Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark and Joanna Penn talk about collaborating on the writing and release of their co-authored book THE RELAXED AUTHOR: Take the Pressure Off Your Art and Enjoy the Creative Journey. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from a recent episode, thanks Patrons and offers a few words about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Joanna talk about: How pretty and beautifully designed the book turned out to be Where the idea for this book came from and why they decided to write it Knowing one another both personally and professionally for so long and the inherent trust and understanding they had getting into this project How to determine that a potential opportunity is with the right partner The contract that Joanna and Mark signed as part of this agreement/collaborative publishing The logistics behind publishing the book under Curl Up Press, Joanna's imprint How they divided up the responsibilities for the overall book project Use of Draft2Digital's payment splitting for the eBook and the other ways the book is being published in different formats as well as available to purchase direct from Joanna Their different approaches to outlining and writing a non-fiction book How each chapter of the book includes both of Joanna and Mark's voice in answer to specific topic areas The different tools that each of them enjoy using, such as Google spreadsheets, Dropbox, Scrivener, ScribeCount Creating the original draft of the book in audio first via a series of conversations Some of the challenges and frustrations of the re-writing and editing of the work in a collaborative manner that they encountered The relaxed approach Joanna and Mark are both taking in the launch of the book Why they both admitted to not always being relaxed as an important thing to include in the book How the practices that Mark and Joanna talk about help prepare them for the long-term author journey The way that the things they shared in this book aren't all that different than the things they've shared in their previous books for authors, but that the focus is "the relaxed author" so it's more of a concise and narrowed down focus on that topic The inclusive way that their suggestions for being a relaxed author include "do X, or don't" How an author's writing should be where they can turn to for solice and comfort, not for stress And more... After the conversation Mark reflects on just how lucky he is that he got to work on a collaborative project like this with Joanna. He then asks listeners to reflect on their own experience around being, or trying to be a relaxed author. Links of Interest: Joanna Penn's Website The Creative Penn Podcast The Books and Travel Podcast Joanna's Books The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Related YouTube Videos The Relaxed Author (Sample Excerpt) Video of the Conversation in this Episode Episode 203 - A Rand on Unprofessional Author Behavior Episode 002 - Living the Healthy Writer's Life with Joanna Penn Episode 148 - AI Voice Double Conversation with Joanna Penn Episode 164 - Reflections on The Creative Penn Podcast Episode 517 Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Patreon for Stark Reflections An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Joanna Penn is an award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers under J.F.Penn and also writes non-fiction for authors. She's an award-winning creative entrepreneur and podcaster. You can learn more about Joanna at www.thecreativepenn.com. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Marty Essen, the author of several non-fiction and fiction titles, and a much sought after public speaker. Prior to the main content, Mark thanks Patrons to the podcast, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Marty talk about: How Marty's first book tour experience evolved into compelling storytelling rather than dry readings from his book Differences involved in moving from writing short articles for newspapers and magazines to writing a book The eye opening experience of working with an editor Winning an award at Book Expo America in NYC Marty's experience working at radio stations The newspaper interview that resulted in being invited to write an article about his Amazon Rainforest exploration How Marty's show is a pre-scripted show that is exactly the same. Why he does that and how he keeps himself motivated repeatedly delivering the same content The research Marty does in terms of researching colleges to pitch to for his talks How this work resulted in Marty representing other talents through his company/agency (Encante Entertainment) A tip Marty has used to combat stage fright Doing virtual talks during the pandemic and the pros and cons of that How Marty found his first editor and deciding to self-publish The two different covers on one of his books Setting up distribution through Midpoint Trade The huge number of print copies that Marty has sold in print Doing full color printing for a recent book that required using a printer in China to keep the costs down How a common theme in all of Marty's books are about protecting the environment and protecting human rights Marty's experience at writing and releasing three novels (satirical science-fiction/political) An idea Marty has for a Kickstarter style project And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on the idea of turning a weakness into a strength, and the idea of authenticity in scripted/rehearsed performance. Links of Interest: Marty Essen's Website Video excerpts of some of Marty's talks Marty's Books Empire Builder's Summit The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Patreon for Stark Reflections An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Marty Essen began writing professionally in the 1990s as a features writer for Gig Magazine. His first book, Cool Creatures, Hot Planet: Exploring the Seven Continents, won six national awards, and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune named it a "Top Ten Green Book." His second book, Endangered Edens: Exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica, the Everglades, and Puerto Rico, won four national awards. His novels, Time Is Irreverent, Time Is Irreverent 2: Jesus Christ, Not Again! and Time Is Irreverent 3: Gone for 16 Seconds, have all received rave reviews. Hits, Heathens, and Hippos is Marty's sixth book, and like all of his books, it reflects his values of protecting human rights and the environment—and does so with a wry sense of humor. Marty is also a popular college speaker, who has performed the stage-show version of Cool Creatures, Hot Planet on hundreds of campuses in forty-five states. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

A keynote from Morgan Rhodes (Michelle Rowen) about her writer journey and facing creative block. The keynote is from the When Words Collide August 2021 Virtual Conference. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: Morgan Rhodes Michelle Rowen Video of WWC Keynote Talks (Que'd to Morgan's talk) Empire Builder's Summit The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Patreon for Stark Reflections An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Morgan Rhodes is a psuedonym for Michelle Rowen. Under Morgan Rhodes she has published 6 books in the Falling Kingdons series, and her Razorbill (Penguin Teens) novel Echoes and Empires, comes in January 2022. Michelle Rowen is the bestselling and award-winning author of over two dozen novels. She has written for Penguin, Grand Central, Harlequin, Dorchester, and Bloomsbury. A former president of Toronto Romance Writers, Michelle lives in Mississauga, Ontario, where she refills her creative well by watching trashy reality TV and drinking a lot of delicious coffee. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Kerrie Flanagan and Chuck Harrelson about collaborating on multiple genres under two shared pseudonyms, growing global sales, increasing author newsletter subscribers, and experimenting with marketing through Twitch. Prior to the interview, Mark welcomes new patron Malcolm Coon, shares a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation, Mark, Kerrie, and Chuck talk about: The origin of how Kerrie and Chuck started writing together under multiple pseudonyms The books that they are working on under the names C.G. Harris (The Judas Files - Urban Fantasy; The Rax - Science Fiction) and C.K. Wiles (Romance) Their experimentation with going exclusive on their eBooks with KDP Select and how it failed and they returned to publishing wide Dedication to getting more subscribers and moving from 55 to over 3000 people on their list How focusing on Facebook ads was helpful in the newsletter subscription Apple success that came from Apple putting The Nine (book one in The Judas Files) on their "Free First in Series" page Using ScribeCount to measure their wide sales and the difference that a few months made How they work together in terms of the writing process as well as the logistics of publishing and handling the finances The way they are budgeting out their ad spend The experimentation they did with sponsoring a Twitch stream to talk about their The Judas Files books Learning about the unsustainable nature of rapid releases And more... Mark then reflects on the experimentation and iteration that Kerrie and Chuck continue to do, trying new things, changing their approach, exploring new marketing opportunities, and not giving up. Links of Interest: C.G. Harris Website Judas Files The Rax C.K. Wiles Website Twitch Stream Content from Fellowship of Awesome: Full Stream (Starts about 11 minutes in) Talking about The Nine Reading excerpt in Canadian accent Reading excerpt in sexy romance voice Episode 31 - Kerrie Flanagan on Writing and Selling Magazine Articles Episode 45 - Co-authoring with the Writers Behind C.K. Wiles Episode 117 - Multi-Layered Collaboration with Kerrie Flanagan, Chuck Harrelson, and Macleod Andrews The Relaxed Author Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Patreon for Stark Reflections An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City C.G. Harris is an award winning science-fiction and fantasy author from Colorado who draws inspiration from favorites, Jim Butcher, Richard Kadrey and Brandon Sanderson. For nearly a decade, Harris has escaped the humdrum of the real world by creating fictional characters and made-up realities. When not writing, Harris spends time collecting the illusive arcade token, from the golden age when Dig Dug and Frogger were king. Harris knows the value of such a collection will only be seen in the confused faces of those family members left behind long after C.G. Harris is gone. ​ C.G. Harris is the combined persona of writers Kerrie Flanagan and Chuck Harrelson. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Deborah Levison, a multi award-winning author, freelance writer, publicist and the author of THE CRATE: A Story of War, a Murder, and Justice - a true crime story with echoes of the Holocaust. Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and talks about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation, Mark and Debbie talk about: How much of a bookworm Debbie was from an early age, and that she'd always dreamed of being an author One of the earliest essays she had to write for school about her, her mother, and her grandmother going to visit the bears at dusk at the local garbage dump Debbie's lonely childhood growing up spending summers in the Muskoka region of Ontario, and how that helped fuel her imagination and love of fictional characters from books Her work as a professional writer (a journalist, publicist, etc) Debbie's true crime book, The Crate, which was about a very grizzly and gruesome crime that personally impacted her family Family history that includes paralleling evil from the past (Debbie's parents being Holocaust survivors) with evil in the present The surreal 2010 life-changing phone call Debbie received from her brother informing her about this crate he discovered hidden under the crawl space of their family cottage The challenge and experience of reaching out to the victim's mother and sister and learning about who she was -- which was the focus of the second half of the book How the media painted the situation in a very "blame the victim" manner The "memoir" elements in the structure of this book The process of pitching the book, and the first agent she'd reached out to who graciously spent time and energy helping Debbie make the book better for her pitch, and then recommended her to another agent How Canadian publishers are heavily subsidized by the Canadian government, which led to them passing on Debbie's book because she was no longer a Canadian resident (those publishers only get grant money when they publish books from Canadian authors) The third agent Debbie worked with who found a publisher in Colorado that worked quickly to get the book out The cover promotional blurbs Debbie got from Lee Child and James Rollins after connecting at ThrillerFest in New York Some of the logistics about the research and writing of this book The numerous live events she has done talking about The Crate, and what Debbie is working on now Links of Interest: Deborah Levison's Website Episode 206 - No One Will Believe In You More Than You, with Steena Holmes Episode 204 - Overcoming Self Doubt with Tessa Smith McGovern Episode 203 - A Rant on Unprofessional Author Behavior Episode 191 - Insights from the Immersive Media & Books 2020 Consumer Survey The Relaxed Author Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Patreon for Stark Reflections An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This solo episode features a recording of a talk Mark gave at When Words Collide 2021. Prior to the talk, Mark shares a personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Links of Interest: Episode 99 - Getting Your Book into Libraries Episode 191 - Insights from the Immersive Media & Books 2020 Consumer Survey Episode 177 - Author Insights from Youth Services Librarians Episode 110 - A Conversation About Working with Bookstores and Libraries Episode 87 - You, Your Book, and Bookstores Episode 193 - Showcasing Indie Author Books in an Indie Bookstore Episode 167 - Bookseller Insights with Laura Hayden The Relaxed Author Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Patreon for Stark Reflections An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

This episode features a 2021 When Words Collide Keynote given by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Steena Holmes. The talk was recorded on Friday August 13, 2021. After the talk, Mark shares a couple of reflections and thanks patrons of the podcast who support it at patreon.com/starkreflections. He also shares that the presentations he gave at When Words Collide will be shared in video and audio formats for patrons. Links of Interest: Episode 17 - Focusing on Your Readers with Steena Holmes When Words Collide The Relaxed Author Patreon for Stark Reflections Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with over 2 million copies of her titles sold world wide, including The Forgotten Ones, Saving Abby and The Memory Child. Named in the Top 20 Women Author to read in 2015 by Good Housekeeping, she won the National Indie Excellence Award in 2012 for Finding Emma as well as the USA Book News Award for The Word Game in 2015. Steena has been featured in various newspapers and magazines, websites such as Goodreads, BookBub, RedBook, Glamour, Coastal Living and Goodhousekeeping. To find out more about her books and her love for traveling, you can visit her Website: http://www.steenaholmes.com/ The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Simon Lowe, an author with a number of stories published in various magazines, who, after a decade working in book stores, released his first novel (The World is at War, Again) in June 2021 and now writes part time while also performing the role of a stay at home dad. Prior to the interview, Mark welcomes new Patrons Talena Winters, Rachel Amphlett, and Carolyn Stein, reads comments from recent episodes, offers a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their chat, Mark and Simon discuss: Simon's recent release of the speculative fiction novel The World Is At War, Again and how it's about government declaring newer technology to be too much of a threat to be allowed How the novel is set with the world at war without there being a specific single war such as WWII - as a commentary of the ongoing "state" of war Some of the parallels between the content of this novel and the current pandemic world we're living in How the removal of technology also reduces a person's ability to "fake" who they are, in the same way they can behind the filters of social media Conceiving of a world without technology as one of of being able to focus on how people interact directly with one another The impact of external factors on the way people connect and focus Simon's 10 years of experience as a bookseller and the various formats for paperbacks The difference in UK and North American bookshop genre designations such as "Crime" in the UK which is "Mystery" in North America Mark's experience on what people were looking for when they walked into a bookstore and asked for the "non-fiction books" How, for some people, walking into a bookstore can be an intimidating experience The way Simon's experience as a bookseller informed him as a writer and within the business of publishing Decisions on which books to stock, which are based on understanding the marketplace and what is going to sell within that market The importance of not taking it personally when a bookseller or publisher is not interested in your book How thinking of the book in smaller chunks made the process of writing the novel more manageable And more.... After the interview, Mark reflects on the concept of breaking your work/writing into smaller, more manageable chunks as one way to conquer the overwhelm of a large project in front of you. Links of Interest: Simon Lowe's Website Episode 204 - Overcoming Self-Doubt with Tessa Smith McGovern Episode 203 - A Rant on Unprofessional Author Behavior Original Unedited raw Rant (Patron link) Episode 17 - Focusing on Your Readers with Steena Holmes When Words Collide The Relaxed Author Patreon for Stark Reflections Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Simon Lowe is a British author. His stories have appeared in various publications, including AMP, Storgy, Ponder Review, EX/POST, Blackwater Review, and elsewhere. After a decade working in book stores he now writes part time as well as being a stay at home dad. His new novel, The World is At War, Again, was released in June 2021. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark interviews Tessa Smith McGovern an award-winning and best-selling author who has taught writing for 22 year. Prior to the interview, Mark says comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During their conversation, Mark and Tessa talk about: How, during the lockdown and covid-19 pandemic isolation, Tessa had to come face to face with herself while stuck at home The recognition of guilt, misery, and self-doubt that led to self-sabotage Tessa having been an author for thirty years and being traditionally published and indie published Finding herself humiliated in a situation with a writer whose work Tessa quite adored Tessa's experience with teaching writers, and how writers often bring a significant amount of material to those lessons How we have to find the belief in ourselves Lighting the candle for someone else when the flame of inspiration goes out Things we can do to avoid self-sabotage Setting a goal that doesn't end up engaging your ego (which can often introduce self-doubt to the equation) The Westport Writes writers program in Westport Connecticut How love and kindness meditation can improve your focus, your memory and your productivity The importance of creative rest, and recognizing when we need that If you understand your creative process and what works, you can be more in control of it The fifty+ short stories Tessa had from her writing career and how she found particular connections between the stories, based on themes, similar characters, and other factors that can be patterned How the process of linking short stories can be a delightful process Tessa's book Cocktails for Book Lovers The value of a good editor, and how sometimes working with an editor from a traditional publishing house can offer perks that are difficult to buy from freelance editors The way that the right editor can help an author turn something that is good into something that is fantastic And more... Links of Interest: Tessa Smith McGovern's Website Newsletter Signup Free Coaching/Zoom Classes How to Link Stories & Memoirs into a Collection BookGirlTV BookGirlTV on YouTube Episode 203 - A Rant on Unprofessional Author Behavior Original Unedited raw Rant (Patron link) Episode 201 - Building Your Marketing From Day One with Julie Broad of Book Launchers Episode 197 - Rambling Reflections from the Darkness Within Publishing Pitfalls for Authors The Relaxed Author Patreon for Stark Reflections Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Tessa Smith McGovern has taught writing for 22 years and, for the last ten years, at the Writing Institute, Sarah Lawrence College, NY. She is an award-winning writer whose linked short story collection, LONDON ROAD: LINKED STORIES, received a 'Featured' review from Kirkus, is an Amazon best-seller, and a gold medal winner in the 2012 eLit Awards. Her non-fiction book, COCKTAILS FOR BOOK LOVERS (Sourcebooks), is also an Amazon best-seller. Her many publication credits include the Connecticut Review and Equinox, a UK poetry journal archived by the English Arts Council at the Southbank Centre, London. She's currently writing a contemporary fantasy novel inspired by British mythology and pursuing her MFA in Writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is founder and editor of eChook Digital Publishing. eChook won a silver medal in the 2012 eLit Awards and its stories have been read by thousands of readers in 100+ countries. Tessa is also host, writer and producer of BookGirlTV (BGTV), an award-winning digital channel that promotes books and reading. BGTV has 6 million+ minutes viewed on YouTube and 10,000+ likes on Facebook. The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Mark shares a rant about a particular thing he noticed continues to happen related to authors looking for promotional opportunities. Prior to the main content, Mark talks about how this episode was born from content originally sent to patrons of the podcast who responded to his slightly rawer rant on the same topic. For that special episode, he merely turned on the microphone and just let it out. But a number of patrons commented about that rant, suggesting that it would be beneficial to the larger author community to be aware of an author action that can really set off retailers, distributors, and other industry people. Mark reads off the names of the current patrons, thanking them for their support, and for bringing this episode to all listeners. This episode is sponsored by the patrons of the Stark Reflections podcast. Patrons can support this podcast at http://patreon.com/starkreflections for $1, $3, or $5 a month, and gain access to additional content, text, video, and special audio episodes. A common theme to those episodes is "Stark Reflections on Other Podcasts." As of July 29, 2021, there are 75 exclusive backlist patron posts available. Within the main content, or rant, for this episode, Mark talks about all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into finding promotional space for indie authors on the majority of the larger retail platforms outside of Amazon, and the thoughtless way that some authors treat all this hard work. Links of Interest: A Rant on Unprofessional Author Behavior (Patron link) Publishing Pitfalls for Authors The Relaxed Author Patreon for Stark Reflections Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast ("Laser Groove") was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0