookseller, and was bitten by the book-selling bug. He has worked in virtually every type of bookstore (independent, chain, large-format, online, academic and digital). He has thrived on innovation, particularly related to digital publishing, and enjoys interacting with the various people who make the book industry so dynamic.Between 2011 and 2017, Mark worked at the Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Kobo where he was the driving force behind the creation of Kobo Writing Life, a free and easy to use author/small-publisher friendly platform designed to publish directly to Kobo's global catalog in 190 countries. By the end of 2016, Kobo Writing Life established itself as the #1 single source of weekly global unit sales for Kobo and, in primarily English language territories, responsible for 1 in every 4 eBooks sold. Mark has spoken professionally in the United States and Canada, in the UK and across Europe, specializing in advances in digital publishing and the vast and incredible opportunities that exist for writers and publishers.Website markleslie.caBooksTomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores and Libraries Haunted Hospitals Spooky Sudbury: True Tales of the Eerie & Unexplained Haunted Hamilton I, Death

Teatime with Miss Liz coming next to the table to share his T-E-A is Canada's largest independent publisher Mark Leslie Lefebvre. He is also a writer, an editor, a professional speaker, and a book nerd with a passion for craft beer. October 13th, 7 PM EST LIVE SHOW ON MISS LIZ'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL PODCAST STATIONS Mark Leslie Lefebvre has been writing since he was thirteen years old and discovered his mother's Underwood typewriter collecting dust in a closet. He started submitting his work for publication at the age of fifteen and had his first story published in 1992, the same year he graduated from university. Under the name Mark Leslie, he has published more than a dozen full-length books. He pens a series of non-fiction paranormal explorations for Dundurn, Canada's largest independent publisher. He also writes fiction (typically thrillers and horror) and edits fiction anthologies, most recently as a regular editor for the WMG Publishing Fiction River anthology series. The very same year, Mark saw his first short story in print he started working in the book industry as a part-time bookseller and was bitten by the book-selling bug. He has worked in virtually every type of bookstore (independent, chain, large-format, online, academic, and digital). He has thrived on innovation, particularly related to digital publishing, and enjoys interacting with the various people who make the book industry so dynamic. Between 2011 and 2017, Mark worked as the Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Kobo where he was the driving force behind the creation of Kobo Writing Life, a free and easy-to-use author/small-publisher friendly platform designed to publish directly to Kobo's global catalog in 190 countries. By the end of 2016, Kobo Writing Life established itself as the #1 single source of weekly global unit sales for Kobo and, in primarily English language territories, responsible for 1 in every 4 eBooks sold. Mark has spoken professionally in the United States and Canada, in the UK, and across Europe, specializing in advances in digital publishing and the vast and incredible opportunities that exist for writers and publishers. Stark Publishing is an imprint Mark created in 2004 when he released his first book One Hand Screaming. He has used the imprint to publish more than 25 books. Mark is available for interviews, media appearances, speaking engagements, and/or book review requests - please contact mickey.creativeedge@gmail.com by email. MORE INFORMATION www.markleslie.ca --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/misslizsteatimes/message

Mark is a writer, editor, professional speaker, and book nerd whose first short story appeared in print in 1992. He has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie. It includes thrillers, fiction, paranormal non-fiction and anthologies. He writes books that help authors navigate the business of writing and publishing under his full name Mark Leslie Lefebvre. Mark's industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, and Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital. Books: LOVER'S MOON (FEATURED) Get the book here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3M5YJUD ASIN: 1989351697 Books in "Canadian Werewolf" series Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Get the book here on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cTp1Zq ASIN: 1989351239 NON-FICTION BOOKS As Mark Leslie Lefebvre The 7 P's of Publishing Success Killing in on Kobo An Author's Guide to Working with Bookstores and Libraries Wide for the Win Publishing Pitfalls for Authors The Relaxed Author About the Show The Writers Corner has been a water cooler for authors since July 2018. The show is broadcast live so readers are able to engage with the authors in real time. The weekly talk show is 30 minutes long and give you some insight into the author's journey and/or details about the book you would otherwise not have known. It is a family friendly show and authors range from New York Times Best Selling Authors to debut authors. About the Show Hosts Bridgetti Lim Banda Bridgetti is an Author, Executive Livestream Producer, Talk Show Host, Global Goodwill Ambassador and an Invisible Disabilities Advocate. She helps thought leaders get comfortable on camera so they can humanize their brand, level up their brand recognition to remain top of mind, build trust and authority and a community so they can go from brick and mortar to click and order. Mary Elizabeth Jackson Mary Elizabeth Jackson is a special needs and disabilities advocate, ghost writer and award-winning author. Her latest release is Cheers from Heaven with Thornton Cline. #BooksWithBridgetti #BLiveMedia #WritersNetwork #WritingCommunity #WritersLife #TheConversation #MarkLeslie #FearAndLongingInLosAngeles #MakeADifference #Ad --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/blivemedia/message

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital, a free and author-centric platform celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022. Mark has worked in the book industry since 1992, the same year his first short story appeared in print. His past roles include President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee for Sheridan College's Honors Degree Program in Writing and Publishing, and Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Rakuten Kobo, where he created and launched Kobo Writing Life. He is the host of the weekly Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast; and writing mostly under the name Mark Leslie, has released more than 30 books that include fiction, urban fantasy, horror, true-story paranormal, and guide-books for authors.In this episode, you'll learn:What it means to publish wideWide marketing techniquesHow long it takes to see success when you publish wideThe biggest challenges wide authors faceVisit Mark's website: www.markleslie.ca

Thanks for tuning in to the Activated Authors podcast. If you're ready to ACTIVATE your author career, head on over to https://activatedauthors.com/ Mark has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie that include thrillers and fiction, paranormal non-fiction and anthologies. Under his full name he writes books to help authors navigate publishing which include The 7 P's of Publishing Success, An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores, and Wide for the Win His industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital and Professional Advisor for Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing Honours Program. In this episode we go deep into: Mark's journey so far [02:11] Rejection and Determination [04:59] How working in the industry helps Marks writing [07:46] The barrier to self-publishing in traditional education [11:03] Marks first writing routine [16:13] Deadlines [19:59] Procrastination [22:29] Collaboration [22:29] How Mark gets so much done [32:50] Taking in the world and staying inspired [38:08] Taking his own advice [40:52] Chasing passions not trends [45:22] Direct sales as a new author [47:41] Why Mark writes horror [50:12] Why Mark writes [52:39] Find out more about Mark Leslie Lefebvre: http://markleslie.ca/ Watch the show: https://youtu.be/nSGlto4wXnw  Get more from Activated Authors! https://activatedauthors.com/ Find out more about Daniel Willcocks https://www.danielwillcocks.com/ Special thanks to: Show theme: Karl Hughes Show editing: Sam Frost

Mark Leslie Lefebvre's first short story appeared in print in 1992, the same year he started working in the book industry.He has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie that include thrillers and fiction (Evasion, A Canadian Werewolf in New York, One Hand Screaming), paranormal non-fiction (Haunted Hospitals, Spooky Sudbury, Tomes of Terror) and anthologies (Campus Chills, Tesseracts Sixteen, Obsessions). Under his full name he writes books to help authors navigate publishing. And they include The 7 P's of Publishing Success and An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores.His industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital and Professional Advisor for Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing Honours Program.Mark lives in Waterloo, Ontario and can be found online at http://markleslie.ca/Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital's Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".https://nguyenphanquemai.com/The Douglas Coleman Show now offers audio and video promotional packages for music artists as well as video promotional packages for authors. Please see our website for complete details. http://douglascolemanshow.comIf you have a comment about this episode or any other, please click the link below.https://ratethispodcast.com/douglascolemanshow

Mark Leslie Lefebvre's first short story appeared in print in 1992, the same year he started working in the book industry.He has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie that include thrillers and fiction (Evasion, A Canadian Werewolf in New York, One Hand Screaming), paranormal non-fiction (Haunted Hospitals, Spooky Sudbury, Tomes of Terror) and anthologies (Campus Chills, Tesseracts Sixteen, Obsessions). Under his full name he writes books to help authors navigate publishing. And they include The 7 P's of Publishing Success and An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores.His industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital and Professional Advisor for Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing Honours Program.Mark lives in Waterloo, Ontario and can be found online at http://markleslie.ca/Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning Vietnamese writer and journalist. She is the author of eleven books of poetry, short fiction and non-fiction. Her books in Vietnamese has received the 2010 Poetry of the Year Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital's Literature & Arts Award, and First Prize in the Poetry Competition celebrating 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her debut novel and first book in English, THE MOUNTAINS SING, is an International Bestseller, Finalist of the 2021 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Winner of the 2020 BookBrowse Best Debut Award, Winner of the Blogger's Book Prize 2021, Winner of the 2021 International Book Awards, Winner of the 2021 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, and Winner of the 2020 Lannan Literary Award Fellowship for "a work of exceptional quality" and for "contribution to peace and reconciliation".https://nguyenphanquemai.com/The Douglas Coleman Show now offers audio and video promotional packages for music artists as well as video promotional packages for authors. Please see our website for complete details. http://douglascolemanshow.comIf you have a comment about this episode or any other, please click the link below.https://ratethispodcast.com/douglascolemanshow

When it comes to publishing wide, very few people are as knowledgeable as today's podcast guest. Not only was he the Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations at Kobo, but he now works as the Director of Business Development at Draft-2-Digital. Yes, that's right... Mark Leslie Lefebvre is on the show! In today's episode, I'm talking with Mark Leslie Lefebvre about what it means to be a wide author. We talk about mindset, setting yourself up for success, and the main differences between Amazon and its competitors. Have a listen: Be sure to check out the show notes by going to authorrevolution.org/97.

Mark's first short story appeared in print in 1992, the same year he started working in the book industry. He has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie that include thrillers and fiction (Evasion, A Canadian Werewolf in New York, One Hand Screaming), paranormal non-fiction (Haunted Hospitals, Spooky Sudbury, Tomes of Terror) and anthologies (Campus Chills, Tesseracts Sixteen, Obsessions). Under his full name he writes books to help authors navigate publishing. And they include The 7 P's of Publishing Success and An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores. His industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital and Professional Advisor for Sheridan College's Creative Writing and Publishing Honours Program. Mark lives in Waterloo, Ontario and can be found online at www.markleslie.ca. Hosts: Christie Stratos christiestratos.com Jennifer Anne Gordon www.JenniferAnneGordon.com Heather Gooden www.hmgoodenauthor.com Nola Nash https://nolanash.com/ Thanks to Pam Stack - Executive Producer www.blogtalkradio.com/authorsontheair Thanks to Roman Sirotin - Video/Audio Producer www.romansirotin.com Thanks to our sponsor Mickey Mikkelson www.creative-edge.services @Copyrighted by Authors on the Air

Join host Heather Andrews as she talks with Mark Leslie, writer, bookseller, and all-around book nerd about his journey on both “sides of the street” of being a bookseller and a writer. Get to Know Mark Leslie… Mark Leslie Lefebvre is a writer, editor, publishing consultant, digital publishing evangelist, and an overall giant book nerd. Mark has published more than twenty-five books under the name Mark Leslie that include thrillers and fiction, paranormal non-fiction, and anthologies. Under his full name, he writes books to help authors navigate publishing. Mark's books include The 7 P's of Publishing Success, Killing it on Kobo, An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores, Taking the Short Tack, and Wide for the Win. Mark's book industry experience includes President of the Canadian Booksellers Association, Board Member of BookNet Canada, Director of Author Relations and Self-Publishing for Rakuten Kobo, Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital, and Professional Advisor for[...] The post The Heather Andrews Show | Patience, Practice, Persistence | Mark Leslie appeared first on Get You Visible Podcast.

Kobo Writing Life’s very own Shayna Krishnasamy joins us on the podcast this week to discuss all things promotions. Shayna is the Author Relations and Promotions Strategist for KWL, and she not only manages our promotions tab, but she also helped create it! Shayna tells us how the promo tab came to be, how authors can best utilize the promos we run, and what authors should do if they’re rejected from a promo. Learn more about this episode! If you would like the promotion tab enabled on your KWL dashboard, email us at writinglife@kobo.com.

Mark has a really good heart. Mark is always trying to find a way to help others. Mark Leslie Lefebvre has been writing since he was thirteen years old and discovered his mother's Underwood typewriter collecting dust in a closet. He started submitting his work for publication at the age of fifteen and had his first story published in 1992, the same year he graduated from university. Under the name Mark Leslie, he has published more than a dozen full length books. He pens a series of non-fiction paranormal explorations for Dundurn, Canada's largest independent publisher. He also writes fiction (typically thrillers and horror) and edits fiction anthologies, most recently as a regular editor for the WMG Publishing Fiction River anthology series. The very same year, Mark saw his first short story in print he started working in the book industry as a part-time bookseller, and was bitten by the book-selling bug. He has worked in virtually every type of bookstore (independent, chain, large-format, online, academic and digital). He has thrived on innovation, particularly related to digital publishing, and enjoys interacting with the various people who make the book industry so dynamic. Between 2011 and 2017, Mark worked at the Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Kobo where he was the driving force behind the creation of Kobo Writing Life, a free and easy to use author/small-publisher friendly platform designed to publish directly to Kobo's global catalog in 190 countries. By the end of 2016, Kobo Writing Life established itself as the #1 single source of weeklyglobal unit sales for Kobo and, in primarily English language territories, responsible for 1 in every 4 eBooks sold. Mark has spoken professionally in the United States and Canada, in the UK and across Europe, specializing in advances in digital publishing and the vast and incredible opportunities that exist for writers and publishers. Stark Publishing is an imprint Mark created in 2004 when he released his first book One Hand Screaming. He has used the imprint to publish more than 25 books. Campus Chills (2009) and Obsessions (2020) are two of the titles he used to anthologize other authors writing. Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough is the first single author title from a different author that he has published. RUDE AWAKENINGS FROM SLEEPING ROUGH A new non-fiction book by Peter C. Mitchell with his experiences on Life in the streets! Set for release December 1st, 2020 and published by Stark Publishing and editor, Mark Leslie. This is a story that the charities don't want you to read. MORE DETAILS BELOW. About Peter and Mark: London born, Canadian raised Peter Mitchell was bumbling his way through a moderately successful career in business journalism when an investigation into a story on Corporate Social Responsibility inspired him to look beyond profit margins and PR into the very real problems faced by society. This inspiration prompted him to dip his toes into a self-confessed Sanity/Vanity project of a biography of his great, great grandfather, Sir John Kirk. As Secretary of The Ragged School Union, John championed the causes of children, the disabled, and the working poor in Victorian-era London. His influence extended beyond the city limits, and his life proved more interesting than previous biographies revealed. Dust-buried references have faced in the most obscure locales, showing the consequences—both good and bad—to the ragged and crippled children John Kirk devoted his life to help. In 2017, Peter returned to London to complete his research and begin the writing of “A Knight in the Slums.” The past was ready to be mined, and the future was assured. The present, however, took an unpredictable -and darkly ironic—turn. A series of unfortunate events transpired, creating a perfect storm of calamities leaving Peter penniles. Social Media is Mark Leslie http://www.starkreflections.ca/

This week, we interviewed Mark Leslie Lefebvre, horror author, publishing consultant, former Director of Author Relations at Kobo and current Director of Business Development at the distributor Draft2Digital.  Mark is also an audio fan and…Continue ReadingSFA – 013 How to Successfully Sell Wide (Beyond Amazon) with Mark Lefebvre

Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of the We Make Books Podcast, a show about writing, publishing and everything in between.   This week’s episode is a little different.  We made the perilous journey to the City of Angels and we’re coming to you live from the Nebulas in Los Angeles, California! (Well, Los Angeles adjacent anyway.)   We had an amazing weekend and while we were there, we took some time to talk to some of the people attending the Nebulas and get their advice, insight, and words of wisdom about the ins and outs of attending a con.  We talked to so many great people and they all had great stories and sage advice to share us and our audience.    Here are the lovely voices you are going to hear:  James Patrick Cronin (@jamespcronin) – Voice actor and owner of Blue Nose Audio Michael R. Underwood (@mikerunderwood) – (Amazing!) Author, publishing consultant, and co-host of the @speculatesf podcast. Lee Harris – Senior Editor for Tor.com and finalist for Best Accent of the Episode. Joseph R. Lallo (@jrlallo) – Author and one third of the Sci-Fi and Fantasy Marketing Podcast Arley Sorg (@arleysorg) – Writer, editor, all around amazing person – is there anything he can’t do?? Dan Wood (@danwoodok) – Director of Author Relations at Draft2Digital, and way more than just “ok”. John Scalzi (@scalzi) – I’m told he’s written some books or something. Peng Shepherd (@pshepherd) – Author of “The Book of M”. Mike Anderson (@MAndersonSciFi) – Author and spinner of incredible insights. Kellan Szpara (@KMSzpara) – Author and inducer of extreme nail envy. C.L. Polk (@clpolk) – Author, Nebula finalist, and winner of the best convention hack of the episode! Cat Rambo (@Catrambo) – Writer, educator, SFWA President, and Mistress of The Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers Caitlin Seal (@CaitSeal) – Author of “Twice Dead” and distributor of boxed wine. TJ Berry and Dave Liloia (@tjaneberry and @warpdrives) – She’s an author, they both host the Warp Drives podcast, and were just so much fun to talk to! Elsa Sjunneson-Henry (@snarkbat) – Author of both speculative and non-fiction and Accessibility Coordinator for SFWA Mark Tompkins (@MLTompkins) – Author and crafter of possibly the most successful elevator pitch in history. Jonathan Brazee (@jonathanbrazee) – Author, retired Marine colonel, he promises that you’re going to have a great time at the convention. Emma Osborne (@redscribe) – Author and sunshine incarnate – you will immediately feel better after talking to them. Second finalist for Best Accent of the Episode.   We hope that you are enjoying this and all of our other episodes and as always, feel free to reach out to us on any of the social medias.  You can find us @wmbcast and www.wemakebookspodcast.com.  Find Rekka @bittybittyzap and Kaelyn @kindofKaelyn.   Thank you for listening!     The SUPREMELY LONG transcript for this episode is available in gdocs

In this episode, you will learn the importance of getting out of your head and into your body.Everything is connected. How you move is how you breathe. But without conscious awareness, we are not utilizing our bodies or our breath to live our most optimal life experiences and this is greatly impacting our brains. We are existing in a world filled with the stimulus that is triggering stress in our bodies which is directly influence and activating our monkey minds. Check out this latest episode to receive yogic wisdom from the incredible Alyse Speyer to understand the body, breath, brain connection and receive actionable items and takeaways you can implement right away to be more in your body. The bonus: being more in your body will create less stress and quit your mind. Alyse Speyer started her career in marketing for technology start-ups in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley. After a few near-death experiences, existential crises, and tech burnout, Alyse left tech to pursue her passion for meditation, yoga, and personal development. She has since spent her days obsessed with breathing, transitions, and learning how to navigate the complex theories and practices of this feeling we call Life. Through a blend of east and west, Alyse marries the eight limbs of yoga with modern life coaching to support transformation in mind, body, and breath. She has coached and taught yoga, meditation, and breathwork in the U.S., Nepal, India, Southeast Asia, Brazil, and Spain and has transformed thousands of lives through her integrative healing techniques. Alyse currently is a happy nomad coaching and teaching from country to country and spends her days collaborating with the world’s top leaders in Personal Development, such as Jon and Missy Butcher, Neale Donald Walsch, Robin Sharma, and more in her role as Head of Author Relations at Mindvalley. 

Episode 89 of the KWL Podcast includes on location interviews with 7 different authors conducted by Mark Lefebvre, Director of Author Relations at Kobo during the 2017 Romance Writers of America (RWA) Annual conference. Barbara Freethy Sharing the enjoyment she gets connecting with fellow writers at RWA, Barbara also shares info about a new romantic suspense series (a spin-off of her Storm trilogy) that she was releasing during the week of RWA, as well as a collaboration with 6 other authors called “Seven Brides for Seven Soldiers” that will be launching in the fall.   Chris Keniston Chris discusses the strategy she used for her Faraday Country series (currently 8 books out with books 9 and 10 up for pre-order at the time of the interview), including stock-piling the first 4 books before beginning to release the series. She also talks about how she used a permanently free Book One in the series to help propel sales of the rest of the books in this clean and wholesome romance series. The combined effect of this stock-piling and a permanently free first book in the series has helped her triple her sales numbers.   Carrie Ann Ryan Fresh on the heals of the recent releases of Inked Expressions and Hope Restored, Carrie Ann shares the “tree-trunk” manner by which she connects the various series books together in a cohesive whole and the multiple points of entry this creates for readers. She also shares the combined multi-author launch of the Bad Boy Homecoming Romance connected novels as well as the slightly different branding that she uses when switching between paranormal romance and contemporary romance.   M.L. Buchman How M.L. (Matt), who writes in 11 different series (publishing 8 books a year and at least 13 short stories, including two that appear in Fiction River #4 and Fiction River #23), doesn't engage in social media in any significant way, but uses his newsletter to create a great value for his fans. Matt provides a free short story for his newsletter fans every single month. Matt also shares a bit about his important book Estate Planning for Authors: Your Final Letter (and Why You Need to Write it Now)     Ember Casey & Renna Peak Ember and Renna talk about the collaborative contemporary royalty romance series that they've been writing for the past 3 years (3 6 part serials that are all connected) and the way they split the writing (Ember writes the guy parts, Renna writes the girl parts). They also share the aggressive “every 2 week” release schedule that they developed and the success of creating a large reader funnel by making the first 2 books in the original series free.   Mark Dawson Mark talks about some of the strategies that he has used for Facebook ads, particularly the ads placed for 8 book box sets targeting Kobo customers, particularly customers in Canada and Australia. Much of Mark's shared wisdom can be found on his website SelfPublishingFormula.com He also talks about the importance of not getting details wrong, in particular the use of weapons (which one of his most popular characters, John Milton, uses) and shares the fact that, later that same day, he was heading off to a shooting range to try various weapons first hands as the ultimate research.     At the end of the podcast, Mark Lefebvre points out a recent article that was posted on both the Kobo Writing Life website and the Kobo Writing Life Community that outlines the 5 most common reasons why a book might be rejected in the publishing process. He shares that these posts are created specifically to help authors with finding information about particular details related to publishing on Kobo and encourages authors to take advantage of that information.

Mark Lefebvre, Director of Self-Publishing and Author Relations for Kobo is the host for this episode, and introduces a memorable clip from Episode 279 of The Creative Penn Podcast where Joanna Penn talks compares walking the 100KM "Race to the Stones" with writing. In her talk, Joanna goes into the details regarding 9 Lessons Learned About Writing from Walking 100K in a Weekend: Deadlines and specific goals help you achieve more It's good to have a goal, but training (and the journey) is the point Stamina builds up over time with practice You need a support team, but nobody can do the steps for you There are fun parts, but some of it will be hell Don't compare yourself to others. The race is only with yourself Follow the path others have set before you It's worth spending money to get the right gear A lot of people give up along the way – persistence is the key to success Mark then talks a bit about the beginning and end of the year as common goal-setting times for writers, and shares 5 of the bigger writing goals he had set for himself in 2016. He goes into detail, explaining the highs of meeting deadlines and goals, and the struggles with not achieving a goal (including his own 10 year struggle with getting his novel A Canadian Werewolf in New York published - he started working on it on a series from The Writing Show Podcast back in 2006) - something likely every writer faces.   Links of Interest from this episode The Creative Penn Podcast Episode 279 of The Creative Penn Podcast with Roz Morris Joanna Penn's books on Kobo (About Writing) Joanna's J.F. Penn novels on Kobo KWL Episode 32 - Interview with Dan Rubinstein The "Getting Published with Mark Leslie" episodes of The Writing Show Mark's A Canadian Werewolf in New York on Kobo  

In this episode Dan Wood, Director of Author Relations at Draft2Digital talks about universal book links, selling overseas, and other what services Draft2Digital offers authors for production and distribution. Show Notes: -Draft2Digital services include: Conversion of your manuscript to bookstore-ready files Distribution of your book to eight channels including international stores. A vetted list of preferred providers for editing, cover design, marketing, and other book-related services. -How universal book links have changed the game for selling books across platforms. -All about Books2Read and why it's more than just a place for readers to find books. Show Links: Draft2Digital home page:https://www.draft2digital.com/ Draft2Digital Blog:https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/ Universal book links: what are they? Find out here. Books2Read: https://books2read.com/  Chris' latest book: Sell More Books With Less Social Media includes an extensive free online course (link in the book) to help authors learn faster. Buy here. Register for the free master class coming Nov. 7 - 4 Steps to Your Best Book Launch Ever. Limited seats Grab your seat here now. Open Fire by Becca Boyd available soon. Book five in The Line of Fire series from Somewhere, TX.

What if some of the artists we feel as if we know – Meryl Streep, Neil Young, Bill Murray – turned up in the course of our daily lives? That's the basis of this collection of linked stories that follow Rose McEwan, an ordinary woman who keeps having extraordinary encounters with famous people. Nora Parker, Merchandising Coordinator at Kobo, interviews Marni Jackson, author of Don't I Know You? Published by Flatiron Books in New York. In the interview, Nora and Marni discuss: Marni's turn to fiction from her previous books such as Pain: The Science of Why We Hurt and Home Free: The Myth of the Empty Nest The accidental manner by which these stories ended up converging into the linked-stories novel that it became, starting with a short story Marni wrote called “Bob Dylan Goes Tubing” which was originally published in The Walrus in September 2012 How that same “Bob Dylan” short story was inspired by a painting that her son created one afternoon when they were at the cottage How Jackson choose who to include in the stories and how Rose McEwan's relationship to celebrity evolves throughout the tales How Bill Murray is a great character in the book because of the carefully curated and crafted persona of “Bill Murray” that he deftly manages and uses to connect with his fans (or, to use a very Canadian term, as Marni does: “Stick-handles” his fame in a really interesting way The interesting relationship between celebrity and audience and how the audience or fans actually “author” a celebrity's fame The manner by which celebrities don't necessarily exist “out there” in the distance, but that they are very much a part of our creative lives (ie, we may put on one of their songs while we are having sex – a perfect example of how they are incorporated into those intimate moments) The juxtaposition of the journalist in Jackson who enjoyed documenting real elements from the celebrities in this book with the fun and fictional encounters with Rose Jackson's interest in our relationships with celebrities and our relationship to fame rather than in the cult of celebrity The Al Purdy stage show project that Jackson is currently working on based on the film al purdy was here which she co-wrote that her husband, Brian D. Johnson, directed The concerns regarding the mention of famous people in the book and the fact that Jackson's lawyer went through it with her line-by-line to ensure there was nothing that could be construed as libelous or defamation of character After the interview, Mark Lefebvre, Director of Kobo Writing Life and Author Relations, shares some thoughts regarding Author Branding, outlining some ways in which an author can ensure that they are curating and presenting a consistent author persona or brand out into the world. He draws upon a couple of examples that, like in the Bill Murray reference Marni Jackson uses, are Canadian. He uses his own example of the use of the life-sized skeleton Barnaby Bones that he employs for his Mark Leslie horror/paranormal/ghost story author persona. He also explores Hugo and Nebula Award winning science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer who uses the “Dean of Canadian Science Fiction” element throughout his persona, including the name of his website: SFWRITER.COM. As a final example, Mark looks at the fonts uses in the title for the Netflix original STRANGER THINGS and how that makes a promise to potential viewers. Other links of interest: Marni Jackson's Website Marni Jackson's Books on Kobo Flatiron Books The Walrus Magazine Branding for Writers – from Joanna Penn's The Creative Penn

There are more places to publish than just at Amazon. Draft2Digital is one of the ways you can get your ebook out into the world. What is Draft2Digital? Well, think Smashwords but with a pretty website and no meatgrinder. They're an ebook distributor which is handy for writers/publishers who can't or choose not to go direct. Want to hear more? Good, that's why we invited Dan Wood, Draft2Digital's Director of Operations and Author Relations to the podcast.

Mark Lefebvre is the Director of Self Publishing & Author Relations at Kobo since 2011. He started his career as a technologist during the day and author during night . Mark is the writer of dark fiction that is often described as “Twilight Zone”style fiction . He has been involved in book selling business for over 20 years. Mark describes himself as a writer & book nerd from Hamilton, Ontario in Canada.  In this episode, Mark and I talk about his career in the book publishing industry, from being a bookseller to now with Kobo Writing Life. We talk about Kobo's approach towards book publishing and particularly their focus on Indian market after acquisition of Flipkart's ebook business, and pricing for the Indian Market. Finally, we discuss Barnaby Bones, Mark's skeletal companion. Shownotes for this episode will be available at www.mykitaab.in/markleslie