Podcasts about kobo writing life

In this episode, the Kobo Writing Life team attended the Toronto Indie Author Conference and recorded a live podcast with speculative fiction author and conference founder Tao Wong! We had a great time interviewing Tao in front of a live audience and getting to answer listener questions in real time. We're excited to present the complete interview to you now (with all the ambient sounds you might expect from a conference… it's as if you're really there)! We spoke to Tao about his writing career, why he started the Toronto Indie Author Conference, his thoughts on book marketing, the challenges Canadian indie authos face, and much more! Thanks again to Tao and all of the organizers involved in making a wonderful weekend of indie author-led talks, workshops, and roundtables happen – the KWL team had a great time and we are looking forward to next year. If you are a Canadian indie author interested in learning more about the Toronto Indie Author Conference, there's no better place to start than an interview with Tao! Learn more on Tao's website and check out Tao's books on Kobo.  

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode features our conversation with best-selling SFF author Gail Carriger. Gail discusses her writing career, her non-fiction title, The Heroine's Journey, and how she started out as a traditionally-published author before going indie (and finding much success in the indie space)! Bestselling author Gail Carriger joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her new non-fiction book, The Heroine's Journey. Gail started out as a traditionally published author, but once she got a taste of indie publishing she absolutely loved it. Her newest book, The Heroine's Journey, takes a look at the storytelling device by the same name and how it appears throughout the literary canon and pop culture. Gail also talks to us about her writing process, the fate of the publishing industry, and what happened when she stopped running ads for three months.  Learn more on Gail's website, check out Gail's Resources for Writers, and grab a copy of The Heroine's Journey!

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. Way back in July 2015, we were joined by Victoria Strauss, co-founder of Writer Beware, a SFWA-sponsored organization whose mission is to “track, expose, and raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry." Whether you are a new indie author or have a decade of experience on your side, don't miss out on this helpful episode! This week's podcast is essential listening for all authors: Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware is joining us to share her most important advice for how writers can avoid being scammed. Writer Beware was co-founded by Victoria and Ann Crispin in 1998, is sponsored by SFWA, and its mission is to “track, expose, and raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry.” Visit Victoria's website and learn more at Writer Beware!

In this episode, we are joined by best-selling legal thriller author and fellow podcast host, Aime Austin! Aime's latest thriller, His Last Mistress, is described as a “nail-biting social thriller with a heartbreaking twist.” We spoke to Aime back in 2021, and we were so excited to have her join us on the show again and hear more about what she's been writing since then. We spoke to Aime about her author career, what she's been up to in the last four years, heard more about her move from romance to thriller authors, got some insight into her experience with the indie author community, learned more about His Last Mistress, were given great advice for other thriller and mystery authors, talked about her podcast, A Time to Thrill, and much more! Once more, be sure to listen to our previous episode with Aime as well! Visit Aime's website to learn more, take a listen to her podcast, A Time to Thrill, grab a copy of His Last Mistress, and check out the rest of Aime's books on Kobo!

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. In this episode from September 2021, we spoke to Katee Robert, who is a best-selling author of books inspired by myth, fairytales, and folklore, all about how her inspirations influence their writing process! Best-selling author Katee Robert joins us on the podcast to talk about their writing process and why she's drawn to retellings of myths and fairytales. Katee tells us about the research that goes into her reimagined classics and how they keeps them fresh and original, and she talks to us about how her book going viral on TikTok has changed her marketing approach. To learn more, visit Katee's website and follow Katee on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

What are the different ways you can distribute and monetise your ebooks and audiobooks through Kobo Writing Life? How can you market them more effectively and reach more readers? With Tara Cremin. In the intro, the potential impact of tariffs and what to do about it [Self Publishing Advice]; Pep talk for authors during chaotic […] The post Ebook Sales, Subscriptions, Audiobooks And Book Marketing With Tara Cremin From Kobo Writing Life first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. For National Poetry Month here in North America, we're re-releasing this episode from April 2020 with poet, spoken word artist, and creative writing facilitator Jasmin Kaur. Writer, illustrator, and poet Jasmin Kaur joins us on the podcast this week. Jasmin's work has been celebrated globally, and has been shared by celebrities and activists such as Jennifer Lopez, Tessa Thompson, and Reese Witherspoon. She talks to us about her journey as a writer and what it's like to know her work has had such a wide reach, how she ensures she maintains her original intentions when sharing her work, and why she feels it's so important for her to share and protect her authentic voice. Learn more on Jasmin's website and be sure to follow Jasmin's Instagram!

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. For the fifth episode of this series, we're happy to share this interview featuring the 2019 Kobo Emerging Writer Prize winner in the Romance category, Julie Evelyn Joyce, for her book Steeped in Love. Julie Evelyn Joyce talks to us about the inspiration for prize-winning novel Steeped in Love. Julie shares how writing Gilmore Girls fan fiction taught her about craft and how a chance meeting at RWA led her to entering and winning Kobo's Emerging Writer Prize! Learn more on Julie's website and be sure to check out Julie's books on Kobo.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. For the fifth episode of this series, we're happy to share this interview featuring Canadian thriller author Samantha M. Bailey from 2022. Watch Out for Her is a contender for Canada Reads 2025. Don't miss the debates, which take place March 17th-20th, 2025. In this episode, we are joined by Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 nationally bestselling author of Woman on the Edge. Today, Samantha discusses her second book, the recently released domestic suspense novel/psychological thriller, Watch Out for Her. We discussed Samantha's experiences finding a traditional publishing platform, following up a successful debut during a global pandemic, how curiosity can drive the creative process of writing a thriller, the importance of editing, of community, of her readers, and much more! Find out more on Samantha M. Bailey's website and follow Samantha on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

In this week's episode, we continue our discuss about how seeking prestige can be dangerous for writers, specifically in the form of traditional publishing and the New York Times Bestseller list. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Shield of the Knight, Book #2 in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store: DRAGONSHIELD50 The coupon code is valid through March 21, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook for spring, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00   Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 241 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is February 28th, 2025. Today we are continuing our discussion of how to escape the trap of prestige for writers, specifically traditional publishing and The New York Times Bestseller List. Before we get to our main topic, we will do Coupon of the Week, an update on my current writing and audiobook projects, and then Question of the Week.   This week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Dragonskull: Shield of the Knight, Book Two in the Dragonskull series (as excellently narrated by Brad Wills), at my Payhip store. That coupon code is DRAGONSHIELD50. As always, I'll include the coupon code and the link to the store in the show notes. This coupon code is valid through March 21st, 2025. So if you need a new audiobook as we start to head into the spring months, we have got you covered. Now an update on my current writing projects. I'm pleased to report I am done with the rough draft of Ghost in the Assembly. I came in at 106,000 words, so it'll definitely be over a hundred thousand words when it's done. I'm about 20% of the way through the first round of edits, so I am confident in saying that if all goes well and nothing unexpected happens, I am on track to have it out in March. I am also 10,000 words into Shield of Battle, which will be the fifth of six books in the Shield War series and I'm hoping to have that out in April, if all goes well.   In audiobook news, recording for both Cloak of Dragonfire and Orc-Hoard is done. I'm just waiting for them to get through the processing on the various stores so they're available. There is also an audiobook edition of Half Elven Thief Omnibus One and Cloak Mage Omnibus Three that hopefully should be coming in March. More news with that to come.   00:01:55 Question of the Week   Now let's move on to Question of the Week. Question of the Week is intended to inspire interesting discussions of enjoyable topics. This week's question: what is your favorite subgenre of fantasy, high fantasy, epic fantasy, sword and sorcery, historical fantasy, urban fantasy, LitRPG, cultivation, or something else? No wrong answers, obviously.   Cindy says: Epic fantasy or those with a good history for that world. The Ghost Series are fantastic at this.   Thanks, Cindy.   Justin says: I enjoy all those sub-genres, if they are done well. In times past I would've said comic fantasy, but that is because Terry Pratchett at his best was just that good.   Mary says: High fantasy.   Surabhi says: I'd honestly read anything fantasy that's written well and has characters I'm attached to, given that it's not too gritty. Bonus points if there's humor! Also, I love your books so much and they're the perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, and characters. Your books were what really got me into Sword and Sorcery.   Thanks, Surabhi.     Matthew says: See, that's difficult. I love my sabers, both light and metal. I would say urban fantasy crosses the boundary the most. If it's a captivating story, it will be read.   John F says: I can't choose one- Lord of the Rings or LWW, The Inheritance Cycle, The Dresden Files, Caina, Ridmark, or Nadia. I think what draws me is great characters who grow. The setting/genre is just the device. That's why I keep coming back to your books. You create great characters.   Thanks, John F.   John K says: I think I'm partial to historical fantasy. I enjoy all genres, but when I think of my favorites, they tend to be derivations of historical settings. Think Guy Gavriel Kay or Miles Cameron. That said, I was weaned on Robert E. Howard, Fritz Lieber, Michael Moorcock, Karl Edward Wagner, Jack Vance, so a strong sword and sorcery second place.   Juana says: High fantasy. Belgariad, Tolkien, dragons, et cetera.   Jonathan says: Sword and sorcery in space! Prehistoric sword and sorcery, sword and sorcery always.   Quint: says Sword and sorcery!   Michael says: Sword and sorcery.   For myself, I think I would agree with our last couple of commenters and it would be sword and sorcery. My ideal fantasy novel has a barbarian hero wandering from corrupt city state to corrupt city state messing up the business of some evil wizards. I'm also very fond of what's called generic fantasy (if a fighter, a dwarf, an elf, and a wizard are going into a dungeon and fighting some orcs, I'm happy).   00:04:18 Main Topic of the Week: Escaping the Prestige Trap, Part 2   Now onto our main topic for the week, Escaping the Prestige Trap, Part 2, and we'll focus on traditional publishing and the New York Times Bestseller List this week. As we talked about last week, much of the idea of success, especially in the United States, is based on hitting certain milestones in a specific order. In the writing world, these measures of success have until fairly recently been getting an MFA, finding an agent, getting traditionally published, and hitting The New York Times Bestseller List. Last week we talked about the risks of an MFA and an agent. This week, we are going to talk about two more of those writing markers of prestige, getting traditionally published and having a book land on The New York Times Bestseller List. Why are they no longer as important? What should you devote your energy and focus to instead?   So let's start with looking at getting traditionally published. Most writers have dreamed of seeing their book for sale and traditional publishing for a long time has been the only route to this path. Until about 15 years ago, traditional publishing was the way that a majority of authors made their living. Now that big name authors like Hugh Howie, Andy Weir, and Colleen Hoover have had success starting as self-published authors (or in the case of authors Sarah J. Maas and Ali Hazelwood, fan fiction authors) and then are getting traditional publishing deals made for them for their self-published works. It's proof that self-publishing is no longer a sign that the author isn't good enough to be published traditionally. Previous to the rise of the Kindle, that was a common belief that if you were self-published, it was because you were not good enough to get traditionally published. That was sort of this pernicious belief that traditional publishing was a meritocracy, when in fact it tended to be based on who you knew. But that was all 15 years ago and now we are well into the age of self-publishing. Why do authors still want to be traditionally published when in my frank opinion, self-publishing is the better path? Well, I think there are three main reasons for that.   One of the main reasons is that the authors say they want to be traditionally published is to have someone else handle the marketing and the advertising. They don't realize how meager marketing budgets and staffing support are, especially for unknown authors. Many traditionally published authors are handling large portions of their own marketing and hiring publicists out of their own pocket because publishers are spending much less on marketing. The new reality is that traditional publishers aren't going to do much for you as a debut author unless you are already a public figure.   Even traditionally published authors are not exempt from having to do their own marketing now. James Patterson set up an entire company himself to handle his marketing. Though, to be fair to James Patterson, his background was in advertising before he came into publishing, so he wasn't exactly a neophyte in the field, but you see more and more traditionally published authors who you think would be successful just discontented with the system and starting to dabble in self-publishing or looking at alternative publishers like Aethon Books and different arrangements of publishing because the traditional system is just so bad for writers. The second main reason authors want to be traditionally published is that they want to avoid the financial burden of publishing. This is an outdated way of thinking. The barrier to publishing these days is not so much financial as it is knowledge. In fact, I published a book entirely using free open source software in 2017 just to prove that it could be done. It was Silent Order: Eclipse Hand, the fourth book in my science fiction series. I wrote it on Ubuntu using Libre Office and I edited it in Libre Office and I did the formatting on Ubuntu and I did the cover in the GIMP, which is a free and open source image editing program. This was all using free software and I didn't have to pay for the program. Obviously I had to pay for the computer I was using and the Internet connection, but in the modern era, having an internet connection is in many ways almost a requirement, so that's the cost you would be paying anyway.   The idea that you must spend tens of thousands of dollars in formatting, editing, cover, and marketing comes from scammy self-publishing services. Self-publishing, much like traditional publishing, has more than its fair share of scams or from people who aren't willing to take the time to learn these skills and just want to cut someone a check to solve the problem. There are many low cost and effective ways to learn these skills and resources designed specifically for authors. People like Joanna Penn have free videos online explaining how to do this, and as I've said, a lot of the software you can use to self-publish is either free or low cost, and you can get some very good programs like Atticus or Vellum or Jutoh for formatting eBooks for very low cost.   The third reason that writers want to be traditionally published is that many believe they will get paid more this way, which is, unless you are in the top 1% of traditionally published authors, very wrong. Every so often, there's a study bemoaning the fact that most publishers will only sell about $600 worth of any individual book, and that is true of a large percentage of traditionally published books. Traditional publishers typically pay a lump sum called advance, and then royalties based on sales. An average advance is about the same as two or three months of salary from an office job and so not a reflection of the amount of time it typically takes most authors to finish a book. Most books do not earn out their advance, which means the advance is likely to be the only money the author receives for the book. Even well-known traditionally published authors are not earning enough to support themselves as full-time authors. So as you can see, all three of these reasons are putting a lot of faith in traditional publishers, faith that seems increasingly unnecessary or downright misplaced. I think it is very healthy to get rid of the idea that good writing comes from traditional publishers and that the prestige of being traditionally published is the only way you'll be accepted as a writer or be able to earn a living as a full-time writer. I strongly recommend that people stop thinking that marketing is beneath you as an author or too difficult to learn. Whether you are indie or tradpub, you are producing a product that you want to sell, thus you are a businessperson. The idea that only indie authors have to sell their work is outdated. The sooner you accept this reality, the more options you will have. Self-publishing and indie publishing are admittedly more work. However, the benefits are significant. Here are five benefits of self-publishing versus traditional publishing.   The first advantage of self-publishing is you have complete creative control. You decide what the content of your book will be; you decide what the cover will be. If you don't want to make the covers yourself or you don't want to learn how to do that, you can very affordably hire someone to do it for you and they will make the cover exactly to your specifications. You also have more freedom to experiment with cross-genre books. As I've mentioned before, publishers really aren't a fan of cross genre books until they make a ton of money, like the new romantasy trend.   Traditional publishing is very trend driven and cautious. Back in the 2000s before I gave up on traditional publishing and discovered self-publishing, I would submit to agents a lot. Agents all had these guidelines for fantasy saying that they didn't want to see stories with elves and orcs and dwarves and other traditional fantasy creatures because they thought that was passe. Well, when I started self-publishing, I thought I'm going to write a traditional fantasy series with elves and orcs and dwarves and other traditional fantasy creatures just because I can and Frostborn has been my bestselling series of all time in the time I've been self-publishing, so you can see the advantages of having creative control.   The second advantage is you can control the marketing. Tradpub authors often sign a contract that they'll get their social media and website content approved by the publisher before posting. They may even be given boilerplate or pre-written things to post. In self-publishing, you have real time data to help you make decisions and adjust ads and overall strategy on the fly to maximize revenue. For example, if one of your books is selling strangely well on Google Play, it's time to adjust BookBub ads to focus on that platform instead of Amazon.   You can also easily change your cover, your blurb, and so forth after release. I've changed covers of some of my books many times trying to optimize them for increased sales and that is nearly impossible to do with traditional publishing. And in fact, Brandon Sanderson gave a recent interview where he talked about how the original cover of his Mistborn book was so unrelated to the content of the book that it almost sunk the book and hence his career.   You also have the ability to run ad campaigns as you see fit, not just an initial launch like tradpub does. For example, in February 2025, I've been heavily advertising my Demonsouled series even though I finished writing that series back in 2013, but I've been able to increase sales and derive a significant profit from those ads.   A third big advantage is that you get a far greater share of the profits. Most of the stores, if you price an ebook between $2.99 (prices are USD) and $9.99, you will get 70% of the sale price, which means if you sell an ebook for $4.99, you're probably going to get about $3.50 per sale (depending on currency fluctuations and so forth). That is vastly more than you would get from any publishing contract.   You also don't have to worry about the publisher trying to cheat you out of royalties. We talked about an agency stealing money last episode. Every platform you publish your book on, whether Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Smashwords and Apple will give you a monthly spreadsheet of your sales and then you can look at it for yourself, see exactly how many books you sold and exactly how much money you're going to get. I have only very rarely seen traditional publishing royalty statements that are as clear and have as much data in them as a spreadsheet from Google Play or Amazon. A fourth advantage is you don't have to worry about publishers abandoning you mid-series. In traditional publishing, there is what's called the Publishing Death Spiral where let's say an author is contracted to write a series of five books. The author writes the first book and it sells well. Then the author publishes the second book and it doesn't sell quite as well, but the publisher is annoyed enough by the decrease in sales that they drop the writer entirely and don't finish the series. This happens quite a bit in the traditional publishing world, and you don't have to worry about that in indie publishing because you can just publish as often as you want. If you're not happy with the sales of the first few books in the series, you can change the covers, try ad campaigns, and other strategies.   Finally, you can publish as often as you want and when you want. In traditional publishing, there is often a rule of thumb that an author should only publish one book a year under their name. Considering that last year I published 10 books under my name, that seems somewhat ridiculous, but that's a function of the fact that traditional publishing has only so much capacity and the pieces of the machine involved there are slow and not very responsive. Whereas with self-publishing, you have much more freedom and everything involved with it is much more responsive. There's no artificial deadlines, so you can take as long as you want to prepare it and if the book is ready, you don't have to wait a year to put it out because it would mess up the publisher's schedule.   So what to do instead of chasing traditional publishing? Learn about self-publishing, especially about scams and bad deals related to it. Publish your own works by a platform such as KDP, Barnes and Noble Press, Kobo Writing Life, Apple Books, Google Play, Smashwords, and possibly your own Payhip and/or Shopify store.   Conquer your fear of marketing and advertising. Even traditionally published authors are shouldering more of this work and paying out of their own pocket to hire someone to do it, and if you are paying your own marketing costs, you might as well self-publish and keep a greater share of the profits. The second half of our main topic, another potential risk of prestige, is getting on The New York Times Bestseller List. I should note that I suppose someone could accuse me of sour grapes here saying, oh, Jonathan Moeller, you've never been on The New York Times Bestseller List. You must just be bitter about it. That is not true. I do not want to be on The New York Times Bestseller List. What I would like to be is a number one Amazon bestseller. Admittedly though, that's unlikely, but a number one Amazon bestseller would make a lot more money than a number one New York Times Bestseller List, though because of the way it works, if you are a number one Amazon bestseller, you might be a New York Times Bestseller, but you might not. Let's get into that now.   Many writers have the dream of seeing their name on the New York Times Bestseller List. One self-help guru wrote about “manifesting” this milestone for herself by writing out the words “My book is number one on The New York Times Bestseller List” every day until it happened. Such is the mystique of this milestone that many authors crave it as a necessity. However, this list has seen challenges to its prestige in recent years. The one thing that shocks most people when they dig into the topic is that the list is not an objective list based on the raw number of books sold. The list is “editorial content” and The New York Times can exclude, include, or rank the books on the list however they choose.   What it does not capture is perennial sellers or classics. For example, the Bible and the Quran are obviously some of the bestselling books of all time, but you won't see editions of the Bible or the Quran on the New York Times Bestseller List. Textbooks and classroom materials, I guarantee there are some textbooks that are standards in their field that would be on the bestseller list every year, but they're not because The New York Times doesn't track them. Ebooks available only from a single vendor such as Kindle Unlimited books, ebook sales from not reporting vendors such as Shopify or Payhip. Reference Works including test prep guides (because I guarantee when test season comes around the ACT and SAT prep guides or the GRE prep guides sell a lot of copies) and coloring books or puzzle books.  It would be quite a blow to the authors on the list to realize that if these excluded works were included on the list, they would in all likelihood be consistently below To Kill a Mockingbird, SAT prep books, citation manuals, Bibles/other religious works, and coloring books about The Eras Tour.   Publishers, political figures, religious groups, and anyone with enough money can buy their way into the rank by purchasing their books in enormous quantities. In fact, it's widely acknowledged in the United States that this is essentially a legal form of bribery and a bit of money laundering too, where a publisher will give a truly enormous advance to a public figure or politician that they like, and that advance will essentially be a payment to that public figure in the totally legal form of an enormous book advance that isn't going to pay out. Because this is happening with such frequency, The New York Times gave into the pressure to acknowledge titles suspected of this strategy with a special mark next to it on the list. However, these books remain on the list and can still be called a New York Times Bestseller.   Since the list is not an objective marker of sales and certainly not some guarantee of quality, why focus on making it there? I think trying to get your book on The New York Times Bestseller List would be an enormous waste of time, since the list is fundamentally an artificial construction that doesn't reflect sales reality very well.   So what can you do instead? Focus on raw sales numbers and revenue, not lists. Even Amazon's bestseller category lists have a certain amount of non-quantitative factors. In the indie author community, there's a saying called Bank not Rank, which means you should focus on how much revenue your books are actually generating instead of whatever sales rank they are on whatever platform. I think that's a wiser approach to focus your efforts.   You can use lists like those from Publishers Weekly instead if you're interested in what's selling or trends in the industry, although that too can be manipulated and these use only a fairly small subset of data that favors retail booksellers, but it's still more objective in measuring than The New York Times.   I suppose in the end, you should try and focus on ebook and writing activities that'll bring you actual revenue or satisfaction rather than chasing the hollow prestige of things like traditional publishing, agents, MFAs, and The New York Times Bestseller List.   So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show useful. A reminder that you can listen to all back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. For the fourth episode of this series, we're happy to share this episode featuring Robert Harris from November 2016. Originally hosted at Kobo's former headquarters in Toronto (don't worry, we're still in Toronto; we've just moved!), this interview features author Robert Harris in conversation with journalist Johanna Schneller, as well as Pieter Swinkels, former Chief Content Officer at Kobo. This interview offers some insights into Robert's research process and writing routine, and we also get to hear all about his inspiration for Conclave, amongst much more! Find out more on Robert's website, follow Johanna Schneller on X/Twitter, and check out Robert's books on Kobo.

In this episode, we are joined by Sierra Simone, author of dozens of romance novels, such as the beloved Thornchapel, New Camelot, and Lyonesse series. In her own words, Sierra “loves writing the dirtiest things that she can think of, King Arthur, sparkling water, ancient mystery cults, coffee, leggings, and fog.” Sierra's enthusiasm for erotic romance novels, marketing books, character development, and her fellow authors takes the spotlight during this interview, and we love to hear it. We speak with Sierra about her writing career, hear some great advice on writing intimate scenes, discuss the importance of social media, Tiktok, and BookTok, co-writing with fellow romance author Julie Murphy, and much more! Whether you are a fan of Sierra's books or an erotic romance novelist yourself, you won't want to miss this episode. Learn more on Sierra's website, follow her on Instagram, and join Sierra's Facebook reader group for even more!

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. For the third episode of this series, we're excited to highlight this episode featuring Renee Harleston from March 2022. Our guest this week is Renee Harleston, founder of Writing Diversely, which offers sensitivity reading services that provide authors, writers, and content creators the tools and support they need to tell diverse and inclusive stories. Learn more by visiting the Writing Diversely site, and follow Writing Diversely on X/Twitter and Instagram.  

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Differences between developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading What type of editing to invest in if you're on a budget What makes a good first line Common mistakes new authors make in story An editor's process of reviewing a manuscript Links I mentioned: Page Turner Pacing Kickstarter Girl Games: NSFW Special Edition Kickstarter Find out more about Rebecca: Instagram @beccafaithheyman rebeccafaitheditorial.com Rebel of the Week is: Gigi If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com Two new patrons this month, welcome and thank you to Lexi Le and Rasana Atreya. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. For the second episode of this series, we're bringing back an episode featuring Sagan Morrow from April 2021. Productivity strategist and author Sagan Morrow joins us on the podcast this week. Sagan tells us how she got into productivity strategy and what habits authors can implement to better fit writing into their schedule. She also talks to us about her polyamorous romantic comedy series, Polyamorous Passions, and how she's using the romantic comedy genre to break down common misconceptions about polyamory. Learn more on Sagan's website and check out Sagan's books on Kobo.

In this episode, we spoke to romantic fantasy author Imani Erriu, author of the recently released Heavenly Bodies, the first book in her beloved series of the same name. Imani is a lover of the fantasy genre (both as a reader and a writer), and her writing rose to virality on TikTok after she shared a single scene from her unfinished manuscript! Imani's next book, Fallen Stars, is the second in this five-book series. Heavenly Bodies is available in Canada and the US via Penguin Random House. Imani told us all about her writing journey, moving from indie publishing to traditional publishing, using astrology as writing inspiration, creating her own mythology for her world, advice on world-building, and much, much more! We had a great time chatting with Imani and sharing our own interest in astrology and love of the fantasy genre. Tune in to this invigorating interview – especially if you're a fantasy fan! Learn more on Imani's website and follow Imani on TikTok and Instagram.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. We're starting this new series with an episode from February 2020 all about writing retreats and writing communities! USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke sits down with Steph and Tara to discuss the importance of having a writing group, what writing retreats are really like, and how to keep your backlist fresh to attract new readers. Learn more via Darcy's website and check out Darcy's books on Kobo.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What does having your books “wide” mean Advantages and disadvantages of your books being wide Dealing with losing Kindle Unlimited page reads Different marketing approaches for different platforms Planning your releases when publishing wide Learn More about Erin: Erin's Website Sign up for free replays of courses Wide for the Win Courses Rebel of the Week is: Richard If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Erin Lynn Austin and Martha Knox. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

In this episode, we are joined by author, animator, director, and co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, Michael Dante DiMartino! We were excited to talk to Michael about his latest self-published novel, Both Here and Gone, a coming-of-age YA novel about a fourteen-year-old boy named Jack, who “has experienced a perfect storm of grief and uncertainty with his father's sudden departure, the impending loss of his beloved home, and his best friend Alyssa's life-altering accident. But when Alyssa miraculously emerges from a coma with no memory of the incident, she turns to Jack for answers, forcing him to confront the painful truth he has been avoiding.” Michael is also the author of the middle grade fantasy series, Rebel Genius, and much more! We asked Michael about his career, his approaches to storytelling, the creation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, how Michael develops his fantasy worlds, what it's like self-publishing vs. traditional publishing and working on other forms of media, and so much more! We had a wonderful time talking to Michael and are looking forward to seeing what he is working on next. Learn more on Michael's website, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to find out more about Both Here and Gone and check out Michael's books on Kobo.

In this episode, we are joined by Kobo's own CEO, Michael Tamblyn! MT has been in the book business for much of his career, and he was directly involved with the founding of Kobo and its launch in 2010. MT is our “content guy” and is passionate about books and bookselling – including indie publishing. In this illuminating interview, we get to hear all about MT's career, his thoughts on reading and publishing, insights into bookselling, and so much more. We talked to MT about his start in the book business, his part in the creation of Kobo Writing Life, where he thinks the book business and publishing industry is going, the twenty-five year digital reading revolution, climbing mountains of death, the importance of indie authors and publishers, and, of course, a mention of MT's boxing match with Rachel. For those looking for more insight into Kobo and Kobo Writing Life, don't miss this episode. Visit Kobo, Kobo Writing Life and the Kobo blog for more! And don't miss out on listening to MT and Nathan host Kobo in Conversation.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Breaking into the US market as an international author In-person and virtual signings  Main benefits of attending book signings Logistics of attending international book signing events Balancing travel time with your writing schedule Tips for energy management Links I mentioned:  Order House of Crimson Curses direct from me Order House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Jacqueline: JacquelineHayleyAuthor.com HaileyJay.com Rebel of the Week is: Rachel If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Gina. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

In this episode, we spoke to Jennifer L. Armentrout, best-selling author of over seventy books in multiple genres from fantasy to contemporary and suspense and back again – but all of her books contain strong elements of romance within their pages. Jennifer's romantasy series, Blood and Ash, is a TikTok favourite and beloved book series all around! The latest from JLA is her expansion of the Blood and Ash world – the Flesh and Fire series. It was great to sit down with Jennifer and talk about all things romantic fantasy and her nearly fifteen-year-long publishing career. The final instalment in the Blood and Ash series, The Primal of Blood and Bone, is available for pre-order now. We previously featured Jennifer on the podcast in 2021 – don't miss that episode either! We are very excited to have Jennifer join us again to discuss all things romantic fantasy, indie publishing, her writing journey, her thoughts on the publishing industry, what's next for her, and much more. For more, visit Jennifer's website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter And, of course, find Jennifer's books on Kobo!

In this episode, we are joined by Barbara Kellyn, winner of the Kobo Originals Holiday Rom-Com Writing Contest for her novella, Polar Opposites! Barbara is the author of five novels and two novellas, and has been dubbed by her readers as “the queen of banter.” This was Barbara's first foray into writing contests – and she was delighted to have won! There was so much excitement this episode for the release of Polar Opposites, which is out now – exclusively from Kobo Originals! We spoke to Barbara about starting her writing career in her late thirties, her inspiration for entering the contest, and her writing process behind Polar Opposites We also hear about how she crafts her characters, and learn more about the polar bear capital of the world, the setting of Polar Opposites, and much more! We also hear from Jessica Khadoo, whose recent live Q&A with us illuminated our audience to all things Kobo Originals! Jess is the manager of Kobo Originals, Kobo's in-house publisher of original content. We had a great conversation with Jess about all things Originals, so if you're interested in learning more (and perhaps working with the team), don't miss out. For more, check out Barbara's website and follow Barbara on Instagram and Threads.

BrandStack Podcast - 008 | Video | Show NotesMark Leslie Lefebvre shares how direct selling increases authors' profits. Lefebvre is the author of "Wide of the Win," creator of Kobo Writing Life and director of business development at Draft2Digital. Learn more: https://rossbrand.substack.com. It's the BrandStack Podcast with Ross Brand. Dale L. Roberts co-hosts.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Using the consumer journey to build your author business How to start building an author brand Balancing a brand promise with experimentation and growth Considerations for creating repeat readers Social media's effect on the author-reader relationship Links I mentioned:  Preorder House of Crimson Curses direct from me Preorder House of Crimson Curses on all platforms Find out more about Celeste: Celeste Barclay Facebook Instagram @celestebarclayauthor Sabine Barclay Facebook Instagram @sabinebarclayauthor Rebel of the Week is: Ciara If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

In this episode, we spoke to Golden Angel, USA Today best-selling author of “heart-and bottom-warming romance,” whose series include Masters of Marquis, Desire and Discipline, the Bridal Discipline series, and more! Golden's publishing journey began back in 2012 (but she's been writing even longer), and she became a full-time indie author in 2020. As the author of dozens of books across several series, her successful career spans over a decade, and she has so much great advice and insights to offer! Golden has also presented her marketing advice and shared her expertise at InkersCon, Romance Author Mastermind, and more. She hosts a marketing and publishing advice series on her TikTok – aptly titled “Just the Tip.” We had a great time discussing all things indie publishing, writing kinky romance, marketing tips and tricks, the importance of your newsletter and so much more. Follow Golden on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X/Twitter and be sure to check out her website for more.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  The importance of humour in fiction Different types of humour The principles of writing funny fiction Making humour work on page Funny vs. offensive – where is the line? Embracing the rebel mindset Find out more about Dave: Bluesky @daveiswriting.bsky.social Funny Up Your Fiction: How to Add Light, Shade and Laughs to Your Novel Rebel of the Week is: Krista If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new rebels this week, welcome and thank you to Bethany Hensel and Jo Narayan. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

In this episode, we spoke to award-winning women's fiction and romance author Anna Gomez, whose publications (and accolades) are many! She has written numerous romance novels under the pen name Christine Brae, and is one half of the best-selling series co-authored with Kristoffer Poloha, From Kona with Love. This swoon-worthy series is in development for film and television and has been mentioned in People Magazine, Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Home & Family, and Publishers Weekly. We spoke to Anna about her new release with Kobo Originals, Somewhere Along the Way, her writing career, her experience working in finance as well as authoring her many books, how travelling inspires her writing, her personal connections to her main characters, writing under a pen name, and more! We had a wonderful time talking to Anna and can't wait to share Somewhere Along the Way with long-time fans and new readers alike. Learn more on Anna's website, and follow Anna on Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  How to use the enneagram in your work Infusing your personal experiences into your worldbuilding Fully embracing the “you” in your stories Steps for worldbuilding and story development Balancing an immersive universe with multidimensional characters Why stories have the power to change the world Links I mentioned:  Follow my Kickstarter Find out more about Dani: Instagram @daniabernathyauthor Untapped Writing Superpower Quiz Rebel of the Week is: Poornima If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Julia Gandrud. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.  

In this episode of the KWL Podcast, we were joined by Hanna Wheeler, translator and copywriter who has worked on translating several Kobo Originals titles (check out Iris Visser's books)! Hanna grew up in a bilingual family and is fluent in both English and Dutch, and has translated a variety of titles, from biographies to children's pictures and more! Her work is expansive; some of her previous clients include MTV, Greenpeace, Sony Pictures, and more.   Hanna had a lot to tell us about her experience as a translator, her reading habits, her foray into freelancing, how she got started as a translator for Kobo Originals, freelancing advice, her thoughts on AI and translation, and much more! If you're interested in learning more about the life of a translator, listen in! Learn more on Hanna's website, and be sure to follow Hanna on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  The journey from indie to trad Tips for pitching and querying Biggest differences between trad and indie publishing Common mistakes when approaching traditional publishing Craft lessons learned from ghostwriting Find out more about Helen: Threads @HelenGlynnJones Instagram @HelenGlynnJones TikTok @helenglynnjones Read The Last Raven Rebel of the Week is: Lisa  If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

In this episode, we spoke with science fiction, fantasy, and young adult fiction author Nicki Pau Preto! Nicki is a Sunday Times best-selling author of six books across these genres in both the middle grade and young adult fiction categories. Her latest YA fantasy release is Ghostsmith, the sequel to Bonesmith! These two books make up the House of the Dead duology, a “dark young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.” We spoke to Nicki about her publishing journey, her writing inspirations, writing YA and middle grade titles, the House of the Dead duology, fantasy world-building, developing the history of a fantasy world, and much more! This interview was full of great advice and inspiration for fantasy writers of all genres and age groups – be sure to listen if you're looking for an illuminating look into the mind and writing process of an amazing fantasy author. To learn more, visit Nicki's website and find her on Instagram.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Utilizing Instagram reels as an author Strategies to engage your audience on Instagram What an ‘audio bank' is and how to build one Using the ‘remix' feature to expand your reach The importance of consistent posting How to craft a book hook Links I mentioned:  Order House of Crimson Kisses at books2read.com/crimsonkiss or direct from me at rubyroe.co.uk Find out more about Lara: Instagram @lemon.friday Rebel of the Week is: L.M. Dodds If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

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

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Key elements of a successful book cover design How to know when cover trends are changing in your genre The complete process of creating a book cover How to make your book cover stand out Advice for working with a professional book cover designer Find out more about Holly: hollydunndesign.com Instagram YouTube Free Guide to Comp Covers Join the Early Bird List for Premade Cover Releases Rebel of the Week is: Gigi Rivers If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Over the past few weeks, I've shared some of the best Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) alternatives for publishing audiobooks. However, there are a few self-publishing companies that offer audiobook publishing as one of three publication types. Today, let's compare a few aggregate publishing companies that handle distribution to Amazon, Audible, and beyond! Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360059385511-How-to-Upload-Your-Audiobook-Directly-on-Kobo Google Play Books - https://support.google.com/books/partner/answer/7626222?hl=en Streetlib - https://www.streetlib.com/markets/audiobooks/ PublishDrive - https://publishdrive.com/publish-audiobook.html BookBaby - https://www.bookbaby.com/audiobooks KDP - https://www.kdpcommunity.com/s/article/Invite-Only-KDP-Beta-for-Audiobooks?forum=KDP%20Forum&language=en_US Book Funnel - https://blog.bookfunnel.com/2020/the-bookfunnel-of-audiobooks/ Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@DaleLRoberts Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  How to outline a nonfiction book Tips for becoming your own publicist Content marketing in the age of AI Marketing your book before and after launch Leveraging your nonfiction book to create multiple streams of income Links I mentioned: Fantasy romance LBTQIA+ freebies Find out more about Stephanie: LinkedIn Nonfiction Authors Association Facebook Rebel of the Week is: Eden If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What serial fiction is and how it differs from non-serialised fiction Common mistakes new serial fiction writers make Craft tips for writing serials Techniques to create hooks Business structure around serialised fiction Find out more about Stephanie: StephanieBond.com Rebel of the Week is: Lauren  If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 2 new patrons this week, welcome and thank you to Nina J Fox and Jen. A big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.

Curious about who offers the best royalties for self-publishing? Join us as we explore top platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), IngramSpark, and Draft2Digital. Discover which company offers the best deal for authors, whether you're publishing on Amazon, Apple Books, or other platforms like StreetLib and Lulu. 10 Best Places to Publish eBooks (2024) - https://youtu.be/bb6235uI4VY?si=t48EA0ELE7cbvyj8  The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) - https://DaleLinks.com/ALLi  (affiliate link) Mentioned services: Barnes & Noble Press - https://press.barnesandnoble.com/ Apple Books for Authors - https://authors.apple.com/ Google Play Books Partner Center - https://play.google.com/books/publish/u/0/ Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Amazon KDP - https://kdp.amazon.com/ Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/ Gumroad - https://gumroad.com/ Lulu - https://lulu.com/ Payhip - https://payhip.com/ StoryOrigin - https://DaleLinks.com/StoryOrigin (affiliate link) Laterpress - https://laterpress.com/ Streetlib - https://www.streetlib.com/ XinXii - https://www.xinxii.com/ Draft2Digital - https://DaleLinks.com/D2D (referral link) PublishDrive - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (referral link) IngramSpark - https://ingramspark.com/. Use DALE2024 to waive one update fee in 2024. Bookvault - https://bookvault.app/ Use BVDALE to waive three upload fees. Blurb - https://blurb.com/   Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com  Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord  Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Spotify Premium expanded to three new regions while increasing the cost for subscribers to listen to audiobooks. The Kindlepreneur rolled out an update to the Amazon Best Seller Rank Calculator and some additional tips. Draft2Digital partnered up with the social reading app, Fable. All that and more in the self-publishing news! Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord  New Sources: Amazon Book Sales Calculator for KDP: How Much Does a Best Seller Make? - https://kindlepreneur.com/amazon-kdp-sales-rank-calculator/ Bookvault - https://bookvault.app Wide for the Win - https://learn.wideforthewin.com/c/bookvault/ Spotify's price is reportedly going up again - https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/3/24119884/spotify-2024-price-increase-rumor-audiobooks-supremium Spotify Premium Listeners in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand Can Soon Access More Than 250,000 Audiobooks - https://newsroom.spotify.com/2024-04-02/spotify-premium-listeners-in-canada-ireland-and-new-zealand-can-soon-access-more-than-250000-audiobooks/  Book Brush survey - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcwGZjhrL8_XIznqPDiujB0pSXwdBV_t8ZX18Y6aJ3T99rzw/viewform Say Hello to Fable! - https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/say-hello-to-fable/ Introducing Fable! D2D's newest retail partner! - https://www.youtube.com/live/5XY1dLbSX_U?si=x9hU4yEJJlpLVcGc Draft2Digital Publishing: HUGE New Announcement! - https://www.youtube.com/live/kImDOZenwo4?si=Ipy-bUNzPWhsQqIv AI in Publishing: Insights From 250 Authors & Publishers - https://youtu.be/W7MnVVMzcoM?si=o_SyWHPx52oD6xf6 Now In Colour: Bring Your Books to Life with the New Kobo Libra Colour and Kobo Clara Colour eReaders - https://www.kobo.com/news/now-in-colour-bring-your-books-to-life-with-the-new-kobo-libra-colour-and-kobo-clara-colour-ereaders Book Brush Hourly Concepts and Social Media Management | You Pick Which Designs I Try! - https://youtu.be/My0o3rupdjo?si=3uTVTS0sJz4x1w3n Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link). Use code APRILPRO20 for 20% off before April 19, 2024.  The Hot Sheet March 2024 Bestseller Lists - https://hotsheetpub.com/2024/04/march-2024-bestseller-lists  Credit: The Hot Sheet - https://hotsheetpub.com PublishDrive - https://DaleLinks.com/PublishDrive (referral link) Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Draft2Digital -- https://DaleLinks.com/D2D (referral link) Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  What is LitRPG and how it differs from fantasy Major craft pillars of LitRPG Elements of worldbuilding to focus on Creating game mechanics, rules, and in-game quests Common business models for LitRPG authors Links I mentioned: Storygarden Summit March 19 - 22 Find out more about Michael: Order The Four Horsemen from Michael's store Order The Four Horsemen from Amazon Ream Rebel of the Week is: Madeline  If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Melissa. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack    THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.  

Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware shared a list of sites and services commonly impersonated, so you can watch out for these scams. PublishDrive has a number of ebook promotions rolling out in the coming weeks. And, I officially announced my presentation for the Authortube Writing Conference 2024 where I'll host a roundtable discussion about the future of self-publishing with some of the biggest names in the business including IngramSpark, Draft2Digital, Smashwords, Kobo Writing Life, PublishDrive, and BookVault with the potential of adding another platform to the list. All that and more in the self-publishing news for this week! Subscribe to The Self-Publishing Hub - https://TheSelfPublishingHub.com Join Channel Memberships - https://DaleLinks.com/Memberships Join Me on Discord - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord Check out my main YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dalelroberts  News sources: The Impersonation List - https://writerbeware.blog/2024/03/15/the-impersonation-list/  KOBO Promo: Spring Reading Sale Alert! - https://community.streetlib.com/c/retail-promotions-hub/kobo-promo-spring-reading-sale-alert Live Editing with Tom Bromley | Reedsy Live - https://mailparrot.reedsy.com/subscriptions/new?list_id=1c30456135&utm_source=mailparrot_newsletter&utm_campaign=marketplace_htwan_live_editing_march_24&utm_medium=email Authortube Writing Conference - https://www.authortubewritingconference.com/ SPwD Podcast review - https://chartable.com/podcasts/selfpublishing-with-dale-l-roberts/reviews/b0TrB7QR  Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Ever wondered how your favorite indie authors make their mark in the vast expanse of international publishing? In this episode, we're talking with Tara Cremin of Kobo Writing Life. She's giving us the inside look at international publishing as well as the secrets to success on Kobo.Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL), Kobo's independent publishing platform. She leads a team of book lovers who are actively involved in the indie publishing community and always looking for ways to help authors reach a new audience of readers. Tara hosts monthly live events for Kobo Writing Life with author and industry experts and you can sometimes hear her as a guest host on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast.If you're interested in reaching international readers, publishing on multiple ebook platforms (aka "going wide") or just curious about resources outside of Amazon, this episode is for you.Follow Us! Tara CreminKobo Writing Life: https://kobowritinglife.com/Podcast: https://kobowritinglife.com/category/kwl-podcast/The Author Wheel:Website: www.AuthorWheel.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheelGreta Boris:Website: www.GretaBoris.comFacebook: @GretaBorisAuthorInstagram: @GretaBorisMegan Haskell:Website: www.MeganHaskell.comFacebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthorTikTok: @AuthorMeganHaskellClarify | Simplify | Implement Newsletterhttps://meganhaskellauthor.substack.com/ Support the showFREE Mini Email CourseHave you ever struggled to explain to others exactly what you write? Or wondered which of the many fiction ideas running through your brain you should tackle? If so, The Author Wheel's new mini-course might be your solution. 7 Days to Clarity: Uncover Your Author Purpose will help you uncover your core writing motivations, avoid shiny-thing syndrome, and create clear marketing language. Each daily email will lead you step by step in defining your author brand, crafting a mission statement, and distilling that statement into a pithy tagline. And, best of all, it's free. Click here to learn more!

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  How running a business is like being a parent Why write a nonfiction book? Staying resilient while running a business Tips for writing humorously Improving your copywriting Links I mentioned: Kickstarter: Special Edition NSFW Lesbian Vampire Romance Hardcover - House of Crimson Hearts Preorder House of Crimson Hearts Preorder House of Crimson Hearts direct from me PWA Romance Writers Week Find out more about Jo: TOT ANALYSIS: Why Running Your Business is Child's Play Rebel of the Week is: Eden If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com Thank you to new patron Drew Constance and returning patron Sarah Louise. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.  

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Important elements of author planning Overwhelm (both caused and relieved by planning) Goal setting and organizing Planning tips for parents and carers Creating and printing planners Prose in the Market Webinar Information: I am running three session times to try and accommodate as many timezones as I can (more on this below). "Writing to market" isn't new. But when teachers talk about it they focus on understanding the market, advertising, brand and pitch. But what about the writing and craft of writing to market? If you're tired of trying to work out how to deliver what readers want, then this is the workshop for you. In this session, I'll explain: How to deconstruct bestselling books and implement the tools you find An easy three step methodology for deconstruction Practical examples of deconstruction and implementation in your own work Why you're not using copywriting enough How to intentionally slip TikTok-able/Marketable scenes into your novels that will hook readers Examples of viral hooks that work on social media (and why) What's in a hook and how you can create your own The craft of tropes Live deconstruction using examples from those in the session. You'll also receive a workbook containing exercises for you to implement all the things you learn during the session. Session Times and Dates Friday 9th Feb 2024 at 7pm BST (11am PST, 2pm EST, and 8am Sat 9th Auckland (DST NZDT) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/770172856747?aff=oddtdtcreator  Saturday 10th Feb 4pm BST (8am PST, 11am EST, 5am Sunday11th (DST NZDT) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/770175976077?aff=oddtdtcreator  Saturday 10th Feb 8pm BST (12pm PST, 3pm EST, 9am Sunday 11th (DST NZDT) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/770177631027?aff=oddtdtcreator FAQ Will this session be recorded? Will the recording be available for sale? The session will be recorded. The recording will only be available to ticket-holders. I will not sell the recording. I am only doing these as live sessions. When I teach, I love to see everyone's reactions and get audience participation. But depending on demand, I may run more of them in the future. Find out more about Audrey: audreyhughey.com Facebook Instagram Rebel of the Week is: Joanne If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com 1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Camilla Vavruch. A big thank you to my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.  

Discover the numerous advantages of Kobo Writing Life over KDP and why it's the ideal choice for many indie authors. We'll explore the features that set Kobo Writing Life apart, including insights from Mark Lefebvre, and discuss why it's a great option for self-publishing. If you're weighing KDP vs. indie alternatives, then tune in for some valuable insights. Kobo Writing Life - https://kobowritinglife.com/ Kobo Writing Life: Tap Into New Markets Now! | Tara Cremin - https://youtu.be/0aVWdlIAjD0 The Self-Publishing Hub - https://theselfpublishinghub.com Join Channel Memberships - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl9CjdZQtzufqgYx0CidSbA/join Join my community at Discord - http://dalelinks.com/discord Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Story hypothesis and how it connects to theme Max-Neef's nine needs Developing the journey of a character through theme Raising stakes and conflict Key scenes to embed theme in your story Prose in the Market Webinar Information: I am running three session times to try and accommodate as many timezones as I can (more on this below). "Writing to market" isn't new. But when teachers talk about it they focus on understanding the market, advertising, brand and pitch. But what about the writing and craft of writing to market? If you're tired of trying to work out how to deliver what readers want, then this is the workshop for you. In this session, I'll explain: How to deconstruct bestselling books and implement the tools you find An easy three step methodology for deconstruction Practical examples of deconstruction and implementation in your own work Why you're not using copywriting enough How to intentionally slip TikTok-able/Marketable scenes into your novels that will hook readers The craft of tropes Live deconstruction using examples from those in the session. You'll also receive a workbook containing exercises for you to implement all the things you learn during the session. Session Times and Dates Friday 9th Feb 2024 at 7pm BST (11am PST, 2pm EST, and 8am Sat 9th Auckland (DST NZDT) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/770172856747?aff=oddtdtcreator  Saturday 10th Feb 4pm BST (8am PST, 11am EST, 5am Sunday11th (DST NZDT) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/770175976077?aff=oddtdtcreator  Saturday 10th Feb 8pm BST (12pm PST, 3pm EST, 9am Sunday 11th (DST NZDT) https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/770177631027?aff=oddtdtcreator FAQ Will this session be recorded? Will the recording be available for sale? The session will be recorded. The recording will only be available to ticket-holders. I will not sell the recording. I am only doing these as live sessions. When I teach, I love to see everyone's reactions and get audience participation. But depending on demand, I may run more of them in the future. Find out more about JP: Story Hypothesis Linktree Rebel of the Week is: Eden If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com  1 new patron this week, welcome and thank you to Dana Russo, and thank you to Renee and Claire Donnelly for upping their pledges. A big thank you to all of my existing patrons as well. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.  

Episode 197/ Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life and has great tips for how to go wide, how to reach readers globally, and how Kobo Plus, their non-exclusive subscription platform, helps authors reach new readers. We also talk about common mistakes Tara sees authors make as well as  library distribution and cover trends. Kobo website:  www.kobo.com/writinglife www.kobo.com/p/kwlpodcast Other links mentioned:Get Jami's branding special:  jamialbright1@gmail.comJami on the Indy Author Podcast: https://www.theindyauthor.com/214---your-persona-is-your-brand.htmlAfternoona Delight Podcast: https://www.afternoonadelight.com/podcast

IngramSpark is hosting a holiday giveaway for fifty lucky authors. A nonfiction book prize awards more than £50,000 and boosts book sales over 800%. And, let's look at the top 11 trends in self-publishing for 2024. All that and more in the self-publishing news. Dibbly Create - https://DaleLinks.com/DibblyCreate (affiliate link) Join Channel Memberships - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl9CjdZQtzufqgYx0CidSbA/join Join my community at: Discord - http://dalelinks.com/discord  Sources: IngramSpark Holiday Giveaway - https://wn.nr/Q3SsCVz Non-Fiction Prize Shows 875% Increase in Book Sales for Prize Winners - https://selfpublishingadvice.org/podcast-wattpad/ Laterpress - https://www.laterpress.com/ The Top 11 Self-Publishing Trends for 2024 - https://www.selfpubwriter.com/blog/the-top-self-publishing-trends-for-2024 Kobo Writing Life 2023 Indie Cover Contest - https://kobowritinglife.com/2023/11/27/vote-now-for-the-winners-of-kobo-writing-life-2023-indie-cover-contest/ KEEP HUMANITY IN STORYTELLING! - https://www.change.org/p/keep-humanity-in-storytelling-support-human-narration-of-audiobooks 7th Annual Smashwords Store End of Year Sale - https://authoremail.com/email/campaigns/ff667lns9edcd/web-version/pg632vrjq7230  How to Promote Your Participation in the Upcoming Sale as an Author - https://www.smashwords.com/dashboard/sitewidePromos Query Letter Critique: Get Feedback from an Agent - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/query-letter-critique-get-feedback-from-an-agent-tickets-749293305447 Stand Out in Inboxes: Learn to Create Eye-Catching Animated Email Signatures - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwsc-Gopz0oGtPgQo1MGTbC0KrobyR_FB-j#/registration Lulu AMA - Ask Us Anything! - https://event.webinarjam.com/register/65/05y26tgq 2023 Summit - Author to Authorpreneur - https://authorpreneursummit.com/ My Discord Community - https://DaleLinks.com/Discord  Where noted, some outbound links financially benefit the channel through affiliate programs. I only endorse programs, products, or services I use and can stand confidently behind. These links do not affect your purchase price and greatly helps to building and growing this channel. Thanks in advance for understanding! - Dale L. Roberts

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Writing a children's book from concept to completion Working with illustrators and translators Creating a high quality product The business side of back matter Creating clarity in your work Find out more about Holger: Author Website The Wrong Planet Rebel of the Week is: Anonymous If you'd like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you'd like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack  THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY KOBO WRITING LIFE Visit Kobo Writing Life here, read the Kobo Writing Life blog here, and listen to their podcast here.