Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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

Mark interviews David Wind about his forthcoming book THE INDIE WRITER'S HANDBOOK, which is coming in September 2019. Prior to the interview Mark shares a comment from Episode 81 from Jules who shared why he finds it important to write every single day. He also shares a comment that came in via email from Caro who said that she would, in fact, appreciate an episode dedicated to getting your eBook and print book into libraries in the United States, Canada and the UK. Mark then shares a word from this episodes 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 David talk about: When David first started writing and the first book he published in 1981, which he wrote under a female pen name as a way to break into the market because of an industry trend The genres that David was passionate about writing and reading The fact that English and Math were David's two worst subjects in high school His attempt at writing in college, which he set aside for a while before returning to writing in his late twenties Leaving a position within the legal realm to work at a Playboy club in Chicago Writing a thriller (his first novel) just to see if he could write a book The response from Agent William Morris not liking the submitted manuscript but liking David's writing David's favorite editor, Kate Duffy Andre Norton, a legendary science fiction writer David was a big fan of and how she came to mentor him and also publish one of his only short stories How the first book in a YA science fiction series David wrote which has been downloaded close to 70,000 times Why David hates the term "self-publishing" The vanity press, iUniverse, that David used back in 2000 in order to bring back one of his previously traditionally published back into availability How, being fed up with traditional publishing, David whole-heartedly jumped into Kindle Direct Publishing in 2008 The fun David had releasing his first POD self-published book, which was a book he had wanted to write for thirty years and how exhilarating that experience was The transition David experienced when he moved from traditional publishing over to indie publishing Why David decided to write The Indie Writer's Handbook How he was getting frustrated at how people were misunderstanding and looking down on what proper indie publishing can be The 18 steps that the handbook walks authors through related to indie publishing your book After the interview Mark shares a reflection on the reason why David decided to create the book, and shares how he recently wrote an article for a more traditionally focused magazine for writers to serve a similar purpose. In addition, he shares the two winners of the print book COPS AND WRITERS by Patrick O'Donnell from Episode 84, one randomly selected commenter from that episode and one randomly selected Patron of the show. And he explains how listeners can win one of two signed advanbced reader copies of David's forthcoming book for writers. Links of Interest: David Wind's Website David's Books The Indie Writer's Handbook Episode 81 - Jim Kukral on Being Unskippable Episode 84 - From The Academy to the Street with Patrick O'Donnell Episode 87 - You, Your Book, And Bookstores Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections David Wind's first novel was published in 1981 and since then he has had more than 40 books published in the genres of science fiction and fantasy, mystery, thriller and suspense. A hybrid author who cut his chops in traditional publishing and then discovered the opportunity in indie publishing, David brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this interview and to his forthcoming book. He is currently the Vice President of the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America, and he has a lot to say about the way by which traditional publishing still looks down their nose and misunderstands what indie publishing is really about. David lives in Florida with his wife and their dog. 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 offers a perspective on bookstores, booksellers, and bookselling, and shares ideas on how authors can best get their books into bookstores. Prior to the topic, Mark shares a personal update about the move back upstairs to his renovated office, discusses a comment on a previous episode, reminds listeners about the contest to win a print copy of Patrick O'Donnell's book COPS AND WRITERS, and also thanks Patrons and talks about the patron perks. Mark then shares a word from this episodes 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. When discussing bookstores, Mark covers these topics: The importance of relationships and community Understanding the business side of print bookselling, including the margins How returns work and how that effects a bookseller's willingness to stock books How Mark got chain bookstores to order his self-published book (and how that partially backfired) How bookstores order books VS how consignment works The rules, and why bookstores might sometimes make exceptions to those rules in particular situations Why Mark tied an onion to his belt And more.... Links of Interest: Mark's First Self-Published Book: One Hand Screaming Episode 29 - Interview with Terry Fallis YouTube video of Terry Fallis interview Episode 39 - Professionalism Episode 84 - From The Academy to the Street with Patrick O'Donnell 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 audio from the July 19, 2019 Draft2Digital ASK US ANYTHING episode in which Kevin Tumlinson, Dan Wood and Mark answer marketing questions submitted by authors. Links of Interest: The Draft2Digital Facebook Page The Ask Us Anything Live Chat Video - June 2019 The Ask Us Anything Live Chat Video - July 2019 Draft2Digital Blog Post with video & full transcript from June 2019 Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey 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 Annette Spratte a bilingual author living in Germany who has published books in various genres and languages, including a contemporary romance series self-published in English, a children's book series in German with three traditionally published books and two more scheduled for 2020. A historical romance will also be traditionally published in German in 2020. In addition to writing, Annette loves to support Indie authors with affordable translation services. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from this episodes 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 goes on to thank Patrons of the show as well as those who left comments on episode 84, and who were entered in a chance to win a copy of Patrick O'Donnell's book COPS AND WRITERS. Thanks to Amy Tasukada, Chad Boyer, MZ Lowe, and Vale Nagle for leaving comments. Also, thanks to Patrick O'Donnell for answering the police related questions. In their conversation Mark and Annette talk about: Annette's history as a translator since 1995 before she moved over into book translation, which she enjoys far more The importance of getting the emotion and the tension right in a literary translation (as opposed to legal document translation) Annette's own writing experience with contemporary romance fiction (English) which was self-published and the children's adventure fiction (in German) that has been picked up by a publisher How Annette initially started with a self-publishing services company that she later on found out charged almost $50 for the print book in the US - she managed to get out of that deal and published the book directly herself The size of the German book industry and the fact that eBooks might be as little as 5% of overall book sales Those magic words from a publisher who said to Anette: "I read your book and I couldn't put it down!" How a lot of the romance books on the market in Germany are translations from English A bit of a perspective on the size and reach of Tolino, a major eBook retailer in Germany What it's like for an author from Europe using an American platform for eBook publishing Why authors shouldn't use something like Google translate for translating their novel Subtle differences in the form of address in the German language (formal VS familiar) The genres that Annette works with and prefers to work with in her translation business Why she prefers to avoid horror and erotica translations as well as a preference for fiction over non-fiction The research that can be involved in doing a literary translation, particularly for historical fiction Examples of terms or services that aren't used or known in Germany - such as "Uber" - for example The importance of using the same translator when working through a book series in order to have a consistent style/voice How word of mouth is the most common way that authors and translators connect with one another Typical costs of translations, and Annettes current and lower fees of 3 cents per word How an English speaking/reading author would be able to determine if the translation is a quality one Some of the legal aspects associated with copyright on translations in Germany The fixed price laws for books in Germany and how that has allowed for the continued existence of both chain and independent bookstores in that country The continued popularity of thrillers and romance in the German book market How German readers are perfectly content with books that aren't set in Germany The value of the resources on the site indiesgogerman.com Mark then reflects on the subtle differences in languages, terms, and even different laws in different countries, provinces and states and how this can both be something that can harm a story (ie, an inaccurate overlooked detail), or it can be something that brings an additional depth and realistic richness to a story if used effectively. Links of Interest: Chat with Annette (Blog) Annette's Website Annette's Facebook Page Annette on Instagram Indies Go German Website Findaway Voices Episode 84 - From The Academy to the Street with Patrick O'Donnell 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 Patrick O'Donnell who has been with a larger metropolitan police department for the past three decades, about his new book COPS AND WRITERS: From The Academy to the Street. Prior to the interview Mark shares a personal update and then also shares the names of the four winners of the print copies of the book UNSKIPPABLE by Jim Kukral (from Episode 81). Prior to the main segment, Mark shares a personal updateas 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 their conversion, which comes with a disclaimer that Patrick does not represent any specific police or law enforcement agency and does not intend for any of the information provided to be intended as legal advice, Mark and Patrick discuss: Patrick's life before police work which included Sociology, Crimonology and an intense passion for music The original goal of wanting to become a high school band director for his career The restaurant management roles that Patrick was involved in and how being a night shift manager at an IHOP he ended up getting in more fights than in the same time period as a police officer The various different ways you can get into a career with the police department and the details related to those methods of entry Learning how to read/understand people via experience as a car salesman The book (I Never Wore Plaid) he wrote about how to buy a car and navigate car salespeople under a pseudonym The unfortunate situation that led to the loss of an opportunity in selling this book to a publisher Patrick's book talking about the loss of his marriage (which is common in the police force) written under a different pseudoynm - Divorced Dad: Kids are Forever, Wives are Not Mad City, the post-apocalyptic novel that he wrote under his own name The reason why Patrick shelved the sequel to Mad City and started to write a series of books about the police force, which includes the first book, Cops and Writers: From the Academy to the Street The seventeen years of working the night shift as a cop The 50/50 chance that the average person has of their marriage failing, how being a cop bumps that up to 70% and how, if both partners are cops, the chances are 90% Some of the basic things that writers can get wrong when it comes to police procedures or protocols What Patrick has learned about book marketing through the various books and genres he has published in After the interview, Mark shares details on how listeners and Patrons can win a print copy of Patrick's new book (you have until July 31, 2019 to leave a comment or question for Patrick on the show notes for Episode 84 at www.starkreflections.ca) as well as his thoughts on the importances of a police procedural book that delves into such detail of this aspect of a police officer's life. Links of Interest Patrick O'Donnell's website Patrick's Books: Cops and Writers I Never Wore Plaid (Joel Grey) Divorced Dad: Kids Are Forever, Wives are Not (L.J. Burke) Mad City Findaway Voices Episode 81 - Becoming Unskippable with Jim Kukral Stark Reflections Survey 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 second half of a Draft2Digital "Ask Us Anything" Live Chat that was recorded on Thursday June 27, 2019. The chat was composed of questions submitted by authors and answered by Dan Wood, Kevin Tumlinson, and Mark. Prior to the main segement, Mark shares a personal updateas 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 Live Chat, Dan, Kevin, and Mark cover these questions: How does Draft2Digital work with its retail and library partners for various promotional opportunities, and what do those platforms look for? Formatting your own copyright page VS the system-generated copyright page option that D2D offers. An overview of publishing your eBooks "wide" to all retailers VS being exclusive to Amazon Kindle. The way that libraries purchase eBooks (the two main liscening options). What's going on with Draft2Digital and Google Play. How can an author get their books onto bookstore and retailer shelves. How Findaway Voices might change the landscape for audiobooks being available beyond Audible. After the recording, Mark reflects on the importance of actually reaching out when there is an offer available to you as an author and taking advantage of it because you and your writing are valuable and worth it. Links of Interest The Draft2Digital Facebook Page The Ask Us Anything Live Chat Video Draft2Digital Blog Post with video & full transcript Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey 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 first half of a Draft2Digital "Ask Us Anything" Live Chat that was recorded on Thursday June 27, 2019. The chat was composed of questions submitted by authors and answered by Dan Wood, Kevin Tumlinson, and Mark. Prior to the main segement, Mark shares a personal update, talks about comments from previous episodes and 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 Live Chat, Dan, Kevin, and Mark cover these questions: What is the biggest missed opportunity on D2D for most indie authors already using the platform? I understand that the ebook will go out to places that are checked on the next page. How can I check on the results? In addition to universal links, what's the benefit of using D2D to list our books? Why are payments from Draft2Digital sometimes delayed? Is the expense for purchasing my own ISBNs worth the outlay? How do promo opportunities work for the various channels you distribute to? Places like Kobo and Apple and OverDrive. I'm confused over how to make Books2Read work for me. Beyond a link on my website, what more should I be doing to help readers find me? Is there some sort of pre-built chart or graph in the Draft2Digital dashboard that shows all your sales in one place? Questions about formatting WORD documents with images for eBooks as well as using Vellum for eBook formatting. After the recording, Mark shares a few thoughts about the idea of asking questions and how questions can be understood differently by different people. Links of Interest The Draft2Digital Facebook Page The Ask Us Anything Live Chat Video Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey 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 Jim F. Kukral, author of Your Journey to Becoming Unskippable™: (in your business, life & career). Prior to the interview Mark Shares a comment from a previous episode Talks about a new short story he is working on and some of the logistical research challenges that were holding him back Talks about an ASK US ANYTHING Facebook Live chat that Mark, Kevin Tumlinson and Dan Wood will be hosting on the Draft2Digital Facebook page on Thursday July 27 at 3PM Eastern Mark then says 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, Jim and Mark discuss: Why Jim opened the book sharing his perspective on goals and priorities that have more to do with personal satisfaction than seeking wealth and status The importance of the merger between mindset and business The deeply personal and vulnerable way Jim shared his experience getting involved in local politics The authenticity of Jim's voice in the book which matches the way that he would deliver the same content in person via a conversation or on stage The strategy of not wanting to write a straight-up marketing book, but, instead, a book with business lessons and personal inspiration Jim owning the trademark for the term Unskippable™ The importance of creating powerful moments and "talk triggers" that people will remember well beyond just the "cheapest price" or "fastest delivery" or some other temporary perk from a popsicle hotline at a hotel pool to the Jolly Ranchers that a business supply owner added in to every order The reasons that set you apart, take you to th next level, and make you unskippable and memorable The story behind the mysterious persona "Johnny Showtime" The importance of actually standing for something as a brand in order to reach "belief-driven buyers" After the interview Mark shares the logistics of how listeners can download a free digital copy of Jim's new book, and also possible win some signed copies. Free Digital Download Click here to access your free copy of Unskippable™ Win a Signed Copy of the paperback of Unskippable™ Leave a comment for Episode 81 at www.starkreflections.ca by July 10, 2019. Entrants will be entered into a random draw for a signed copy of the book that Jim will be shipping. All entrants who leave a comment by July 10, 2019 will be entered Possible things to comment about include: What's one point you took away from this interview that you'd want to highlightor reflect on? What's one unique thing about you or your writing that might help you towards establishing yourself as unskippable in today's skippable world? This copy is courtesy of Jim Kukral Win a paperback copy of Unskippable™ All entrants, as above, will be entered in a second random drawing for an additional copy of the paperback Mark will be ordering this via an online bookstore (most likely Amazon, unless the listener is in a country where shipping via a local store there is preferable) One more chance for winning the 3rd paperback copy All Patrons of Stark Reflections will automatically be entered in a chance to win the third copy of the book. (Yes, that means Patrons who comment get an additional chance to win) A final chance for the 4th copy (also for Patrons) Over on Patreon, patrons of the podcast can comment on this post for an additional chance to win a print copy of the book Mark then reflects on something that Jim spoke about in the interview. When Jim was talking about standing for something and brands taking a stance, a solid, non-wishy-washy stance that focuses on beliefs and core values, it reminded Mark of the age-old advice to authors that your book is NOT for everyone. Links of Interest Jim Kukral's Website Your Journey to Becoming Unskippable™ (All Retailers) Jim's other books Jim's podcast: Unskippable with Jim Kukral Jim's co-hosted podcast - The Sell More Books Show The Creative Penn Podcast (Joanna Penn) Episode: How To Be An Unskippable Author with Jim Kukral Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey Patreon for Stark Reflections Jim Kukral is recognized as an expert in online marketing and branding. He delivers insightful and entertaining keynotes to growth-oriented organizations on attention-getting marketing, creative branding and understanding how customers think, react and most importantly, buy. With a passion for speaking and teaching, Jim travels around the world to teach brands and business owners on how they can apply his UNSKIPPABLE method to their marketing and brand mission to generate positive ROI-based outcomes and purposely attract lifetime customers. 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 Mark O'Neill a writer of German spy thrillers who has released more than a dozen books in his Department 89 spy thriller series in the past couple of years after spending thirty years passionate about writing. Prior to the interview, Mark talks about a Twitter comment from Rachel Amphlett regarding episode 78. He also thanks Patrons of the show who support it via www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Mark also shares a personal update about receiving his annual royalty statement and cheque from one of his publishers, referring to it as "Schrodinger's Envelope" - before the envelope is opened it is both larger than and small than last year's at the same time. 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 conversation Mark and Mark talk about: Mark's background in writing via journalism and a life-long passion until he encountered Mark Dawson who opened his eyes to the self-publishing side of things The value of the introduction to self-publishing course that Mark Dawson taught The reasoning behind setting his spy thrillers in Germany as well as making the lead character a strong female spy Mark's contacts in the police, embassy and military that have been helpful for research in his novels The concept of Mark's thrillers not being for those who want 100% accuracy but are there to enjoy the escape and fantasy of a novel that is just an entertaining romp The importance of not focusing on Captain Sophie Decker, the main character, as a sex object, but as a specialist and capable professional regardless of being male or female A bit of the backstory of how Decker created Department 89 The different English and German media programs that Mark might have been partially inspired by when writing this series The German translations that Mark has produced for the first two books in the series A little about the difference in the German market as compared to the North America and UK markets The media page that Mark has on his author website What Mark would go back and tell his younger writer self about what he has learned in the past two years Links of Interest Mark O'Neill's Website Mark's Media Kit Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula Courses Episode 51 - Interview with Rachel Amphlett Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark is a 40-something Scotsman, now living the expatriate lifestyle in Würzburg, Germany. He has been writing in one form or another for the past 30 years. However, he is now an independently published fiction writer, currently working on the Department 89 espionage novels starring the female spy Captain Sophie Decker, protecting the German state. The first D89 book, "The Renegade Spy" was downloaded more than 4,000 times in the first 4 weeks. Plots have been outlined for up to 20 Department 89 novels. The first book, "The Renegade Spy" has received rave reviews, with one reviewer comparing Sophie Decker to the female version of Bruce Willis's character, John McClaine, in the Die Hard movies. 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 slightly shorter episode (which was initially intended to be a bonus episode for Patreon supporters of the podcast), Mark does a "reflections on other podcasts" show. He shares a clip from the Kobo Writing Life Podcast where Christine Munroe interviews Rakuten Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn and then reflects on some of the things that Michael talks about. Prior to the interview, Mark reads some listeners comments from Pranathi and Chad Boyer and also thanks new podcast patron Linda Stirling for supporting the show via www.patreon.com/starkreflections and talks a little about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by BundleRabbit You can learn more about how authors can use BundleRabbit as a collaborative publishing tool over at www.bundlerabbit.com. In the interview, which is a clip from Episode 153 of the Kobo Writing Life podcast, podcast co-host Christine Munroe interviews Michael Tamblyn. Michael shares an intriguing and meaningful response to the question Why Kobo? and also talks about other things that are important to this eBook and audiobook retailer that is focused on the reading experience. After the short clip, Mark reflects on the comments from Michael. Links of Interest Kobo Writing Life Podcast - Episode 153 - Why Our CEO Loves Indie Authors Bundlerabbit Episode 9 of Stark Reflections - Interview with Chuck Heintzelman of BundleRabbit Episode 27 - Jamie Ferguson on Bundles, Curation and Collaboration Killing It On Kobo Stark Reflections Survey 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 some thoughts and reflections from last week's visit to Book Expo America in New York. He explains a bit about what the fair is, why the fair is, his impressions and thoughts of this year's fair and a bit about its history, as well as a few news items related to the fair. Prior to the main content, Mark talks about a few comments and welcomes new Patron Stanley B. Trice. 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. During the episode Mark talks about: Headline - a cool way to promote your audio content An intriguing blog series from Penguin Random House with insights into traditional publishing A deal between Dreamscape Media and LMBPN Publishing (Michael Anderle's publishing company) James A. Hunter and the publishing company (Shadow Alley Press) that he runs with his wife Jeanette Links of Interest Book Expo America BISG (Book Industry Study Group) LMBPN Publishing Dreamscape/LMBPN Press Release Shadow Alley Press Penguin Random House Blog Series (Book Lover's Guide to Publishing) 1 - Publishing Ephemera 2 - Publishing Process 3 - Printing & Production 4 - Design & Size Findaway Voices Blog post on using Headliner to promote your audio Stark Reflections Survey 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 chats with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch about writing with chronic health issues, contract negotiations with publishers, mistakes that authors are making, and so much more. Prior to the interview, Mark does a little house-keeping regarding winners of Danny Bell's first novel from Episode 70, reads new comments, thanks Patrons who support the show, and talks about being in New York this week for Book Expo America. Mark also shares a recent presentation that Michael Tamblyn, CEO of Kobo, presented to the BISG (Book Industry Study Group) in late April. 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 conversation Kris and Mark talk about: Kris's recent move and the discoveries made in relation to a book she recently released called WRITING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS How Kris's entire life has revolved around exercise and writing and that likely made a positive difference for her despite huge health challenges that she faced, and potentially is what might have kept her alive The realization that Kris made only recently that she had never learned how to rest The way she utilizes running and walking to benefit her writing How Kris's training in radio automatically activates her "critical voice" The rotating playlists Kris uses when running (often ones that have to have a really good beat) The move from 5000 square feet (with offices across the house from one another) to 1600 square feet (and a shared office) and how Kris and her husband Dean manage their own unique writing spaces The value for writers in understanding the way that different editors approach a piece of writing Breaking down the myth that there's a single book (or story) out there that everyone will love What "reader cookies" are and how they can play upon an editor's personal preferences A look at "anti-reader cookies" - element or content in a story that an editor hates or will refuse to read How Ray Bradbury practiced writing a short story a day The concept of "writing into the dark" when creating your first draft and how that plays into the fact we have been consuming stories since we were pre-verbal How, with so many tasks, deadlines and balls in the air, Kris decides what writing project to work on next The importance of growing as a writer by writing about things that stretch or challenge her How Kris's book DEALBREAKERS helped Mark negotiate a much better contract with his publisher The choice of "walking" which writers always have when being presented with a publishing contract The three big things that Kris sees that indie authors are not doing correctly: Following Trends, Burning Out and Neglecting their Personal Lives/Families/Health, Following the Scams (that promise seemingly impossible results) The free content that Kris shares (both fiction and non-fiction) on her website on a regular basis, and the origin for both The value of networking and personal connections made during in-person workshops (both the craft workshops as well as the business workshops) The "no politics" and "no religion" rules that Kris and Dean operate within for their workshops (which allows writers to bond regardless of their political or religious biases After the interview, Mark reflects upon one of the things Kris said regarding taking a workshop when it's in town as opposed to removing yourself from your regular schedule/life, and why the travel/removal of one's self from day to day life for such a learning/bonding experience can be valuable. Links of Interest Kristine Kathryn Rusch Business Musings Blog Posts Book: Writing with Chronic Illness WMG Publishing WMG Writing and Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Kris writes in almost every genre and her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in more than twenty best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov's Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award. Kris also has an extensive history in publishing and editing, having been the editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction as well as co-publishing the original Puuse Magazine with her husband, Dean Wesley Smith. The two now run WMG Publishing, which publish a revised version of Pulphouse, the Fiction River anthology series and many other projects, along with running publishing workshops both online and in person.

In this episode Mark interviews Sarah McVanel, author, professional speaker, and owner of the boutique firm Greatness Magnified, about her latest book FLIP SIDE OF FAILING. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update (which includes being stuck in Oklahoma City for a couple of extra days due to tornado-rich storms) 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. In their conversation, Sarah and Mark talk about: Sarah's introduction to being a writer and a speaker when a work colleague that she adored decided to retire How we (the corporate world) don't properly leverage recognition Sarah's first book F.R.O.G. (Forever Recognize Others' Greatness) and the accompanying workbook that provided tools she co-authored with Brenda Zalter-Minden How Sarah and Brenda collaborated on the books Recognizing the two distinct author voices in their particular collaboration and how they leveraged that The exploratory method that took two years for Sarah and Brenda to write their first book How Home Depot was the first big corporate client to hire Sarah because they discovered her first book A personal and professional turning-point moment involving Sarah's son, dealing with bullying, and cutting Sarah's new book Flip Side of Failing and how she didn't plan on writing a book on failure The common theme of the book that you can fail and still be great - and how failure can help us achieve greater success How we have to have a failure-friendly mindset, and be in a context that accepts failure in order to elevate from failure The acronym ACCEPT (Acquire / Choice / Connection / Expect / Progress / Transformation) How Sarah launched the book exclusively at the Spark Women's Leadership Conference on May 16th prior to the book's global release on May 21st. Everyone at the conference gets a book, Sarah does a keynote, and there's a panel that Sarah moderates on the topic of failing How you are going to show up if you believe in your new book and what it offers to readers The importance of attaching your book launch to an event After the interview Mark reflects on two things from the conversation with Sarah that were important to him. First, the importance of recognizing the greatness in others. And second, the concept Sarah mentioned that you don't always write the book you planned to write. Mark then thanks Patrons of the show and reminds them of the additional audio content available to them (including a few answers to four questions post that went up earlier that same day) - he also riffs off of a couple of verbal errors he previously made. Links of Interest Sarah McVanel's Website Flip Side of Failing Forever Recognize Others' Greatness The FROG Effect Workbook Sarah's Speaker Profile Sarah's Video Resources Findaway Voices EP 005 - Global Audiobook Opportunities for Authors EP 022 - Finding my Way with Findaway Patreon for Stark Reflections CAPS - Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Stark Reflections Survey SARAH McVANEL helps individuals leverage the exponential power of recognition to retain top talent, fuel healthy teams and sustain healthy bottom lines. She speaks nationally on the topic, leads workshops, coaches leaders, and conducts organizational recognition program reviews. Sarah specializes in working with service-based organizations and "helping professionals." Sarah is a Certified Speaker Professional (CSP), Certified Senior Organizational Development Professional (CSODP), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), and president of the Toronto Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS). She has a BA in Psychology, MSc in Family Relations, and Diplomas in Human Resources and Healthcare Administration. Sarah has over 18 years' experience including at a senior leadership level and now owns boutique firm Greatness Magnified. She is an author of peer-reviewed journals, articles and four books. 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 Carolyn Arnold (the author of the Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures) and her husband George. Prior to the interview, 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 his personal update, Mark shares the fact that he is in Oklahoma City, OK, spending a week at the Draft2Digital offices. He also talks about the importance of connecting in person (both with respect to hanging out with his colleagues from D2D as well as the in-person connections that happen at writer conferences). He also shares his experience attending the Alicia Witt concert at The Blue Door in OKC and as well as his involvement "working backstage" or "front of house" for the evening. In addition, he talks about the anger that fans of Game of Thrones have been expressing recently, and a petition fans are signing along with the thought that the emotional investment fans are displaying is evidence of really powerful and effective storytelling. In their chat, Mark, Carolyn and George talk about: How long Carolyn and George have been collaborating as a husband and wife team and writer and publisher George's 25 years of experience as a designer before he adapted that knowledge into designing Carolyn's book covers Carolyn's start in writing in a serious way in 2006 shortly after a work colleage asked her to tell her a story What drew Carolyn to the dark corners of murder and mysteries The way that Carolyn doesn't really know the end of her novels and that she investigates along with her investigators How writing 10 books in a single year led to Carolyn's need of having George start to do the formatting of the eBooks and print books for her Carolyn's belief that, though she is the creative person (the writer) that George is also a very creative person in their partnership The need for divided and separating their at home work spaces Strategy and detailed analytics that into the launch of each new book How the message in Carolyn's book IN THE LINE OF DUTY is nearest and dearest to her heart The research involved ERT and SWAT to ensure accuracy in the details of Carolyn's novels The origin of Carolyn's two main branding catch phrases The spreadsheet Carolyn and George have with various contacts and specialists from police, FBI, coroners, etc Long term and patient curation of and engagement with Carolyn's fan base The way Carolyn alternates between writing in her difference series books The business decision behind the settings for Carolyn's novels in the US rather than in Canada The value of ARC and early reader feedback and how they use Bookfunnel for that The "empowering to women" effect of Carolyn's Madison Knight series and character How SHADES OF JUSTICE was influenced by a double homicide that happened in Toronto Strategies regarding moving into audiobooks How the beauty of a leaf led to freeing up Carolyn's creative mind in determing the solution to a novel she had been working on Advice that Carolyn and George would offer to help a creative person transition their passion to a full time career After the interview, Mark reflects on the creativity involved in publishing and marketing. He then thanks recent commenters on the podcast and Patreon supporters. Links of Interest Carolyn Arnold's Website Hibbert and Styles Publishing Alicia Witt A clip from the end of the song "Liz" that Alicia wrote for Mark A recent blog post where Mark gushes about Alicia's music The Blue Door OKC Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™. Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. She currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime. GEORGE ARNOLD is a graphic design artist with nearly thirty years experience. Through his employment with a local graphic company, his talent has been put to work for many big names including 3M, M