Podcast appearances and mentions of mark leslie lefebvre

How can you be more relaxed about your writing process? What are some specific ways to take the pressure off your art and help you enjoy the creative journey? With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre. In the intro, Spotify 2025 audiobook trends; Audible + BookTok; NonFiction Authors Guide to SubStack; OpenAI and Disney agreement on Sora; India AI licensing; Business for Authors January webinars; Mark and Jo over the years Mark Leslie LeFebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as nonfiction books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. Joanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and memoir as J.F. Penn. She's also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. Mark and Jo co-wrote The Relaxed Author in 2021. You can listen to us talk about the process here. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why the ‘relaxed' author Write what you love Write at your own pace Write in a series (if you want to) Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. You can find Mark Leslie Lefebvre and his books and podcast at Stark Reflections.ca Why the ‘relaxed' author? Joanna: The definition of relaxed is “free from tension and anxiety,” from the Latin laxus, meaning loose, and to be honest, I am not a relaxed or laid-back person in the broader sense. Back in my teens, my nickname at school was Highly Stressed. I'm a Type A personality, driven by deadlines and achieving goals. I love to work and I burned out multiple times in my previous career as an IT consultant. If we go away on a trip, I pack the schedule with back-to-back cultural things like museums and art galleries to help my book research. Or we go on adventure holidays with a clear goal, like cycling down the South-West coast of India. I can't even go for a long walk without training for another ultra-marathon! So I am not a relaxed person — but I am a relaxed author. If I wanted to spend most of my time doing something that made me miserable, I would go back to my old day job in consulting. I was paid well and worked fewer hours overall. But I measure my life by what I create, and if I am not working on a creative project, I am not able to truly relax in my downtime. There are always more things I want to learn and write about, always more stories to be told and knowledge to share. I don't want to kill my writing life by over-stressing or burning out as an author. I write what I love and follow my Muse into projects that feel right. I know how to publish and market books well enough to reach readers and make some money. I have many different income streams through my books, podcast and website. Of course, I still have my creative and business challenges as well as mindset issues, just like any writer. That never goes away. But after a decade as a full-time author entrepreneur, I have a mature creative business and I've relaxed into the way I do things. I love to write, but I also want a full and happy, healthy life. I'm still learning and improving as the industry shifts — and I change, too. I still have ambitious creative and financial goals, but I am going about them in a more relaxed way and in this book, I'll share some of my experiences and tips in the hope that you can discover your relaxed path, too. Mark: One of the most fundamental things you can do in your writing life is look at how you want to spend your time. I think back to the concept of: ‘You're often a reflection of the people you spend the most time with.' Therefore, typically, your best friend, or perhaps your partner, is often a person you love spending time with. Because there's something inherently special about spending time with this person who resonates in a meaningful way, and you feel more yourself because you're with them. In many ways, writing, or the path that you are on as a writer, is almost like being on a journey with an invisible partner. You are you. But you are also the writer you. And there's the two of you traveling down the road of life together. And so that same question arises. What kind of writer-self do you want to spend all your time with? Do you want to spend all your time with a partner that is constantly stressed out or constantly trying to reach deadlines based on somebody else's prescription of what success is? Or would you rather spend time with a partner who pauses to take a contemplative look at your own life, your own comfort, your own passion and the things that you are willing to commit to? Someone who allows that all to happen in a way that feels natural and comfortable to you. I'm a fan of the latter, of course, because then you can focus on the things you're passionate about and the things you're hopeful about rather than the things you're fearful about and those that bring anxiety and stress into your life. To me, that's part of being a relaxed author. That underlying acceptance before you start to plan things out. If the writing life is a marathon, not a sprint, then pacing, not rushing, may be the key. We have both seen burnout in the author community. People who have pushed themselves too hard and just couldn't keep up with the impossible pace they set for themselves. At times, indie authors would wear that stress, that anxiety, that rush to produce more and more, as a badge of honor. It's fine to be proud of the hard work that you do. It's fine to be proud of pushing yourself to always do better, and be better. But when you push too far — beyond your limits — you can ultimately do yourself more harm than good. Everyone has their own unique pace—something that they are comfortable with—and one key is to experiment until you find that pace, and you can settle in for the long run. There's no looking over your shoulder at the other writers. There's no panicking about the ones outpacing you. You're in this with yourself. And, of course, with those readers who are anticipating those clearly communicated milestones of your releases. I think that what we both want for authors is to see them reaching those milestones at their own paces, in their own comfort, delighting in the fact their readers are there cheering them on. Because we'll be silently cheering them along as well, knowing that they've set a pace, making relaxed author lifestyle choices, that will benefit them in the long run. “I'm glad you're writing this book. I know I'm not the only author who wants peace, moments of joy, and to enjoy the journey. Indie publishing is a luxury that I remember not having, I don't want to lose my sense of gratitude.” —Anonymous author from our survey Write what you love Joanna: The pandemic has taught us that life really is short. Memento mori — remember, you will die. What is the point of spending precious time writing books you don't want to write? If we only have a limited amount of time and only have a limited number of books that we can write in a lifetime, then we need to choose to write the books that we love. If I wanted a job doing something I don't enjoy, then I would have remained in my stressful old career as an IT consultant — when I certainly wasn't relaxed! Taking that further, if you try to write things you don't love, then you're going to have to read what you don't love as well, which will take more time. I love writing thrillers because that's what I love to read. Back when I was miserable in my day job, I would go to the bookstore at lunchtime and buy thrillers. I would read them on the train to and from work and during the lunch break. Anything for a few minutes of escape. That's the same feeling I try to give my readers now. I know the genre inside and out. If I had to write something else, I would have to read and learn that other genre and spend time doing things I don't love. In fact, I don't even know how you can read things you don't enjoy. I only give books a few pages and if they don't resonate, I stop reading. Life really is too short. You also need to run your own race and travel your own journey. If you try to write in a genre you are not immersed in, you will always be looking sideways at what other authors are doing, and that can cause comparisonitis — when you compare yourself to others, most often in an unfavorable way. Definitely not relaxing! Writing something you love has many intrinsic rewards other than sales. Writing is a career for many of us, but it's a passion first, and you don't want to feel like you've wasted your time on words you don't care about. “Write what you know” is terrible advice for a long-term career as at some point, you will run out of what you know. It should be “write what you want to learn about.” When I want to learn about a topic, I write a book on it because that feeds my curiosity and I love book research, it's how I enjoy spending my time, especially when I travel, which is also part of how I relax. If you write what you love and make it part of your lifestyle, you will be a far more relaxed author. Mark: It's common that writers are drawn into storytelling from some combination of passion, curiosity, and unrelenting interest. We probably read or saw something that inspired us, and we wanted to express those ideas or the resulting perspectives that percolated in our hearts and minds. Or we read something and thought, “Wow, I could do this; but I would have come at it differently or I would approach the situation or subject matter with my own flair.” So, we get into writing with passion and desire for storytelling. And then sometimes along the way, we recognize the critical value of having to become an entrepreneur, to understand the business of writing and publishing. And part of understanding that aspect of being an author is writing to market, and understanding shifts and trends in the industry, and adjusting to those ebbs and flows of the tide. But sometimes, we lose sight of the passion that drew us to writing in the first place. And so, writing the things that you love can be a beacon to keep you on course. I love the concept of “Do something that you love, and you'll never work a day in your life.” And that's true in some regard because I've always felt that way for almost my entire adult life. I've been very lucky. But at the same time, I work extremely hard at what I love. Some days are harder than others, and some things are really difficult, frustrating and challenging; but at the end of the day, I have the feeling of satisfaction that I spent my time doing something I believe in. I've been a bookseller my entire life even though I don't sell books in brick-and-mortar bookstores anymore—that act of physically putting books in people's hands. But to this day, what I do is virtually putting books in people's hands, both as an author and as an industry representative who is passionate about the book business. I was drawn to that world via my passion for writing. And that's what continues to compel me forward. I tried to leave the corporate world to write full time in 2018 but realized there was an intrinsic satisfaction to working in that realm, to embracing and sharing my insights and knowledge from that arena to help other writers. And I couldn't give that up. For me, the whole core, the whole essence of why I get up in the morning has to do with storytelling, creative inspiration, and wanting to inspire and inform other people to be the best that they can be in the business of writing and publishing. And that's what keeps me going when the days are hard. Passion as the inspiration to keep going There are always going to be days that aren't easy. There will be unexpected barriers that hit you as a writer. You'll face that mid-novel slump or realize that you have to scrap an entire scene or even plotline, and feel like going back and re-starting is just too much. You might find the research required to be overwhelming or too difficult. There'll be days when the words don't flow, or the inspiration that initially struck you seems to have abandoned you for greener pastures. Whatever it is, some unexpected frustration can create what can appear to be an insurmountable block. And, when that happens, if it's a project you don't love, you're more likely to let those barriers get in your way and stop you. But if it's a project that you're passionate about, and you're writing what you love, that alone can be what greases the wheels and helps reduce that friction to keep you going. At the end of the day, writing what you love can be a honing, grounding, and centering beacon that allows you to want to wake up in the morning and enjoy the process as much as possible even when the hard work comes along. “For me, relaxation comes from writing what I know and love and trusting the emergent process. As a discovery writer, I experience great joy when the story, characters and dialogue simply emerge in their own time and their own way. It feels wonderful.” — Valerie Andrews “Writing makes me a relaxed author. Just getting lost in a story of my own creation, discovering new places and learning what makes my characters tick is the best way I know of relaxing. Even the tricky parts, when I have no idea where I am going next, have a special kind of charm.” – Imogen Clark Write at your own pace Mark: Writing at your own pace will help you be a more relaxed author because you're not stressing out by trying to keep up with someone else. Of course, we all struggle with comparing ourselves to others. Take a quick look around and you can always find someone who has written more books than you. Nora Roberts, traditionally published author, writes a book a month. Lindsey Buroker, fantasy indie author, writes a book a month of over 100,000 words. If you compare yourself to someone else and you try to write at their pace, that is not going to be your relaxed schedule. On the other hand, if you compare yourself to Donna Tartt, who writes one book every decade, you might feel like some speed-demon crushing that word count and mastering rapid release. Looking at what others are doing could result in you thinking you're really slow or you could think that you're super-fast. What does that kind of comparison actually get you? I remember going to see a talk by Canadian literary author Farley Mowat when I was a young budding writer. I'll never forget one thing he said from that stage: “Any book that takes you less than four years to write is not a real book.” Young teenage Mark was devastated, hurt and disappointed to hear him say that because my favorite author at the time, Piers Anthony, was writing and publishing two to three novels a year. I loved his stuff, and his fantasy and science fiction had been an important inspiration in my writing at that time. (The personal notes I add to the end of my stories and novels came from enjoying his so much). That focus on there being only a single way, a single pace to write, ended up preventing me from enjoying the books I had already been loving because I was doing that comparisonitis Joanna talks about, but as a reader. I took someone else's perspective too much to heart and I let that ruin a good thing that had brought me personal joy and pleasure. It works the same way as a writer. Because we have likely developed a pattern, or a way that works for us that is our own. We all have a pace that we comfortably walk; a way we prefer to drive. A pattern or style of how and when and what we prefer to eat. We all have our own unique comfort food. There are these patterns that we're comfortable with, and potentially because they are natural to us. If you try to force yourself to write at a pace that's not natural to you, things can go south in your writing and your mental health. And I'm not suggesting any particular pace, except for the one that's most natural and comfortable to you. If writing fast is something that you're passionate about, and you're good at it, and it's something you naturally do, why would you stop yourself from doing that? Just like if you're a slow writer and you're trying to write fast: why are you doing that to yourself? There's a common pop song line used by numerous bands over the years that exhorts you to “shake what you got.” I like to think the same thing applies here. And do it with pride and conviction. Because what you got is unique and awesome. Own it, and shake it with pride. You have a way you write and a word count per writing session that works for you. And along with that, you likely know what time you can assign to writing because of other commitments like family time, leisure time, and work (assuming you're not a full-time writer). Simple math can provide you with a way to determine how long it will take to get your first draft written. So, your path and plans are clear. And you simply take the approach that aligns with your writer DNA. Understanding what that pace is for you helps alleviate an incredible amount of stress that you do not need to thrust upon yourself. Because if you're not going to be able to enjoy it while you're doing it, what's the point? Your pace might change project to project While your pace can change over time, your pace can also change project to project. And sometimes the time actually spent writing can be a smaller portion of the larger work involved. I was on a panel at a conference once and someone asked me how long it took to write my non-fiction book of ghost stories, Haunted Hamilton. “About four days,” I responded. And while that's true — I crafted the first draft over four long and exhausting days writing as much as sixteen hours each day — the reality was I had been doing research for months. But the pen didn't actually hit the paper until just a few days before my deadline to turn the book over to my editor. That was for a non-fiction book; but I've found I do similar things with fiction. I noodle over concepts and ideas for months before I actually commit words to the page. The reason this comes to mind is that I think it's important to recognize the way that I write is I first spend a lot of time in my head to understand and chew on things. And then by the time it comes to actually getting the words onto the paper, I've already done much of the pre-writing mentally. It's sometimes not fair when you're comparing yourself to someone else to look at how long they physically spend in front of a keyboard hammering on that word count, because they might have spent a significantly longer amount of a longer time either outlining or conceptualizing the story in their mind or in their heart before they sat down to write. So that's part of the pace, too. Because sometimes, if we only look at the time spent at the ‘writer's desk,' we fool ourselves when we think that we're a slow writer or a fast writer. Joanna: Your pace will change over your career My first novel took 14 months and now I can write a first draft in about six weeks because I have more experience. It's also more relaxing for me to write a book now than it was in the beginning, because I didn't know what I was doing back then. Your pace will change per project I have a non-fiction work in progress, my Shadow Book (working title), which I have started several times. I have about 30,000 words but as I write this, I have backed away from it because I'm (still) not ready. There's a lot more research and thinking I need to do. Similarly, some people take years writing a memoir or a book with such emotional or personal depth that it needs more to bring it to life. Your pace will also shift depending on where you are in the arc of life Perhaps you have young kids right now, or you have a health issue, or you're caring for someone who is ill. Perhaps you have a demanding day job so you have less time to write. Perhaps you really need extended time away from writing, or just a holiday. Or maybe there's a global pandemic and frankly, you're too stressed to write! The key to pacing in a book is variability — and that's true of life, too. Write at the pace that works for you and don't be afraid to change it as you need to over time. “I think the biggest thing for me is reminding myself that I'm in this to write. Sometimes I can get caught up in all the moving pieces of editing and publishing and marketing, but the longer I go without writing, or only writing because I have to get the next thing done instead of for enjoyment, the more stressed and anxious I become. But if I make time to fit in what I truly love, which is the process of writing without putting pressure on myself to meet a deadline, or to be perfect, or to meet somebody else's expectations — that's when I become truly relaxed.” – Ariele Sieling Write in a series (if you want to) Joanna: I have some stand-alone books but most of them are in series, both for non-fiction and for my fiction as J.F. Penn. It's how I like to read and write. As we draft this book, I'm also writing book 12 in my ARKANE series, Tomb of Relics. It's relaxing because I know my characters, I know my world; I know the structure of how an ARKANE story goes. I know what to put in it to please my readers. I have already done the work to set up the series world and the main characters and now all I need is a plot and an antagonist. It's also quicker to write and edit because I've done it before. Of course, you need to put in the work initially so the series comes together, but once you've set that all up, each subsequent book is easier. You can also be more relaxed because you already have an audience who will (hopefully) buy the book because they bought the others. You will know approximately how many sales you'll get on launch and there will be people ready to review. Writing in a non-fiction series is also a really good idea because you know your audience and you can offer them more books, products and services that will help them within a niche. While they might not be sequential, they should be around the same topic, for example, this is part of my Books for Authors series. Financially, it makes sense to have a series as you will earn more revenue per customer as they will (hopefully) buy more than one book. It's also easier and more relaxing to market as you can set one book to free or a limited time discount and drive sales through to other books in the series. Essentially, writing a book in a series makes it easier to fulfill both creative and financial goals. However, if you love to read and write stand-alone books, and some genres suit stand-alones better than series anyway, then, of course, go with what works for you! Mark: I like to equate this to no matter where you travel in the world, if you find a McDonald's you pretty much know what's on the menu and you know what to expect. When you write in a series, it's like returning to hang out with old friends. You know their backstory; you know their history so you can easily fall into a new conversation about something and not have to get caught up on understanding what you have in common. So that's an enormous benefit of relaxing into something like, “Oh, I'm sitting down over coffee, chatting with some old friends. They're telling me a new story about something that happened to them. I know who they are, I know what they're made out of.” And this new plot, this new situation, they may have new goals, they may have new ways they're going to grow as characters, but they're still the same people that we know and love. And that's a huge benefit that I only discovered recently because I'm only right now working on book four in my Canadian Werewolf series. Prior to that, I had three different novels that were all the first book in a series with no book two. And it was stressful for me. Writing anything seemed to take forever. I was causing myself anxiety by jumping around and writing new works as opposed to realizing I could go visit a locale I'm familiar and comfortable with. And I can see new things in the same locale just like sometimes you can see new things and people you know and love already, especially when you introduce something new into the world and you see how they react to it. For me, there's nothing more wonderful than that sort of homecoming. It's like a nostalgic feeling when you do that. I've seen a repeated pattern where writers spend years writing their first book. I started A Canadian Werewolf in New York in 2006 and I did not publish it until ten years later, after finishing it in 2015. (FYI, that wasn't my first novel. I had written three and published one of them prior to that). That first novel can take so long because you're learning. You're learning about your characters, about the craft, about the practice of writing, about the processes that you're testing along the way. And if you are working on your first book and it's taking longer than planned, please don't beat yourself up for that. It's a process. Sometimes that process takes more time. I sometimes wonder if this is related to our perception of time as we age. When you're 10 years old, a day compared to your lifetime is a significant amount of time, and thinking about a year later is considering a time that is one-tenth of your life. When you have a few more decades or more under your belt, that year is a smaller part of the whole. If you're 30, a year is only one-thirtieth of your life. A much smaller piece. Just having written more books, particularly in a series, removes the pressure of that one book to represent all of you as a writer. I had initial anxiety at writing the second book in my Canadian Werewolf series. Book two was more terrifying in some ways than book one because finally, after all this time, I had something good that I didn't want to ruin. Should I leave well enough alone? But I was asked to write a short story to a theme in an anthology, and using my main character from that first novel allowed me to discover I could have fun spending more time with these characters and this world. And I also realized that people wanted to read more about these characters. I didn't just want to write about them, but other people wanted to read about them too. And that makes the process so much easier to keep going with them. So one of the other benefits that helps to relax me as a writer working on a series is I have a better understanding of who my audience is, and who my readers are, and who will want this, and who will appreciate it. So I know what worked, I know what resonated with them, and I know I can give them that next thing. I have discovered that writing in a series is a far more relaxed way of understanding your target audience better. Because it's not just a single shot in the dark, it's a consistent on-going stream. Let me reflect on a bit of a caveat, because I'm not suggesting sticking to only a single series or universe. As writers, we have plenty of ideas and inspirations, and it's okay to embrace some of the other ones that come to us. When I think about the Canadian rock trio, Rush, a band that produced 19 studio albums and toured for 40 years, I acknowledge a very consistent band over the decades. And yet, they weren't the same band that they were when they started playing together, even though it was the same three guys since Neil Peart joined Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. They changed what they wrote about, what they sang about, themes, styles, approaches to making music, all of this. They adapted and changed their style at least a dozen times over the course of their career. No album was exactly like the previous album, and they experimented, and they tried things. But there was a consistency of the audience that went along with them. And as writers, we can potentially have that same thing where we know there are going to be people who will follow us. Think about Stephen King, a writer who has been writing in many different subjects and genres. And yet there's a core group of people who will enjoy everything he writes, and he has that Constant Reader he always keeps in mind. And so, when we write in a series, we're thinking about that constant reader in a more relaxed way because that constant reader, like our characters, like our worlds, like our universes, is like we're just returning to a comfortable, cozy spot where we're just going to hang out with some good friends for a bit. Or, as the contemplative Rush song Time Stand Still expresses, the simple comfort and desire of spending some quality time having a drink with a friend. Schedule time to fill the creative well and for rest and relaxation Mark: What we do as writers is quite cerebral, so we need to give ourselves mental breaks in the same way we need to sleep regularly. Our bodies require sleep. And it's not just physical rest for our bodies to regenerate, it's for our minds to regenerate. We need that to stay sane, to stay alive, to stay healthy. The reality for us as creatives is that we're writing all the time, whether or not we're in front of a keyboard or have a pen in our hand. We're always writing, continually sucking the marrow from the things that are happening around us, even when we're not consciously aware of it. And sometimes when we are more consciously aware of it, that awareness can feel forced. It can feel stressful. When you give yourself the time to just let go, to just relax, wonderful things can happen. And they can come naturally, never feeling that urgent sense of pressure. Downtime, for me, is making space for those magic moments to happen. I was recently listening to Episode 556 of The Creative Penn podcast where Joanna talked about the serendipity of those moments when you're traveling and you're going to a museum and you see something. And you're not consciously there to research for a book, but you see something that just makes a connection for you. And you would not have had that for your writing had you not given yourself the time to just be doing and enjoying something else. And so, whenever I need to resolve an issue or a problem in a project I'm writing, which can cause stress, I will do other things. I will go for a run or walk the dogs, wash the dishes or clean the house. Or I'll put on some music and sing and dance like nobody is watching or listening—and thank goodness for that, because that might cause them needless anxiety. The key is, I will do something different that allows my mind to just let go. And somewhere in the subconscious, usually the answer comes to me. Those non-cerebral activities can be very restorative. Yesterday, my partner Liz and I met her daughter at the park. And while we quietly waited, the two of us wordlessly enjoyed the sights and sounds of people walking by, the river in the background, the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees above us. That moment wasn't a purposeful, “Hey, we're going to chill and relax.” But we found about five minutes of restorative calm in the day. A brief, but powerful ‘Ah' moment. And when I got back to writing this morning, I drew upon some of the imagery from those few minutes. I didn't realize at the time I was experiencing the moment yesterday that I was going to incorporate some of that imagery in today's writing session. And that's the serendipity that just flows very naturally in those scheduled and even unscheduled moments of relaxation. Joanna: I separate this into two aspects because I'm good at one and terrible at the other! I schedule time to fill the creative well as often as possible. This is something that Julia Cameron advises in The Artist's Way, and I find it an essential part of my creative practice. Essentially, you can't create from an empty mind. You have to actively seek out ways to spark ideas. International travel is a huge part of my fiction inspiration, in particular. This has been impossible during the pandemic and has definitely impacted my writing. I also go to exhibitions and art galleries, as well as read books, watch films and documentaries. If I don't fill my creative well, then I feel empty, like I will never have another idea, that perhaps my writing life is over. Some people call that writer's block but I know that feeling now. It just means I haven't filled my creative well and I need to schedule time to do that so I can create again. Consume and produce. That's the balance you need in order to keep the creative well filled and the words flowing. In terms of scheduling time to relax instead of doing book research, I find this difficult because I love to work. My husband says that I'm like a little sports car that goes really, really fast and doesn't stop until it hits a wall. I operate at a high productivity level and then I crash! But the restrictions of the pandemic have helped me learn more about relaxation, after much initial frustration. I have walked in nature and lain in the garden in the hammock and recently, we went to the seaside for the first time in 18 months. I lay on the stones and watched the waves. I was the most relaxed I've been in a long time. I didn't look at my phone. I wasn't listening to a podcast or an audiobook. We weren't talking. We were just being there in nature and relaxing. Authors are always thinking and feeling because everything feeds our work somehow. But we have to have both aspects — active time to fill the creative well and passive time to rest and relax. “I go for lots of walks and hikes in the woods. These help me work out the kinks in my plots, and also to feel more relaxed! (Exercise is an added benefit!)” –T.W. Piperbrook Improve your writing process — but only if it fits with your lifestyle Joanna: A lot of stress can occur in writing if we try to change or improve our process too far beyond our natural way of doing things. For example, trying to be a detailed plotter with a spreadsheet when you're really a discovery writer, or trying to dictate 5,000 words per hour when you find it easier to hand write slowly into a journal. Productivity tips from other writers can really help you tweak your personal process, but only if they work for you — and I say this as someone who has a book on Productivity for Authors! Of course, it's a good idea to improve things, but once you try something, analyze whether it works for you — either with data or just how you feel. If it works, great. Adopt it into your process. If it doesn't work, then discard it. For example, I wrote my first novel in Microsoft Word. When I discovered Scrivener, I changed my process and never looked back because it made my life so much easier. I don't write in order and Scrivener made it easier to move things around. I also discovered that it was easier for me to get into my first draft writing and creating when I was away from the desk I use for business, podcasting, and marketing tasks. I started to write in a local cafe and later on in a co-working space. During the pandemic lockdown, I used specific playlists to create a form of separation as I couldn't physically go somewhere else. Editing is an important part of the writing process but you have to find what works for you, which will also change over time. Some are authors are more relaxed with a messy first draft, then rounds of rewrites while working with multiple editors. Others do one careful draft and then use a proofreader to check the finished book. There are as many ways to write as there are writers. A relaxed author chooses the process that works in the most effective way for them and makes the book the best it can be. Mark: When it comes to process, there are times when you're doing something that feels natural, versus times when you're learning a new skill. Consciously and purposefully learning new skills can be stressful; particularly because it's something we often put so much emphasis or importance upon. But when you adapt on-going learning as a normal part of your life, a natural part of who and what you are, that stress can flow away. I'm always about learning new skills; but over time I've learned how to absorb learning into my everyday processes. I'm a pantser, or discovery writer, or whatever term we can apply that makes us feel better about it. And every time I've tried to stringently outline a book, it has been a stressful experience and I've not been satisfied with the process or the result. Perhaps I satisfied the part of me that thought I wanted to be more like other writers, but I didn't satisfy the creative person in me. I was denying that flow that has worked for me. I did, of course, naturally introduce a few new learnings into my attempts to outline; so I stuck with those elements that worked, and abandoned the elements that weren't working, or were causing me stress. The thought of self-improvement often comes with images of blood, sweat, and tears. It doesn't have to. You don't have to bleed to do this; it can be something that you do at your own pace. You can do it in a way that you're comfortable with so it's causing you no stress, but allowing you to learn and grow and improve. And if it doesn't work but you force yourself to keep doing it because a famous writer or a six-figure author said, “this is the way to do it,” you create pressure. And when you don't do it that way, you can think of yourself as a failure as opposed to thinking of it as, “No, this is just the way that I do things.” When you accept how you do things, if they result in effectively getting things done and feeling good about it at the same time, you have less resistance, you have less friction, you have less tension. Constantly learning, adapting, and evolving is good. But forcing ourselves to try to be or do something that we are not or that doesn't work for us, that causes needless anxiety. “I think a large part of it comes down to reminding myself WHY I write. This can mean looking back at positive reviews, so I can see how much joy others get from my writing, or even just writing something brand new for the sake of exploring an idea. Writing something just for me, rather than for an audience, reminds me how much I enjoy writing, which helps me to unwind a bit and approach my projects with more playfulness.” – Icy Sedgwick You can find The Relaxed Author: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey on CreativePennBooks.com as well as on your favorite online store or audiobook platform, or order in your library or bookstore. The post The Relaxed Author Writing Tips With Joanna Penn and Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

In this solo episode, Mark reads from an article that he recently shared on the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Substack page. This is be Part 2 of a two-part series of episodes. (See Part 1) Prior to the main content of this episode, Mark shares a personal update, comments from  recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by The 7 P's of Publishing Success by Mark Leslie Lefebvre, which you can download in eBook and/or Audiobook format for free at this link. Links of Interest: Article: The Myth of "Upload Your Book And They Will Come": Why PATIENCE AND PRACTICE matter just as much for self-published authors Article: When Your Writing Gets Rejected "A Gazillion" Times: Why PATIENCE and PRACTICE are two of the hallmarks of publishing success EP 446 - The Future of Hybrid Publishing with J.D. Barker EP 445 - Overcoming The Self Sabotage From Buried Trauma with Andrea Torrey Balsara Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In this solo episode, Mark reads from an article that he recently shared on the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Substack page. This will be Part 1 of a two-part series of episodes. Prior to the main content of this episode, Mark shares a personal update, a comment from a recent episode, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by The 7 P's of Publishing Success by Mark Leslie Lefebvre, which you can download in eBook and/or Audiobook format for free at this link. Links of Interest: Article: When Your Writing Gets Rejected "A Gazillion" Times: Why PATIENCE and PRACTICE are two of the hallmarks of publishing success EP 445 - Overcoming The Self Sabotage From Buried Trauma with Andrea Torrey Balsara Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

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 2024. “Fantastic fiction has long been considered the herald of possibility. If so, then writers are the pioneering champions of inspiring the world in creative and imaginative ways that can bring form and reality to that raw potential. One of the most significant things we can do as writers is to inspire others to dream well beyond the limits and constraints of our world—to imagine the infinite potency and wonders that lie just on the other side of ‘what if.' Those whose mission is to seek out and celebrate new imaginative voices, to offer them a platform to launch their words, dreams, and stories, and to provide guidance as they navigate a complex and ever-changing publishing industry are the purveyors of possibility in the finest sense. And that is what Writers of the Future has always been. I am proud and honored to join the prestigious panel of world-class writers, artists and all of the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes in continuing L. Ron Hubbard's magnificent vision of paying it forward to the creative minds of tomorrow.” —Mark Leslie Lefebvre Find out more at: markleslie.ca markleslie.ca/about/

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mark Leslie Lefebvre about LESSONS FROM A CHANGING PUBLISHING LANDSCAPE, including trends in book design and special editions, shifts in production and distribution, Bookshop.org's expansion into eBooks, strategies for direct sales and backlist marketing, and how increases in costs of print book production merit increases in prices as well. They also discuss the innovations they hope to see in the next two years.   Interview video at https://bit.ly/TIAPYTPlaylist Show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/show-notes   If you find the information in this video useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple   Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than twenty books that include fiction and thrillers, and paranormal non-fiction explorations. He has also edited numerous anthologies. With three decades of experience in bookselling and publishing, Mark is a seasoned and trusted book industry professional who embraces both traditional and indie publishing options.   Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer's Digest" magazine. She serves as the Campaigns Manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mark Leslie Lefebvre about THE PODCAST GUEST PLAYBOOK, including tips and strategies for being an effective podcast guest, emphasizing the importance of understanding the host's perspective, making the process as easy as possible for the host, and focusing on the value you can provide to the audience—if you do that, the benefits will accrue to you naturally! We highlight the importance of the Three Ps—professionalism, preparedness, and politeness— throughout the process and share personal anecdotes and practical advice to help creators get the most out of their podcast guest appearances.   Interview video at https://bit.ly/TIAPYTPlaylist Show notes at https://www.theindyauthor.com/show-notes   If you find the information in this video useful, please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple   Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than twenty books that include fiction and thrillers, and paranormal non-fiction explorations. He has also edited numerous anthologies. With three decades of experience in bookselling and publishing, Mark is a seasoned and trusted book industry professional who embraces both traditional and indie publishing options.   Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction, podcasting as a host or guest, collaborating on nonfiction, and being an author speaker; her articles have appeared in "Writer's Digest" magazine and "Indie Author Magazine." She serves as the Campaigns Manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors.  

Welcome back to another amazing interview folks, this one was a fun conversation for sure with such an incredible on-air personality. I am being joined by Mark Leslie Lefebvre; Podcaster, Author, & Haunted Location Investigator. We had a great conversation about some locations he's investigated, bigfoot, Canada, Jersey Devil, some classic horror movies,  hauntings, and so much more. Come enjoy. Mark's Website: https://markleslie.ca/   Uncensored, Untamed & Unapologetic U^3 Podcast Collective: https://www.facebook.com/groups/545827736965770/?ref=share Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@juggalobastardpodcasts?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8xJ2KnRBKlYvyo8CMR7jMg

The book industry has changed dramatically since the 90s, and Writer, editor, self-proclaimed book nerd Mark Leslie Lefebvre has seen it all.He breaks down what it takes for author success these days, and how indie authors can be supported and thrive in the new age of publishing. AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

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.

With Special Guest Mark Leslie Lefebvre, author of An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores. Nothing excites the imagination of an author more than seeing our books on the shelves of bookstores and libraries. But how do you get your book in a bookstore or library? In this episode, we're pleased to welcome Mark Leslie Lefebvre, an author, professional speaker and bookseller with over 30 years of experience, to talk about how to work with book sellers and librarians to get your book noticed and on shelves. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join our newsletter and you'll always hear about new episodes and resources! Visit our ⁠⁠episode page⁠⁠ for all resources featured in this episode. Episode Sponsor: Alida Winternheimer is the author of The Story Works Guide to Writing series of craft books. She offers coaching, editing and MFA-level writing workshops that focus on developing the writer while growing craft knowledge and skill. And she has a special offer for friends of this podcast (10% off her Spring workshops if you use code BBMLOVE at www.wordessential.com/workshops ! ) Book Marketing Help from Lainey: ⁠⁠⁠12 Weeks to Book Launch Success⁠⁠ is Lainey's program to help authors successfully launch their book. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the wait list here⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or⁠ ⁠⁠⁠join Lainey's list for free book marketing tips and webinars⁠⁠⁠⁠. Got ideas for future guests and topics? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Send us your ideas here⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠(or submit as a potential guest). Plus, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and leave a quick rating or review!

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.

Our own Master of Thrills, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, chats with Kevin J. Anderson about writing horror for a special King-Sized Halloween episode of Self Publishing Insiders.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won't charge you a dime.  We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

It's been a while since we've provided an update and walked you through how to use D2D Print. Having a physical, print copy of your book is as important as ever! Now, more than a year out of beta, D2D Print just keeps getting better. In this special, pre-recorded episode, Mark Leslie Lefebvre will show how easy--and fun--it is to set up a print-on-demand version of your book.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won't charge you a dime.  We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

How can you be successful at connecting with readers and selling books at live, in-person events? What are some practical tips as well as mindset shifts that can help you make the most of the opportunities? Mark Leslie Lefebvre shares his experience. In the intro, Beventi for author events, Reader survey results [Written Word Media]; […] The post Selling Books In Person At Live Events With Mark Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Join us for the Nonfiction Showcase, a virtual book fair that brings together creators, professionals, and publishing industry experts. Explore books on social media marketing, self-publishing, podcasting, and more. It's the perfect event for anyone wanting to learn and grow in online business!Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y2WXtZzASWU

#Interviews #amwriting #podcastsMark Leslie and I have a tradition of meeting up and doing conversations at When Words Collide. This took place in a bar in the hotel, so there is some background noise, but in the process we have that chat. We talk publishing in how it has evolved to where it is today, Mark's own career path, and in general, we just catch up. Mark deserves all his success. Take a listen and then support his kickstarter. Mark Leslie LefebvreKickstarterWebsiteYoutubeServicesSubstack - I'm on the road! I'm on substack! You can follow my journey, and if you're so inclined, can support me and follow along for the adventures, struggles, triumphs and tragedies, and time. Take a click and follow along.Editing Services - I have edited novels, comics, short stories and the next book I want to edit is yours. If interested, click on the link for more details.My Course on Podcasting - I have launched a podcasting course. Perfect for those seeking to build their platform, and if you're struggling with putting a show together or having the confidence to speak in front a camera, this course is for you.Available Now:Alice Won? - Available now. Alice escaped the asylum and pursues the Queen of Hearts to the Greek Labyrinth in the underworld, there she must engage in a game of croquet unlike any other, against Jason of the Argonauts. Illustrated by Kenzie Kats, written by yours truly.Support And Subscribe:Buy my MerchBuy Me A CoffeeNewsletterTwitchYoutube

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 is our most recent Writer Contest judge. Dean Wesley Smith, also a judge, has Mark by four decades, being the first person to be awarded by Writers of the Future in that very first year! Together, these two have been at the forefront of the evolution of publishing, now known as indie publishing or self-publishing. Once frowned upon as vanity, self-publishing and indie publishing have proven to be the means for more and more authors to become million-dollar-a-year successful authors. So you will do well to bend an attentive ear to this podcast and listen to what these gents have to say. Mark Leslie Lefebvre: markleslie.ca/ Dean Wesley Smith: deanwesleysmith.com/

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is our most recent Writer Contest judge. Dean Wesley Smith, also a judge, has Mark by four decades, being the first person to be awarded by Writers of the Future in that very first year! Together, these two have been at the forefront of the evolution of publishing, now known as indie publishing or self-publishing. Once frowned upon as vanity, self-publishing and indie publishing have proven to be the means for more and more authors to become million-dollar-a-year successful authors. So you will do well to bend an attentive ear to this podcast and listen to what these gents have to say. Mark Leslie Lefebvre: markleslie.ca/ Dean Wesley Smith: deanwesleysmith.com/

The Authors Quill Hosted By Joe Montaldo Guest Mark Leslie Lefebvre

Mark Leslie (Lefebvre) is an author, professional speaker and bookseller with more than thirty years of experience in writing, publishing, and bookselling.With a fascination for the paranormal and speculative fiction, he has written many books about paranormal places and events. He also backs publishing utilizing digital technology including Ebooks.Having grown up with an intense passion for reading and storytelling, Mark started writing when he was thirteen years old, was drawn to bookselling and has remained in the industry, wearing many different hats, since 1992. He has published more than twenty-five books.Website markleslie.caBooks Haunted Hamilton Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores and Libraries Macabre Montreal I, Death Haunted Hospitals

Conferences are vital for author careers. The good ones not only provide stellar learning opportunities from the industry's best and brightest minds, they also provide a sense of community and belonging. In today's episode we'll catch up with D2D's own Mark Leslie Lefebvre and Nick Thacker as they attend the renowned Superstars Writing Seminars event in Colorado Springs. Knowing these guys, they're likely to grab some surprise author guests to join us. //Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won't charge you a dime.  We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

Mark Leslie wrote a 10,000-word short that began his Canadian Werewolf series. In this interview, we discuss going from a story, to a novel, to a series, to collaborating with spin-offs. Yogi Berra famously stated, "When you come to a fork, take it." We discuss how accurate this is as advice as you become more knowledgeable as a storyteller. We discuss how this can be accomplished.

Mark Leslie wrote a 10,000-word short that began his Canadian Werewolf series. In this interview, we discuss going from a story, to a novel, to a series, to collaborating with spin-offs. Yogi Berra famously stated, "When you come to a fork, take it." We discuss how accurate this is as advice as you become more knowledgeable as a storyteller. We discuss how this can be accomplished.

Imposter syndrome. It's the elephant in the room that almost every author faces at some point in their career. In today's episode, Mark Leslie Lefebvre's shares his wisdom on dealing with this behemoth. With over 30 years experience in the writing, publishing, and bookselling industry, Mark understands the heartbeat of writing and publishing. . Mark Leslie Lefebvre first became a bookseller in 1992, the same year his first short story appeared in print. He has since worked in numerous roles across the book industry, and published more than two dozen books. Writing, storytelling, and helping other authors are among his greatest passions.Embracing the conviction that your story matters can be your breakthrough. Mark takes us through the kaleidoscope of book marketing, emphasizing the human touch in an algorithm-driven world. From the tactile connections at in-person events to the pioneering platforms like Draft2Digital, this episode offers a fresh perspective on how personalized efforts can lead to lasting success in the literary world.Follow Us! Mark Leslie LefebvreWebsite: www.markleslie.caBooks for Writers: https://books2read.com/markleslielefebvreTwitter: @MarkLeslieInstagram: @MarkLeslieLefebvreThe 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: @AuthorMeganHaskellMegan's Kickstarter for The Last Descendant HardcoverFollow this link then click Notify Me On Launch! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/meganhaskell/lastdescendant 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!

Happy New Year and welcome back to the Author Wheel Podcast!This week isn't so much a quick tip as an update on our plans for 2024, and boy oh boy, do we have some great shows headed your way.Our regular Monday interviews will continue, and we have some fantastic guests lined up for the show. From the brilliant Joanna Penn, to indie guru Mark Leslie LeFebvre, and bestselling multi-genre author Melissa Storm, it's going to be a fabulous season.We're also thrilled to announce that we'll be continuing the weekly quick tips each Thursday in 2024. Each month will have a theme, and regular listeners will benefit from the progression of topics. February will be all about maintaining motivation and consistency in the New Year before we move into some of our favorite craft topics in March and April.If you have any suggestions for topics, or quick tips of your own to share, please send them our way! We love to hear from listeners. You can always email us at info@authorwheel.comFollow Us! The Author Wheel:Website: www.AuthorWheel.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWheelClarify | Simplify | Implement weekly newsletter: https://meganhaskellauthor.substack.comGreta Boris:Website: www.GretaBoris.comFacebook: @GretaBorisAuthorInstagram: @GretaBorisMegan Haskell:Website: www.MeganHaskell.comFacebook & Instagram: @MeganHaskellAuthorTikTok: @AuthorMeganHaskellIf you're enjoying The Author Wheel Podcast, please consider supporting the show! You can buy us a coffee at the link below. 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!

It's not uncommon for long-time Draft2Digital authors to tell us that they just learned about a feature we've been offering for years. We aim to put an end to that, and we guarantee you'll learn something new! Our own Mark Leslie Lefebvre dives deep, on Thanksgiving no less, to reveal useful D2D features you may not know are at your fingertips.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won't charge you a dime.  We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

akaRadioRed welcomes three Hallowe'en-spirited creatives. Meg Hafdahl's novels are “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and smalltown intrigue” (Horror Addicts). She co-hosts the podcast Horror Rewind. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former Canadian Booksellers Association president, mentors authors and publishers in digital publishing under his Stark Publishing and Stark Reflections brands. Kelly Florence, co-author of six books in The Science of series and producer / co-host of the Horror Rewind podcast, is passionate about female representation in the horror genre. Join akaRadioRed for Treat-Not-Trick Creativity!

akaRadioRed welcomes three Hallowe'en-spirited creatives. Meg Hafdahl's novels are “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and smalltown intrigue” (Horror Addicts). She co-hosts the podcast Horror Rewind. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former Canadian Booksellers Association president, mentors authors and publishers in digital publishing under his Stark Publishing and Stark Reflections brands. Kelly Florence, co-author of six books in The Science of series and producer / co-host of the Horror Rewind podcast, is passionate about female representation in the horror genre. Join akaRadioRed for Treat-Not-Trick Creativity!

Draft2Digital's own Mark Leslie Lefebvre, the man who literally wrote the book on distributing your books Wide for the Win, and Megan Spann, our queen of promotions, will be on hand to talk strategy and answer your questions.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won't charge you a dime.  We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

akaRadioRed welcomes three Hallowe'en-spirited creatives. Meg Hafdahl's novels are “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and smalltown intrigue” (Horror Addicts). She co-hosts the podcast Horror Rewind. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former Canadian Booksellers Association president, mentors authors and publishers in digital publishing under his Stark Publishing and Stark Reflections brands. Kelly Florence, co-author of six books in The Science of series and producer / co-host of the Horror Rewind podcast, is passionate about female representation in the horror genre. Join akaRadioRed for Treat-Not-Trick Creativity!

akaRadioRed welcomes three Hallowe'en-spirited creatives. Meg Hafdahl's novels are “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and smalltown intrigue” (Horror Addicts). She co-hosts the podcast Horror Rewind. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former Canadian Booksellers Association president, mentors authors and publishers in digital publishing under his Stark Publishing and Stark Reflections brands. Kelly Florence, co-author of six books in The Science of series and producer / co-host of the Horror Rewind podcast, is passionate about female representation in the horror genre. Join akaRadioRed for Treat-Not-Trick Creativity!

akaRadioRed welcomes three Hallowe'en-spirited creatives. Meg Hafdahl's novels are “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and smalltown intrigue” (Horror Addicts). She co-hosts the podcast Horror Rewind. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former Canadian Booksellers Association president, mentors authors and publishers in digital publishing under his Stark Publishing and Stark Reflections brands. Kelly Florence, co-author of six books in The Science of series and producer / co-host of the Horror Rewind podcast, is passionate about female representation in the horror genre. Join akaRadioRed for Treat-Not-Trick Creativity!

Mark interviews actor/director/producer/writer Eriq La Salle about his latest novel LAWS OF ANNIHILATION and his life-long passion for storytelling. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, thanks Patrons, provides a personal update, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor.   You can learn more about how you can get your audiobooks distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Eriq talk about: How Eriq had always wanted to be a writer Joining the high school drama club in junior high with the idea that they'd be able to put on the plays that he would write Being told by the drama teacher that he had to audition, and how that started the "acting bug" that took him through a multi-decade career acting, directing, and producing The way the author desire resurfaced about a dozen years ago The prequel story to The Martyr Maker series (which appears in the end of LAWS OF DEPRAVITY) and why Eriq wrote it The concept behind The Martyr Maker franchise Loving movies and television and being inspired by the storytelling conventions there The way each of the three main characters leads a little bit more in the first three books in the series Eriq's work as Executive Producer for several years on Chicago PD Directing and Executive Producing Dick Wolf's first show launched into streaming on Amazon Prime A minor character in the series (known as "The African") who was fashioned after the Luca Brasi character in The Godfather and who will return in a later book in the series How it took 10 years to find a publisher, and Eriq's DIY experience self-publishing The importance of understanding and participating in the grass-roots style marketing as an author Having to do a lot of marketing work even when you're with a larger publisher The way that the status of "celebrity" can sometimes work against you Eriq's respect for each medium and how to re-think, and re-learn in his unique roles within them The importance of humbling yourself How the marketing person that Eriq had hired and worked with eventually became his agent Feeling that he is a better writer of fiction novels than of screenplays, despite his years of experience as an actor, director, and producer The intention cinematic writing that Eriq did when crafting The Martyr Maker series Enjoying collecting "useless trivia" and how that can aid in the research aspect of writing a novel Giving credit to the technical advisors Eriq has worked with on shows like ER and Chicago PD The various first readers that Eriq works with Being an old fashioned paper book reader Eriq's great respect for librarians The delightful feeling of seeing your book in various bookstores of all sizes, including indie bookstores, big box stores, and airport bookstores Doing several events in New York for the week the book is launching, including a special "On the Couch with Eriq La Salle" The importance of listening to the messaging The understanding that "we are blue collar artists" Advice Eriq would offer to writers who are working at it and haven't yet found their success And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on a few of the things Eriq talked about, as well as a subtle, but important way Eriq spoke about the "team" he works with as an author.   Links of Interest: Eriq La Salle's Website Eriq on Instagram Eriq on Facebook Eriq on Twitter Eriq on TikTok Eriq La Salle's Books Sourcebooks Video of The Interview with Eriq (YouTube) EP 328 - Reflecting on a New Season with Terry Fallis EP 327 - Writing the Shadow with Joanna Penn EP 326 - Rebranding and Relaunching with E.L. Williams Port Dover: Friday the 13th Best Book Ever Podcast EP 154 - Mark Leslie Lefebvre on "The Best Laid Plans" by Terry Fallis EP 155 - Canada-Palooza with Mark Leslie Lefebvre Best Book Ever Pod Mark's YouTube Channel Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Best Book Ever Podcast Lovers Moon Podcast The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard   Actor/director/producer Eriq La Salle is best known to worldwide television audiences for his award-winning portrayal of the commanding Dr. Peter Benton on the critically acclaimed and history-making medical drama ER. Educated at Juilliard and NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, his credits range from Broadway to film roles opposite Eddie Murphy in Coming to America and Robin Williams in One Hour Photo and Hugh Jackman in Logan. La Salle has maintained a prolific acting career while at the same time working steadily as a director, taking the helm for HBO, Showtime, NBC, Fox and CBS. He remains a valued member of the Dick Wolf Entertainment camp after 4 years as Executive Producer and director on Chicago PD in addition to directing episodes of Law & Order, and Law and Order Organized Crime. As a writer, La Salle is the author of several critically acclaimed thrillers published in 2022 and 2023-Laws of Depravity, Laws of Wrath, and Laws of Annihilation. He has also written an episode of The Twilight Zone which made WGA's list of 101 Best Written TV Series. He lives in Los Angeles, California.     The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mark Leslie Lefebvre about HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED (OR STAYED THE SAME) in the writing and publishing worlds since 2016. Why 2016? Because that's when the first episode of The Indy Author Podcast aired, and I'm looking back with Mark to celebrate landMARK episode 200. We discuss what has and hasn't changed in interior and book cover design, editing, production, distribution, marketing, and promotion, and how we as indie authors can prepare for what the coming years will bring. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP200  Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than twenty books that include fiction and thrillers, and paranormal non-fiction explorations. He has also edited numerous anthologies. With three decades of experience in bookselling and publishing, Mark is a seasoned and trusted book industry professional who embraces both traditional and indie publishing options. Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts. She is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Matty also writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage, and shares what she's learned on THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST. She has written books on the business of short fiction and podcasting for authors; her articles have appeared in "Writer's Digest" magazine. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Wulf Moon wrote his first science fiction story when he was fifteen. It won the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards–the same contest that first discovered Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter S. Beagle, and a host of iconic names in the arts. It became his first professional sale in Science World. Moon has won over forty awards in writing and thirty in public speaking. A sample of these include: Star Trek Strange New Worlds Contest; Critters Readers' Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story of 2018, of 2019, of 2020; Best Author of 2019, of 2020, of 2021; Best Positive Future Story of 2021; Best Writers' Workshop of 2019, of 2020, of 2021; Nora Roberts Novella Contest; and the Writers of the Future Contest, Vol. 35. Moon's stories and articles have appeared in numerous publications including Writers of the Future, Best of Deep Magic Anthology Two, Future Science Fiction Digest, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2, Best of Third Flatiron, Galaxy's Edge, and DreamForge magazine. Wulf Moon is also a professional voice-over actor and has produced works for Hugo Award winners and bestselling authors like Mike Resnick, Jeff Wheeler, and Will McIntosh. Moon is podcast director at Future Science Fiction Digest. His award-winning SUPER SECRETS Online Resource and Writing Workshop has had over 800,000 views. These Secrets have been attributed by a multitude of writers as the reason they obtained their first professional sales, and wins in national and international writing contests. Two SUPER SECRETS writing books will be published this winter by editor Mark Leslie Lefebvre through Stark Publishing Solutions. Learn more at https://bit.ly/TheSuperSecrets Explore the works of Wulf Moon by visiting driftweave.com or by checking out his Amazon author page at: amazon.com/author/wulfmoon.

Wulf Moon wrote his first science fiction story when he was fifteen. It won the national Scholastic Art & Writing Awards–the same contest that first discovered Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, Peter S. Beagle, and a host of iconic names in the arts. It became his first professional sale in Science World. Moon has won over forty awards in writing and thirty in public speaking. A sample of these include: Star Trek Strange New Worlds Contest; Critters Readers' Choice Awards for Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Story of 2018, of 2019, of 2020; Best Author of 2019, of 2020, of 2021; Best Positive Future Story of 2021; Best Writers' Workshop of 2019, of 2020, of 2021; Nora Roberts Novella Contest; and the Writers of the Future Contest, Vol. 35. Moon's stories and articles have appeared in numerous publications including Writers of the Future, Best of Deep Magic Anthology Two, Future Science Fiction Digest, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2, Best of Third Flatiron, Galaxy's Edge, and DreamForge magazine. Wulf Moon is also a professional voice-over actor and has produced works for Hugo Award winners and bestselling authors like Mike Resnick, Jeff Wheeler, and Will McIntosh. Moon is podcast director at Future Science Fiction Digest. His award-winning SUPER SECRETS Online Resource and Writing Workshop has had over 800,000 views. These Secrets have been attributed by a multitude of writers as the reason they obtained their first professional sales, and wins in national and international writing contests. Two SUPER SECRETS writing books will be published this winter by editor Mark Leslie Lefebvre through Stark Publishing Solutions. Learn more at https://bit.ly/TheSuperSecrets Explore the works of Wulf Moon by visiting driftweave.com or by checking out his Amazon author page at: amazon.com/author/wulfmoon.

In this episode, Jeff sits down with publishing giant, Mark Leslie Lefebvre. They talk about Mark's career, how he's seen things change, and what he thinks about current trends.   For more from Mark, check out the Stark Reflections Podcast or head over to https://markleslie.ca/   For more on dialogue, check out https://dialoguedoctor.com/

Hello and welcome to The Relatable Voice podcast. Today, we are heading to Canada to talk with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, an author of numerous books, consultant, and editor. His latest book, "Hex and the City," is out now. Find out more at : www.markleslie.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to The Relatable Voice podcast. Today, we are heading to Canada to talk with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, an author of numerous books, consultant, and editor. His latest book, "Hex and the City," is out now. Find out more at : www.markleslie.ca  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Alchemy for Authors! In this episode, I talk with author and book industry expert, Mark Leslie Lefebvre. We discuss Mark's journey to becoming an author, and the power of connection and optimism to supercharge your author career. Other topics we cover include: ·       How a ghost-walk inspired Mark to write a plethora of books on ghosts and hauntings. ·       Why people need scary stories. ·       What it really means to publish wide. ·       How to be a relaxed author if your book gets pirated. ·       The power that comes from asking yourself: Would you rather have a million dollars or a million readers? Mark's humour, optimism, and passion for the writing life make this an episode you're not going to want to miss. If you want to hear more conversations between Mark and myself, make sure you check out Episode 297 of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing podcast titled Enthusiasm, Encouragement, and Alchemy for Authors with Jo Buer, here. Visit Mark's website here: https://markleslie.ca/ Connect with Mark on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/markleslielefebvre Connect with on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/markleslielefebvre/ Listen to the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing podcast here: https://markleslie.ca/podcast/ Find Mark's books here: https://markleslie.ca/bibliography/ Books by Mark mentioned in this episode: Haunted Hamilton        Killing it on Kobo      Wide for the Win     The 7 P's of Publishing Success    Other resources mentioned in this episode: The Relaxed Author – By Mark Leslie Lefebvre & Joanna Penn  The Creative Penn Podcast – Hosted by Joanna Penn   The Facebook Group – Wide for the Win   If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and review. You can also support the show by buying me a coffee at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jobuer. Your support helps me keep this podcast going. Follow me on Instagram: @alchemyforauthors and @jobuerauthor. Join my Alchemy for Authors newsletter and download your FREE copy of Manifestation for Authors here.  If you enjoy Gothic Suspense, you can join my reader's newsletter and download a  copy of my short story collection, Between the Shadows, here.  Visit my website for the full transcript of this episode: https://jobuer.com/alchemy-for-authors/

Matty Dalrymple talks with Mark Leslie Lefebvre about OUTSIDE-THE-BOX CONTENT: THE STORY BEHIND "THE CANADIAN MOUNTED" and how (and why) he decided to write a book of trivia about the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles published behind a cover mimicking the book John Candy's character is reading when he meets Steve Martin's character in the airport waiting area. We discuss the care Mark took in re-creating the cover of the original, the importance of not underpricing your product, how to find and market to a target audience, the fact that perennial marketing results in perennial sales (an advantage indy authors have over traditionally published authors), and the importance of putting yourself in your book. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. Show notes at https://bit.ly/TIAP171 Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of more than twenty books that include fiction and thrillers, and paranormal non-fiction explorations. He has also edited numerous anthologies. With three decades of experience in bookselling and publishing, Mark is a seasoned and trusted book industry professional who embraces both traditional and indie publishing options.

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

Draft2Digital has the best vantage point in the business for seeing trends in the self-publishing industry. And we want to use that insight to help indie authors and publishers do more to build and grow their publishing business. This episode of Self Publishing Insiders continues a recurring segment, featuring Mark Leslie Lefebvre, discussing the current state of the self-publishing industry and where we see things evolving from here.//Draft2Digital is where you start your Indie Author Career//  Looking for your path to self-publishing success? Draft2Digital is the leading ebook publisher and distributor worldwide. We'll convert your manuscript, distribute it online, and support you the whole way—and we won't charge you a dime.  We take a small percentage of the royalties for each sale you make through us, so we only make money when you make money. That's the best kind of business plan.  • Get started now: https://draft2digital.com/• Learn the ins, the outs, and the all-arounds of indie publishing from the industry experts on the D2D Blog: https://Draft2Digital.com/blog  • Promote your books with our Universal Book Links from Books2Read: https://books2read.com  Make sure you bookmark https://D2DLive.com for links to live events, and to catch back episodes of the Self Publishing Insiders Podcast.

What should you do if you want to write across genres? And how can you sustain a rewarding and lasting creative career? Perhaps writing across genres is the way to do it. I spend a lot of time thinking about what genre to write in. Like many readers, I like to consume lots of different genres. What you read usually informs what you write, so if you find yourself reading multiple genres, that may explain why you want to write across more than one genre. And it can be rewarding to do so because you learn what readers expect from different genres and enjoy different kinds of stories. Of course, the key challenge with writing across genres is that readers from genre A may not necessarily follow you to genre B. From a purely pragmatic and business decision, it doesn't make a lot of sense to try writing across different genres because you could potentially split your audience, and you'll have to work a little harder to promote your books. But, from a creative process, writing across genres is a lot more rewarding. Plus, it's fun too. So, I'm still interested in tackling new genres and approaching various forms of storytelling, and I always love catching up with authors who have successfully done this. One of those authors is Mark Leslie Lefebvre. He's an author, professional speaker, and bookseller, and he's written everything from paranormal romance to horror to thrillers to nonfiction and so on. He's got over a quarter of a century of experience in the bookselling industry. In this episode, we discuss:That it's actually okay to write across genresYou can still earn a living from writing across genresHow to be patient and find your readersUsing email to reach readers and other marketing activitiesCollaborating with both fiction and nonfiction authorsResources: WebsiteSupport the show

Mark Leslie Lefebvre, bestselling author, speaker and bookseller, talks about writing The Relaxed Author book with co-author Joanna Penn in this episode of Write the Book Inside You Podcast. He also...

Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She is the host of THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST and the author of THE INDY AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS. She is also the co-author, along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, of TAKING THE SHORT TACK: CREATING INCOME AND CONNECTING WITH READERS USING SHORT FICTION.​Matty is also the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers, beginning with ROCK PAPER SCISSORS; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels, beginning with THE SENSE OF DEATH; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including CLOSE THESE EYES. Matty is a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime.​Matty lives with her husband, Wade Walton, and their dogs in Chester County, Pennsylvania.In this episode, you'll learn:How writing short fiction differs from writing novel length worksWays to market short fictionThe business of short fictionLinks:Matty's website The Indy Author podcast Stark Reflections on PublishingBooks discussed:Taking the Short Tack - Matty Dalrymple and Mark Leslie Lefebvre *Anne Kinnear Suspense Shorts - Matty Dalrymple *Anne Kinnear Suspense Novels - Matty Dalrymple *Lizzy Ballard Thrillers - Matty Dalrymple **Affiliate link

DeAnna Hart, co-author along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre of “Accounting for Authors: Financial Analysis, Budgeting, Costs, and Margin Made Simple,” discusses ROI FOR AUTHORS. She discusses the importance of not glossing over the costs of doing business as an indy author, allocating overhead costs to your titles, risk tolerance and risk capacity, valuing your time, looking for opportunities to free up your time for value-added work, and the best accounting tools for authors. For transcripts of interviews and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple D.F. (DeAnna) Hart holds an MBA with Accounting concentration and has been working in accounting for over twenty-five years. When she's not planning out how best to use her ‘day career' background to help her fellow authors, she's happily penning mysteries and thrillers as D.F. Hart, and contemporary and suspenseful romance as Faith Hart. DeAnna lives in Texas.

In this solo inbetweenisode of The Indy Author Podcast, I discuss CREATING AN AI-NARRATED AUDIOBOOK. I talk about Google Play's instructions for AI audio, tips for better AI narration, working around the AI-narration's quirks, selling beyond Google Play, and file names and ID3 tags. Do any of those topics pique your interest? Check out 2 MINUTES OF INDY https://bit.ly/2MinutesOfIndy, where over the week following the airing of the episode, you'll find brief video clips from the interview on each of those topics. You can also catch up on some highlights of previous episodes there. For a transcript of this interview and links to more information, go to https://www.theindyauthor.com/podcast.html. Did you find the information in this video useful? Please consider supporting The Indy Author! https://www.patreon.com/theindyauthor https://www.buymeacoffee.com/mattydalrymple Matty Dalrymple podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. She is the host of THE INDY AUTHOR PODCAST and the author of THE INDY AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS. She is also the co-author, along with Mark Leslie Lefebvre, of TAKING THE SHORT TACK: CREATING INCOME AND CONNECTING WITH READERS USING SHORT FICTION. Matty is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Episode Show Notes In this episode we cover:  Lessons learned from writing short stories Mistakes to avoid Submission tips Anthology marketing tips How to organise and run an anthology This week's question is: Have you ever applied to or participated in an anthology? OR do you read them? Recommendation of the week is: The Rebel Diaries Anthology Edited by Sacha Black Available at all good stores! Kobo Apple Amazon UK Amazon US ***this show uses affiliate links Find out more about Mark at: Author Website Twitter Instagram YouTube Find out more about Helen at: Author Website Blog Twitter Instagram   Rebel of the Week is: Leighann Rust 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 or instagram me @sachablackauthor 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