BROADCASTS.com

#334 All About Writing Retreats with Lisa Shaughnessy

In this episode, we are joined by Lisa Shaughnessy, founder of The Writing Retreat Sampler and creator of The Writing Retreat Directory. The Writing Retreat Sampler is a series of virtual events that help writers find writing retreats that best suit their writing and publishing goals, and The Writing Retreat Directory is a free directory that features more info on writing retreats across the globe! We have a great conversation with Lisa about all things to do with writing retreats, and how writing retreats can really be a boon to authors.

Lisa also tells us how she started her business, what inspired her to create a writing retreat directory, talks about what retreats can do for authors overall, how hosts can create great workshops, virtual vs. in-person retreats, and much more! We go on to discuss how to build community at a writing retreat, what feedback can do for you and how to respond to it, and much more. If one of your goals for the coming year is to participate in a writing retreat, this is the episode for you.

To learn more, check out\\xa0Lisa\\u2019s blog, and follow\\xa0The Writing Retreat Directory on\\xa0Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

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#333 The Year in Review with the Kobo Writing Life Team

In this episode, we sat down as a team to talk about everything do with Kobo Writing Life that took place over the last year! KWL Director Tara, Author Engagement Manager Laura, Promotions Specialist Rachel, Kobo Originals Lead and Content Coordinator Vanessa and Content Coordinator Terrence all shared highlights from their work in 2023, including insights into Kobo Plus, the Kobo Plus expansions, Kobo Originals, translations, conferences we attended, the Kobo Writing Life podcast, promotional offerings, and much, much more! We also chatted about what to expect from us next year, including some exciting hints as to what\\u2019s to come.

Plus, don\\u2019t miss out on the many great books we recommend to our listeners \\u2013 be sure to take notes and stack your TBR piles for the coming year!

Lastly, happy 2024 from the Kobo Writing Life team. Here\\u2019s to another great year of publishing! We can\\u2019t wait to continue working with you in the new year.

Go to our site to learn more about Kobo Writing Life, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X.

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#332 Writing a Small-town Sports Romance with Elena Armas

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#331 Believing in Your Readers with Bethany Lopez

In this episode, we are joined by Bethany Lopez, a USA Today best-selling, multi-genre author who has written over thirty books! Bethany is a prolific author with multiple ongoing contemporary romance series to her name, as well as several paranormal romance series under the pen name DJ Bryce! Her latest release on Kobo is a box set of her popular series, The Jilted Wives Club, available now.

Bethany tells us about her career as an author, getting started in YA fiction before transitioning to new adult romance, the changes she has seen in the indie publishing landscape, how she uses her newsletter, how she markets her books, all about how she reaches her readers through different avenues, and much, much more!

Follow Bethany on\\xa0Instagram, Facebook, and X, or visit her\\xa0website to learn more.

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#330 The Realities of Indie Publishing and Writing Romance with J. Sterling

In this episode, we are joined by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Jenn Sterling, writing as J. Sterling, whose latest series, Fun for the Holidays, features holiday romances for every season. Check out her latest instalment, The Thanksgiving Hookup!

Jenn is also the author of dozens of books across several series, and is the author of sports romances, celebrity romances, new adult romances, and many more. We had a great conversation with Jenn about all things romance writing, marketing, advice from friend and fellow author Colleen Hoover, and how the independent publishing world has changed since she first published in 2011.

We spoke to Jenn about her writing career, how she has written and published books for almost twelve years, how much indie publishing has changed, how marketing for indie publishers has evolved, TikTok and its many uses (as well as how fun of an app it is), and, of course, lots of talk about sports! We had a fun, frank, and inspiring conversation with Jenn, and can\\u2019t wait for you to listen to this episode!

Learn more about Jenn on her website, and follow her\\xa0on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.

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#329 Writing a Thrilling YA Series with Brett Riley

In this episode, we spoke to Brett Riley, author of fiction, screenplays, and creative non-fiction. Based in Las Vegas, he also teaches creative writing at the College of Southern Nevada. We had a great chat about his works, writing in the horror genre, his love of comic books, and his sci-fi and fantasy YA series with elements of the otherworldly and monstrous, Freaks. We also learned so much from Brett on the craft of writing, and had a great conversation about writing processes. We know you\\u2019ll learn a lot from Brett, so don\\u2019t miss out on listening to his great advice and insights!

We discussed the beginnings of Brett\\u2019s writing career, why he loves horror, fantasy, and writing YA, some insight into how his writing process plays out, how he writes action scenes in his books, and, of course, got some great writing advice! As always, there\\u2019s much, much more, so be sure to listen to this wonderful episode in full.

Learn more about Brett on his website, and follow him on X and Instagram.

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#328 Wellness, Writing, and Working with Kobo Originals with Elizabeth Barone

In today\\u2019s episode, we are joined by Elizabeth Barone, author of over a dozen novels, with one of her latest releases published by Kobo Originals! Stagwood Falls: Love in Ink is a contemporary romance taking place in the fictional town of Stagwood Falls and the tattoo parlour \\u2013 and the women who work there \\u2013 at the heart of it. A Touch of Gold and the Love in Ink series are described as \\u201cVirgin River meets LA Ink\\u201d \\u2013 and if you\\u2019re a fan of former-crushes-to-lovers, small town vibes, and tattoos, this is the series for you! \\xa0Plus, look forward to the release of book two in the series, coming soon exclusively from Kobo.

Elizabeth spoke to us about what it was like working with Kobo Originals, living and writing with UCTD and PTSD, how her well-being and mental health are an important part of her writing process, getting inspired to write a contemporary romance series, how A Touch of Gold differs from her grittier romances, wellness and self-care, advice on avoiding burnout, and much more! We really enjoyed this insightful conversation with Elizabeth and we know you will, too.

Learn more about Elizabeth on her\\xa0website, and follow her on Instagram.

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#327 Creative Advice for Neurodivergent Authors with October K. Santerelli

In this episode, we are joined by fantasy author, LGBTQ+ sensitivity reader, and international speaker and presenter October K. Santerelli! October\\u2019s latest book, City of Day, was published this past February and is the first in a planned trilogy. We were so excited to have October on the podcast after first hearing him present on neurodivergency and the creative process at Superstars Writing Seminar in Denver, CO earlier this year! KWL\'s director Tara was in attendance, and she had many great take-aways from that amazing presentation.

We chatted with October about his writing career, his presentations and speaking appearances at comic conventions, writing seminars, and more across the USA, neurodivergency and the creative process, his work as a sensitivity reader, and much more! We had a fun (and very informative) time chatting with October, and are excited to present this episode.

Learn more about October via his website, and follow him on\\xa0Tiktok, Tumblr and Instagram.

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#326 Facing Your First Draft with Mary Adkins

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#325 What Authors Can Learn from Movies with John Gaspard

In this episode, we spoke with John Gaspard, author of The Popcorn Principles: A Novelist\\u2019s Guide to Learning from the Movies, an indispensable guide to implementing tips and tricks learned from film directors and film in general into your fiction writing. John is also the author of several mystery novels across two series, as well as multiple standalone novels and non-fiction titles. He also hosts two podcasts and has directed six low-budget feature films!

We chatted with John about his new non-fiction title, his filmmaking experience, the times he spent interviewing well-known film directors, crafting a compelling mystery, what writers can learn from filmmakers, and so much more. Be sure to check out the "sequel" to The Popcorn Principles; John\\u2019s latest, More Popcorn Principles: Further Cinematic Storytelling Strategies for Novelists is out now!

Learn more about John by visiting his website.

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#324 Publicity for Indie Authors with Halima Khatun

In this episode, we spoke with Halima Khatun, PR consultant, former broadcast journalist, and author of the new non-fiction title Priceless Publicity, a book full of useful information for independent writers looking to improve their publicity and media coverage output! Halima is also the author of several highly praised rom-coms, including her award-winning debut novel, The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage. Her work has been featured in Huffington Post, Metro, Business Advice and StartupNation, and we can\'t wait to see what she writes next.

Halima shared some amazing advice regarding editing, book blurbs, writing (and lengthening) a series, writing a rom-com (and its sequels), and, of course, garnering publicity for your work! If you\\u2019ve ever wanted to learn more about publicity and PR for indie authors, this is the episode for you.

Learn more about Halima via her website, and follow her on\\xa0Facebook and Instagram.

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#323 Important Tools for Indie Authors with Mark Dawson

In today\\u2019s episode, we are joined by renowned indie publishing business expert, educator and author, Mark Dawson \\u2013 who also happens to be a fellow podcast producer and host! Mark Dawson is the author of over twenty books across multiple series, has sold millions of copies of his titles, and is also the founder of the Self Publishing Formula and host of the Self Publishing Show podcast. Mark hardly needs an introduction \\u2013 his presence in the world of self-publishing goes above and beyond, and it was great to have him join us for this episode.

We spoke to Mark about his Facebook ad process, his advertising course, his newsletter and how he optimizes its reach, and what he has coming up next \\u2013 including the a live conference! We had a really wonderful time and an interesting conversation with Mark \\u2013 don\\u2019t forget to check out\\xa0Self Publishing Formula for more resources and the associated Facebook group for a great community.

Be sure to also check out Self Publishing Show Live - digital tickets are available now!

You can learn more about Mark by visiting his\\xa0 website, listening to the SPF Podcast, or following him\\xa0on Twitter and Facebook.

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#322 Successes and Strengths in Self-publishing with Jasinda and Jack Wilder

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#321 Writing For Your Narrator with J. R. Ward

In this episode, we are joined by Jessica Ward, also known as J. R. Ward. J. R. Ward is the author of the acclaimed series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. Over 15 million copies of her novels are in print around the world and she has been published in over 25 countries globally! Her latest release as Jessica Ward is The St. Ambrose School for Girls, a coming-of-age novel described as Heathers meets The Secret History. \\xa0We were so excited to read this book and to hear more from the phenomenal author behind this new title and dozens of others.

We have a great conversation about Jessica\\u2019s writing process, the evolution of her career, her new release, writing an unreliable narrator, having multiple pen names, the inspiration for The St. Ambrose School for Girls, and much, much more!

For more info, check out J. R. Ward\\u2019s website and follow her\\xa0on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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#320 Writing Twists and Turns in Thrillers with Catherine McKenzie

In this episode, we spoke with Catherine McKenzie, USA Today best-selling author of \\u201criveting domestic suspense,\\u201d I\\u2019ll Never Tell, \\xa0\\u201cone of 2022\\u2019s best and most-anticipated thrillers,\\u201d Please Join Us, and more! After publishing more than a dozen titles since 2010, Catherine\\u2019s latest, Have You Seen Her, is out today!

We asked Catherine about her journey to becoming a writer, her previous career in law, why she believes so many lawyers are also published authors, how she plots out her psychological thrillers, what drew her to the genre in the first place, and more! Catherine also gave some great advice for those interested in wrapping their heads around the twists and turns of thrillers.

Content note: this episode features brief discussions about real-world missing persons cases, murder, and suicide, and may be upsetting to some listeners. Please listen with awareness of this subject matter.

Visit Catherine\\u2019s website or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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#319 Mythology, Fantasy, and LGBTQ+ Representation with Arizona Tape

In this episode, we heard from Arizona Tape, author of dozens of books across multiple series, and collaborative writer on many more! We learned about Arizona\\u2019s journey to becoming a full-time writer, heard more about her solo and her collaborative writing processes, asked after her favourite manga and anime series, and got some great advice for emerging writers.

We also chatted about LGBTQ+ representation, readers seeing themselves represented in Arizona\\u2019s books, and why Arizona wanted to write books that her younger self was never able to find. We had a wonderful conversation with Arizona and can\\u2019t wait to see what she writes next!

Be sure to visit Arizona\'s website, sign up for her author newsletter, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

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#318 Plotting a Compelling Thriller with Ruth Ware

In this episode, we spoke to bestselling author Ruth Ware about her upcoming release, Zero Days, available on June 20th, 2023. Ruth\\u2019s novels have been translated into over 40 languages as well as optioned for film and TV, and she has garnered numerous bestsellers internationally. Zero Days is a tech-based, fast-paced thriller wherein the protagonist finds that there is nowhere to hide, and enemies are everywhere. We are very excited for everyone to read Ruth\\u2019s latest!

We discussed Ruth\\u2019s journey to becoming a full-time writer, how she develops the plots for her thrillers, what her writing process looks like, the difference between a \\u201ctwist\\u201d and a \\u201creveal\\u201d in storytelling, and much more.\\xa0

Learn more about Ruth and her work on her website, and find her on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

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#317 Writing Collaborative Romance with Christina Lauren

In this week\\u2019s episode, we spoke with New York Times, USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author, Christina Lauren \\u2013 which is the pen name of two authors, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings! We are here to highlight their latest release \\u2013 The True Love Experiment, available now \\u2013 and to learn more about their amazing writing career.

Christina and Lauren tell us about how they got started writing together, how they collaborate for reach book, how their collaborative style developed, the importance of fandom, and more. We also got a great list of recommended romance reads, and received some great advice for those writers looking to collaborate with others!\\xa0

You can learn more on Christina Lauren\\u2019s website, and be sure to follow\\xa0Christina Lauren on\\xa0Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

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#316 True Crime Writing with Kerrie Droban

In this episode, we are joined by award-winning true crime writer Kerrie Droban to discuss her latest release, Aurora, and to hear more about her amazing writing career! Kerrie\\u2019s experience as a criminal and family attorney has heavily influenced her career in writing true crime narratives, and she is an expert in criminal pathology and motorcycle gangs who has written many books on both subjects.

We heard about Kerrie\\u2019s journey from poetry to law to true crime writing, how reading (and even writing) true crime can aid in your fiction writing, how she ended up entering law school, how her creative interests aided her law career (and how her law career aided her writing), advice for aspiring true crime writers, and more.

To learn more, visit Kerrie\\u2019s website and be sure to follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Content note: Our discussion touches on real crimes and some of the disturbing content involved in said crimes. Please listen with awareness of this subject matter.

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#315 Second Chapter Authors with Maren Cooper

In this episode, we talk to author Maren Cooper, writer of literary and contemporary women\\u2019s fiction. We spoke to Maren about how she went from working in healthcare to having a writing career, her sources of inspiration, her story as a \\u201csecond chapter\\u201d author, and her latest (and second) novel, Finding Grace, a coming-of-age story about a family struggling to come together again. Maren was very detailed and frank in her discussion of becoming an author, the importance of a writing community, and more; she had a lot of great advice to offer our listeners! \\xa0

Her next novel will be out this November, so be sure to check out her\\xa0website to stay updated on her releases.

You can also find Maren on\\xa0Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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#314 How to Write Historical Romance with Grace Callaway

In this episode, we sat down with Grace Callaway, USA Today and international best-selling author of historical romances (that are often on the steamier side, with lots of mystery and adventure)! Grace\\u2019s latest, Glory and the Master of Shadows, is the fourth in her series, Lady Charlotte\'s Society of Angels, which is, in Grace\\u2019s own words, \\u201ca Victorian-era Charlie\'s Angels\\u201d!

We were so excited to speak to Grace about Glory and the Master of Shadows (and its gorgeous cover), her other books, her journey to writing, advice on research for historical romances, and more!\\xa0

Be sure to visit Grace\'s website to learn more about her and her books. You can also find her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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#313 2 Books at 20 Years Old with Citra Tenore

In this episode, we are joined by Citra Tenore, an author who wrote her first book at 11 and published it at 12! We chat about how and why she wrote her second, the start of a sci-fi epic, at 19. We heard about how Citra got into writing, her initial dislike of reading and love of film, how she wrote her first book, why she found that sci-fi was her genre of choice for her second book, and where she finds her inspiration. She also offered some great advice for young writers, as well as advice for any parents of young writers out there looking to nurture that interest. We had a great conversation with Citra overall and look forward to seeing what she writes next!

You can find out more about Citra on her website, and be sure to grab a copy of The Dead Planets\\u2019 Requiem vol. 1, the first in her sprawling sci-fi series.

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#312 Becoming a Best-selling Thriller Author with Amy Stuart

In this episode, we spoke to Amy Stuart, author of A Death at the Party, out today \\u2013 get your copy now! A Death at the Party is a thriller that takes place over the course of one day as one woman\\u2019s plans for a party go terribly wrong, and has been aptly described as \\u201cMrs. Dalloway with a suspense engine of Lisa Jewell!\\u201d We were very excited with this title, and are sure you will be, too.

Amy discusses her new release, her path to writing, her experience being a teacher, getting an MFA, and working as a writing instructor, details the interesting framework of her murder mystery-thriller novel, gets into the cast of characters, and regales us with some amazing writing advice!\\xa0

Learn more about Amy via her website, and be sure to follow her on\\xa0Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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#311 Looking at Legal Issues as an Indie Author with Maria Riegger

In this episode, we spoke to Maria Riegger, attorney, self-help writer, and author of fiction and non-fiction titles such as the best-selling Legal Issues Authors Must Consider, a book that provides information on starting your self-publishing business, legal liability considerations, advice on how to protect your copyrights, how to safely use copyrighted material, and more. We learned a lot from Maria and found this discussion of the legal aspects of being an indie author very interesting and informative!

Content note: Nothing discussed in this episode of the podcast should be use as legal advice. This episode is meant to be informative, educational, and entertaining \\u2013 if you have questions related to copyright law and other legal issues surrounding your books, independent publishing, and publishing in general, please contact a legal representative in your area for more information.

Learn more about Maria on her website, and be sure to follow her on\\xa0Facebook and Twitter!

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#310 Writing Romance, Working with Kobo Originals, and More with Jackie Lau

In this episode, we spoke to Jackie Lau, author of The Unmatchmakers, The Stand-Up Groomsman, and many more titles, and we\'re celebrating the release of her second novel with Kobo Originals, Not Your Valentine!

We spoke to Jackie about her new release, her writing process, her favourite romance tropes, her experience working with Kobo Originals, using Toronto as a setting, what it\\u2019s like to be a hybrid author and the differences between traditional and indie publishing, and so much more! Our discussion was informative and interesting, and as Rachel can attest, you don\\u2019t want to miss out on Jackie\\u2019s gourmet donut recommendations. Take notes, Torontonians!

Visit Jackie\\u2019s website here, or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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#309 Writing a Legal Thriller with Alexandra Shapiro

In this episode, we chatted with Alexandra Shapiro, criminal defense lawyer and debut author as of 2021. We asked Alexandra about working with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, how her career as a lawyer helped her creative writing, why so many lawyers are also amazing authors, legal thriller and sci-fi crossovers, and much more. We had a great conversation with Alexandra \\u2013 if you are interested in writing a legal thriller, learning more about how to write legal dramas effectively and accurately, or in need of some great writing advice and encouragement in general, don\\u2019t miss this episode.

Alexanda\\u2019s legal thriller, Presumed Guilty, is available now! For more information on Alexandra\\u2019s debut novel, visit her website or follow Alexandra on Instagram and Twitter.

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#308 New Year, New Indie Publishing Trends with the KWL Team

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#307 How to Boost Your Backlist Sales

For more advice on boosting your backlist, check out these previous posts and podcast episode:

• Looking to give your backlist books a refresh? Follow this guide
• KWL Podcast #171 - Making Your Backlist Work for You with Zoe York
• Making the most out of offering free content to your readers

And be sure to follow Kobo Writing Life on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram for more!

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#306 Debut Novels and Dark Fantasy with Meg Smitherman

In this episode, we spoke with Meg Smitherman, debut indie author of Destroyer, the first book in a new adult, dark fantasy romance duology. Meg chatted with us about her new novel, fanfiction, finding a writing community on TikTok, her experience getting an MFA in London, England, finally writing in the ideal genre for her, and much more. Meg also offers amazing writing advice and writing updates via her TikTok \\u2013 follow her here!

Destroyer is available now on Kobo and wherever eBooks are sold. You can find out more about Meg on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, or her website.

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#305 - The Voice of a Ghostwriter with Daniel Paisner

In this week\\u2019s episode, we spoke to Daniel Paisner, ghostwriter of seventeen NYT bestselling books among many, many others. Daniel is also a podcaster and author of his own novels, the latest of which came out this year. His long-spanning career includes writing with and for Gilbert Gottfried, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Aoki, Anthony Quinn, Serena Williams, and more.

We dove into Daniel\\u2019s experience ghostwriting, what makes a good collaboration and collaborator, ghostwriting advice, why and when he decided to write his own works, and more. Our conversation was extremely interesting and informative, and we got to hear about his own podcast, As Told To, a show where each episode features a conversation between Daniel and another ghostwriter.

Daniel\\u2019s latest book, Balloon Dog, is available now on Kobo. You can find out more about Daniel and his work on his website, or by visiting him on TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook.

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#304 Writing a Spicy Series with Jade West

In this episode, we talk to best-selling romance and erotica author, Jade West, about writing very spicy and often hardcore books, the elusive and surprising inner workings of the TikTok algorithm, and having your books go viral. We hope you enjoy this enlightening conversation on marketing erotica, authenticity in writing, self-publishing as a writer of spicy books, and how to write a good sex scene, and more!

Jade\\u2019s latest audiobook, Hello Stranger, is available on Kobo. The rest of her audiobooks can be found here! And be sure to follow Jade on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Find more information about our podcast here. If you\'re ready to start your publishing journey, visit\\xa0kobo.com/writinglife.\\xa0

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#303 The Art of Story with Lisa M. Lilly

In this episode, we spoke to Lisa M. Lilly, author, lawyer, and fellow podcaster! Lisa M. Lilly hosts Buffy and the Art of Story, a podcast wherein Buffy the Vampire Slayer is discussed and analyzed for its storytelling techniques and how those techniques can help writers improve their craft. We talked to Lisa about her podcast, how she prepares for the show, her writing process, and her work regarding Writing As A Second Career, a site focused on advice for those pursuing writing careers and more.

Being huge fans of Buffy AND well-crafted stories here at KWL, we hope you enjoy this enthusiastic episode. We had so much fun talking to Lisa and hope this has inspired at least a few of you to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Follow Lisa on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and visit her online here.

Find more information about our podcast here. If you\'re ready to start your publishing journey, visit\\xa0kobo.com/writinglife.\\xa0

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#302 From Audiobooks to Authorship with Karen Grey

In this episode, we spoke with Karen White, an award-winning audiobook narrator who recently began writing and publishing her own works under the pen name of Karen Grey. We chatted about Karen\\u2019s career as an audiobook narrator, her transition into publishing as an indie author, and much more.\\xa0

We hope you enjoy this great conversation on the dos and don\\u2019ts of narrating audiobooks, tips on marketing, a look behind the scenes of audiobook recording, and much love for and enthusiasm about audiobooks overall! And be sure to follow Karen on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Find more information about our podcast here. If you\'re ready to start your publishing journey, visit\\xa0kobo.com/writinglife.\\xa0

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#301 Navigating Emotional Narratives with Carol Van Den Hende

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#300 The Journey of an eBook with the KWL Team

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#299 Writing Your Way Across Mediums with Alex de Campi

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#298 Word-of-Mouth Marketing with Alison G. Bailey

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#297 The Business of Writing Romance with Nana Malone

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#296 Creating an Author Universe with Penny Reid

In this episode we\\u2019re showcasing a live event that we held earlier this year on the KWL Facebook and YouTube pages. KWL Director Tara Cremin chatted with the wonderful indie author titan, Penny Reid. The universe that Penny has created, the "Pennyverse," is hugely popular with readers but also with writers. After several authors expressed interest in writing in her worlds, Penny opened it up and created the collaborative universe Smartypants Romance.

Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests\' books\\xa0here. If you\'re ready to start your publishing journey, visit\\xa0kobo.com/writinglife.\\xa0

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#295 Writing a Domestic Thriller with Samantha M. Bailey

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#294 - How to Become a Bestseller on Kobo

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#293 Being Uniquely You with Marcus Tallberg

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#292 Unapologetic Happy Endings with Adriana Herrera

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#291 Feminist Dystopian Fiction with Sara Foster

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#290 Satirical Fiction with Zarqa Nawaz

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#289 - Marketing Books with Written Word Media

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#288 - Writing Diversely with Renee Harleston

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#287 - TikTok Sells Books with Jayne Rylon and Lila Dubois

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#286 - Writing Female Friendship with Anat Deracine

Happy International Woman's Day to our KWL community! We wanted to celebrate by releasing a bonus episode this week - we hope you enjoy it!

We spoke with author Anat Deracine about her novel, Driving by Starlight, her experience growing up in Saudi Arabia and why writing about female friendship is so important to her.

https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/p/kwlpodcast

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#285 The Blood and Guts of Writing with Catherine Spader

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#284 Navigating Non-Monogamy with Rachel Krantz

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#283 Podcasting for Authors with Matty Dalrymple

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#282 Making NaNoWriMo Work for You with Sara Whitney

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#281 - Wonders All Around with Bruce McCandless III

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#280 - Panels and Conventions with Sam Maggs

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#279 - Becoming Future You with Mel Jolly

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Bonus Episode: Staff Picks with Kobo in Conversation

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#278 - Plotting a Cozy Mystery with Alexis Hall

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#277 - No Gods, No Monsters with Cadwell Turnbull

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#276 - Refilling Your Creative Well with L. Penelope

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#275 - The Mistletoe Motive with Chloe Liese

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#274 - Writing with Tarot with Lisa Kessler

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#273 The Future of AI Writing with Shane Neeley

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#272 - Building Your Beta Reader Team with Marni Mann

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#271 - Year of the Nurse with Cassandra Alexander

Paranormal romance author and ICU nurse Cassandra Alexander joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her new memoir,\\xa0Year of the Nurse. In her memoir, Cassandra recounts her time on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic working in the ICU. She talks to us about the writing process of\\xa0Year of the Nurse, what it was like revisiting the events of the previous 18 months, and the lasting effect of the pandemic on her mental health and that of healthcare workers globally.\\xa0\\xa0

Content note: this episode discusses heavy topics including Covid-19, PTSD, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Please listen mindfully.\\xa0\\xa0

Learn more about this episode!

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#270 - From Romance to Fantasy with K.A. Tucker

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#269 - Cross Promotions with Evan Gow from StoryOrigin

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#268 - Plotting a Twist with Eric Rickstad

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#267 - Creating a Sustainable Writing Career with Patricia McLinn

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Bonus Episode: A Conversation with Michelle Good

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#266 - Retelling Myths and Fairytales with Katee Roberts

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#265 - Moving A Series Wide with T.W. Piperbrook

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#264 - Love and Defiance in Storytelling with David Bezmozgis

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#263 - Finding Your Ideal Reader with Sue Campbell

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#262 - Finding Writing in Retirement with Michael Polelle

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#261 - An Editor's Perspective with Janice Zawerbny

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#260 - Going Viral with Jennifer L. Armentrout

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#259 - Clubhouse for Authors with Fatima Fayez and Jenn Falls

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#258 - Writing New Genres with Nalini Singh

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#257 - Crowdsourcing an Adaptation with Eric Maikranz

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#256 - Overcoming Writer's Block with Sarah Selecky

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#255 - Writing with your Readers with Kristen Ashley

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#254 - Writing Temperance Brennan with Kathy Reichs

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#253 - Multiple POV Mysteries with Aime Austin

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#252 - Inside the Kobo Elipsa with Kobo VP of Product Ramesh Mantha

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#251 - The Three Story Method with J. Thorn

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#250 - Exploring Characters' Choices with Lisa Taddeo

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#249 - From Industry to Author with Zakiya Dalila Harris

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#248 - Telling Stories in Style with Heather Newberger

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#247 - Making the Most of a Pandemic Book Launch with Jessica Hamilton

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#246 - Inside Digital Publishing with Kobo Senior Vendor Manager Siobhan Padgett

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#245 - Optimizing OverDrive with Lateefah Zawistowski

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#244 - Word of Mouth Marketing with Kobo Content Sales Lead Deandra Lalonde

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#243 - Mastering Productivity with Strategist and Author Sagan Morrow

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#242 - How to Build a Strategic Marketing Plan with Nina Grinstead

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#241 - Romance Mastermind with Skye Warren

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#240 - From Podcast to Book Deal with Liv Albert

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#239 - How to Perform in a Crowded Market with Ricardo Fayet

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#238 - Manifesting Creativity with Shauna Cummins

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#237 - Master KWL Promotions with Kobo Strategist Shayna Krishnasamy

Kobo Writing Life\\u2019s very own Shayna Krishnasamy joins us on the podcast this week to discuss all things promotions. Shayna is the Author Relations and Promotions Strategist for KWL, and she not only manages our promotions tab, but she also helped create it! Shayna tells us how the promo tab came to be, how authors can best utilize the promos we run, and what authors should do if they\\u2019re rejected from a promo.

Learn more about this episode!

If you would like the promotion tab enabled on your KWL dashboard, email us at writinglife@kobo.com.

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#236 - How to Craft Character Emotions with Sacha Black

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#235 - How to Build Skeleton Drafts with Steff Green

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#234 - Editing 101 with Kristina Stanley, JoEllen Nordstrom, and Lisa Lepki

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#233 - Building an Engaged Readership with Courtney Milan

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#232 - Hockey Heroes and Self Care with Kelly Jamieson

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#231 - How to Succeed as a Hybrid Author with Rebecca Zanetti

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#230 - Building Your Readership on YouTube with Teen Author Sophie Torro

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#229 - Breaking Barriers with Legendary Hollywood Actress Irene Tsu

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#228 - The Evolution of Digital Publishing with Kobo CCO Pieter Swinkels

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#227 - Climate Smart Romances with Tara L. Roi

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#226 - All About Vellum with Brad West

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#225 - How to Write Engaging Dialogue with Zalika Reid-Benta

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#224 - Building Library Catalogs with Jaclyn Derlatka

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#223 - Reaching Your Publishing Goals with Kate Tilton

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Bonus Episode: Kobo in Conversation with Eden Robinson

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#222 - A Festive Kobo Original with Talia Hibbert

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#221 - Using Patreon as an Indie Author with Lindsay Buroker

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#220 - Writing Bestselling Crime Fiction with Karin Slaughter

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#219 - Finding the Right Translator for Your Novel with Vanessa Asell Tsuruga

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#218 - The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger

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#217 - How to Excel at Co-Writing with PC Cast and Kristin Cast

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#216 - The Art of Embodied Writing with Brooke Adams Law

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#215 - Crafting a Compelling Series with Susan Stoker

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#214 - Going Global: Sell More Books Around the World with Orna Ross

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#213 - Selling a Series with Laurelin Paige

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#212 - All Things Audio with Deyan Audio

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#211 - Advice for Going Wide with Adam Croft

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#210 - Fandom, The Evolution of Geek Culture, and Building an Online Author Community with Sam Maggs

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#209 - Collaboration in Self-Publishing with Tim McConnehey

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#208 - Book Reviews and Author Branding with Melissa Dalton Martinez

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#207 - Assembling a Street Team with Nick Thacker

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#206 - Creating a Fictional Future with Megan Angelo

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#205 - An In Depth Look at Kobo Plus with Erik Rigters

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#204 - Creating a Successful Writing Routine with Allison Fallon

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#203 - Establishing your Author Brand with Dana Kaye

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#202 - A NaNoWriMo Success Story with Paul Austin Ardoin

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#201 - The Evolution of Publishing with Kevin J. Anderson

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Bonus Episode: Kobo in Conversation - Linwood Barclay

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#200 - Marketing Your Books on a Global Scale with Cristina Mendes

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#199 - Selling Audiobooks to the Kobo Customer with Elyse Daniels

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#198 - Incorporating Mythology and Folklore into Your Writing with Skye MacKinnon

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#197 - An #OwnVoices YA Debut with Nora Shalaway Carpenter

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#196 - Expanding Your Written Universe with Anthony Dobranski

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#195 - Alternative Storytelling Platforms with Kilby Blades

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#194 - The Road to Publication with Debut Author Abbigail N. Rosewood

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#193 - Adapting your Novel for the Screen with Maggie Marr

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#192 - Sharing Your Authentic Voice with Jasmin Kaur

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#191 - Audiobooks, Podcasts and the Future of Publishing with Joanna Penn

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#190 - Finding the Motivation to Become a Published Author with Glenn Dyer

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#189 - Touring as an Author vs. Touring as a Musician with Eamon McGrath

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#188 - Writing Advice and Finishing Your First Draft with Andrew David MacDonald

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#187 - In Conversation with Saeed Jones

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#186 - The Importance of a Pen Name with Tawdra Kandle

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#185 - Getting Creative with your Book Marketing with TS Paul

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Bonus Episode: The Future of Publishing with the Kobo Writing Life Team

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#184 - Writing Retreats and Finding Your Writing Community with Darcy Burke

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#183 - Writing Great Romance with Jennifer Probst

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#182 - Misconceptions about Motorcycle Romance with Autumn Jones Lake

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#181 - Building Your Readership through Email Marketing with Holly Mortimer

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#180 - A New Approach to Author Branding with Vanessa Vale

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#179 - How to Plot a Mystery with Sara Rosett

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#178 - The Pirate Author Code with David Mark Brown

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#177 - Writing Crime Fiction with Robert Craven

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#176 - Exploring Steampunk with Victoria L. Szulc

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#175 - The Queen of YA: Holly Black

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#174 - Original Content with Audiobook Expert Michelle Kaatz

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#173 - Launching a Stand-Out Series Wide with Michael Anderle

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#172 - Storytelling for Change with Juan Pablo Villalobos

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#171 - Making Your Backlist Work for You with Zoe York/Ainsley Booth

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#170 - From Wedding Planner to Writer with Violet Howe

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#169 - Lessons from the ER: How Melissa Yi Balances Writing and Medicine

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#168 - The Author and Narrator Relationship with Rachel Grant and Greg Tremblay

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Bonus Episode: 5 Tips to Help You Write a Novel in a Month #NaNoWriMo with Joanna Penn

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#167 - Relatability in Romance with Samantha Young

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#166 - How to Craft a New Writing Persona with Piper Rayne

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#165 - Storytelling with Waubgeshig Rice

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#164 - Learning the Habits of your Readers with Emma Chase

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#163 - How to Stay Relevant with an Authentic Online Presence with Rachel Van Dyken

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#162 - Behind the Book with Celebrity Ghostwriter Joshua Lisec

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#161 - How to Sustain a Successful Writing Career with Jill Shalvis

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#160 - From Fan Fiction to Finalist with Kobos Winning Romance Author Julie Evelyn Joyce

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#159 - Best Practices for Indie Writers with David Wind

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#158 - Using Obsession to Drive your Debut Novel with Nora Decter

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#157 - Creating Your Own Audiobook with Sarah Williams

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#156 - Diversity in Romance with Jackie Lau

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#155 - How to Find the Right Editor for You with Stefanie London

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#154 - All About Reedsy with Co-Founder Ricardo Fayet

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#153 - The Michael Tamblyn Interview: Why Our CEO Loves Indie Authors

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#152 - Indie Author Warrior: David Gaughran

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#151 - Moving Beyond Archetype: How to Write a Compelling Villain with Sacha Black

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#150 - Fight Writer's Block with Mythulu Creation Cards

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#149 - How Dale Mayer Writes 9000 Words Before Breakfast

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#148 - For the Love of Rom-Coms with Sally Thorne and Mhairi McFarlane

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#147 - Finding your Niche with Penny Reid

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#146 - Breaking Out in a New Genre with Carrie Ann Ryan

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#145 - How Book Trailers Can Benefit your New Release

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#144 - Sensitivity Readers with Dharma Kelleher

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#143 - From Cop to Crime Writer: Brent Pilkey

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Bonus Episode: Preview of Kobo in Conversation

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#142 - Starting a Publishing House with Meredith Wild

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#141 - Creating Beautiful Covers with Stuart Bache

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#140 - Building your Brand Using Pinterest and Instagram with Lauren Layne

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#139 - Crafting Characters with Damon Suede

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#138 - Approaching Translations for Success with Brenna Aubrey

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#137 - How to Be a Career Author with Nana Malone

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#136 - Transforming your Publishing Business with a Virtual Assistant

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#135 - Accessibility in EPUBs with Wendy Reid

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#134 - "The Spy and the Traitor" with Ben Macintyre

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#133 - Let's Talk Podcasting!

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#132 - The Cast and Crew of The House with a Clock in its Walls

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#131 - Ricci Wolman of Written Word Media

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#130 - How Signe Pike Sold her Book to Television

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#129 - Bringing a Story to Life through Music with Bishop Blue

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#128 - Expanding the Conversation around Gender with Dr. Lee Airton

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#127 - The Indie Author Mindset with Adam Croft

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#126 - A Tale of Love and Loss with Sarah Winman

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#125 - Using Murder Podcasts for Inspiration with Courtney Summers

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#124 - Romancing the Capital with Eve Langlais

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#123 - Celebrating 20 Years in Publishing with Shayla Black

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#122 - Indie Author Library Night Live with Toronto Public Library

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#121- Behind the Scenes Look at Kobo's New eReader Forma with Ramesh Mantha

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#120 - Going Global with Kobo Writing Life

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#119 - The Australian Indie Author Scene with Sasha Cottman

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#118 - Two Sides of Publishing with Lauren Weisberger and Mackenzie Belcastro

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#117 - Utilizing Personable Marketing with Kevin Tumlinson

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#116 - Narrating Audiobooks with Sean Pratt

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#115 - Craft and Collaboration with Rachael Herron and J. Thorn

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#114 - Crafting Culture to Massively Grow a Business with Scott Bintz

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#113 - All About EPUBs with Simon Collinson and Ben Dugas from Kobo

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#112 - Creating an Authentic Online Presence with Lauren Blakely

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#111 - Professional Book Nerds Adam Sockel and Jill Grunenwald from OverDrive

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#110 - Why Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant Publish Wide

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#109 - Writing a Memoir with Katja Meier

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#108 - Hollywood Royalty Vivica A. Fox Talks Writing

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#107 - Smart Bitches, Trashy Books' Sarah Wendell

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#106 - Creative Writing and Brutal Advice with Maxwell Alexander Drake

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#105 - How to Promote Books on YouTube with Ariel Bissett

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#104 - Building a Bestselling Career with Julia Kent

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#103 - Succeeding as an Indie Publisher with Kevin J. Anderson

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#102 - Running your Indie Publishing Business with Sarina Bowen

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#101 - Writing YA as a Teen with Charlotte Leonetti

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#100 - Behind the Scenes at Kobo with Featured Author Sarah Woodbury

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#99 - Sell More Books with BookBub

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#98 - A Mindset Shift to Write Every Day with Rachel Amphlett

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#97 - Editing an Anthology with James Alan Gardner and Spider Robinson

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#96 - Pep Talks from NaNoWriMos Grant Faulkner

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#95 - Estate Planning for Authors with M.L. Buchman

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#94 - Positive Journaling and Writing Fiction with Heather Tucker

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#93 - Interviews from When Words Collide 2017

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#92 - Trailblazing Modern Fantasy Author Charles de Lint

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#91 - A Special Kobo Audiobooks Announcement

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#90 - Mr W's Math Study Guides

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#89 - On Location Author Interviews at RWA 2017

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#88 - Five Strategies for Using Free Books to Build Sales

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#87 - Perils, Pitfalls and Perseverance with Eve Silver

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#86 - Writing Stand Alone Novels in a Series with Catherine Coulter

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#85 - Shaking up Complacent White Media with Scaachi Koul

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#84 - Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Part 3

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#83 - Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Part 2

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#82 - Romantic Times Booklovers Convention Part 1

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#81 - Blogging is Murder with Gillian Baker

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#80 - Balancing Truth and Fiction in Historical Novels with Emily Schultz

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#79 - Julie Czerneda on Dreaming, Dreamers & Dreamweavers

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#78 - From Full Time Author to Full Time Mom with Katie Cross

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#77 - Tips for a Great Author Head-Shot with Photographer Lauren Lang

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#76 - Balancing Editing and Writing with Joshua Essoe

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#75 - The Top 5 Things Successful Kobo Authors Have in Common

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#74 - Walking the Writer's Life with Joanna Penn

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#73 - Writing an Oprah Book Club Pick with Colson Whitehead

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#72 - Balancing Writing Light and Joy within Darkness with Affinity Konar

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#71 - Using a Deadline to Inspire with Robert Harris

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#70 - Writing For Passion, not Trends, with Melissa Foster

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#69 - Podcasting for Authors

-->What schedule(s) do the podcasts come out on? Monthly, Weekly, Daily.

--> Has podcasting interfered with writing or has it augmented it?


In the course of the discussion, Kris, Mark, Joanna and Dan talk about:

--> How podcasting allows them to network, learn, and connect with others
--> How the podcast needs to become a "habit" for listeners. Joanna, for example, shares stats about how moving to a weekly format increased her listener engagement
--> the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) value when you add a transcrpt of the show on your website
--> How Joanna almost gave up podcasting a couple of years ago because of the time it took away from her writing and how having a monetization strategy helped with that
--> Authors like Scott Sigler and Terry Fallis who used podcasting to build their audiences and kick-off their writing careers
--> Time management challenges, tools used and how the use of "batching" (pre-recording a number of episodes in a single sitting) has benefited Joanna Penn and J. Daniel Sawyer
--> The value of adding a personal side to a podcast, and the way that has benefited The Creative Penn podcast
--> Bundlerabbit- a service that allows people to curate their own bundles
--> The use of ad space swapping with other podcasts in order to expand one\'s audience
--> Podcast distribution options
--> The importance of listening to a podcast before pitching yourself to them as a potential guest


In the wrap-up, Mark talks about the importance of constantly learning.\\xa0 Kristine Kathryn Rusch is an industry veteran who teaches and mentors writers directly and on her amazing blog "The Business Rusch" But even after all those decades of experience, she still has an open mind and is willing to learn, because the publishing industry is constantly changing and evolving.

\\xa0

Links to other interviews with the same guests:

Episode 16 - Joanna Penn

Episode 29 - Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Episode 54 - The Uncollected Anthology (with Kris)

Episode 56 - J. Daniel Sawyer

\\xa0

Other Links of Interest:

Joanna Penn\'s HOW TO PODCAST

The Creative Penn Podcast

J. Daniel Sawyer\'s Full Suite of Audio/Podcasts

BundleRabbit

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#68 - How Ethan Jones Increased his Sales 260%

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#67 - Writing Bill Murray with Marni Jackson

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#66 - How Authors can get an Agent with Literary Agent Sarah Heller

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#65 - Matthew Cobb of Reedsy

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#64 - How Alpha Female Robyn Baldwin Healed a Broken Heart with Writing

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#63 - How to Become a Bestselling Hybrid Author with Melody Anne

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#62 - Industry Trends and Changes with Senior Editor Tessa Woodward

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#61 - Writing Enduring Villains with Peter James

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#60 - Book Blogging with Vilma Gonzalez

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#59 - Exploring Personal Tastes with Tom Vanderbilt

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#58 - Insights from Kobo Merchandisers

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#57 - How Helen Hardt Launched Waterhouse Press

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#56 - Weapons in Fiction with J. Daniel Sawyer

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#55 - Behind the Scenes at Kobo

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#54 - Creating the Uncollected Anthology

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#53 - The Benefits of Working with a Literary Agent with Amy Tannenbaum

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#52 A New Storytelling Platform with One More Story Games

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#51 - Writing and Mentoring with the Wizard of Storytelling, David Farland

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#50 - All-Star Indie Author Interviews Live in London

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#49 - Why you Need an Author Assistant with Kate Tilton

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#48 - Michael Connelly's Approach to Writing

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#47 - A KoBoWriMo Roundtable

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#46 - All about Wattpad with Ashleigh Gardner

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#45 - Balancing Traditional and Indie Publishing with Julianne MacLean

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#44 - Advertising Strategies for Indies with Mark Dawson

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#43 - A Live Interview with Marie Force

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#42 - Writing Serialized Bestsellers with Kelley Armstrong

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#41 - How to Balance Writing and Marketing with Barbara Freethy

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#40 - The Importance of a Strong Blurb with Bryan Cohen

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#39 - Creating a Visual, Bestselling Brand with Bella Andre

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#38 - Small Presses and the Business of Publishing with Angela Bole from IBPA

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#37 - How Writers can Avoid Being Scammed with Victoria Strauss

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#36 - Book Marketing with Nancy L. Baumann from Bookarma

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#35 - Balancing Travel Writing and How-To Guides with Carla King

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#34 - The Origins of NaNoWriMo with Grant Faulkner

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#33 - Conversations from the Northern Colorado Writers Conference

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#32 - How Dan Rubinstein Became Born to Walk

Director of Global Merchandising at Kobo, Nathan Maharaj interviews Dan Rubinstein, author of Born To Walk: The Transformative Power of A Pedestrian Act.

Nathan and Dan discuss:

• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The fascinating manner by which we are pre-disposed to bipedalism
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How, when he travels, Nathan prefers walking to get to his destination rather than figure out foreign transit systems
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The physical, psychological and social implications of having pushed the walking activity out of our lives and how \\u201csitting is the new smoking\\u201d
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Treadmill desks and how the experiment with that didn\\u2019t work so well for Dan. It was in the basement, thus dank and dark and without a window. Physically, it was okay, but Dan learned he was far more productive at his desk and would rather get the work done more efficiently to leave more room for walking.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How it\\u2019s not just about walking, but also about the environment and the mind paying \\u201ceffortless\\u201d attention to the surroundings, the serenity and the benefits
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The recent research on the relationship between walking and creativity and how they both evolved at the same time
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The manner by which we get together in groups and walk together; for protests, for celebrations and parades, for grieving, and more
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How people perceive neighbourhoods and locations differently when driving through in a car rather than walking by the exact same scene
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The phrase and sentiment of \\u201cwalk more anywhere\\u201d
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The masked character Peat\\xf3nito \\u2013 the defender and protector of pedestrians in Mexico
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How the design of urban centers and our reliance on instant gratification seem to have channeled our focus onto the reliance of the car and less on walking

Kobo Writing Life Director Mark Lefebvre then speaks a bit about price points and global price-point strategy, outlining why it is important for authors to manually control all of the currencies they have edit access to rather than depending on the system to do the auto-conversion for them. He offers some advice based on the various differences in the dollar between US and other global currencies such as the Canadian and Australian dollars.

Mark also speaks about the fact that there isn\\u2019t a price cap of $9.99 to receive 70% via Kobo Writing Life. With no cap on the 70% royalty, authors can and should take advantage of creating more expensive digital box sets offering their customers a great value but earning the author a higher margin.

\\xa0

LINKS:

Born to Walk on Kobo

Born to walk website

ECW page for Born to Walk

\\xa0

\\xa0

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#31 - Finding Inspiration from Superstars Writing Seminar with Alex P. Berg

Kobo Writing Life\\xa0Director Mark Lefebvre interviews Alex P. Berg, author of the \\u201cDaggers and Steel\\u201d sci-fi mystery series. In the interview Mark and Alex talk about:

• Meeting at the\\xa0Superstars Writing Seminars in Colorado Springs, CO.
• What Alex calls \\u201cThe Superstars Effect\\u201d
• How, when Alex had finished his novel and started querying agents and publishers, he ended up getting nowhere fast. That was when his wife gave him a proverbial kick in the pants, telling him that if he was serious about this writing thing, he better figure out a way to get it done.
• The effect of seeing how hard the pro writers presenting at the Superstars Writing Seminars worked to achieve their success combined with their passion for it and how that inspire Alex to keep at it.
• Starting out as a fan of science fiction and fantasy, then watching Brandon Sanderson\\u2019s online workshops, and following David Farland\\u2019s online and daily email writing tips as a way to get started
• The commitment to finding and making the time to write while balancing a full time job and a family. How giving up other activities that weren\\u2019t progressing Alex down the writing path he had wanted helped in this regard.
• The realization that anyone who says the cover doesn\\u2019t matter is a whole lot of B.S. and how Alex found experts to assist with the professional touches in his books.\\xa0 Alex used\\xa0 South African based cover designer: Damonza, and for an editor, he relied on a personal recommendation from an author friend at Superstars Writing Seminars.
• The business plan approach that Alex took in which he worked at putting some money aside in order to afford some of the professional services for his books; with a highlight that he knew this would be a long term plan rather than just looking for some sort of short-term payback for his work.\\xa0 (IE, the income stream is going to last for a long time) If you\\u2019re looking at trying to earn your $2000 back, for example, right away, you\\u2019re likely to be disappointed.
• How, even though the success for his first few books came a lot sooner than he had planned or expected, his long term goals and plans haven\\u2019t been altered or changed.
• The fact that it is absolutely true what they say about your second book.
• The importance of accurate and specific metadata in helping the right readers discover your books
• The music Alex listens to while he is writing, including something called \\u201cmelodic death metal\\u201d which is not a lot like regular death metal.
• The band Alestorm and their brand of \\u201cTrue Scottish Pirate Metal\\u201d which Alex is listening to while working on a forthcoming project.
• One thing Alex wished he had learned a bit earlier and it was that there are great options out there for writers and that self-publishing can be a very viable option.

\\xa0

After the interview, Mark discusses the concept of productivity that Alex spoke about and reads a short piece from Kevin J. Anderson\'s book\\xa0Million Dollar Productivity and provides a coupon code allowing authors to get the book for $0.99 (rather than the $8.99 USD / $9.99 CDN price it is listed for).\\xa0 Use coupon code MILLION99 during checkout.\\xa0 (Please note that the coupon is only good until the end of May 2015)

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#30 - How to be a Smart Writer with Dean Wesley Smith

• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The fact that Dean wasn\\u2019t born into writing, actually loathed it when he was in college (He has a Masters in Architecture)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The various careers and roles that Smith played during his life, including his past as a Pro Golfer and hot dog skier
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How his goal of being a Golf Course Architect led to writing via an English course that he had to take.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The English Professor who told Smith that his writing was too commercial
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The writing class that forced Smith to submit a poem to a college poetry market (at which he won second place and $300) \\u2013 at the time, he had to go see the professor to ask about it because he had no idea what it meant
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 After this experience, Smith tried his hand at fiction, wrote a 1000 word short story and mailed it off to a market right away. Then he wrote a second story and mailed that off right away. Both stories sold immediately.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How, after these first three successes, Smith started listening to people\\u2019s advice (AKA myths) about writing, and re-wrote his stories to dead, and for the next 7 years never sold a single thing
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 It wasn\\u2019t until 1982 that Smith ran across Robert Heinlein\\u2019s Business Rules of Writing, followed the advice, started selling again and has never looked back\\xa0 (http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/heinleins-business-rules/)

\\xa0The RULES

\\xa0o\\xa0\\xa0 1 \\u2013 You Must Write

\\xa0o\\xa0\\xa0 2 \\u2013 You Must Finish What You Start

\\xa0o\\xa0\\xa0 3 \\u2013 You Must Refrain From Rewriting Except to Editorial Order

\\xa0o\\xa0\\xa0 4 \\u2013 You Must Put It on The Market

\\xa0o\\xa0\\xa0 5 \\u2013 You Must Keep It on The Market Until Sold

• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Dean\\u2019s books:\\xa0 Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Publishing and Killing the Top Ten Sacred Cows of Indie Publishing.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The magazine that Dean and Kristine Kathryn Rusch ran for 9 years, called Pulphouse.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The Starfleet Corps of Engineers Series that Dean kicked off in the Star Trek Universe \\u2013 a series about the people who follow up after Captain Kirk, cleaning up his messes (which was originally meant to be an eBook back in 2000 and knocked John Grisham off the eBook bestseller list when it was released)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The challenge of writing within an existing restrictive universe, such as Star Trek, such as the reader having to hear Shatner\\u2019s voice when writing the character Captain Kirk.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Smith\\u2019s lesson for writers creating character voice by paying really close attention to the differences in voice you can easily see created for the Star Trek characters of Kirk, Spock and McCoy
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Regency Romance as one of the only genres that Smith really can\\u2019t write in
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Westerns, (the old West) and Science-Fiction are two of Smith\\u2019s go-two genres for writing.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The\\xa0FICTION RIVER anthology series that Smith edits with Kristine Kathryn Rusch and how this river of fiction brings in new talent along with some major names from the genre.\\xa0 (For example, the latest FICTION RIVER property, Pulse Pounders, edited by Kevin J. Anderson, included a previously unpublished sci-fi story by Frank Herbert)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The Oregon Coast workshops where the FICTION RIVER anthologies are derived that include a board of 6 Editors critiquing the stories live on stage and how that helps inform writers that what one editor rejects another editor might have bought
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How the workshops that Dean and Kris started originated as the \\u201cDenise Little\\u201d short story workshops; because of the similarity to the way that editor/agent Denise Little liked to teach these principles
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 A bit about Smith\\u2019s Monthly Magazine, which has both a paper and an eBook edition
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Smith sees the approximate 80,000 words that he writes each month as still \\u201cnot enough\\u201d
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Smith\\u2019s ongoing Blog in which he shares daily insights: Writing in Public
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How the teaching that Smith does is part of his desire to try to give back or pay forward to the industry in the way that the industry and writers before Smith have given so much to him
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 One of the biggest myths from indie publishing, regarding indie writers not being able to get their indie published books into bookstores and the \\u201cfairy dust\\u201d that has long been spread regarding that
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Smith isn\\u2019t anti-traditional but is 100% pro smart-writer

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Other Links

Dean Wesley Smith\\u2019s Books at Kobo

WMG Publishing Workshops

WMG Publishing Lectures

Fiction River Anthologies (website)

Fiction River Anthologies (Kobo)

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Listed in: Arts

#29 - The Importance of the Business of Writing with Kristine Kathryn Rusch

KWL\\xa0Director Mark Lefebvre interviews\\xa0Kristine Kathryn Rusch, an award-winning writer of science fiction, fantasy, mystery and romance, at Superstars Writing Seminars.

Apart from her decades of writing and editing experience which includes being published in 14 different countries in 13 languages, Rusch co-runs a publishing business (WMG Publishing) with her partner Dean Wesley Smith and provides authors invaluable insights about writing and publishing through her popular blog series:\\xa0The Business Rusch.

During the conversation, Mark and Kris talk about:

• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Her recent book, Discoverability and how it was derived from about 6 months\\u2019 worth of blog posts outlining a bit about the history of publishing and how it relates to where we are today
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 A disclaimer that, unless you\\u2019ve already published about 10 books, you aren\\u2019t likely to be able to use the advice from this book
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The Business Rusch, the blog in which Rusch provides valuable insights that many smart writers ensure they read every week
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Rusch has been a professional writer since she was sixteen years old and wrote an article for the local newspaper (insert appropriate and in-appropriate age jokes and laughing here)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Rusch and author Kevin J. Anderson met while in college as like-minded writers with similar goals and how that social group expanded into relationships they\\u2019ve both had with writer friends ever since
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How much Rusch gives back to the writing community and why she feels it\\u2019s important to pay it forward to other writers the way that she was provided help, insights and support from writers who took the time to help her
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The selfish reason why Rusch gives back \\u2013 because she\\u2019s an avid reader and wants more great books to read
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The biggest pitfall that writers fall into \\u2013 that they don\\u2019t know enough about the business of writing
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The reason why Rusch stopped editing full-time \\u2013 how living in that critical space can affect your writing style and writing brain
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The concept of \\u201creader cookies\\u201d \\u2013 a term that Rusch learned from editor\\xa0Gardner Dozois \\u2013 as well as \\u201canti-cookies\\u201d and how that can affect an editor
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Rusch\\u2019s love of \\u201csecret identity\\u201d stories
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The various different pseudonyms that Rusch has written under in various styles and genres, including Kristine Grayson, Kris Nelscott, and Kristine Dexter.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Rusch puts up a free short story on\\xa0her blog every Monday that people can check out with no strings attached.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Rusch\\u2019s statement of advice to beginning writers\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0

\\xa0

Mark then talks a bit more about the books for writers that Rusch has written and shares a personal experience about how reading the book\\xa0Deal Breakers helped him in a very significant way when he was negotating a contract for one of his most recent books, Tomes of Terror.

\\xa0

LINKS

Rusch\'s book: Discoverability

Rusch\'s book: Deal Breakers: Contract Terms Writers Should Avoid

The Business Rusch

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Listed in: Arts

#28 - Drawing Out the Dragons with James A Owen

Listed in: Arts

#27 - Writing Three Pines with Louise Penny

• The difference between murder in a large city and murder in a the country in an idyllic small town setting like Three Pines
• How Louise had written the original Three Pines novel thinking of it as a stand-alone novel that she wanted to write mostly for herself
• How, when the book was originally written as an exploration of the world being dark (it was written post-9/11) and then modified to encompass a more warm and pleasant setting where the depth of friendship and the connections between people was more prominent \\u2013 where the cast of characters would be people she would like to have as friends
• How the inspiration for the first Three Pines novels was inspired from a few specific lines from the poet WH Auden
• How it takes a whole lot more courage to be kind than it does to be cruel to others; and how the majority of characters of Three Pines are filled with so much compassion
• Good people who might have done bad things and bad people who are also capable of doing good things
• How Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is a balanced and complex character with flaws and strengths and yet is an incredible human being
• How Penny tries to hint at and provide information in order to let the reader imagine, creating a rich reading experience
• How Penny\\u2019s first draft can be akin to a \\u201chuge pile of merde\\u201d \\u2013 and the cutting and tweaking and polishing that happen in the next drafts and how she does 5 or 6 drafts before anyone else (ie, her editor) sees the manuscript
• Penny\\u2019s belief that there isn\\u2019t a single \\u201cright way\\u201d to approach writing \\u2013 how different writers will find different approaches that work for them
  The dial-up connections in Three Pines are very much based on where Penny lives (where she only has a dial-up connection), and Penny\\u2019s expression that it sounds, when you are connecting, that the internet is in pain.
• How the more high tech we become, the more we yearn for intimacy, and how that ties into the fictional setting of Three Pines quite wonderfully
• The interesting news Penny rec\\u2019d from her agent when, upon selling the first book to a publisher, she had also sold the second and third books
• How she was inspired to show the \\u201ccritic\\u201d who had been writing the follow-up books the door and to let the Creative Spirit inside her write the first draft; and how important that was to free her up (and how that second book ended up winning the\\xa0Agatha Award in 2013
• The importance of giving yourself permission to make mistakes in that first draft
• How Penny writes \\u201cFair Play\\u201d mysteries in which the reader realizes, at the end, that all the clues were there for them to solve it.
• How she knows, before she begins writing, who did it, how the person died as well as the overall theme of the book

After the interview, Kobo Writing Life Director Mark Lefebvre comments on a few of the things Penny mentioned and then talks about a new feature on Kobo Writing Life which allows authors the ability to enter the Volume Number for a Series into the system for their books.

Lefebvre explains the critical importance that clean metadata plays in assisting readers with finding the right book and how Kobo intends on using this clean data to assist with the automatic curation of series books for customers who adore them.

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Listed in: Arts

#26 - Important Things To Know About eBook Publishing

Listed in: Arts

#25 - Post-NaNoWriMo Roundtable Discussion

\\xa0

• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Camille talks about the fact that during last year\\u2019s attempt, she wrote about 25,000 words and that this year she wrote the entire 50,000 words. This year she took on a completely new project (rather than attempting the same one she attempted in 2013. Camille says she felt she got trapped in the wrong direction with last year\\u2019s project, and that might have been what prevented her from completing the novel. This year, she prepared a synopsis in advance, and that is what she felt helped her.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 This was Shayna\\u2019s first attempt at NaNoWriMo \\u2013 though she has written novels before \\u2013 and she wasn\\u2019t sure, going in, how she would do with the 30 day deadline involved.\\xa0 Though she completed the 50,000 word limit, she is still, in no way finished the book she is working on.\\xa0 (She estimates the book\\u2019s length will be in the realm of 100,000 words)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Bessie, a self-confessed math nerd, admits this is the first time she has attempted writing of this nature. The whole experience was new to her and when it first started she was quite excited and wrote quite a bit, but then the \\u201cfun\\u201d aspect fell away, and so, too, did the writing. Her feeling was that the pressure of the deadline pushed her in the opposite direction \\u2013 now that November and the NaNoWriMo deadline is out of the way, the writing has become fun for her again.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Mark got to 50,000 words at the \\u201c11^th hour\\u201d cranking out close to 18,000 words in the final two days, so did complete the goal, but is still several thousand words away from the conclusion of his novel.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Shayna found that the deadline worked for her, despite her initial thoughts that it wouldn\\u2019t be a good experience for her.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The group discussed the question about pre-planning and reveal who was a \\u201cpantser\\u201d and who was a \\u201cplotter\\u201d \\u2013 who went just from notes and who created a chapter by chapter outline
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How the roadmap of the chapter by chapter outline helped Camille, even though she didn\\u2019t follow it precisely the entire time.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The fun that can happen when your characters make their own decisions and take you to places or situations that you hadn\\u2019t originally intended or planned.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Shayna doesn\\u2019t always have her characters completely fleshed out in advance and how they discover their own voice as the story rolls out.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 There is a discussion regarding whether or not they approached writing their novels in a linear fashion (ie, from the beginning of the novel to the end of the novel in the manner it would be read), or if they skipped around and wrote a number of scenes to be pieced into order for the final draft later.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Conventions of inserting notes into the manuscript in order to keep writing, such as Mark\\u2019s use of inserting square brackets [with a note like this] inside the text for spots in which he might need to do research later on and fill in gaps, or Shayna\\u2019s use of the letters TK as inserted into the text to denote spots that required filling in later (based on the principle that this is a very uncommon letter combination \\u2013 thus, searching the document text later for \\u2018TK\\u2019 returns those spots you need to find and fill later.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The importance of avoiding the research rabbit-hole that can happen to a writer, but with an example of how one of those rabbit holes actually helped inspire Mark with an entire scene (based just on looking at a particular area of Toronto using Google Maps)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 A discussion of what\\u2019s next for these particular book projects now that NaNoWriMo is over.
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Is it harder to write serious literary fiction as opposed to some of the other more \\u201cfun\\u201d genres
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The answer to the question: What was one thing that you learned from NaNoWriMo that you\\u2019re going to take forward in your writing?

\\xa0

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Mark then discusses the concept of \\u201cwinning\\u201d or \\u201closing\\u201d NaNoWriMo, with a thought that, ANYTHING you wrote during NaNoWriMo, regardless of your final word count, means that you are a winner. Drawing from his own personal experience of having \\u201cnot won\\u201d NaNoWriMo in 2006, yet managed to take the project he had started more than half a dozen years ago and work it into a novel that will be coming out in 2015, means the effort he put into it back then was part of the process of getting that novel done, and well worth it.

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LINKS:

NaNoWriMo

Shayna\'s KWL article entitled "Dear Writing: I Hate You!"

The KWL article Shayna wrote about the importance of daydeaming

Mark\'s appearance on The Writing Show podcast (in 2006) in which he did NOT win NaNoWroMo

Listed in: Arts

#24 - Kathy Reichs' Perspective on the Book Publishing Business

This podcast includes the full and unabridged audio feed of the Kobo in Conversation interview with\\xa0Kathy Reichs conducted by\\xa0Bob Ramsay and hosted by Kobo\'s Senior Director of Communications Tracy Nesdoly.

The interview covers the following:

• The \\u201cBig Bang Break\\u201d that happens in an investigation \\u2013 that one moment when realization explodes and the search hurdles forward on the right trajectory.
• The new YA writing she is doing in collaboration with her son
• How, even though she has sold millions of copies of her novels around the world, has a television series based on her popular recurring character Temperance Brennan, she is still on tour and treats every new book with the same enthusiasm as her first book
• Kathy\\u2019s perspective on the book publishing business and the promotion and sale of books in the next five years, with respect to the fact that recent UK stats of Kathy\\u2019s books show print sales up 30% and the electronic sales are up 68%
• The importance of a presence on social media and the fact that Kathy does all her own Twitter
• The difference between the book \\u201cTempe\\u201d and the TV \\u201cTempe\\u201d \\u2013 and how on the TV show Teperance Brennan is a writer who writes a series about a fictional anthropologist named Kathy Reichs (a little tongue-in-cheek inside joke for her readers)
• The\\xa0electronic-only \\u201cViral\\u201d series of stories that feature the Tempe\\u2019s great niece (Tory Brennan) and is about kids using science to solve cold cases.
• How Bones Never Lie is Kathy\\u2019s second book about a female serial killer.
• Behind the scenes on the inspiration for Kathy\\u2019s novel Monday Mourning, based on Kathy\\u2019s real-life experience involving the eerie discovery of bones in a cellar.
• The terrible occupational hazard that comes with cases in which the victims are truly innocent.
• The forensic work that Kathy has done in places such as Iraq, the World Trade Centre and an interesting trip in which Kathy and a group of other authors took a Black Hawk helicopter to thank front-line troups in Afghanistan.
• What Kathy\\u2019s next book is going to be about and how it is drawn from intrigue and mystery from the Carolina Mountains.
• How and when storytelling came into this scientist\\u2019s life, including \\u201cThe Mystery in the Old House\\u201d a hand-written \\u201cnovel\\u201d Kathy had written when she was 9 years old.
• How a forensic examiner has to learn how to be objective and separate themselves from the personal in order to properly investigate and properly represent the victim.
• Thoughts about the \\u201cHoly Grail\\u201d of forensic mysteries.
• How Kathy writes \\u201cgood old fashioned\\u201d murder mysteries, but where the key element in solving the mystery is science.

\\xa0

KWL Director Mark Lefebvre talks a bit about the concept of \\u201cwrite what you know\\u201d based on Kathy\\u2019s experience, the experience of author Melissa Yi and for writers who don\'t have first hand knowledge.\\xa0 The key, of course, is research.\\xa0 Mark references a great article by KWL\\u2019s Shayna Krishnasamy called \\u201cI\\u2019d Rather Not Be Talking to You but I\\u2019m Writing This Book: How a Shy Writer Tackles Research\\u201d in which she outlines research options for writers and Mark also draws from his own personal experience doing research for non-fiction (Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores & Libraries) as well as fiction.

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LINKS:

Kathy Reichs website

Bob Ramsay website

Kathy\'s books at Kobo

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Listed in: Arts

#23 - Using Podcasts to Develop a Readership with Michael Rank

Listed in: Arts

#22 - Writing a Collaborative Graphic Novel with Rainbow Rowell & Faith Erin Hicks

Rainbow Rowell\\xa0and\\xa0Faith Erin Hicks met in person for the first time at Kobo\\u2019s home office in Toronto in May 2014 and were interviewed by Kobo Writing Life Director Mark Lefebvre about their individual works as well as the forthcoming collaborative graphic novel they are creating together and which will be coming from\\xa0First Second books in 2016.

The interview includes the following:

• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How these two \\u201cTwitter bro\\u2019s\\u201d just met a few minutes before the interview (at Kobo\\u2019s home office in Toronto in May 2014)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How\\xa0Landline was a return to writing adult novels for Rainbow
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The manner by which some of the travel, airport scenes and long distance phone calls to a family while traveling were somewhat predictive in Rainbow\\u2019s journey as a touring author (and what she called \\u201chaving a \\u2018Landline\\u2019 moment.\\u201d
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The speculative fiction element of Landline and Rainbow\\u2019s love of reading science-fiction and the \\u201cgeeky time travel\\u201d elements of the novel which features a \\u201cmagic phone.\\u201d
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Rainbow wrote the novel\\xa0Fangirl during\\xa0NaNoWriMo and how both that novel and Landline were the fastest books that Rainbow wrote
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Faith Erin Hicks sharing the fact that she is a giant library nerd
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The ARC of Fangirl that Faith rec\\u2019d from a colleague who knew that she would like it (and that it was the first book of Rainbow\\u2019s that Faith had read)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The cross-over in writing between the two women and Faith Erin Hicks\\u2019\\xa0The Adventures of Superhero Girl comic
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Faith\\u2019s use of Canada in this 2014\\xa0Will Eisner Award winning comic \\u2013 (professing to a lack of supervillains in Canada)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The \\u201cgeekiness\\u201d factor in The Adventures of Superhero Girl and the fact that Faith wrote it with a reader like her in mind (to fill a gap that she saw in the industry)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The cameo appearance of Faith\\u2019s local neighbourhood comic book store (Strange Adventures)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Faith\\u2019s Mom recognizing Faith as Superhero Girl and her real life \\u201cgolden brother\\u201d
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Faith\\u2019s hilarious\\xa0copyright notice for her work posted online and her belief that she wouldn\\u2019t have a career if it wasn\\u2019t for making her work available online for free
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The way that Rainbow and Faith first connected via Twitter
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The Twitter connection to First Second Books and how Rainbow and Faith\\u2019s collaborative book project came together (in a very \\u201cWhen Harry Met Sally\\u201d way)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How collaboration between two creators can be like a weird marriage
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The \\u201cSherlock\\u201d tangent that Rainbow and Faith can often follow
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The importance of giving yourself permission to do something new and, importantly, the permission to try something and fail
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The fact that there will definitely be kissing in their collaborative book (because Rainbow likes to write \\u201ckissing\\u201d and Faith wants to draw \\u201ckissing\\u201d)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The great fan art that exists for Rainbow\\u2019s previous novels from artists such as\\xa0Simini Blocker\\xa0
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The mutual admiration the two have for The X-Men (particularly the \\u201cblue\\u201d characters for Rainbow)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Faith\\u2019s adoration of the character of\\xa0Marrow from The X-Men (the least popular character of all time, according to polls)
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The addictive nature and magic that happens when collaborations work really well
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How someone at\\xa0Groundwood Books tweeted (well before this project was conceived) that Rainbow and Faith we work well together
• \\xb7\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How KWL will continue to follow the progress of their collaboration (due to come out in 2016)

Mark then talks about what can happen when writers are open, social and collaborative in nature, reflecting on how Rainbow and Faith were mutual fans of one another, had connected in an online community. Mark shares his own experiences from a recent conference in which he connected with other writers, editors, publishers, librarians and booksellers, and explains the beautiful serendipity that can happen when writers take advantage of the connections and opportunities that can arise from engaging with the community.

LINKS

Rainbow\'s Website

Rainbow on Twitter

Rainbow on Tumbler

Rainbow\'s Books at Kobo

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Faith\'s Website

Faith on Twitter

Faith on Tumblr

Faith\'s Books at Kobo

Listed in: Arts

#21 - The Value of Writing Organisations with Diane Capri

Listed in: Arts

#20 - Focusing on Long-Term Promotion Strategies with Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Listed in: Arts

#19 - Hugh Howey Live in Conversation at Kobo

• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Introduction of Hugh Howey and Mark Lefebvre by Tracy Nesdoly, Senior Director of Communications at Kobo
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh talks about how interesting it is that history re-writes itself to fit the model of what people think happened \\u2013 his first book was actually signed to a small press before he made the decision to try the self-publishing route
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh also reflects on how, in 2009, he was only concentrating on print books and traditional contracts for the first book, but then noticed his eBook sales were overtaking his print book sales
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Hugh was pressured by friends and family to get his book out to publishers so they could see it in bookstores
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Hugh\\u2019s Mom had been a great critic, early reader and editor for his work (and Hugh\\u2019s joke about how his wife and his mother have spent years telling him about all the mistakes that he makes, which ensures they are perfectly suited for this type of role in his writing)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The twenty years it took Hugh to complete the first novel (and how it wasn\\u2019t the same novel)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh\\u2019s first manuscript, started at age 12, which was, essentially an homage to Hitchhiker\\u2019s Guide to the Galaxy
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue, the first novel he completed, was written in a week
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Hugh acquired \\u201csequelitis\\u201d after finishing that first novel, and how, when you keep writing sequels you\\u2019re left always promoting your first book
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Hugh met his wife when he was living the boating life (and how she pulled him ashore and inland)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The constant daydreaming and stories kept in his head while he worked at various other jobs
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How he used to get in trouble in grammar school for that \\u201cwriting daydreaming\\u201d
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Where the darkness that surrounds the novel\\xa0WOOL comes from (particularly from a writer whose persona is friendly, outgoing and positive)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Hugh felt sick to his stomach when he was out at a fancy restaurant to celebrate signing the contract for his first book because it was something he had worked so hard on and he was now signing it away (despite the fact it was a positive experience because someone was paying him for something he had written \\u2013 ie, it was \\u201cthe dream\\u201d)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Even though he still has a physical reaction thinking about that moment, it wasn\\u2019t a reflection on the publisher \\u2013 he still loves them and has a great relationship with them, but he quickly saw how he had too much energy for them and was driving them crazy with all of the things he wanted to do
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh reminds people that, despite it looked like he knew what he was doing all along, he was terrified, clueless and making it up as he went along
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 A look at www.authorearnings.com and Hugh\\u2019s motivation for always putting the reader and the writer first
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How, bookstores come third on Hugh\\u2019s list of priorities \\u2013 writers first (because without them you couldn\\u2019t have readers), then readers second
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh asks the question of why we\\u2019re not focusing on the right things, like how to make people love books more \\u2013 such as these things shaped like books that we give to students in classrooms and inadvertently team them to hate.\\xa0 (If it\\u2019s shaped like a book, it better be fun)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How writers are always looking for excuses not to write, and how Hugh has to channel his fear of what might happen if he stops writing into looking towards working on projects that his readers and editors want
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh\\u2019s favourite novel I, Zombie, his most non-commercial work which represents his attempt to write about 911, and his favourite writing, which is the book\\xa0Peace in Amber (a book he still gets emotional about when he speaks of it)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The manner by which Hugh took the opposite tack of anything that might seem logical, such as not telling people he was a writer and had a book available
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh\\u2019s discomfort at promoting his own work and how he would rather just work on writing the next book
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Social media as being a great place to connect with your existing fans rather than trying to use it to find new ones
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The important role that agents have played in Hugh\\u2019s career, particularly since initially, it wasn\\u2019t something that he thought he needed. Hugh shares his respect for his agent Kristen Nelson Literary Agency and the amazing agents and partners who have guided his success and earned every penny along the way
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Hugh\\u2019s desire to see editors, cover artists, beta readers and all those unsung heroes whose efforts make books better, known and loved and celebrated (Example is\\xa0an interview Hugh recently did with one of his cover artists, Jason Smith \\u2013 [link to his blog post])
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Agencies might, in the future, look like law firms. Imagine Freethy,\\xa0Andre and Howey.
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The importance to not run from labels, like \\u201cself-published author\\u201d \\u2013 Hugh is proud to call himself a self-published author
• How\\xa0H.M. Ward continues to turn down multiple 7 figure offers from publishers because their marketing plans aren\\u2019t offering anything she hasn\\u2019t already built for herself
• The role that\\xa0NaNoWriMo has played in Hugh\\u2019s writing (and his thoughts on how an author who writes one novel a year might just be writing that novel in a single month)

As a postscript to the interview, Mark then calls out some of the key points that Hugh made during the conversation; in particular Hugh\'s take on marketing and how writing your next book or focusing on sharing information ABOUT writing it is far better than trying to push your book in front of everybody\'s face.

OTHER LINKS

Episode 013 of the KWL Podcast\\xa0(with Hugh Howey)

Listed in: Arts

#18 - The Zoomer Philosophy with Moses Znaimer

• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 \\xa0 How Moses rarely stops to look back because he is always on to looking at the next thing that he is working on
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The Zoomer Philosophy (his book) and the definition of what a Zoomer is
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How the Zoomer Philosophy fits in with the idea of living longer and better lives
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How the words old, senior, elder and mature provide discomfort and make people squirm
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Znaimer\\u2019s examination, through his essays at how Boomers, who sang songs like The Who\\u2019s \\u201cMy Generation\\u201d with lyrics like \\u201cI hope I die before I get old\\u201d have suddenly found themselves at the age they originally mistrusted
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How the first group of people who coined the phrase \\u201cdon\\u2019t trust anybody over 30\\u201d are now 60 years old
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How The Zoomer Philosophy was inspired by Hugh Hefner\\u2019s The Playboy Philosophy
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The serialization of The Zoomer Philosophy in the print magazine and in eBook format and how Moses is likely to continue writing the serialized essays until he dies
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Demolishing that old \\u201cwomen of a certain age\\u201d stereotype
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The appeal that long-standing celebrities who are \\u201cof a certain age\\u201d in their mastery of the professions they hold and the confidence they exude
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The concept that what was important about the Boomers is NOT that they were young but that they were the largest generation ever made
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The stat that 1000 Canadians turn 65 every day and will continue to do so for the next 20 years (that number is 10 times as large in the US)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The way that the print articles from the magazine endure and how digital helps bring them back into focus for some readers (by collecting them together in a single, easy to consume delivery system)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The challenge of trying to find a type of media that Moses hasn\\u2019t already been involved in
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Moses draws inspiration daily from the environment around him
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Advice to writers on how it\\u2019s not the mechanics of the medium that makes the difference
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How you don\\u2019t learn broadcasting from going to broadcasting school, and the importance of living a life the best you can so that you end up with the type of life that gives you something to say
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The importance of accumulating a wide variety of life experience (reading or traveling \\u2013 preferably both)

Mark then compares The Zoomer Philosophy to the fact that eBooks are also in their mid-forties and reflects on how we are still at the cusp of the eBook revolution. He applies these thoughts to the concept of writing and publishing being a long-term game.

Listed in: Arts

#17 - Releasing an Interactive eBook with Vieri Tommasi Candidi

Camille Mofidi, European Manager for\\xa0Kobo Writing Life interviews Italian author Vieri Tommasi Candidi about his Who\\u2019s Jo Spatacchia? Series and the unique method by which he had released this in two languages with a regular and enhanced version for different audiences.\\xa0

During the conversation, Camille and Vieri discuss:

\\xa0

• Developing projects along with talented artists
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The concept of Who Joe Spatacchia is and the inspiration and thoughts behind the creation of this character
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Vieri has mixed the story with drawings and music in this interactive eBook as well as how he chose the music and the drawings to accompany the story
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How music and images could give a choreography and elevated atmosphere to the story allowing people to enjoy it on many levels
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The 7 episodes as well as the scheduled release plans of either 1 episode per month or even, perhaps 2 per month
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The fact that there are two versions per episode \\u2013 one with music and the other without music (for those devices and eReaders that don\\u2019t have a way to play audio)
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The price point of those separate versions are 99 EUR for the version without music and 1.49 EUR for the version with music
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 Vieri\\u2019s smart move of releasing the eBook in both Italian and English and the international stradegy
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The challenge of getting people to find your work as being something that supersedes the difficulty of actually writing and publishing your book
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 A perspective of publishing in Italy being on the pioneering edge
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 The managing of the rights for all of the markets this series of books are available in within both languages
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 How Vieri has managed the promotion for this series in both Italian and English
• \\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0\\xa0 A wonderful compliment that Vieri received regarding his activities that have been moving the face of digital publishing forward

\\xa0

KWL Director Mark Lefebvre then talks about the recently launched Opening Up To Indie Authors campaign and the book launch which took place at the Kobo Booth at London Book Fair 2014.

\\xa0

\\xa0

\\xa0

Links

\\xa0

Vieri\\u2019s Website:

\\xa0

http://www.jospatacchia.it/

\\xa0

\\xa0

The Who\\u2019s Jo Spatacchia? Series on Kobo

\\xa0

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/Search?Query=Vieri+Tommasi+Candidi&fcmedia=Book

\\xa0

\\xa0

Opening Up To Indie Authors (Kobo Writing Life)

\\xa0

http://kobowritinglife.com/2014/04/03/opening-up-to-indie-authors/

\\xa0

\\xa0

Kobo Listing for Opening up To Indie Authors eBook

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http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/opening-up-to-indie-authors

\\xa0

\\xa0

The Open Up to Indie Authors Campaign

\\xa0

http://www.selfpublishingadvice.org/open-up-to-indie-authors/

\\xa0

\\xa0

The Launch \\u2013 From ALLi\\u2019s website

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http://www.selfpublishingadvice.org/alli-book-launch-opening-up-to-indie-authors/

\\xa0

\\xa0

The Speech Orna Ross gave at the launch at the Kobo Booth at LBF 2014

http://www.ornaross.com/2014/04/opening-up-to-indie-authors-book-launch/

\\xa0

Listed in: Arts

#16 - How Joanna Penn Became an Indie Author Powerhouse

Listed in: Arts

#15 - Advice for Getting your Self-Published Book into BookStores with Nathaniel Kressen

Listed in: Arts

#14 - Balancing Writing and the ER with Melissa Yuan-Innes

Listed in: Arts

#13 - How Hugh Howey Got into Writing

Listed in: Arts

#12 - Why A Business Perspective is Important for Writers with Kristie Cook

Listed in: Arts

#11 - Strategies for Translations with Emily Bold

Listed in: Arts

#10 - Experimenting with Self Publishing with Darcie Chan

Listed in: Arts

#9 - A Podcast for Writers, Interview with Terry Fallis

Listed in: Arts

#8 - An Interview with Johnny B. Truant of the Self-Publishing Podcast

Listed in: Arts

#7 - Writing Steampunk Romance with Jacqueline Garlick

Listed in: Arts

#6 - How Chele Cooke Wrote 21,000 Words in Three Days

Listed in: Arts

#5 - Managing Language and Adaptation Rights Douglas Smith

Listed in: Arts

#4 - Engaging Readers with Mitch Joel

Listed in: Arts

#3 - Collaboration in Publishing

Listed in: Arts

#2 - Researching your non-fiction book with Robert Levine

Listed in: Arts

#1 - Storytelling with Steve Vernon

Listed in: Arts