Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode, Mark interviews Michael W. Lucas about he books he has written which range range from crime and SF thrillers to arcane tomes on how to build your own Verizon. They also chat quite a bit about Michael's latest book: Cash Flow for Creators. In the opening of the episode, Mark shares some comments from recent episodes, as well as a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Immediately prior to the interview Mark shares a personal update about his recent appearance on the overnight radio program Coast to Coast with George Noory, and all the positive results that came from that. In their conversation, Michael and Mark talk about: How writing for Michael started when he was about 4 and realized that books were created by human beings and this was something people could grow up to do The evolution of getting to full time writer via rejection notices, selling more and more things, and working on the craft Michael's start in writing writing for table top games The styles of fiction that Michael writes and where his heart is in writing The many "what ifs" that Michael enjoys, such as "What if there were Orcs in 1927 Detroit running booze across the border?" What happened to make leaving the full-time role as a writer possible, which involved a lot of watching Michael's new book for writers called CALL FLOW FOR CREATORS and why it was written out of self-defense The reality that making a living is about cashflow How evening out cashflow helps reduce the highs and lows of the typical cycle of a writer's income The importance of looking at one's lifestyle, where they live, how they want to live, when making decisions regarding the amount of money they need to make, the expenses they are willing to live with, etc The special editions that Michael does of some of his books, made specifically for his readers How, if you can do something special that speaks to your people, how Michael would encourage you to give it a try The way that Michael does his crowd-funding a little differently, using disintermediation, rather than using IndieGoGo or Kickstarter How not only are all of Michael's books published wide everywhere, but that they are all also available for sale direct The sponsorships that Michael does that includes surprises, such as a gift he will send you upon the book's publication And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on a few things that Michael spoke about, including when you know your fans, you can feed them the right things that they value, and how people will support you and they WANT you to succeed - if you treat your readers well. Mark then shares details about how listeners can win a copy of Michael's book Cashflow for Creators. Links of Interest: Michael's Website Episode 137 - Action Sequences and Sex Scenes with Joshua Essoe Joshua's Kickstarter Project: Essoe's Guide to Writing: Action Sequences and Sex Scenes! Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (June 5, 2020) Patreon for Stark Reflections Michael W Lucas has written 30-odd books, ranging from crime and SF thrillers to arcane tomes on how to build your own Verizon. His latest book is "Cash Flow for Creators." 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 interviews editor Joshua Essoe who has edited for bestsellers, Piers Anthony and David Farland, for Dean Lorey, lead writer of Arrested Development, as well as numerous Writers of the Future winners, and USA Today bestsellers. Prior to the interview, Mark reads some comments from recent episodes, reveals the winner of Sacha Black's Anatomy of Prose and says a word about this episode's sponsors, the patrons of the podcast. Mark also shares a person update that includes: Work being done on his Canadian Werewolf series of books A new non-fiction writing project he will be releasing in the Fall of 2020: Wide for the Win In their conversation, Mark and Joshua talk about: How, 11 years ago, Joshua accidentally fell into the role of editor Joshua's previous role as an old book restorer Being a book nerd since Joshua was 7 years old Asking Brandon Sanderson to read one of his stories and the generous and constructive feedback he was offered Advice from Superstars Writing Seminars that led Joshua to deciding to take on a new challenge, editing a fellow author's fantasy novel Setting a goal of editing one of David Farland's novels The difference between restoring old books and working as an editor The genres that Joshua specializes in as an editor (science fiction, fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction) The importance of aligning your writing and your goals with the right editor The new book project Joshua is releasing and how he is launching it using Kickstarter The first book: Action Sequences and Sex Scenes and why Joshua is releasing that one first And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on the huge success Joshua saw on his Kickstarter project within the first 6 hours and first four days and a quote from the artist James A. Owen, who designed his new non-fiction books. Links of Interest: Joshua Essoe's Website Joshua's Kickstarter Project: Essoe's Guide to Writing: Action Sequences and Sex Scenes! Episode 133 - Anatomy of a Rebel with Sacha Black Episode 135 - Creative Collaborations in FerroCity with Joe Scacciaferro Career Author Summit Patreon for Stark Reflections Joshua Essoe has edited for bestsellers, Piers Anthony and David Farland, including the multi-award-winning novel, Nightingale. He's also edited for Dean Lorey, lead writer of Arrested Development, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former director at Kobo, numerous Writers of the Future winners, USA Today bestsellers, and many other top-notch independents. He was lead editor at Urban Fantasy Magazine from 2014-2015. From 2012-2015 he recorded the weekly writing podcast Hide and Create with co-hosts Michael J. Sullivan, Diana Rowland, Jay Wells, and Debbie Viguie. You can find Joshua teaching about pitches, back cover copy, and editing every year at the Superstars Writing Seminars in CO. His approach to editing is to help you make your story the best version of itself it can be. Joshua is also a writer. He was a 2014 finalist in the Writers of the Future contest, and is in the process of releasing his first in a series of non-fiction books on editing for writers. 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 episode Mark interviews Brian Rathbone who is an international #1 Bestselling author on Google Play with both audiobooks and eBooks. Brian talks about the strategies and things he has learned about success in selling audiobooks, a market he has been playing in for two decades now, so he has a lot of learning to share there - as well as how he reached #1 on Google Play, a market that a lot of authors are struggling to learn and understand. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes and reminds listeners of their chance to win a signed copy of Sacha Black's latest book, Anatomy of Prose, by commenting on Episode 133 as per the episode and show notes details, prior to the end of day Friday May 29, 2020. This episode is sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast. You can learn how you can become a patron, gain access to special patron-only prizes and also receive bonus patron-only episodes of the podcast as well as other additional text and video patron content at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. In their conversation, Brian and Mark discuss: How Brian got into his writing career, and the programming career he had prior to that The day that Brian started typing the first novel one day while sitting in the Atlanta airport in 2005 and felt a change coming The various jobs and roles that Brian worked at and played over the years How Brian ended up falling into the role of helping other writers by publishing their work and creating tools to help small publishers The royalty calculation software that Brian started to develop Brian's early introduction to audio via podiobooks years before audiobooks started to be a growing option for indie authors Some of the successes that Brian has had with audio promotions using a "loss leader" model for the first book in a series How his "first free book in series" led to being ranked as the #1 downloaded free audiobook on Google Play, and the resulting sales of the rest of the series from that What happened when Brian took an entire audiobook digital box set trilogy that sold for close to $30 and making it 99 cents for a full month via a Chirp promotion The importance of including a sample at the end of an audiobook to lead the person to the next audiobook Methods and techniques that Brian has learned work really well and have helped him become a top seller on Google Play Things Brian has learned that he would tell his younger self And more After the interview, Mark reflects on a few things Brian talked about, including the unique metadata fields that different retailers might focus on or use in a different way to help prop up a book in bold new ways. Links of Interest: Brian Rathbone's Website Brian on Twitter Episode 133 - Anatomy of a Rebel with Sacha Black Patreon for Stark Reflections Career Author Summit 20BooksVegas #1 International bestselling fantasy author Brian Rathbone is a bit odd. After growing up training standard bred racehorses, he went to work at a nuclear plant before helping to build the Internet. When he isn't writing, Brian tells a few too many bad dragon jokes on Twitter and spends a lot of time thinking about unicorns. 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 episode Mark interviews Joe Scacciaferro who has been in the media and entertainment business for over 30 years, has founded and run several successful media and entertainment production and technical support companies, most noticeably FerroProductions, and is behind the collaborative platform FerroCity. Prior to the interview, Mark shares some comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In the interview Mark and Joe talk about: How story has always been important in Joe's life, and how that sometimes backfired when he was a young child The way that everything is a story, and the more that we are comfortable with story, the better we can engage with others Joe's musical background, and how story through music was one of his first loves and felt natural to him The prominence of unplanned transitions in Joe's life How it can be ALL about the journey Different types of collaborations that creative storytellers can work on together in music verses prose writing The critical nature of music and how it impacts a visual storytelling medium The different types of documentary projects that Joe has worked on over the years Fascinating answers you can get from some basic simple questions The critical balance of skill combined with a solid community How everything you learn is important to everything you do The way that the collaborative community of FerroCity is the culmination of Joe's entire career How the platform FerroCity helps connect the community together and learn from the way people engage with it How writers who are interested in checking it out can begin to participate in the FerroCity community and platform Why Joe says that you can't learn anything unless it's entertaining The three phases of FerroCity that are being rolled out the spring/summer of 2020 Why Mark calls this platform a type of "Field of Dreams" How a team can synergize over a single posting on a platform like this The camaraderie that comes from working alongside other team members After the interview, Mark reflects on the universal nature of storytelling, and the unimagined and unforeseen benefits that can result from creative collaboration. Links of Interest: FerroCity Ferro Productions Episode 133 - Anatomy of a Rebel with Sacha Black Episode 97 - 10 Tips for Marketing and Making Money off Your Short Fiction The Stay Home Story Summit Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Isolation Parody Songs (K-Tel Spoof Commercial) Spud Wars: A New Helplessness (Parody Movie Trailer) Stuck in this House here with You (Parody Music Video) Dad Joke Short: The Things We Miss Most Dad Joke Short: Dramatic Exit Dad Joke Short: Skeleton Jokes Career Author Summit Bookfunnel 20BooksVegas Joe Scacciaferro has been in the media and entertainment business for over 30 years and has founded and run several successful media and entertainment production and technical support companies, most noticeably FerroProductions. He has been honored with 5 Emmys, 9 Emmy nominations, co-authored 15 books on the creative use of music technology, written music scores for broadcast programming, produced dozens of network sports shows / documentaries and been honored with two super bowl rings from the NY Giants for his programming efforts during the past 20 years. Joe's creative abilities are self-evident based on the longevity and diverse successes of his career. But when asked about his single greatest professional accomplishment, he will always point to enormous career successes of his interns. He is a strong believer in creative collaboration, and networking opportunities, and he shares an exciting new project called FerroCity, which represents the culmination of his extraordinary career and life. 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 episode, Mark interviews Melissa Dalton Martinez, a publishing industry PR and marketing manager, marketing consultant, and media professional. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a word about this episode's sponsor (the awesome Patrons of this podcast), and a personal update. In his personal update, Mark talks about the creative collaborative projects that he and his partner Liz have been working on - parody music videos, and how a chance in perspective looking at a bowl filled with broken egg yolks resulted in an unexpected and delicious breakfast that was better than what was originally planned. In their interview Mark and Melissa talk about: Where the show that Melissa runs "The Book Break" runs and what the content of the episodes are How Melissa helps authors get onto various different media and the coaching that she does to prepare them for their appearances Melissa's entrance into the publishing world as a PAR representative in 2003 How Melissa is one of those "one more chapter" readers at bed time Why it is easier than ever right now to get interviewed by local media The way that Melissa can spin a story off of anything, and usually creates a minimum of about five story options before she begins to pitch to a particular media outlet Advice for the best way to approach pitching to media or a podcast as a potential guest How an author should go about crafting a pitch to a media professional The importance of going with what you know, and understanding the types of shows that the media outlet you are pitching has recently released Melissa's favorite way to craft a pitch How it is the guest's job to make it easy for the host/producer of the media outlet you are pitching to The reason why it's important to create a list of questions for the media outlet you are pitching to (and sometimes, also the answers you'll provide) Why it is important, whenever you're doing an interview to act as if the interview is live Methods of sending materials, such as pictures, to the producers, ahead of the broadcast, with suggestions of where the images might best be inserted within a segment The importance of the right author photo that is appropriate and relevant for your author brand Why a high resolution image is really important for television The way that professional reviews work, which ones are out there, and the options that an author has for a paid professional review Why professional reviews in spots such as Kirkus are important for library acquisition of books And more.... After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of how it is the guest's job to make it as easy on the host, on the producer, as possible. in the same way that it's the book's description's job to make it as easy as possible for the ideal reader to want to have to buy and read a book. He also talks about how, with the Covid-19 related isolation taking place, that authors have greater opportunity for various media outlets that, prior, would have only been possible with physical proximity and having to be in the studio. Links of Interest: Melissa's Website: The Book Break Sacha Black's Podcasts Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Isolation Parody Songs (K-Tel Spoof Commercial) Spud Wars: A New Helplessness (Parody Movie Trailer) Stuck in this House here with You (Parody Music Video) Melissa Dalton Martinez has worked in the publishing industry on and off as a PR and marketing manager, marketing consultant, and media professional since 2000. After graduating college in 2003, Melissa has helped others grow their careers, run her own businesses, spoken at countless conferences, helped coordinate many events, worked with radio, TV, newspapers, movies, podcasts, YouTube shows, and even became the producer and host of her own TV mini-series, The Book Break. In addition to The Book Break, Melissa works as a private marketing, branding, and media consultant; a marketing expert for Eschler Editing; and a book reviewer for various media outlets. 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 interviews Sacha Black about her role and brand as a Rebel Author, about her writing, her podcast, and about her books for writers on crafting heroes, villains, and prose. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, talking about recent birthday activities, a recent Star Wars parody video he created, and what that type of creation means to him as a writer. He then shares some comments from recent episodes and a word from this podcast's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Sacha and Mark talk about: Where Sacha's "Rebel Author" brand came from, and how she has always been a bit of a rebel How, the best way to get Sacha to do something is to ask her not to do it The way that being an indie author is a bit rebellious in and of itself The thrill of being a little bit naughty How people are able to connect when you are being more authentic Being on the border of introvert/extrovert and the connection with others that Sacha values from running her podcast The appearance of confidence from the outside, and how the indie author community has allowed Sacha to regain some confidence Being very intentional about wanting to leave her full time job to become a full time writer, and the planning and staging she worked on to get there Sacha's life of being passionate about reading and writing How a character Sacha originally wrote when she was 9 years old became the protagonist in her first novel The randomness in the way that characters Sacha creates come to her The combination of terrible memory and super geek that is part of Sacha's process as a writer How she never intended to write non-fiction, but completely fell in love with it The way that an overnight 100K of hits on a series of blog posts she wrote about villains led to filling a hole in the market and a path of loving writing non-fiction How Sacha's new non-fiction title, The Anatomy of Prose, started off as a labor of love The purposeful branding on the covers of these three non-fiction books for writers and how they incorporate three core values The process of recording the audiobooks herself How Sacha and her wife have negotiated the landscape of raising a six year old and each of them getting their work done Katie Forest's book called Time Management for Writers and what she has to say about times of crisis How the hardest thing for Sacha in terms of her work-life balance is letting go of the parental guilt The challenge of finding books for a young reader whose comprehension for words has surpassed most content meant for people their age The fact that if Sacha is terrified of something she is compelled to jump right in Using made-up swear words After the interview, Marks a few reflections about things the chat with Sacha made him think about. He also shares how listeners can win a signed copy of Sacha's latest book by commenting on this episode. (Opportunity to win ends May 29, 2020 when a random drawing of commenters will take place). He also thanks Patrons of the show and shares that Patrons will be automatically entered in a chance to win a set of Sacha's three books for writers, just by being patrons. The random draw for that will take place at the same time. Links of Interest: Sacha Black's Website Sacha's Podcasts Sacha's Facebook Author Profile Sacha on Instagram Episode 132 - Lauding the Art of Music with Martin Popoff Episode 130 - Grace Under Pressure with Kevin J Anderson Episode 97 - 10 Tips for Marketing and Making Money off Your Short Fiction The Creative Penn - EP 487 - Writing and Selling Short Fiction with Matty Dalrymple Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's Proposal Video (Song "Liz" by Alicia Witt) Spud Wars: A New Helplessness (Parody Movie Trailer) Stuck in this House here with You (Parody Music Video) Sacha Black is an author, rebel podcaster, speaker and developmental editor. She has five obsessions; words, expensive shoes, conspiracy theories, self-improvement, and breaking the rules. Sacha writes books about people with magical powers and other books about the art of writing. When she's not writing, she can be found laughing inappropriately loud, sniffing musty old books, fangirling film and TV soundtracks, or thinking up new ways to break the rules. She lives in Hertfordshire, England, with her wife and genius, giant of a son. 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 interviews Martin Popoff about his latest book ANTHEM: Rush in the 70's as well as a lifetime of passion writing about music. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and some comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Martin and Mark talk about: Martin's introduction to music when he was six or seven years old Turning people into metal-heads when Martin was working at a record store about the age of fifteen How people learned about music and records prior to the internet How Martin's love and passion for music evoled into life of writing about music, which he started to do full time in 2000 Martin's first book, which was a self-published book of a collection of record reviews, which later got picked up by a traditional publisher in 1997 Writing 9 or 10 music books per year The style of music review that Martin prefers to write The importance of talking about and lauding the art of the entire music production when writing a book about musicians and their work The interesting nature of the narrative of the story of a band and the narrative of a band's concept album How Martin values letting the band speak for themselves in the books he writes about them, relying on actual quotes from lengthy interviews, rather than blatantly injecting his own theory into the narrative The different listening experiences of listening to a full album start to finish from a vinyl LP and listening to it in custom single song chunks in a digital era The recent collaborative Canadian multi-location/self-isolation version of "Lean on Me" from Canada Strong Martin's original 2003 Rush biography: Contents Under Pressure which is now out of date and out of print How the desire to write a single comprehensive updated book about Rush resulted in well over 350,000 words and 3 volumes. Anthem: Rush in the 70s. (May 202) Limelight: Rush in the 80s (Oct 2020) Drive: Rush in the 90s (In the End) (Spring 2021) The use of interview footage from Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage Something that surprised Martin in writing these volumes How there is nobody who sounds like Rush and that are, in many ways, their own unique genre in music What a good gate-way Rush song might be for someone who doesn't think their music is accessible Martin's Podcast: History in Five Songs What music Martin listens to when he is writing After the interview, Mark reflects on the volume of publishing Martin has done, which is atypical for a traditionally published author; he also reflects on the dynamic nature of the relationship and flexibility he has with his publisher. Links of Interest: Martin Popoff's Website Martin's Podcast: History in Five Songs Episode 130 - Grace Under Pressure with Kevin J Anderson Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 "thanks for the inspiration" episode, Mark reflects on how Todd Anderson was an important colleague whose influence, mentorship, and leadership resulted in a critical shift in his career. Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a personal update, some comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: The FISH Philosophy of Customer Service Episode 130 - Grace Under Pressure with Kevin J Anderson Mark's Audiobooks (on sale) at Nook The 7 P's of Publishing Success Evasion Campus Chills Anthology Campus Chills Book Launches Espresso Book Machine / On Demand Books Examining Alternative Futures for Publishing Tell Me About The Early Days of Self Publishing Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Thanks for the Inspiration is a type of show that appears from time to time in the regular schedule for this podcast. As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers. Thanks for the Inspiration episodes are an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing. 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 episode Mark interviews author Kevin J. Anderson about dictating his first drafts, about adapting to change in the publishing industry and about writing through personal tragedy, grief, and trauma. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and goes into detail about the challenges he has faced with not being able to focus or write in the past several weeks, falling behind in several writing deadlines. But he talks about how he has continued to be creative, and that creators will always create. He shares a writing warm-up practice he has started again - writing parody lyrics to songs and poetry. He then shares the experience of doing that recently and collaborating with Liz, the opening and closing voice of the podcast, and his fiance. He shares the music video they created on Easter Sunday and how working on that project has reinvigorated his own creative spirit and energy; particularly as a reminder for the fact that the world needs writers, and the smiles this parody song and video have inspired is an example of why writers do what they do. Mark then shares the audio for the song as well as the fact he will be teaching an online class on April 22nd in a series from Jane Friedman. After the song, Mark shares listener comments from recent episodes and then offers a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Kevin talk about: Finally getting around to this interview, as it's something they've been meaning to do for years, and are finally getting to How Kevin has always been a dictator when it comes to his writing, dictating while taking long walks or hikes in the Colorado mountains The fact that Kevin can still do his regular writing during these self-isolation times the same way he always has The importance of trying dictation for more than just a short time, or once or twice, paralleling it to the way writers have learned typing and keyboarding skills Tips for getting started in dictation, such as using dictation for a brainstorming session Keeping so many different book projects that are in different stages (as a hybrid author with multiple traditional and indie-publishing projects on the go) How Kevin's first published novel has much of the RUSH album "Grade Under Pressure" woven into it, and how that book is what ultimately connected Kevin to RUSH drummer and lyricist, Neil Peart The thirty-plus year relationship that Kevin had with Neil Peart and the co-authoring they have done together How the recent Drumbeats project of Kevin and Neil's first collaboration is being re-released in a special limited edition print run Managing writing through times of loss, grief, stress and anxiety How the new Dune film, and the paperback release of one of Kevin's traditionally published books are being affected and delayed by Covid-19 The masters in publishing program that Kevin is teaching for Western Colorado University and the publishing projects that the students are working on for that How Superstars Writing Seminars originated with Kevin, his wife Rebecca Moesta, Brandon Sanderson, David Farland, and Eric Flint getting together to figure out the changes in the publishing industry about twelve years ago And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on how he and Kevin had kept putting off doing this interview for years, and the parallel to how Kevin and Neil had always put the Drumbeats special edition project on the back burner. He talks about other projects and things he'd continued to put off, and what thinking about that inspires. Mark then shares an opportunity for listeners to win one of two copies of Kevin's book. A book for writers (On Being a Dictator) and the special limited edition book (Drumbeats). Commenters and Patrons will be entered in a draw for the prizes which will be done after midnight Eastern time on Friday May 1, 2020. Links of Interest: Kevin J. Anderson's Website WordFire Press Kevin in Twitter Superstars Writing Seminars Steve Otis - Artist Mark's Audiobooks (on sale) at Nook The 7 P's of Publishing Success Evasion Jane Friedman's Online Class: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction Episode 114 - Thanks for the Inspiration, Neil Peart Episode 125 -Simplifying, Streamlining, and Organizing with Janice Savage Episode 128 - Healthy Home Workspaces with Roland Denzel Episode 129 - Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Kevin J. Anderson has published more than 165 books, 56 of which have been national or international bestsellers. He has written numerous novels in the Star Wars, X-Files, and Dune universes, as well as unique steampunk fantasy novels Clockwork Angels and Clockwork Lives, written with legendary rock drummer Neil Peart, based on the concept album by the band Rush. Kevin's original works include the Saga

In this additional "between episodes" addition, Mark shares a Medium article with the following important message. "From one citizen to another, I beg of you: take a deep breath, ignore the deafening noise, and think deeply about what you want to put back into your life. This is our chance to define a new version of normal, a rare and truly sacred (yes, sacred) opportunity to get rid of the bullshit and to only bring back what works for us, what makes our lives richer, what makes our kids happier, what makes us truly proud. We get to Marie Kondo the shit out of it all. We care deeply about one another. That is clear. That can be seen in every supportive Facebook post, in every meal dropped off for a neighbor, in every Zoom birthday party. We are a good people. And as a good people, we want to define — on our own terms — what this country looks like in five, 10, 50 years. This is our chance to do that, the biggest one we have ever gotten. And the best one we'll ever get." The message is from the article "Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting" by Julio Vincent Gambuto. Mark then reflects on the importance of this moment in time and the "reset" that can happen. This episode contains explicit language which may offend some listeners. Links of Interest: Julio's Medium Article Julio Vincent's Website Patreon for Stark Reflections The son of a bus-driver-slash-bread-baker, Julio Vincent ("Julie") grew up in a large Italian family on New York's Staten Island, where aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered often around Mom's seafoam-green formica kitchen table for "cake and coffee" — always an Entenmann's crumb cake — to tell stories, argue about the Mets, and play cards with the neighbors. After seven years on merit scholarship at the prestigious Staten Island Academy, Julie left the borough for Harvard, where he graduated with a BA in English and American Literature and Language, with honors. He completed his training as a film director at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he was honored as an Annenberg Fellow. Julio Vincent recently completed post-production on his first feature film, Team Marco, and is currently developing the feature family comedy, The Julie Stories. In 2017, Julio founded Boro Five, an independent film and television content production company. He serves as Executive Producer of the company's slate. Julio has written and produced film and television content for Nickelodeon, PBS, E! Entertainment, and James Franco's Rabbit Bandini. Learn more below. Julio lives in New York City. 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 episode Mark shares a live chat with Roland Denzel, AKA the Indestructable Author, from April 2, 2020 about Strategies for a Healthy Home Workspace. Roland shares what people can do to maintain health and exercise with limited space and no equipment; fundamentals of creating an ergonomic workspace in your home, and much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a reflection on how he feels Covid-19 is going to become a major tipping point for the way that people consume books and move from print-book puritans to eReading adoptions. He also shares the fact that it's likely the major publishers are going to be forced to finally properly dip their toes into the eBook pool. Mark then shares comments from recent episodes and a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Roland talk about: Roland's background as a writer and health coach and advocate focusing on the nutrition and habit side of things His plans for writing a series and stacking them for a consistent release schedule Taking a "Supercharge your Protagonist" course with H Claire Taylor to help improve his fiction The side-effects of living behind a keyboard for thirty years that include carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuropathy How moving around for as little as 5 minutes every thirty minutes or so can reduce your blood sugar by up to 20% and improve insulin sensitivie by as much as 20% How coffee isn't the big problem that many people say it is, and can be useful because if you drink it, you're likely getting up to go to the washroom more often, and thus moving more The Pomodoro technique which follows 25 / 5 - 25 minutes of work, followed by 5 minutes of a break, or rest How just a little bit of planning can help you maintain better health and productivity Roland's perspective on ergonomics The importance of what Roland calls "the dynamic office" Things people can do to get exercise without equipment, in limited space, or without being able to go to the gym How much people underestimate the value of walking How important it is to make changes from a sedentary lifestyle in small steps or stages In general how the healthier you are, the easier it is to focus Strategies for dealing with anxiety in a limited or shared work space And more... After the interview, Mark shares a few personal updates, including his recent appearance on The Creative Penn and The Indy Author Podcasts, the weekday Draft2Digital Spotlights he has been participating in, and a forthcoming online course he will be teaching in a series from Jane Friedman. Links of Interest: Roland Denzel's Indestructable Author Website Episode 127 - Blaze Ward Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Online Course (via Jane Friedman) - Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction The Creative Penn Podcast - Mark's Appearances Episode 482 Episode 408 Episode 300 Episode 262 Episode 178 Episode 143 The Indy Author Podcast - Mark's Appearances Episode 20 Episode 14 Roland Denzel is a coach, a nutritionist, and a restorative exercise specialist who also happens to be a writer. He has fought off carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy, and plantar fasciitis, all while "keeping his butt in the chair" long enough to work a full-time job and release more than ten books. He coaches authors and other awesome humans about ergonomics, healthy lifestyle, balance, and overcoming physical and mental limitations to be healthier, happier, and more productive. 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 episode, Mark has an in depth conversation with author Blaze Ward. Blaze Ward writes science fiction in multiple universes. He also writes odd bits of high fantasy with swords and orcs. In addition, he is the Editor and Publisher of Boundary Shock Quarterly Magazine and many other magazines and publishing projects. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes. He also announced the winner of the book and workbook for THREE STORY METHOD from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon from a random selection of commenters from Episode 123. In addition, the Patreon winner is also announced. In their conversation Mark and Blaze discuss: When Blaze started to kick into full production schedule for his writing Writing 400,000 words a year while he was employed and working full time, and how he ramped it up to 100,000 words a month, which he has consistently reached for the past two years The daily/weekly schedule that Blaze keeps in order to write 4000 words a day Monday through Saturday The plan for Blaze to write 14 novels and 40 stories in 2020 Mal Cooper, who wrote 40 novels in 2018, and makes Blaze look like a slacker The thrill of "getting to go write" when Blaze wakes up in the morning P Time and L Time (Personal Time and Linear Time) The plans for ensuring that his heirs will continue to benefit from the works that Blaze has written The various different novels in different series' that Blaze has written and is working on Why Blaze isn't playing the "exclusive to Kindle" game in publishing and has chosen to go wide Selling short stories that are not available anywhere else directly on his website How Blaze is using Patron (to provide his $5/month patrons content a full year before it is available to anyone else) Boundary Shock quarterly magazine, which Blaze edits, including the inspiration for creating it and the logisitics of filling each issue of that magazine and others with content using a syndicate of fifteen other writers The different newsletters that Blaze sends out Some of the financial changes that Blaze and his wife Leah (also an author), have recently made regarding translations and travel to writer conferences And more... After the conversation, Mark reflects on comparisonitis and discipline. This episode was sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast who support this show and gain access to additional content over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Links of Interest: Blaze Ward's Website Episode 126 - Thanks for the Laughs and Inspiration Episode 125 - Simplifying, Streamlining and Organizing with Janice Savage Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Patreon for Stark Reflections 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

Thanks for the Inspiration is a type of show that appears from time to time in the regular schedule for this podcast. As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers. Thanks for the Inspiration episodes are an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing. In this bonus episode of the podcast, Mark thanks the creative spirits who have produced musical parodies about Covid-19 and the current global situation. Because laughter is important. Yes, these are dark times, but laughter is important. It connects people. And laughter has been shown to actually stimulate positive activity in a person's immune system. I know we're all scared, we're uncertain, we aren't sure what's coming, for us, and for those we know and love. Things seem to be spinning out of control. But we can always control where we focus and how we respond. I choose love, compassion, and humor. And I choose to thank all of these amazing creative people who took the time to spread their own passion, through humor, to help others find smiles and laughs in these trying times. Mark introduces the following musical parodies in this order: Covid-19 - The Taylor's - Parody of "Come On, Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners. JJ Mason Taylor (The Taylor Family) YouTube Video My Corona - Parody of "My Sharona by The Knack Kevin Brandow Lyrics by Chelsea Brandow YouTube Video Quarantine - Parody of "Let It Be" by The Beatles Joe Cron YouTube Video Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (with new lyrics!) Parody of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke from the movie Mary Poppins Daniel Matarazzo You Tube Video One Week of COVID 19 - Parody of "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies Pepper Coyote Adapted original lyrics by @daniAwesome YouTube Video My Corona Home - Parody of "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys from the movie Cocktail Jon Pumper YouTube Video Coronavirus Rhapsody - Parody of "Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen Adrian Grimes Lyrics by Dana Jay Bein YouTube Video Mark then closes out the show with a thanks to all of the first responders and medical and health professionals on the front lines as well as essential services personnel who continue to risk their own safety and welfare for the good of society. And he again thanks the creative folks who wrote, performed, and shared these songs (and so many others not included here) to help inspire smiles and laughter in others during these trying times. This episode was sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast who support this show and gain access to additional content over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. 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 episode, Mark interviews Janice Savage, Savvy Concierge about strategies that enable work-life balance which translates into more personal time and less stress. Prior to the interview, Mark reads a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. He then reads comments from recent episodes, reminding listeners they still have a chance to win a copy of THREE STORY METHOD and the accompanying workbook from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon by commenting on Episode 123 before the end of March 2020. He also shares a brief personal update that includes the adaptation of the Career Author Summit in Nashville in May (where Mark is a featured speaker) to a virtual event, as well as being a guest on the Rebel Author Podcast with Sacha Black. In their conversation, Mark and Janice talk about: How Janice loves being in a position to do something to help other people, which organically grew into her business How Janice pays attention and listens to both what people say, as well as the things that people don't say, as part of her process of helping them The value of being invited into the personal workspace of the people that Janice works with The importance of, before looking at someone's space, you take a look at their values What "clutter" does to us (makes us stressed, takes away our focus) - space, mind, physical clutter How having clutter in our minds and physically, it takes away from the creative process Examining a workspace for all of the things that can cause distraction The importance of making a specific system that works for you, your preferences, your goals, your work space How routine and the right habits build success The complimentary consult that Janice offers her potential clients How small changes can make a huge impact The importance of having an accountability partner The value of SNAP (The "Sunday Night Plan") - which is a written-down plan for the forthcoming week Ideas for managing an email inbox without getting stressed or overwhelmed And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of building up solid habits or an impactful routine. Links of Interest: Janice's Website - Savvy Concierge Findaway Voices Library Promotion Opportunity (Expires after March 29, 2020) Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Episode 124 - Lindsay Flanagan on Working with an Editor The Rebel Author Podcast - Episode 21 - How to Get Your Book Into Libraries Patreon for Stark Reflections Janice Savage, founder of Savvy Concierge, is a Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Manager. She alleviates the stress and that feeling of being overwhelmed that her busy clientele experience. Janice has taken the strategies and tips she developed first by raising four kids and then by working one-on-one with her clientele to introduce Savvy Principles to Simplify Your Life. She has recently segued into speaking opportunities, educational presentations and conducting workshops where she shares her expertise with larger audiences. By empowering the audience to attain their goals through an organized and decluttered personal and professional life she is spreading her message – Simplify Your Life. The 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 episode, Mark interviews Lindsay Flanagan, an editor that he had the privilege of working with. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a public service announcement from CDC regarding Covid-19, a number of comments from previous episodes, a new Patron (Katie), and injects a bit of a personal writing update in with those comments. Mark also reminds listeners of their chance to win a copy of THREE STORY METHOD from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon by commenting on Episode 123 before the end of March 2020. He then shares a tip from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Lindsay and Mark talk about: How Lindsay had always been into writing, studying English Language and Literature, how her career took her away from that, and her eventual return back to the world of writing and editing The role-flip that Lindsay and her husband took about who the main bread-winner would be, and who would do more freelance-style work How Lindsay had been impressed by the professionalism and style of Angela Eschler of Eschler Editing How Lindsay's choice, in editing, always comes back to story and to language The one day a week that Lindsay keeps aside for her personal writing projects A high level review of the different types of editing, such as substantive/developmental, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading How Mark and Lindsay professionally met as writer and editor The things that Lindsay looks for in a writer client and what writers should look for when sourcing an editor The style and genres of fiction that Lindsay prefers to work on when editing How some clients at Eschler Editing are authors who want to ensure their work is polished professionally before they submit it to the traditional publisher market, while others are indie-published authors who want a professional edit before they self-publish the book How two different 80,000 word manuscripts might be given two different cost estimates depending on the shape the manuscript is in when it is turned in, which is why an edit can cost anywhere from $300 to $2000 The important that a writer always gets a sample edit from an editor that they are considering working with Why a professional edit is so important The way that an editor can help a writer understand differing changes in the marketplace for trends within specific genres Some of the most common mistakes that writers often make in their writing That all too important question an editor often asks: "But what is this doing to move your story move forward or your character to grow?" Some of the free resources available for writers at EscherEditing.com And more . . . After the interview, Mark shares his reflections on the importance of working with an editor who is properly aligned to your specifc writing and genre, in the same way that a writer needs to be thinking about their very specific target audience prior to working on marketing their book. Links of Interest: Eschler Editing Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Lindsay Flanagan (Twitter) Angela Eschler (LinkedIn) Findaway Voices Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains Patreon for Stark Reflections Lindsay Flanagan is a freelance writer and editor, who, after earning a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing, left her career of over a decade to pursue her dream job in the publishing world. She joined the Eschler Editing team in 2014 as an editor and project manager. She also edits for Immortal Works and Champagne Book Group. Because she's a glutton for knowledge, she's also interning with Corvisiero Literary Agency. Angela Eschler, founder of the award-winning Eschler Editing and manager of the boutique publisher Scrivener Books, has more than twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, including nearly a decade working in-house at traditional publishers. She now works as a freelance editor and industry coach for authors, editors, publishers, and other organizations and has edited over a thousand manuscripts from diverse genres. A published author herself, Angela's work has been featured on television, radio, and in documentary film. The E. Team is comprised of highly skilled writers, editors, designers and publishing and promotion professionals that hail from diverse segments of the publishing industry. They've amassed advanced degrees in literature or writing, been published, received distinguished awards, and worked additionally in related industry fields as librarians, reporters, or writing professors. Most importantly, as vetted genre experts, they know what it takes to make it in publishing. So no matter if you want to self-pub or get an agent, we'll help you learn to stand out, be discovered, and make a bigger impact. Why? Because filling the world with powerful books is vital. Writers are important; they'v

Storytelling doesn't have to be complicated. In this episode, Mark chats with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon about their new book THREE STORY METHOD which proves that storytelling can be straightforward. Bohannon and Thorn are successful co-authors, are the minds behind the Authors on a Train, Vampires of New Orleans, Sci-Fi Seattle, Night of the Writing Dead and Cleveland Rock Apocalypse writing retreats. They also launched their Career Author podcast in January 2018, the same week that the Stark Reflections Podcast was launched. Prior to the interview, Mark waxes poetic about the previous times J. and Zach were on the podcast, including episode 74, where Mark had shared details about how he had proposed to his girlfriend Liz on the 50th birthday during an Alicia Witt concert, with a song Alicia wrote for him to use for the occasion. He also shares a short clip from the chorus of the song. Mark then talks about working on getting a representative from Google Play Books to come on in a future episode, and reminds writers that it's easier than ever to create a direct Google Play account for publishing: New publishers can visit g.co/play/publish and create an account in just a few easy steps There's no longer an invite code or waiting period when setting up a new publisher account Mark also shares a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark, J., and Zach talk about: The origin of Three Story Method and how the process for it was developed over the course of publishing a dozen books together The importance of a having a process that can be used in a similar way for multiple different projects How the book is meant for getting from an idea to a first draft of a manuscript and should be all that a writer needs. There's no up-selling or courses associated with it The accompanying workbook that can either be downloaded for free or purchased for the lowest price they could set on Amazon for it Ongoing dedication to learning, and re-learning, and continuing to refine the craft of writing The importance of starting off with a good book before you even begin or consider heavy marketing The value of the community that comes from running a weekly podcast Why they value tight-knit, intimate groups when it comes to hosting author gatherings The experience of brainstorming a universe for an anthology in a room full of engaged authors J.'s ways and Zach's hacks (a bit they do on their own podcast) ....and more.... After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of life-long learning of both the business and the craft of writing. He then shares how listeners have until the end of day March 31, 2020 to leave a comment on the show notes for Episode 123 at www.starkreflections.ca for a chance to win a free copy of Three Story Method and the accompanying workshop, courtesy of J. and Zach. Mark asks that commenters leave either a "Way" or a "Hack" that they've found useful for either the business or the craft of writing (in honour of the J.'s Ways and Zach's Hacks bit that the two regularly do on their own podcast. Mark also mentions that Patrons who support this podcast over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections are all automatically entered into a drawn to win the same prize. $1 / month patrons will be entered in for one chance. $3 /month patrons will be entered in twice. $5 / month patrons will be entered in 3 times. Links of Interest: The Career Author Podcast Three Story Method Findaway Voices Episode 116 - Taking the Short Tack with Matty Dalrymple Episode 21 - Real World Connections in a Digital World with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Episode 74 - Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future of Publishing (with J, Zach, Mark, Jim Kukral and T.W. Piperbrook) Alicia Witt Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 episode Mark interviews Evan Gow, founder of StoryOrigin, about the platform and the many tools and offerings it has for authors. Prior to the interview, Mark shares the two winners of the book TAKING THE SHORT TACK: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction written by Mark and Matty Dalrymple. One winner was randomly selected from those who left comments on Episode 116, and the other was select from among the patrons of the podcast. Mark then shares a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. He then shares a personal update that includes writing projects, revised book covers, and the cancellation of the London Book Fair. In their conversation, Evan and Mark discuss: The origin of StoryOrigin, which started in high school and then a college entrepreneur program called "Three Day Startup" in Austin, Texas How Evan determined the different needs and desires of indie authors in order to build his suite of what StoryOrigin offers them The confusing term "newsletter swap" and an explanation of what one actually is The transparency that is available for authors who are wanting to collaborate on newsletter swaps or group promotions The strategy for beginning authors to start by creating a reader magnet, and what a reader magnet might be - Using StoryOrigin for distribution of promo codes from Audible US, UK and Findaway Voices The ability to make an informed decision regarding potential reviewers who are requesting codes to review your book after receiving a free download code Some of the things authors were quick to adopt that Evan was surprised by The goal-tracking tools within StoryOrigin The open and free beta that StoryOrigin is currently in, as well as the transparent plans Evan has for charging authors for these tools After the interview, Mark reflects on a couple of things that Evan had mentioned in the interview. Links of Interest: StoryOrigin Findaway Voices Episode 116 - Taking the Short Tack with Matty Dalrymple Patreon for Stark Reflections Evan Gow is the indie developer of StoryOrigin, a marketing tool and community of authors that work together to build their mailing lists, increase sales, find reviewers, and stay on top of deadlines. The 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 episode Mark interviews Sir John Hargrave, the author of MIND HACKING, SIR JOHN HARGRAVE'S MISCHIEF MAKER'S MANUAL and the bestselling book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE. Prior to the interview, Mark discusses listener comments from recent episodes and also shares a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark offers a personal update in which he shares a writing tip gleaned from Dean Wesley Smith at the recent WMG Publishing anthology workshop in Vegas that Mark had been speaking at earlier in the week. He also shares the result of this year's PLR Program (Public Lending Right Program) check. In their discussion John and Mark chat about: The origin (which was a prank) where the name Sir John Hargrave came from The concept of reinventing yourself and how John went from being a human author to a geeky self-help author, to discussing rebuilding the global economy The common threads that move through all of John's books The many mini careers that people tend to have in today's day and age that draw upon the same core skills. In John's case they are humor and technology How BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYBODY is about the reinvention of the self as an accessible book with humor What blockchain is and how John got into the technology The interesting origin of Bitcoin and the mystery of the creator who has vanished The concept of "one world money" How John had to write the book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE twice The great promotional opportunity that John had for the book Finding the strength to go on when things are dark, and how you successfully respond to challenges How John had done his own audiobook using a professional recording studio that his son created in their home The new book BLOCKCHAIN SUCCESS STORIES that John is co-authoring for O'Reilly And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on something John mentioned in the interview regarding persistence and personal growth in the face of adversity, and reads from two poems that he feels address the sentiment: "If" by Rudyard Kipling and "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. Links of Interest: Sir John Hargrave's Website Media Shower Blockchain for Everyone WMG Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver The Sixth Sense Strangers to Superfans by David Gaughran Public Lending Right Program PLR International PLR Program Canada PLR Video (1:34) More detailed PLR Video (7:04) Patreon for Stark Reflections Sir John Hargrave is author of MIND HACKING, SIR JOHN HARGRAVE'S MISCHIEF MAKER'S MANUAL and the bestselling book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE. He is also the CEO of Media Shower, his company publishes the blockchain investor website, Bitcoin Market Journal which reaches 100,000 blockchain investors monthly. He is a frequent speaker, lecturer, and was a hoot to interview. The 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 episode, Mark has a chat with Leah Cutter who writes page-turning, wildly imaginative fiction set in exotic locations, such as a magical New Orleans, the ancient Orient, rural Kentucky, Seattle, Minneapolis, and many others. Prior to the main episode content, Mark shares a quick personal update that includes details related to his writing income for 2019. 2019 Writing Income 64.97% Self Published 15.03% Traditional Publishing 20.00% Mixed Self and Trad He also shares a word about this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their discussion Leah and Mark discuss: Leah's choice of doing the interview and some writing at a local coffee shop How Leah does the majority of her writing during the week in the tiny house she lives and works in during the week Leah's 8 year old document that stated that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer The way that Leah only writes on one specific project at a time (despite writing broadly in multiple genres) How each new project she works on must pass "the giggle test" and how she can't write something that she's not truly excited about Leah's writer tagline as "Writer/Traveler" How many projects Leah publishers in a given year The decision Leah made to publish something new once a month every month for the past three years How Leah knows if a project is going to be a story, a novella, or a novel The fact that Leah has a seperate writing computer and a separate writing desk in her tiny house where she divides up the different types of work The "Business for Breakfast" books that Leah has published The strategy of publishing to the 30 day Amazon pulse while still publishing wide to other platforms The two flavors of newsletters that Leah produces based on things she learned from Tammi Lebreque's Newsletter Ninja course ...and more... After the interview, Mark reflects on Leah'a positive attitude, her passion, and the dual newsletters that she produces each month for her followers. Links of Interest: Leah Cutter's Website WMG Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 episode Mark shares a few tidbits from the 2020 Superstars Writing Seminars conference held in early February in Colorado Springs. Prior to the main episode content, he shares a personal update about his writing (or lack thereof) as well as a few comments from listeners from previous episodes. Just before the main topic, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In this episode, Mark discusses things that were mentioned by the following instructors/attendees of the conference during various presentations and panels. Nick Thacker Michael Anderle Brian Meeks Tara Cremin Kevin Ikenberry Rebecca Moesta James A. Owen Kevin J. Anderson Mark mentions that this is just the tip of the iceberg of the amazing content that was packed into several days for this conference. He closes by reflecting upon the Rush lyrics that opened out the episode, explaining the way Kevin Anderson had been using them to inspire writers, and what the lyrics meant to mark in the writer context. Mark closes by offering an ambassador code that people can use to get $100 off registration of Superstars Writing Seminars 2021. (MARK9776). Links of Interest: Episode 118 - Wish I'd Known Then with Jami Albright and Sara Rosett Wish I'd Known for Writers (Podcast Website) Episode 116 - Taking the Short Tack with Matty Dalrymple Adam Croft's Online Mini Courses (Affiliate Link) (Be sure to use "STARK" coupon code to save 50%) Superstars Writing Seminars Special link to get $100 off registration for 2021 Amazing Monster Tales: Monster Road Trip A Canadian Werewolf in New York This Time Around (Free Short Story) Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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

This episode features a conversation with Jami Albright and Sara Rosett. Jami is the multiple award-winning author of the Brides on the Run series–a fun, sexy, snarky, laugh-out-loud good time. USA Today and Audible bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries with atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunit. The two are the best of friends, and Mark talks with them about their writing, their friendship, and their new podcast Wish I'd Known Then for Writers. Prior to the interview, Mark shares an audiobook marketing tip from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark then shares a personal update, which includes: Flying to Colorado Springs for the 2020 Superstars Writing Seminars where he is a returning guest instructor The release (on Feb 4th) of TAKING THE SHORT TACK (a book on how writers can leverage short fiction for marketing and revenue), which he co-authored with Matty Dalrymple He then announces the winners of two different prizes that were randomly drawn from listeners who left comments on two previous episodes as well as patrons of the show who support the podcast over at http://patreon.com/starkreflections. During their conversation, Jami, Sara, and Mark discuss: How they first got into writing, and their unique entrances and pathways into the writing world, as well as the unique genres they write in The runaway bride trope/theme in romantic comedy and the potential double standard of runaway groom not being as popular The cozy mystery genre and the way certain readers have specific preferences for how a series is structured What it would take for either of them to say "yes" to a traditional publishing contract Why a traditional publisher wouldn't be able to afford an advance for what Jami makes in a money off of her indie eBook sales How Sara ended up with POD print titles in a bookstore and how she managed returns with a returnable status for the US and Canada only and non-returnable for the rest of world How Sara and Jami first met at the Smarter Artist Conference in Austin, TX and learned that they both lived in Austin about ten minutes away from one another The ongoing "ladies that lunch" they participate in, often with other local writers The importance of having other writer friends Why they both enjoy attending writer gatherings and writer conferences The origin of the new podcast that Jami and Sara started called Wish I'd Known Then for Writers What they each wish they'd know then, before they got into writing After the interview, Mark reflects on something Sara mentioned about changes in the industry. Be warned, attentive listener, because Mark uses that as an excuse to quote Rush lyrics. ;) Links of Interest: Jami Albright's Website Sarah Rosett's Website Wish I'd Known for Writers (Podcast Website) Episode 115 - Embracing the Indie Author Mindset with Adam Croft Adam Croft's Online Mini Courses (Affiliate Link) (Be sure to use "STARK" coupon code to save 50%) Superstars Writing Seminars Findaway Voices Chirp Deals Tips Article NPR Podast: How I Built This with Guy Raz NINC Conference 20BooksVegas Patreon for Stark Reflections Jami Albright is a born and raised Texas girl and is the multiple award-winning author of The Brides on the Run series--a fun, sexy, snarky, laugh-out-loud good time. If you don't snort with laughter, then she hasn't done her job. USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits. Sara loves all things bookish, considers dark chocolate a daily requirement The 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 has a conversation with Kerrie Flanagan and Chuck Harrelson who are collaborating yet again under the author name C.G. Harris, and their mutual collaboration with audiobook narrator MacLeod Andrews. They discuss the book The Nine, which is the first book in The Judas Files series, which is narrated by MacLeod, a multi-award-winning narrator. Prior to the conversation, Mark shares a few personal updates, which include: Heading to Colorado to attend Superstars Writing Seminars as a guest instructor the first week of February A forthcoming two hour keynote he has been booked into for the spring A virtual talk he'll be doing at one conference in Alberta while he is attending another conference in Colorado Mark then shares a word from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In the interview, Mark, Kerrie, Chuck and MacLeod talk about: The origin of Kerrie and Chuck starting to write together, originally for a romantic comedy series of three books under the name C.K. Wiles Where the name C.G. Harris came from (as well as Mark's continued mispronunciation of C.G. Harris as "C.J. Harris" and his feeble excuse that that's the way Canadians pronounce it) MacLeod's background as an actor and how he got involved in recording audiobooks, which he had never thought of as a possible career path The 12 books that MacLeod had done with Brilliance audio and how that turned into a full time profession, allowing him to leave cater waitering The decision to do this collaboration with Findaway Voices, and how this project was the first one MacLeod had done in a more independent fashion The full service studio in Los Angeles that MacLeod used to record THE NINE How this series was something that Kerrie and Chuck wanted to be similar to or appeal to fans of Jim Butcher's "The Dresden Files" The decision to reach out to MacLeod to see if he would be interested in narrating THE NINE How the collaboration between writers and narrator began and progressed, and the way that Kerrie and Chuck enjoyed the playful experimentation that MacLeod did on this project and also fully trusted him How the Voices Share royalty splitting option worked for them via Findaway Voices What THE NINE is all about and the plans for the 12 books in The Judas Files series The way that comedy plays a role in a dark novel such as this one The desire to do a simultaneous release of the print, eBook and audiobook for Book 2 in the series in August 2020 The plans for the next two books in the series coming relatively quickly after that (November and December) After the conversation, Mark talks about how Chuck was a fan of MacLeod's previous audiobooks and had the idea to ask if he would be interested in working with them. He reflects on the importance of asking. Links of Interest: C.G. Harris (Website) Kerrie Flanagan (Website) MacLeod Andrews (Website) MacLeod on Twitter Episode 115 - Embracing the Indie Author Mindset with Adam Croft Adam Croft's Online Mini Courses (Affiliate Link) (Be sure to use "STARK" coupon code to save 50%) Superstars Writing Seminars Liberty State Fiction Writers Conference Wordbridge Conference Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections C.G. Harris is an award winning science-fiction and fantasy author from Colorado who draws inspiration from favorites, Jim Butcher, Richard Kadrey and Brandon Sanderson. For nearly a decade, Harris has escaped the humdrum of the real world by creating fictional characters and made-up realities. When not writing, Harris enjoys sipping scotch while watching the twisted humor of Drunk History. Seeing our past through the bottom of a whisky glass is more entertaining than reading a dusty textbook. C.G. Harris is the pen name and combined persona created by authors, Chuck Harrelson and Kerrie Flanagan. Together they have published, The Judas Files, a gritty urban fantasy series and The Rax, an apocalyptic science fiction series. MacLeod Andrews is a multiple Audie, Earphone, and SOVAS award winning audiobook narrator, as well as an award winning film actor and producer. He's perhaps most recognized in audio for narrating the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey and The Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson. His films They Look Like People and The Siren have played festivals all around the world and are available for streaming on major platforms domestically and abroad. He has a cat named Luna, a well known affinity for chocolate chip cookies, and rations his social media fix to twitter. Chuck Harrelson spent almost thirty years as a fire fighter, mostly for Space Command in the Department of defense. He has amassed a wealth of knowledge over the years as he not only excelled in his job but also spent his off time honing his craft as a successful science fiction and fantasy author. He is now retired and writes full time, publishing his novels with writing

Mark has a conversation with Matty Dalrymple about her new collaborative book project. Matty is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers and the Ann Kinear Suspense Novels. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group. She lives with her husband Wade and their three loveable puppies in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is the setting for two of her Lizzy Ballard Thrillers. Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes and reminds listeners of the chance to win prizes for leaving comments on recent episodes thanks to his amazing patrons. Then he shares a word from this episode's corporate sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Matty talk about: How and why they both got into writing short fiction Their experiences with collaboration (which includes Matty admitting she never thought she would collaborate with another author, at least not for a fiction project How they connected and the way that their new book project came about After several minutes about teasing the mention, Matty and Mark reveal the name of their new book, coming Feb 2020: Taking the Short Tack: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction The origin of the imprint for the book "William Kingsfield Publishers" Mark's consistent DIY approach to publishing, which started when working at his high school newspaper The importance of actually asking for something when you have an idea (ie, in the case of an idea for a book and a collaboration) The way that they collaborated and the tools they used along the way The discipline and organization that Matty brought into Mark's work process for this project The process of the writing of the book and the back-and-forth communication of the changes, and how they smoothed the differences in writing style The possibility of future collaborations now that they have learned one another's styles The origin of the title and the references to sailing inherent in the term "the short tack" The importance of focusing on building relationships rather than just selling a book Who the book is for, and how it can be used by authors in different ways The importance of a contract for two authors who are collaborating Why they decided to publish the book through Draft2Digital via a beta program that allows for payment splitting The great learning experience that this project was for both Matty and Mark After the conversation Mark reflects on one of the nautical concepts that Matty referenced and how it relates to authors. Links of Interest: Matty Dalrymple The Indy Author Taking the Short Tack Adam Croft's Online Mini Courses (Affiliate Link) (Be sure to use "STARK" coupon code to save 50%) Episode 113 - Productivity for Authors: A Panel Discussion Episode 114 - Thanks for the Inspiration Neil Peart Episode 115 - Embracing the Indie Author Mindset with Adam Croft Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers Rock Paper Scissors, Snakes and Ladders, and The Iron Ring; the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels The Sense of Death and The Sense of Reckoning; and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes and Write in Water. Matty lives with her husband, Wade Walton, their two Labrador Retrievers (Juno and Sophie), and their terrier (Griffin) in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is the setting for much of the action in The Sense of Death and Rock Paper Scissors. They enjoy vacationing on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, where The Sense of Reckoning and Close These Eyes take place, and Sedona, Arizona, the setting for much of Snakes and Ladders​ and The Iron Ring. Matty is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group. The 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 episode Mark interviews Adam Croft and talks about the important and significant change in Adam's mindset that allowed him to become a successful best-selling author. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a marketing/release strategy tip from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark then shares and talks about some of the comments from Episode 113 and reminds listeners of the chance to win a copy of Joanna Penn's PRODUCTIVITY FOR AUTHORS by commenting on that episode show notes at www.starkreflections.ca by Jan 31, 2020. Within that comment talk, he shares a short clip from a podcast he had started in 2006 (and then abandoned in 2011 after only 18 episodes) called Prelude to a Scream. In their conversation, Mark and Adam talk about: How long it took to plan out the interview (based on both Mark and Adam being disorganized) The beginning of Adam's journey into writing - from school and then 2008 when he wrote his first book and 2010, the early days of digital publishing Adam's first book TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT, and the planning of the 10th book in that series How Adam spent 5 years floundering about and not really sure what he was doing in the early days The recognition of how his writing itself was a small business, and not a hobby - and how that led to an important and significant change The importance of changing his way of thinking, and bringing the business mindset into his writing The value of taking courses and learning, such as Mark Dawson's Facebook Ads for Authors course How a stand-alone book (instead of a series) was the first big breakaway for Adam, because of the dramatic and attention-grabbing/marketing hook: "Could you murder your wife to save your daughter?" (This was HER LAST TOMORROW) Questions, and how they need to be psychologically answered, as a log-line/hook for getting a potential reader's attention The tag line for TELL ME I'M WRONG: "What if you discovered your husband was a serial killer?" Adam's translated novels in Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, Italian, and Korean The comparison between sending Adam's son to pre-school and the releasing of a novel (regularly considered an author's "baby") out into the world Trying not to have an emotional attachment to any novel, but consider it as a commercial/business enterprise The "imposter syndrome" that continues to plague Adam with each new novel release The two or three "life changing" books Adam has released that did blockbuster sales numbers, and the many other books which have done well, but weren't nearly as remarkable - and the candid nature he has always shared that How Adam deals with the ins and outs and highs and lows of the waves of sales trends in publishing The importance of preparing for the long term, which is an important element in the indie author mindset The value of "evergreen" and a solid residual revenue - The partnership with Kobo to have a few of his books translated into Dutch (for the Netherlands market with Kobo's partner BOL.com) The courses Adam runs as well as the Indie Author Mindset Facebook group Why Adam has created simple and short courses, but why he isn't interested in creating any sort of "super" course The more organic long term approach that Adam has taken with his writing business Understanding the multiple paths to success and how different roads work best for different authors The way that Adam balances his writing, his family, and helping other writers After the interview, Mark reflects on something Adam said: "No book is going to sell a negative amount of copies." Of course, Mark manages to work in a reference to Monty Python during that reflection. Then he shares a coupon code listeners can use to get 50% off of any of Adam's courses, as well as a giveaway. (Use the code "STARK" at checkout to save 50% off any of Adam's online mini-courses) Mark then shares the opportunity for listeners of the podcast to win a generous giveaway from Adam for his course on Productivity for Writers. ----> Adam is offering one lucky listener a chance to win a free course. All patrons of the podcast will automatically be entered in a chance to win. And anyone who comments on this episode at starkreflections.ca by the end of day Jan 31, 2020 will also be entered into that random draw. Patrons at the $1 per month level, will get 1 entry Patrons at the $3 per month level will get 2 entries Patrons at the $5 per month level will get 3 entries Patrons that comment will get an additional entry. All entries will be assigned a number and a random number generation will pick the winter. I'll announce the winner in a forhtcoming episode. Links of Interest: Adam Croft Website (Author) Adam Croft Indie Author Mindset Website Adam's Online Mini Courses (Affiliate Link) (Be sure to use "STARK" coupon code to save 50%) Episode 113 - Productivity for Authors: A Panel Di

Thanks for the Inspiration is a type of show that appears from time to time in the regular schedule for this podcast. As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers. Thanks for the Inspiration episodes are an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing. In this particular episode, Mark thanks Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist for RUSH and writer, for the way his work has repeatedly inspired him over the decades. This episode is sponsored by the Patrons of the Stark Reflections Podcast via patreon.com/starkreflections In his reflective thanks, Mark shares the influence that Neil Peart has had on his writing and talks about: How his buddy Pete got him into RUSH with the album Grace Under Pressure How RUSH lyrics have long been a significant part of his life (and, sometimes to the annoyance of friends), part of everyday conversation. "There is a RUSH lyric for that!" A column Mark wrote for a high school newspaper that was entitled QUOTH, which were articles inspired by lyrics written by Neil Peart Mark's friends with Kevin J. Anderson, and how the two bonded over their mutual love of RUSH and craft beer Re-publishing the co-authored story "Drumbeats" by Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart. Once in Tesseracts Sixteen, and forthcoming in an issue of Pulphouse Magazine Writing a story inspired by the song "Losing It" which Anderson published as editor in the RUSH-themed anthology 2113 Re-publishing the aforementioned story "Some Are Born to Save the World" in NOBODY'S HERO. Peart's desire for privacy and not being treated as separate from the rest of society or in any celebrity manner Memories of sharing RUSH with the people that he loves How Peart's music, lyrics, and writing has inspired Mark in multiple ways over the years and the way that has been infused into his own creative pursuits And more.... Links of Interest: RUSH Neil Peart (Wikipedia) Neil's Website Bubba's Bar N Grill Levack Ontario (Onaping Falls, ON) Mark's Blog Post about Neil: There's Somethings Here As Strong As Life Nobody's Hero (Story Collection) 2113: Stories Inspired by the Music of RUSH Galaxia (includes the short story "Grace Under Pressure) Episode 94 - Thanks for the Inspiration: Laurie Blake Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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

This episode features a live webinar panel discussion that Mark moderated with authors: M Jane Colette Tracy Cooper-Posey Andrea Pearson Talena Winters ...who have all mastered productivity in different ways. As Mark attempts to learn more about how to be a productive author, he asks questions and solicits tips from these masters. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Prior to the panel discussion on productivity, Mark shares a recent comment as well as a brief personal update. In the discussion, the following questions and more get discussed: Why is productivity important? Is it important for someone to be productive? How do you measure productivity? How do you figure out the best time of day that works for you to be productive? What tools are effective in helping with your productivity? How do you find time to write when you have conflicting priorities, such as a day job or a busy/demanding family life? After the conversation, Mark asks listeners to share their own reflections on what they learned, or perhaps their own unique tip on productivity. All listeners who comment on the episode show notes over at starkreflections.ca for Episode 113 will be entered into a chance to win either a hardcover or paperback (their choice) copy of Joanna Penn's Productivity for Authors. Links of Interest: YouTube video of the panel discussion M Jane Colette Instagram Tracy Cooper-Posey Productive Indie Fiction Writer Andrea Pearson 6 Figure Authors Podcast Self Publish Strong Talena Winters Instagram Twitter Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections M Jane Colette writes tragedy for people who like to laugh, comedy for the melancholy, and erotica for men and women who like their fantasies real. She believes rules and hearts were made to be broken; ditto the constraints of genres. The result? "A whole new sub-genre of her own… social realist erotica that's frenetic and complex and funny and very well observed." Tracy Cooper-Posey is a #1 Best Selling Author. She writes romantic suspense, historical, paranormal and science fiction romance. She has published over 100 novels since 1999, been nominated for five CAPAs including Favourite Author, and won the Emma Darcy Award. Andrea Pearson - Andrea is the author of many full-length novels (the Kilenya Chronicles, Mosaic Chronicles, and Koven Chronicles), and several novellas. Writing is the chocolate of her life - it is, in fact, the only thing she ever craves. Being with her husband and kids, family, and close friends is where she's happiest, and she loves thunderstorms, the ocean, hiking, public speaking, painting, and traveling. Talena Winters writes page-turning fiction for teens and adults in multiple genres including young adult, urban fantasy, romantic suspense, and women's fiction. She loves travel, music, whole food, sewing, knitting, reading, and chocolate. She is addicted to tea and silver linings. She would love to be a mermaid when she grows up. The 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 takes a look at his 2019 goals compared with his accomplishments for the year and also shares the %'s of his eBook, audio, and print sales for his indie published books in 2019. Prior to the main content, Mark shares some recent comments and emails received. He also talks about a forthcoming live webinar he will be hosting featuring: M Jane Colette, Tracy Cooper-Posey, Andrea Pearson, and Talena Winters talking about productivity for 2020 (On Monday Jan 6, 2020). This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark thanks Lindsay Buroker for joining the team of Patrons supporting the show over at Patreon.com/starkreflections. In the main content, Mark reviews his 2019 goals and discusses the fact that he only achieved one of those items on his list. He then looks at the things he DID accomplish in 2019 that weren't on the initial list. And he follows that with outlining 16 goals he has set for 2020. He then looks into the breakdown of his sales % from his indie publishing income for 2019 broken down by format: eBook, print, audio. He then breaks each format down by source, exploring where his income earnings came from. Links of Interest: Jan 6, 2020 Webinar on Productivity The 7 P's of Publishing Success Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 episode, Mark shares the chapter on Progression from his book The 7 P's of Publishing Success. The introduction is very brief because, as Mark explains, he has been hit hard with a nasty flu virus. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: The 7 P's of Publishing Success Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 episode Mark shares an interview that was conducted in the Draft2Digital offices for a Facebook Live video where Dan Wood interviewed Mark about his new book An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores. This episode is sponsored by the Patrons of this podcast, who support it over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections Links of Interest: An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 episode, Mark talks about the importance of attending events and conference outside one's own area. In this case, since Mark normally attends conferences about writing and publishing, he extols the value he reaped from attending CAPS Convention 2019. CAPS is short for Canadian Association of Professional Speakers. Prior to the episode, Mark shares a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. For his personal update, Mark shares details about the release of his new book AN AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO WORKING WITH LIBRARIES AND BOOKSTORES as well as comments on Twitter. The twelve takeaways that Mark shares include quotes from the following CAPS CONVENTION 2019 speakers. Donald Cooper Mimi Brown George Saunders David Arvin Gair Maxwell Ben Moorsom Kelly Swanson Lisa "Longball" Vlooswyk Clay Hebert Links of Interest: CAPS - Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Findaway Voices Blog Post by Karen WIlliams An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores NaNoWriMo Episode 105 - Location Based Storytelling with VoiceMap Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections

Mark interviews Talena Winters about her multi-genre fiction, and the numerous other creative tasks and entrepreneurial endeavors she is involved in. Prior to the interview, Mark plays an audiobook marketing tip from an interview with Will Dages in place of the regular Ad read for this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark then shares a few comments and tweets and then a personal update which includes: Completing NaNoWriMo while clocking in over 60,000 words An article featuring Mark entitled "Mark Leslie Lefebvre" Finds His Voice" His guest spot on the 6 Figure Authors podcast The completion and pre-order push of his new book An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores In their conversation, Mark and Talena talk about: The multiple creative pursuits that Talena is engaged in, and how she defines herself Talena's background as a musician and the creative evolution of her upbringing that eventually led to writing Getting married on the same day that both Talena and her husband had graduated from university The full length-full scale musical that Talena and a good friend dreamed up and created and which has remained on the back-burner for many years How inspiration strikes and keeps growing when Talena latches on to an idea The course that Talena took from Holly Lisle while she was still home-schooling her children and how much she valued things she learned in that class The legacy of the "story in the drawer" that Talena wrote and then tucked away The tragic family loss which threw their lives for a loop, the public way that Talena shared that experience, and the outpouring of community support The empty home, the overwhelming grief, and the surrounding environmental changes that led to a serious move into writing The "creatives for hire" ad for a new magazine that caught Talena's eye the led to journalistic writing Applying that journalistic experience to Talena's inspirational blog How Talena divides up and prioritizes her time The value and importance of learning how to say no to certain projects The app Timely that helps Talena track the things she does (so you can stop lying to yourself) The quote that Talena has on her website: "The universe is made of stories, not of atoms." by Muriel Rukeyser After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of saying NO and in prioritizing the many tasks that often either fall onto a writer's plate, or come within a writer's horizon. Links of Interest: Talena Winters - Website Talena's Blog article: Mark Leslie Lefebvre Finds His Voice An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores NaNoWriMo Episode 106 - Hybrid Publishing with Arthur Slade Episode 105 - Location Based Storytelling with VoiceMap Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Talena Winters is addicted to stories, tea, chocolate, yarn, and silver linings. She writes page-turning fiction for teens and adults in multiple genres, coaches other writers, has written several award-winning songs, designs knitting patterns under her label My Secret Wish, and is lead writer for Move Up magazine. She currently resides on an acreage in the Peace Country of northern Alberta, Canada, with her husband, three surviving boys, two dogs, and an assortment of farm cats. She would love to be a mermaid when she grows up. The 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 interviews Samantha M. Bailey about her debut thriller Woman on the Edge, about her lifelong writer journey, her relentless determination, and the patience, practice, and persistence that it took to get here. Prior to the interview, Mark gives a brief personal update about his progress on NaNoWriMo and a trip he will be taking to speak to a group of writers in Sudbury, and then shares a word about the episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their interview Mark and Samantha talk about: How, at 10 years old, Samantha submitted her first manuscript to a publisher, which was rejected - and how it was her first lesson in developing a tough skin and not giving up Samantha's life-long love of really dark tales and thrillers, but how Jennifer Weiner's novels inspired her to write in a similar genre The completion of her first novel, landing an agent and trying to sell that first novel, then a second novel and how neither of them worked out The multiple queries Samantha sent to her current agent before the two actually connected Her experience self-publishing one of her novels under a different name several years ago and the relationships that came out of that How Samantha never considered giving up and knew that she just had to keep going The way that writing Woman on the Edge changed Samantha's life and the inspiration for the novel Why Samantha set this novel in Chicago rather than in her home of Toronto - but how Chicago, to her, invokes the spirit or essence of Toronto to her in several ways The two perspectives in this thriller, from the POV of Morgan (the main character), and the flashback sequences of Nicole, the woman who handed Morgan her baby before she jumped How Morgan's POV was re-written into first person to give that part of the tale such a sense of urgency The wonderful experience of working with her agent, Jenny Bent, who worked with Samantha to polish up the manuscript and then sold the book to Headline in the UK and Simon & Schuster Canada for CA and US distribution The sales of translation rights to 7 other countries The exciting promo that is planned for the book for release day in Canada (Nov 26, 2019) - eBook, audiobook, and paperback How the paperback is coming in the US in the spring of 2020, but the eBook is being launched in the US in November How Simon & Schuster Canada is the publisher of Samantha's dreams The morning television programs Samantha will be appearing on as part of the book's Canadian release, as well as the scheduled bookstore and library appearances Advice that Samantha would offer to her younger self: "It won't be fast, it won't be easy, but it'll all be worth it." After the interview, Mark reflects on Samantha's upbeat positivity and the hard work, determination, and never-give-up attitude she adopted which helped lead to her unique path of success. Links of Interest: Samantha M. Bailey's Website Woman on the Edge Simon & Schuster Canada An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores NaNoWriMo StoryBundle NaNo Writing Tools StoryBundle Mythulu Writing Binge Survival Pack 2019 Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Samantha M. Bailey is a Toronto-based journalist and freelance editor who's written extensively for Now Magazine, Oxford University Press, and several other publications. She is also the co-founder of "BookBuzz," a promotional and interactive author-reader event held in New York City and Toronto that has attracted the attention of prominent publicists, influential media, and bestselling authors. Samantha holds a Master of Education in Applied Linguistics and credit that degree with her writing career because she wrote her first novel while taking a course on imagination. Now her imagination leads her to create dark and twisty stories. Her debut psychological thriller, WOMAN ON THE EDGE, is being published in nine countries world-wide, including with Garzanti in Italy, Roca Editorial in Spain, Heyne in Germany, General Press in Hungary, Euromedia in the Czech Republic, Ikar in Slovakia, Znak in Poland, and in North America with Simon and Schuster Canada, and the UK with Headline. Samantha loves reading as much as she loves writing, so if she's not tapping away at her computer, she's probably curled up on her couch with a book. The 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 episode Mark interviews Arthur Slade, the author of twenty-five novels for young readers about his writing, about his multi-layered hybrid publishing activities, about writing at a treadmill desk, and about his author newsletter. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, discusses a few social media and podcast comments, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor , Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Arthur talk about: The ten years that Arthur has been writing using a treadmill desk, walking a minimum number of kilometers per day How the energy boost has come from that allowing him to get more work done Working and writing at a standing desk verses actually walking - and how long it took Arthur to get used to it The walking speed that Arthur sets to enjoy a natural pace Writing in forty-minute bursts, then taking twenty minutes off, which assists with the necessary reset for his brain How long Arthur has been a full time writer and how he writes so much The moderate success of self-publishing the Amber Fang series, and how they were recently acquired and released by Orca The challenge of not being able to track sales on traditionally published titles Death by Airship, the book that Arthur wrote by coming up with the title first, then figuring out what it would be about while writing it The book Dragon Assassin, which was picked up by Scholastic Books in Canada, but which Arthur maintains non-Canadian rights to Working with Podium for one of his audiobooks Arthur's novel Flickers, set in the 1920s in Hollywood, which was also hybrid published The way that publishers and booksellers look at past sales history and how that affects their acquisition and buying decisions The way that Arthur adds a unique personal flavor to his newsletter, and how he manages unopened reads of it Arthur's love of audiobooks, as a writer and as a reader After the interview, Mark reflects on Arthur's hybrid publishing journey and talks about how it is a solid long-term publishing strategy. Links of Interest: Arthur Slade's Website Descript (Audio Company with advanced audio editing, transcription and a beta Voice Double program) NaNoWriMo StoryBundle NaNo Writing Tools StoryBundle Mythulu Writing Binge Survival Pack 2019 WMG Publishing Business Masterclass Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Arthur Slade was raised on a ranch in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan. He is the author of twenty five novels for young readers including The Hunchback Assignments, which won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award and Dust, winner of the Governor General's Award for Children's Literature. His lifetime of work has also received the prestigious Kloppenburg Award for Literary Excellence. All of these awards mean that when he drinks tea he has to raise his pinky. It's very fancy. He lives in Saskatoon, Canada. P.S. He does all of his writing on a treadmill desk. And he listens to heavy metal. At the same time. The 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 episode, Mark interviews Gary Morris, Head of Production at the South African-based company VoiceMap. VoiceMap takes stories beyond the screen. It papers them to walls, hangs them over statues, and plants them neatly in public parks. Then, when you come along, there they are: reflections on the soul of LA, murder on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, nostalgia for the vanishing hutongs of old Beijing, and much more, by storytellers and passionate locals all over the world. The episode opens up with Mark's Voice Double from Descript's new beta program welcoming people to the podcast. He then shares a bit of information about this new opportunity for authors, which he thinks is idea to talk about during the opening of this particular interview. Mark then shares a word about this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Gary talk about: Gary's background as a creative person in audio, his early experiences with musical instruments, and the path that led to a role in sound engineering as a music and audio producer Joining VoiceMap two and a half years ago as an audio tour editor What VoiceMap is and how it works The underlying passion of VoiceMap which involves walking along while sharing a story Partnerships that VoiceMap has with various tour and tourism organizations How, while walking tours are the most common, there are also bicycle, driving, and boat tours Some examples of popular tours, such as the one of the theatre district of London with Sir Ian McKellen Specific techniques that need to be employed on a walking tour, including timely silences, directions, and reminders How authors can set up at VoiceMap account and set up their own tour Logistics of creating a tour map and crafting a script based on timing (word count and estimated time) to walk from location to location on a tour VoiceMap being in a 158 different countries at this point The types of tours that VoiceMap is looking forward to seeing authors create The use of VoiceMap to share fictional tales Different ways that authors can leverage promotion for the VoiceMap tours they have created Where people can find out more about VoiceMap and download the free app to their smartphones After the interview, Mark talks about how excited he is about the emerging audio opportunites for authors and storytelling in brave and bold new ways. He then shares a couple of examples of the sound-track to his Downtown Hamilton Ghost Walk tour from VoiceMap Links of Interest: Voicemap.me Mark's Downtown Hamilton Ghost Walk Tour on VoiceMap Link to YouTube video of Mark presenting on Storytelling 360 The official Haunted Hamilton Website The Ghost Walks: Hamilton, Niagara & Toronto Mark's book Haunted Hamilton Descript (Audio Company with advanced audio editing, transcription and a beta Voice Double program) NaNoWriMo StoryBundle Saving the World StoryBundle NaNo Writing Tools StoryBundle Mythulu Writing Binge Survival Pack 2019 WMG Publishing Business Masterclass Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections VoiceMap takes stories beyond the screen. It papers them to walls, hangs them over statues, and plants them neatly in public parks. Then, when you come along, there they are: reflections on the soul of LA, murder on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, nostalgia for the vanishing hutongs of old Beijing, and much more, by storytellers and passionate locals all over the world. All you need is our mobile app for iPhones and Android devices. It uses your location to play audio automatically and includes offline maps. Just put on your headphones and you're ready to explore. If you'd like to tell a story of your own, you can start right now, for free. Our publishing tool is easy to use and our team of editors delights in bringing new stories out into the world. The 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

This episode features an interview with Valerie Francis, who is is an author, a bona fide story nerd, a Certified Story Grid Editor and a podcaster. She has published fiction for both women (love stories for busy women) and children (middle grade fantasy), and is currently working on her first thriller. Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes and also provides a short personal update He also shares a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Valerie and Mark talk about: The way that Valerie slowly evolved from a full-time corporate dayjob into a full time writing career How writing was always part of Valerie's life and that she wrote her first "book" when she was 7. (It starred her teddy bear) - Her experience playing piano and jazz bass How if she is not expressing herself creatively, Valerie can get quite cranky What a StoryGrid Editor is, as well as the background to Shawn Coyne's StoryGrid methodology How Valerie got involved in StoryGrid The fact that Valerie learning more in two days spent with Shawn than she did in her entire journey getting a both her Undergraduate degree and her Master's in English Literature The two types of services that StoryGrid editors offer The commonality of how writers often resist "masterworks" in the StoryGrid methodology The way that writers often consume a story by analyzing novels and films The two podcasts that Valerie is involved in How a StoryGrid study group has been repurposed into a podcast so that more people could benefit from the ongoing learnings The difficult concept of hearing "Valerie, you are now the product" after exposing herself on a podcast Valerie's comparison between running and writing, which had inspired Mark when he read about it in her newsletter How all the world only sees the finished product and not all the hard work that happens in the background, for a long time, as well as the commitment from the person who has produced that work Advice that Valerie would offer to the person sitting there and looking at the daunting work in front of them The four hours a day, in two-hour blocks that Valerie writes in Six goal-achieving activities for each day, that Valerie prioritizes The advantage of being in the first time zone in Canada, two hours earlier than the most of the rest of the continent of North America wakes up The most recent fiction and non-fiction books that Valerie has released The 12 parts of Valerie's latest novel that can be consumed in bite-sized chunks, soaking in the tub with a glass of wine or standing in line at the grocery store How, given limited physical space, Valerie decides which books she will own in print as opposed to books she has in digital format (Spoiler, any books by Neil Gaiman, Ian Rankin, or Margaret Atwood always make that cut) ValerieFrancis/innercircle as a way for writers to see how Valerie is studying and learning from masterworks After the interview Mark reflects on the comparison Valerie makes between running a marathon and a writer's process. He also talks about being re-inspired multiple times by Valerie and the value of that. Links of Interest: Valerie Francis' Website Valerie's Most Popular articles on the StoryGrid Website Narrative Drive: Mystery Narrative Drive: Suspense Narrative Drive: Dramatic Irony Podcast Episodes about Narrative Drive: Mystery: Murder on the Orient Express Suspense: Rear Window Dramatic Irony: The Queen Mark's Forthcoming Book: An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores Episode 92 - Strong Authors and the IP Legacies They Deserve with ML Buchman Episode 102 - NaNoWriMo Wisdom with Vanessa Ricci-Thode NaNoWriMo StoryBundle Saving the World StoryBundle NaNo Writing Tools StoryBundle Mythulu Writing Binge Survival Pack 2019 WMG Publishing Business Masterclass Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Canadian writer, Valerie Francis is a bestselling author, a Certified Story Grid Editor and a podcaster. She has published fiction for both women (love stories for busy women) and children (middle grade fantasy), and is currently working on her first thriller. As a bona fide story nerd, her passion for the craft of storytelling led her to become a Certified Story Grid Editor in 2017. Her non-fiction credits include a Story Grid Guide to Bram Stoker's Dracula (publication TBA) and regular articles for the Fundamental Fridays column on Shawn Coyne's Story Grid website. Although Valerie writes across genre, there is a common thread in her work and that is, strong female characters. Women and girls of all ages have a particular perspective on the world and it's this point of view she's keen to explore. You can learn more about Valerie at: www.valeriefrancis.ca The music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed u

In this episode, Mark shares 15 different quotes and ideas that inspired him during the Fall 2019 WMG Publishing Business Master Class workshop led by Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith in Las Vegas. Mark shares a very brief personal update, explaining that this episode was recorded in a less-than-ideal acoustic environment, his hotel room in Vegas. Mark also shares a word from this episode's sponsor... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. One of the over-arcing themes from the five day workshop event s was Diversification and the idea that "It's better to make a little bit of money from a lot of sources than to make a lot of money from one or two places." The 15 quotes come from: Kristine Kathryn Rusch Dean Wesley Smith Kevin J. Anderson Joanna Penn Loren Coleman Andrea Pearson Marie Whittaker Deidre J. Manna-Bratten Chuck Heinzelman Links of Interest: Episode 6 - 3 Things That Are Wrong with Indie Publishing Episode 44 - How To Deal with a Fire-Hose of Information Episode 77 - A Gut-Check on the State of Publishing with Kristine Kathryn Rusch NaNoWriMo StoryBundle Saving the World StoryBundle NaNo Writing Tools StoryBundle WMG Publishing Business Masterclass BundleRabbit Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 episode Mark interviews Vanessa Ricci-Thode, a fantasy author, fiction editor and a NaNoWriMo veteran. Prior to the interview, Mark shares some recent comments from previous episodes and Twitter. He also shares a word from this episode's sponsor... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In his personal update, Mark talks about how he is approaching NaNoWriMo this year. He skipped it last year; but this year he is focusing on getting 50,000 words written for at least 3 different projects and will be tracking that. He is also curious to see how many listeners are doing NaNoWriMo this year. In their discussion, Mark and Vanessa talk about: Mark and Vanessa talk about: How Vanessa, who is an experienced NaNoWriMo veteran (doing it since 2006), first got into NaNoWriMo Managing expectations with family during a month of regular commitment to writing time Writing 50,000 words in 30 days while working part-time and being a part-time student The first few NaNoWriMo novels Vanessa wrote Being an ML (Municipal Liason) in the Waterloo, Ontario region The fact that there are always a lot of first-timers who try NaNoWriMo each year Vanessa's most popular or common advice for writers interested in trying out NaNoWriMo Advice for authors who end up slipping in their writing goal early on or mid-way through the month The "Mad Dash to Midnight" NaNoWriMo event that is done on the night of Nov 30 How people can find their local NaNoWriMo region (nanowrimo.org), where they can search by country, state, province, city How Vanessa got interested in writing which began with making picture books when she was a young child Vanessa's change in approach to the business of publishing with the advent of digital Looking for ways to become a better writer, which led to Vanessa becoming an editor, opening her part-time freelance editing business in 2010 The genres Vanessa most prefers to edit (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror), and why it's important to work with an editor who is familiar with and enjoys working in your particular genre Common writer issues, such as starting their story in the wrong spot The value of critique groups for writers, and how critiquing others can assist an author with their own writing NaNoWrimo as a great place to meet and connect with other writers Writing solo versus writing when in a group setting What Vanessa is most looking forward to for NaNoWriMo 2019 The importance of "stubborning through it" After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of committing to something like NaNoWriMo as well as the element of being persistent and "stubborning through it" as Vanessa so eloquently said. He then thanks Patrons of the podcast and closes out the show with a reminder that he's curious to hear from authors on whether or not they are doing NaNoWriMo and how they stubborn through things. Links of Interest: Vanessa Ricci-Thode's Website Vanessa's Books Vanessa's Editing Services NaNoWriMo WMG Publishing Business Masterclass Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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

On Oct 17, 2019, Mark Lefebvre and Kevin Tumlinson from Draft2Digital hosted a live webinar "Ask Us Anything" Q&A about audiobooks, relaying questions from authors to Will Dages, head of Findaway Voices. This is a slightly abridged version of the audio track from this video, which you can see on YouTube. Discussion includes the following topics: Findaway Voices Giveaway Codes, how they work, how authors can request them and track their use StoryOrigin promotion site for audiobook giveaway codes How to get started with setting up an audiobook via Findaway Voices Standard calculation for determing finished audiobook hours (9300 words = 1 finished hour - or, for easier math, assume that 10,000 words = 1 hour) Typical studio production hours based on word count of the original manuscript (Most audio producers work on a 3 to 1 or 4 to 1 ratio - it, if the manuscript is 100,000 words, that'd be 10 finished hours and would most likely take 30 to 40 hours of production time The Voices Share royalty share program and how it works (50% up front payment for production hours and a 60/20/20 split for author/narrator/Findaway) - and how the buyout works if you want to get out early The recent Audible text transcription controversy Whether or not an author can narrator their own books (spoiler alert: YES, you can, with the right setup/equipment/software) The origin of Findway Voices and the back story about the company Findaway, that has been around alot longer in the audiobook industry The built in pricing suggestion tool in Findaway Voices How easy/difficult it is to update your audiobook (both metadata and audio files) The cost and benefit of using Findaway Voices for distribution VS going direct (spoiler: Findaway keeps 20% of your royalties) A little bit about how exclusivity with ACX to Audible works Thoughts about loading audio samples to YouTube or other ways of promoting their audiobooks And more... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: Draft2Digital's Blog Post: Everything Audiobooks with Will Dages from Findaway Voices (Full Transcript) The YouTube Video of the Webinar Episode 5 - Global Audiobook Opportunities for Authors Episode 15 - The Process of a Writer's Life with Kevin Tumlinson Episode 52 - The Three Co-Founders of Draft2Digital Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 interviews international bestselling author Mark Dawson about his journey through publishing, his author support business and the ground-breaking publishing deal he just signed. Prior to the interview, Mark shares some comments left on previous episodes and via Twitter. He also shares a word about the episode's sponsor Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In his personal update, Mark talks about Canadian Thanksgiving, putting up Halloween decorations in the front yard and a new anthology, Cursed Collectibles, edited by Angela Eschler, that he has a story in. In their conversation, the two Marks talk about: Mark's background as a lawyer prior to becoming a writer, and how he has benefited from the skills he learned there The kick in the pants Mark received back in 1999 that led to his entry into publishing The surprisngly fast way he had found an agent and that agent had found a publisher for his first books The disappointing experience that came with having his print books appear in book shops and the two strikes that led to the end of that part of his writing career How John Milton was inspired by the original Equalizer television show staring Edward Woodward When Mark's indie writing journey began and the approximate 30 books he has published in that way The first time that Mark realized that writing could be a full-time endeavour - when the money he was earning from writing not only matched the money he was making working a full time job, but was more than double that amount for several months in a row The origin of the Self-Publishing Formula courses and podcast The 2020 Self Publishing Conference that will be taking place in London prior to the London Book Fair How Mark is able to continue to write his novels as well as offer support to the writing community via his intimate network The ground-breaking joint-venture print-only deal that Mark recently signed The 3-books a year release plan within this deal The international element of the deal to get the books into stores in multiple countries After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of this deal that Mark Dawson just signed and the significance it can have on publishing. Links of Interest: Mark Dawson's Author Website Author Facebook Page Twitter Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula The Self Publishing Show Podcast Self Publishing Formula Courses Episode 99 - Getting Your Book Into Libraries Episode 97 - Ten Tips for Marketing and Making Money off Your Short Fiction Episode 87 - You, Your Book, and Bookstores Episode 47 - In the Pilot's Seat with James Blatch Cursed Collectibles Anthology Eschler Editing Superstars Writing Seminars The Don Hodge Memorial Scholarship StoryBundle - NaNo Writing Tools Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 talks about how authors can get their books into libraries in print, eBook and audiobook format. He covers the topic by discussing the triple A's of: AVAILABILITY, AWARENESS, and ACQUISITION. Prior to the main topic of this episode, Mark shares a word about the episode's sponsor Findaway Voices, which is suitably, all about how they can help authors get their audiobooks into libraries. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark then shares a few comments from recent episodes as well as a personal update that includes two of his non-fiction books about writing and publishing being included in a new NaNoWriMo themed Storybundle. In his discussion of libraries, Mark talks about the following: Ways that authors can get their books in to libraries in print, audio and eBook format Questions that traditionally published authors should ask their publisher in relation to distribution to libraries The difference within POD and returns as it pertains to the library buyers (as opposed to bookstore buyers) Why he calls Amazon's KDP Print's "extended distribution" option "pretended distribution" OverDrive and how they sell to library systems - including a talk about how authors can use OverDrive.com to find their books and libraries Online resources to help writers easily find library websites The differences between the licensing model for selling digital assets (like eBooks and audiobooks) to libraries: OCOU (One Copy, One User) and CPC (Cost Per Checkout) Three important people to contact at the library when reaching out to them The value of getting to know the local public library and being familiar with it Why authors should consider the value that they are able to offer and bring to a particular library The value of the Public Lending Right program in Canada and 29 other countries around the world to help authors with additional revenue opportunities And more... Links of Interest: Episode 97 - Ten Tips for Marketing and Making Money off Your Short Fiction Episode 87 - You, Your Book, and Bookstores Mark's thriller Evasion on Wattpad Universal Book Link for Evasion Lib Web (Over 8000 pages from libraries in 146 countries) OverDrive.com Search "Mark Leslie" on OverDrive Mark Leslie "landing page" on OverDrive Example of an eBook Link (Active Reader) Example of an audiobook link (Active Reader) Example of a book that has availability in libraries OverDrive - Find a Library Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 episode Mark interviews bestselling children's author Laurie Wright who is on a mission to empower people one book at a time through her books and the support she offers other authors to take action and publish their own books. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. Mark talks about the promotional pricing tools built in to their tools. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a bit of an update about the previous week at NINC (Novelists Inc). He then congratulates the winners of copies of M.L. Buchman's ESTATE PLANNING FOR AUTHORS. Amy Tasukada And Vanessa Kier where the listeners who won by commenting on Episode 92 of the podcast. Julie Strauss and Amy Teegan were the two patron winners. In their conversation, Mark and Laurie talk about: Laurie's background as a kindergarten teacher and how she was so motivated by the presence of "learned helplessness" to go home and write a book in order to address it It wasn't that the children couldn't solve their problems it was that they didn't take the steps to solve the problem Laurie's belief that boredom is a good thing, particularly for creativity and that great things can come from boredom The importance of the repetition in Laurie's books for 4 and 5 year olds, such as "I Can Handle It!" that become their self-talk and a mantra and a pathway for them Putting the book aside for ten years before actually doing something with it Why she went whole hog into self-publishing with this project Creating the print book first (considering the audience) and the reason Laurie created an eBook via prompting from Brian Meeks and Amazon Ads Selling the foreign language rights of her book in Chinese, Korean, Romanian, Icelandic, and Vietnamese The importance of a foreign rights agent in the process of selling those foreign rights Laurie's interest in mental health for children and the importance of open non-scheduled time for children for free play (what she also calls "wildness") How Laurie has fallen in love with the marketing and other aspects of writing, and how she adapted that into creating helpful content for other writers The importance of "short and easy" in a course Laurie's podcast for children's book writers After the interview, Mark reflects on self-talk, self-doubt, negative thinking, and positive thinking. He works through a You-Can-Do-It attitude inspired by Laurie's work. Links of Interest: Laurie Wright's Website Laurie's Books on Amazon Laurie's Foreign Agent Laurie's Courses for Writers Laurie's Tedx Talk: Release the WILD in our children Findaway Voices NINC Conference Patreon for Stark Reflections Laurie Wright is a bestselling children's author on a mission to empower people one book at a time. She empowers children through her books, that gently and with humor coach kids in self-regulation. She empowers writers by getting them to step up, take action and publish those books! In a weekly podcast 'The Writer's Way' she shares stories of other everyday authors for inspiration. Walter Koenig (Chekov from Star Trek) reading 'I Can Handle It' on YouTube at https://lauriewrighter.com/Chekov is a definite high point in Laurie's career. Connect on Facebook (www.fb.com/lauriewrighter or www.fb.com/lauriewrightauthor), or her website www.lauriewrighter.com, and check out Laurie's courses at www.creativewrighter.com. The 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 episode, Mark shares ten tips on how authors can leverage their short fiction to earn more money as well as for various marketing activities. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. Mark Talks about the promotional pricing tools built in to their tools. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: Findaway Voices Ralan.con - (Short Fiction Market Resource) 8 Podcasts and Audio Projects Looking for Fiction Douglas Smith Article: Selling to Foreign Markets Douglas Smith's Foreign Market List Douglas Smith's Book: Playing the Short Game Active Reader (Digital Chapbook example) Snowman Shivers (Themed Collection - Free eBook) Episode 9 - Collaborative Publishing with Chuck Heintzelman of Bundlerabbit Episode 27 - Bundles, Curation, and Collaboration with Jamie Ferguson Bundlerabbit Books Gone Bad Bundle Amazing Monster Tales Collateral Damage (Short Story - Custom / Tie-in to Novel) Prospero's Ghost (Free Short Story - Tie in to Anthology) NINC Conference Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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

This episode features an interview with Dale L. Roberts, a fitness author, self-publishing advocate and video content creator extraordinaire. The interview is filled with inspiring ideas for creative people that can be applied to your writing journey, as well as ideas for applying that creativity to auditory and visual mediums. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. Mark shares insights about a great built-in pricing tool that Findaway Voices has for authors to use. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In his personal update, Mark shares the fact that he finally loaded a media kit to his author website, which appears as a link on his main media, press & contact page. He also talks about his forthcoming visits to Northern Hearts Romance Writers conference in Toronto and NINC (Novelists, Inc) conference in St Pete, Florida. In their conversation, Dale and Mark talk about: Dale's unlikely story of becoming a writer and how he shouldn't be where he is today The first book that Dale wrote and published in 2013 as a "challenge accepted" response to a colleague at work How, in the early days, Dale wasn't even familiar with the eBook boom that had been taking place The "Do Not Do What Dale Did" advice that comes with sharing that he quit his day job after receiving his first $20 from Amazon for his first book How Dale gathered information on how to self-publish back in the early days by searching for free content and information on YouTube and other sites The value of investing in some courses as well as a coach, which Dale considers as pivotal for his author business The importance of being held accountable by a coach or a mentor Why it is helpful to meansure time VS money in expenditures and focusing on the things that make more sense for you to focus on How Dale started his YouTube channel as a way to more effectively answer the hundreds of questions filling up his email inbox The bare/core minimum you need to start shooting video content and how you don't need it to be sexy, and you don't need it to be perfect Being consistent as one of the most important factors in creating and building a video platform on YouTube. And how that's not just a consistent time, consistent amount, and a consistent message The importance and value of authenticity The parallels between writers creating written content and YouTubers creating video content - including the importance of perseverance The built-in schedule that Dale uses for his schedule and how his audience likes Wednesdays and Saturdays The importance of understanding who your audience is, what they are coming for, what they enjoy consuming, and then delivering that to them The origin and use of the "banana sticker" and how something so simple and fun can build community After the interview, Mark reflects on three elements that Dale spoke about: Consistency, Persistence, and Authenticity. Links of Interest: Dale's Website: Self-Publishing with Dale Self-Publishing with Dale on YouTube Dale on Twitter Self-Publishing with Dale on Facebook Dale on Instagram Findaway Voices Episode 15 - with Kevin Tumlinson Episode 92 - with M.L. Buchman Northern Hearts Conference NINC Conference Patreon for Stark Reflections Dale L. Roberts is a fitness author, video content creator, and self-publishing advocate. When Dale isn't publishing books, creating videos, and networking with business professionals, he loves to travel with his wife Kelli and spend time playing with his cat Izzie. He currently lives in Columbus, Ohio. The 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 interviews author Pamela Brookes about the DOG ON A LOG series of books she writes that help kids learning to read with phonics, especially learners with dyslexia. Prior to the interview, Mark shares some recent social media comments from podcast listeners as well as a personal update about the progress he has made with a POD version of his chapbook Snowman Shivers which he is releasing in print and audiobook formats. He explains that he will share, thanks to a patron request, a full episode on marketing and making money off of short fiction, particularly with eBooks and audio, as well as release a special detailed examination of how he created the POD and audiobook versions of Snowman Shivers. Mark talks a bit about narrating the audiobook himself for that same book and how he used Findaway Voices for it (which is part of the mention of this episode's sponsor) You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In the interview Pamela and Mark discuss: What dyslexia is and how people with dyslexia are of a normal range of intelligence Very successful people who have dyslexi such as Steven Spielberg, Richard Branson, Henry Winkler, Steve Jobs How Pamela started to write books specifically to help children with dyslexia that were more appropriate and useful for her daughter's needs because she couldn't find any books that fit her requirements Phonics rules, sight words and decodable books The challenge and problem of the high cost of most books published in this area and how Pamela ensured they were affordable to the families who needed them Why shes calls some of her books the "Let's Go" books rather than "easy" or "beginning" books How 90% of Pamela's book sales are in paperback over eBooks and how they sell via Amazon and Ingram The free eBook that Pamela makes available and which has been downloaded in 15 different countries The printable PDF book that Pamela has on her website for parents helping their children with dyslexia The importance of repetition in relation to the names of letters, keywords, and the sound that it makes The difference between teaching children to read VS teaching children to guess Pamela's knack for research and self-teaching After the interview Mark reflects on how Pamela is fulfilling something that is missing in the particular niche she is writing in and highlights how she is succeeding selling print books, which is not the norm for most indie authors who usually sell more eBooks. He also considers a potential writing warm-up exercise for writers based on something Pamela said and using cards from the table-top game Taboo. Dog on a Log Books (Pamela's Website) Free resources from Pamela Killing It On Kobo Episode 87 - You, Your Book, and Bookstores The Indy Author page on Facebook Findaway Voices - The Audiobook Mastering Guide (article) Mastering Audiobooks (Video and Detailed Blog) Snowman Shivers Episode 92 - with M.L. Buchman Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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

Thanks for the Inspiration is a new type of show that will appear from time to time in the regular schedule. As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers. This Thanks for the Inspiration episode is an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing. This particular episode, Mark thanks Laurie Blake for his role in both his life and in his life in storytelling. This episode is sponsored by the Patrons of the Stark Reflections Podcast via patreon.com/starkreflections In his reflective thanks, Mark shares the influence that Laurie Blake has had on: His storytelling, in particular the memorable telling of "Angela's Golden Leg" story that Laurie shared over a campfire, and how that continues to influence Mark's own oral storytelling style to this day How Mark adapted that campfire tale into "The Legend of Prospero's Ghost" which he has shared for the past two decades His perspective on trying to be open-minded and open-hearted in his approach to life His respect for an honest and hard-day's work His fondness for roadtrips and excellent conversation with one's traveling companion And more... Links of Interest: Levack Ontario (Onaping Falls, ON) Fox Lake Lodge The Golden Arm Ghost Story (Wikipedia) Campus Chills Prospero's Ghost (Free Short Story) Episode 90 - Interview with Craig Martelle Patreon for Stark Reflections The 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 shares a slightly abridged audio version of the Draft2Digital "Ask Us Anything" Webinar which was held in the Draft2Digital offices in Oklahoma City on August 29, 2019. It featured Mark, Dan Wood, and Kevin Tumlinson. Prior to the chat, Mark shares the following: The winners of Craig Martelle's book Release Strategies, which include the two winners from the comments for that Episode (Episode 90): Ted, and Chad Boyer. The two patron winners of the same book (automatically entered just for being patrons): Mary Jo Rabe and Matty Dalrymple Some recent comments from the past few episodes A personal update . . . as well as a word from this episode's sponsor Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In the webinar, Mark, Dan, and Kevin discuss: Quite a bit about libraries and getting eBooks into libraries Successfully selling series books Digital box sets/bundles 3D covers VS Flat/Rectangular covers Getting promos on Kobo, Apple, etc Books2Read and universal book links The D2D Print beta Findaway Voices and audiobooks Exclusivity VS Wide Publishing Assets for newsletter marketing ....and more... After the main content, Mark shares his reflections on hoopla and his optimism of having his eBooks available in another library channel, particular having seen some success with his audiobook income via hoopla from Findaway Voices. Links of Interest: Draft2Digital Draft2Digital Facebook Page August 19, 2019 - ASK US ANYTHING YouTube Video Episode 88 - with David Wind Episode 90 - with Craig Martelle Episode 91 - with Stacy Kondla Episode 92 - with M.L. Buchman Patreon for Stark Reflections For Patrons - Download a digital copy of Matt's Book for Free The 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 interviews M. L. "Matt" Buchman about his writing journey and the importance of ensuring that an author's legacy and earning potential can be maintained for 70 years after an author's death, which is the subject of his book: Estate Planning for Authors: Your Final Letter (and why you need to write it now). Prior to the interview, Mark welcomes new patron Kathy Mac and lets patrons know that they can all download a digital version of Matt's book for free. Listeners to the podcast can comment on this episode at starkreflections.ca for a chance to win one of two print copies of Matt's book. Mark also shares a personal update about a fall he took the previous week (and how that made him think the topic of this episode was quite pertinent). This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their discussion, Mark and Matt discuss: Matt's first novel, which he sold to a small traditional publisher in 1993 The 2010 romance novel sale to a larger publisher that led to a series of books What Matt calls "Transition by terror" moving from losing his job to writing full time How a shorter indie-published novel was the one that "popped" and led to the gamble of writing full time by moving from the large dream house and moving into a crappy smaller home and working diligently at writing in order to put out 8 or 10 books a year for six years The first three years of that process, which involved loosing money the first year, then losing slightly less the second, and then, finally, in the third year, breaking even The clause in Matt's traditional publishing contract that allowed him to keep the rights to anything in the world that was under 60,000 words (and how that led to the still best-selling 40,000 word Daniel's Christmas and a huge career in indie publishing Matt's enjoyment of telling the "side story" and how that led to having 11 simultaneous series going at the same time The idea of creating a map for what Matt calls the Emily Beale Universe of stories The use of initials in Matt's author brand (M.L. Buchman) because "American wasn't ready for a male romance author" and the volume of fan mail that said if they'd known he was a man, they never would have picked up one of his novels Matt's catch phrase for his writing: "Strong women and the men they deserve!" The approach that Matt took to get into audiobooks and how that made him a huge fan of "read by author" audiobooks The new straight up thriller series that Matt will be launching shortly which is a military techno thriller with not an ounce of romance in it The process of creating a word cloud from Matt's existing reviews to reveal particular terms/phrases that came up a lot Tracking how every work hour in the last 7 years has been spent (ie, writing, versus admin, marketing, etc) The importance of understanding how a writer's IP (Intellectual Property) can earn money for up to 70 years after their death The process of trying to find out how to explain, in common English, what a person can do when they inherit a author's estate How Jane Austin's family sold her novels for a tiny amount of money because they didn't understand the true value of her books Octavia Butler, one of the most seminal female science fiction authors ever whose books are now mostly all out of print just a little over a decade after her death The process of taking a full day to arrange and organize where all of his writing related assets are stored and filed (all documented in a single spreadsheet) The existence and importance of the 35 year reversion date for writer contracts CCR (Creedence Clearwater Revival) and the rights that they signed away and no longer own (but which can change as it has been 35 years since they signed it away Limiting his writing travel to two different conferences per year and how this year it was RWA and NINC The value of being in a mastermind, which replaces the twice weekly hour long walks Matt used to do with Dean Wesley Smith when they both lived on the Oregon coast After the interview, Mark reflects on the approach Matt took in using a word cloud from reviews to look for patterns in reader response and how beneficial mining such data can be. He then shares detailed on how listeners who comment will automatically be entered into a chance to win one of two print copies of Matt's book with a deadline of Sept 27, 2019 to leave a comment. Links of Interest: ML Buchman's website ML Buchman on Twitter Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections For Patrons - Download a digital copy of Matt's Book for Free M.L. "Matt" Buchman started the first of over 60 novels, 100 short stories, and a fast-growing pile of audiobooks while flying from South Korea to ride his bicycle across the Australian Outback. Part of a solo around the world trip that ultimately launched his writing career in: thrillers, SF/F, and romance. His t

In this episode, Mark interviews Stacey Kondla about her life as a book lover and about the recent transition into the role of literary agent. Prior to the interview, Mark announces the winners of David Wind's book The Indie Writer's Handbook via a random draw for comments on Episode 88. He also reads and reacts to comments from Episode 90 with Craig Martelle and reminds listeners they can win one of 4 copies of Craig's new book Successful Indie Author Release Strategies. Listeners can leave a comment or reflection on Episode 90 of the podcast at starkreflections.ca for a chance to win one of 2 copies. And all patrons will also be entered in a chance to win one of 2 other copies of the book. Mark then welcomes new patron Linda Hill to the podcst, and reminds folks that for $1, $3, or $5 a month, they can become a patron and get access to additional content and audio via patreon.com/starkreflections. After a personal update, where Mark talk about his new standing desk and office layout as well as being a recent guest on Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Show Podcast, he then shares a word from this episode's sponsor... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their chat, Mark and Stacy talk about: The love of books that has been a major part of Stacey's entire life The veterinarian path she had been on, which didn't work out The "magical time" of a school book fair, and how much Stacey loved her work organizing Scholastic Book Fairs in the Calgary region Managing the kids departments for Chapters/Indigo and the thrill of working closely with kids books Meeting Sam Hiyate (President and CEO of The Rights Factory literary agency) at When Words Collide and how that led to discussions about Stacey's desire to learn more about agenting, and the path towards becoming an Associate Agent with the firm How, in the first year and a half, Stacey has aquired 30 clients and already sold 5 books, the first of which was to Scholastic US Stacey's experience attending Book Expo America for the first time and how that led to selling a book to Dottir Press in New York The best part about being an agent, which is being an author's champion and cheerleeder and the special thrill that comes with informing an author that a deal with an aquiring editor has been struck The joy of being a matchmaker between different people in the book industry Some of the definite "do not do's" when trying to pitch your book to an agent and one of Stacey's pet peeves What Stacey looks for in a face to face pitch from an author The typical day in Stacey's life as an agent, and how she has to compensate for being 2 hours behind New York's time zone The fact that Stacey still reads for pleasure, but in different ways now that she is an agent Some of the best things that a writer can do to prepare for submission their manuscript How an agent's job isn't just reading queries and submissions, but that it involves so much more downstream in the process The priceless value of networking at a literary conference After the interview, Mark reflects on the way Stacey divides reading for work VS reading for pleasure and explores ways that writers can use similar divisions between writing and editing or even different physical spaces as cues for a way to break through or get over "walls" they face in their own writing. Links of Interest: The Rights Factory Literary Agency Stacey Kondla's The Rights Factory Profile Stacey on Twitter Episode 20 - Lessons Learned on my Writer Journey (Part One) Episode 88 - Indie Publishing, Not Self-Publishing with David Wind Episode 90 - Craig Martelle on Successful Indie Author Release Strategies Self Publishing Podcast - Episode 187 - The 7 P's of Publishing Success with Mark Leslie Lefebvre Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Monty Python's LIFE OF BRIAN Stacey Kondla has worked in the book business for 16 years. Her experience includes being a Field Representative for Scholastic Book Fairs, managing the IndigoKids department at two different Chapters/Indigo (Canada's largest book retailer) stores, freelance editing, and serving on the organizing committee of When Words Collide (A Festival for Readers and Writers). Stacey is an associate agent with The Rights Factory and specializes in children's books – picture books through to young adult and graphic novels, fiction and non-fiction. The 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 interviews bestselling science-fiction author Craig Martelle about his journey into and through writing, the 20Booksto50K™ group and conferences, and his new book Successful Indie Author Release Strategies. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update about his recent visit to Calgary, Alberta for the When Words Collide conference, where he sat on panels, did 1:1 author consultations, and gave a couple of presentations, including a new one on The 7 P's of Publishing Success based on his book of the same name. Mark then shares comments on Episode 88 from Michelle Norry and Tracy Arial, discusses the comments, and reminds them that they are now entered into a chance to win a signed copy of David Wind's book The Indie Writer's Handbook. (Contest is over end of day Friday August 16, 2019 and winners will be announced in Episode 91). He also thanks patrons of the show, and reminds them that they are all already entered in a chance to win the other one of two signed copies. This is one of the bonuses for patrons, which include the additional "Stark Reflections on other Podcasts" special episodes. Mark shares that he recently pushed out a special patron-only reflection on other podcasts for Episode 85 of The Career Author Podcast where hosts J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon talked about using pen names. Mark then shares a word from this episode's sponsor... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their chat, Mark and Craig talk about: Craig's belief in working hard, putting in 12 to 14 hours a day for seven days a week Being close to the epicenter of the origin of Dungeons and Dragons and the influence that had on Craig's reading and creative mind The "Amateurs talk tactics and professionals talk logistics" philosophy from the Marine Corp that influences Craig's author business approach Applying a business consultant approach to writing and the 100,000 word first novel that Craig wrote that took 61 days The importance of practice Craig's experience selling the rights to his first book to a traditional publisher (an imprint of Simon & Schuster) How Craig uses data to help him make decisions, and how data that doesn't help a person make decisions isn't necessarily important data Why he put an editor on salary early in his career so that the waiting period on an editor was as short as possible The origin of the 20Booksto50K(TM) movement initiated by Michael Anderle and the in person writing conferences that Craig runs Why the 20Booksto50K Facebook group is so locked down in terms of comments/self-promotional posts, etc. How if you want to be carried that this business isn't for you How writing his non-fiction books is mostly Craig's way of saving himself a lot of time answering the same questions repeatedly Elements from Craig's book SUCCESSFUL INDIE AUTHOR RELEASE STRATEGIES, such as what is far more important than the volume of books you produce in a particular time period: consistency and establishing and keeping your promise to the reader The recent overseas conference plus writing retreat that Craig ran which went well above his initial expectations How this year's 20Booksto50K conference will have a significant number of live-streamed videos to the Facebook Group so that those authors unable to attend can benefit from it After the interview, Mark talks about how Craig's experience playing Dungeons & Dragons reminded him of his own experience playing that game as a youth, and how it inspired the very first book he wrote at the age of 14. Mark reflects on the cartoon to text process he used when imagining the story, changing the main character's name from Conan to Aaron (in recognition of copyright), and the struggle to sit at the typewriter over his summer vacation as a young teen instead of being outside and playing. He reflects on how indie authors today can and often might release a book that isn't yet ready for prime time and what that impact can be; particularly in relation to a book he recently read. He is thankful that this first terribly written novel never saw the light of day because of when it was written. In the midst of reflecting on this trunk novel, he fondly remembers the first young woman to truly capture his heart, and the important role that she played as a creative spirit and fellow writer, in helping to shape and guide him into a writing life. He thinks about how there are people in your life who likely never come to learn just how much of a positive impact they have had on you. Mark then shares how listeners can win one of 4 copies of Craig's new book. Listeners can leave a comment or reflection on Episode 90 of the podcast at starkreflections.ca for a chance to win one or 2 copies. And all patrons will also be entered in a chance to win one of 2 other copies of the book. Entrants will be collected until Sept 1, 2019 and the winners will be announced in the next week's episod

In this solo episode Mark explains why you can't have Mass Market POD books; how the very definition of the term makes it impossible. Prior to the main content, Mark shares a comment from Linda from the previous episode, with a reminder that there's a still a chance for those who comment on Episode 88 to win a copy of David Win's book THE INDIE WRITER'S HANDBOOK. Mark then welcomes Chad Boyer as a new patron to the podcast via Patreon.com/StarkReflections and mentions that this past Wednesday he loaded a new "Stark Reflections on Other Podcasts" episode for Patrons. This one was on a recent episode of The Creative Penn by Joanna Penn, whose guest, Jason Brick, shared a great bit about the four critical elements from a pitch. Mark then shares a word from this episode's sponsor... You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. As the main topic for this episode, Mark explains the background of the main formats of publishing: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, and Mass Market. He then relays how just having the "mass market" size format option in POD, via Ingram Lightning Source or other POD providers, doesn't ACTUALLY make it a mass market book. He then explains what an actual mass market paperback is and its uniqueness in terms of production, warehousing, distribution, and returns. He does come to the conclusion that indie authors already have a far better proper "mass market" format that they bypassed legacy/traditional publishers in: the eBook format. Links of Interest: The Creative Penn Episode 441 (with Jason Brick) Episode 88 - Indie Publishing, Not Self-Publishing with David Wind Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Snowman Shivers The 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