Kobo Writing Life Podcast

Kobo Writing Life’s 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’re 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.

Author and writing teacher Sacha Black returns to the podcast this week to discuss her book The Anatomy of Prose and crafting fully-realized characters. Sacha talks to us about her experience as an editor and how that’s affected her reading habits, and she gives some great insight into creating effective character emotions, embodying your characters' personalities, and creating layered descriptions in your prose. Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling paranormal author Steff Green (AKA Steffanie Holmes) joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her unique writing process of using Skeleton Drafts. Steff also talks to us about her writing community, Rage Against the Manuscript, revitalizing her blacklist, and what it’s like navigating the publishing world as a legally blind author.  Learn more about this episode!

We are joined by three editing professionals on the podcast this week: Kristina Stanley, the creator of Fictionary, JoEllen Nordstrom, the founder of First Editing, and Lisa Lepki, head of marketing for ProWritingAid. Kristina, JoEllen, and Lisa walk us through the editing process, from story editing to proofreading, and discuss everything an author needs to know to make their book the best it can be before publishing. They also give some great advice on how to find the right editor for your work, and they discuss the use of AI and technology in the editing process. Learn more about this episode!

New York Times bestselling author Courtney Milan joins us on the podcast this week. Courtney’s book The Duke Who Didn’t was on New York Times’ most notable books of 2020, and she tells us about her writing career, why she loves writing historical romances, and how to build a strong, engaged readership. Courtney is also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in publishing, and she talks to us about activism within the romance community, Romancing the Runoff, and what she hopes the future of publishing will bring. Learn more about this episode!

USA Today bestselling romance author Kelly Jamieson talks to us about her newest series with Penguin Random House, Bears Hockey. She also discusses why self care is vital for authors, and why celebrity heroes are so popular among readers! Join the platform that’s fast, free and easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti is on the podcast this week to discuss her writing process and what her experience has been like as a hybrid author. Rebecca talks to us about her decision to try indie publishing and why she chose to self-publish her most recent series, The Anna Albertini Files, she discusses the challenges of juggling multiple publishing contracts as well as her indie publishing schedule, and she gives us some great insight into why so many successful writers have a history of practicing law. Learn more about this episode!

Actress, artist, and writer Irene Tsu joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her debut memoir, A Water Color Dream: The Many Lives of Irene Tsu. Irene tells us about her life and career as an actor, from a child dreaming of becoming a ballerina to becoming one of the first working Asian-American actors in Hollywood, appearing in films alongside legends such as Elvis, Bette Midler, and Jeff Bridges. Irene also talks to us about her writing and publishing experience, the evolution of the film industry throughout her illustrious career, and what she’s working on next. Learn more about this episode!

We are kicking off 2021 with a delightful conversation with Kobo’s Chief Content Officer Pieter Swinkels. Pieter has worked for Kobo for almost a decade and previously worked as a publisher in the Netherlands, giving him a wealth of experience in the publishing industry which he was kind of enough to share with us. Pieter discusses the differences in publishing in North America and Europe, the evolution of digital publishing and his predictions for the future of the industry, and why he believes Kobo remains so competitive and what he’s excited for Kobo to do next.  Learn more about this episode!

Author Tara L. Roí joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her career and how she combined her love of writing with her passion for fighting climate change. Tara writes “steamy romance in a heating world”, and she talks to us about her path from screenwriter to journalist to romance author, what her writing process looks like and how it has evolved, and how she became passionate about the fight against climate change and how it has influenced her writing.  Learn more about this episode!