Kobo Writing Life Podcast

Julie Evelyn Joyce talks to us about the inspiration for prize-winning novel Steeped in Love. Julie shares how writing Gilmore Girls fanfiction taught her about craft and how a chance meeting at RWA led her to entering and winning Kobo’s Emerging Writer Prize! Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

In this episode, Steph and Joni sat down with David Wind, author of The Indie Writer's Handbook. Wind has written 59 titles and started his author journey with a traditional publisher, before becoming a very early adopter of indie publishing in 2008. He talked to us about the lessons he's learned along the way, how he engages with readers across multiple genres, and offers advice for authors just starting out!   Join the platform that's fast, free and easy at www.kobo.com/writinglife!

Nora Decter, Kobo’s Emerging Writer Prize Winner for Literary Fiction, chats to us about her debut novel How Far We Go and How Fast. She talks about what pushed her to finish her first book, how she created an album to go with the novel and her experience winning the emerging writer prize. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Sarah gives listeners the rundown of her experience creating her own audiobook and how it has been one of the best things she has done for her business. She discusses how authors can target Australian readers and why she wanted to create her own indie publisher, Serenade Publishing. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife 

Jackie Lau reflects on her first-year self-publishing and the steps she took to ensure success. She discusses the importance of diversity in romance and how she wanted to write characters with backgrounds underrepresented in the romance community. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Stefanie London, USA Today best-selling author, shares with listeners her tips for completing your first draft, how to sustain productivity while working from home and how to find the right editor for your project. She also discusses the importance of taking time off for your creativity. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Ricardo Fayet, co-founder of Reedsy, answers all our questions about the company from founding principles to their latest launch, Reedsy Discovery. He talks about SEO and steps authors can take to increase their searchability to ensure new readers find their books. He also discusses the manual process of acquiring freelance professionals to provide authors support for every step in their publishing career.   

Michael Tamblyn, the CEO of Kobo, provides the most compelling argument to date about why indie authors need to go wide. Spoiler: You don’t want one algorithm to run your life. Michael discusses the origin story of Kobo and Kobo Writing Life and his own unique career path that led him to where he is today. He also talks about how indie authors have been excellent at exploiting opportunities as the eBook market shifts. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Indie publishing activist David Gaughran discusses the benefits of BookBub in targeting specific markets such as Kobo and how much money authors should spend on advertising. David discusses the importance of creating a marketing strategy and how to revive a title with decreasing sales. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife  

Sacha Black joins us to discuss the archetypal villain and how writers can stop writing boring clichéd villains. Sacha gives tips on how to write a kickass protagonist that stands out and why copywriting is a skill all writers should continually work on. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife