Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

This special bonus episode of the podcast includes a more than two hour discussion about gender. Jeff Elkins organized this discussion which took place on Saturday, January 9, 2021. Dr. Paz Galupo of Towson University and Carin Galupo join Crys Cain and JP Rindfleisch of the Write Away Podcast, Jeff Elkins and Laura Humm, of The Dialogue Doctor Podcast and Mark Leslie Lefebvre of The Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast to walk them through Gender Mapping and give insights into how we should understand the complexities of gender. Mark foregoes the regular introductory matter for this episode and moves straight to a word from this episode's sponsor prior to the recorded discussion. 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 Dr. Paz Galupo The Dialogue Doctor Podcast Jeff Elkins Laura Humm EP 157 - A Conversation with Jeff Elkins Write Away Podcast Crys Cain JP Rindfleish Findaway Voices Wide Writer Survey Wide for the Win Submission Form Patreon for Stark Reflections 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

In this episode Mark shares a look at his 2020 goals and accomplishments, as well as a look at the publishing industry. Prior to the main content, Mark shares a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark's goals for 2020 included: Audio - Author's Guide to Working with Libraries and Bookstores Audio - Killing it on Kobo Audio - Canadian Werewolf in New York Audio - Stowe Away eBook edition - Stowe Away Print - Stowe Away Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Audio - I, Death Audio - One Hand Screaming Too Macabre for Montreal - eBook Screaming Skulls and Other Haunted Objects Weird Waterloo Other Non-Fiction Paranormal Ghost Story Project New Short Story Collection - Nocturnal Saves -(turned into Nobody's Hero) Exclusive Audio Project Viability of Indie Publishing Insider Secrets Books Publishing Nobody's Hero (Story Collection) - Jan 14, 2020 Taking the Short Tack (Dalrymple) - Jan 31, 2020 Stowe Away (Cdn Werewolf 1.5) - Aug 15, 2020 Unexpected Strangers (Nocturnal Screams #5 - WIDE) - Sept 8, 2020 Thriller Sampler (Tumlinson & Leslie) - Sept 30, 2020 Z is for Zombie (Noctunral Screams #6 - WIDE) - Oct 10, 2020 Too Macabre for Monteral - (Krishnasamy) - Oct 16, 2020 *Strange Sudbury Stories - (Costello, Leslie, Overton) - Oct 20, 2020 Something Wicked (Nocturnal Screams #7 - WIDE) - Oct 26, 2020 Phantom Itch (Nocturnal Screams #8 - WIDE) - Nov 9, 2020 *Beyond Obsessions (Exclusive Kickstarter anthology) *Obsessions (anthology - editor) - Nov 24, 2020 Nocturnal Screams (All 8 Volumes) - Nov 26, 2020 *Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough (Peter Mitchell) - December 1, 2020 Mark also shares the rough calculation of percentages of his eBook earnings as well as a look at the industry in general and his thoughts on what's coming soon for authors. Links of Interest Findaway Voices Wide Writer Survey Wide for the Win Submission Form Parodys Stuck in this House Here with You (Music) Isolation Parody Songs - K-Tel (Medley Parody) You Call Me Fever (Music) There Is No Monster Mash (Music) A Christmas Howl (Christmas Carol Dad Joke) Dramatic Exit (Stupid Dad Joke Short) You Better Knock First (Stupid Dad Joke Short) Mark's Tavern (Cheers Parody) A Pandemic Christmas (K-Tel Medley Parody) Sharing Broadband Streams - Collaborative Parody Project The 2020 Aurora Awards Ceremony Patreon for Stark Reflections 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

In this episode Mark interviews Andrew Pyper, an international award winning Canadian author with novels published in multiple countries and multiple languages, with multiple property options in play, and more interesting creative projects in the works. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update that includes the two book projects due in early 2021 and the potential that he might reschedule one a few weeks back, a "wide writer" survey he has put out as well as a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Andrew and Mark discuss: How Mark first discovered Andrew's work years ago when he was shelving new books in the bookstore he worked at The publishing progression that Andrew experienced, writing short fiction and earning publication credits How a journal/magazine editor Andrew had sold stories to introduced him to a publisher which led to his very first book (1996), which bypassed the normal submission/rejection cycle The cross genre elements of Andrew's novels that incorporate literary, horror, mystery, thriller (which Mark suggests are the "Andrew Pyper" genre) The darkness that exists in all of Andrew's novels Loving the stories of Alice Munro and the intriguing "shadowy" and "danger" elements that exist in her writing The latest short fiction pieces and projects Andrew has been working on Some of the properties that Andrew is involved in licensing How The Residence was based on actual historical details that happened with Franklin Pierce The challenge that can come with over-researching for an author The fun of having some trivia info in your back pocket about the White House being haunted The intriguing architectural layout of the White House and the residence, including passageways and secret doors A special book and audio drama Andrew is releasing via Audible The "writers killing writers" premise in THE KILLING CIRCLE And more... Links of Interest Andrew Pyper's Website Twitter Instagram Facebook Goodreads Findaway Voices Wide Writer Survey Wide for the Win Submission Form EP 157 - A Conversion with Jeff Elkins, The Dialogue Doctor Parodys Stuck in this House Here with You (Music) Isolation Parody Songs - K-Tel (Medley Parody) You Call Me Fever (Music) There Is No Monster Mash (Music) A Christmas Howl (Christmas Carol Dad Joke) Dramatic Exit (Stupid Dad Joke Short) You Better Knock First (Stupid Dad Joke Short) Mark's Tavern (Cheers Parody) Patreon for Stark Reflections Andrew Pyper was born in Stratford, Ontario, in 1968. He received a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature from McGill University, as well as a law degree from the University of Toronto. Although called to the bar in 1996, he has never practiced. His most recent novels include The Homecoming (2019), The Only Child (2017), and The Damned (2015). His 2013 novel, The Demonologist, won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Hardcover Novel, and was a #1 bestseller in Canada and Brazil. A number of Pyper's works have been acquired for TV or feature film. The Homecoming is being developed by eOne with Andrew acting as Co-Creator and Executive Producer. Other active projects have not yet been announced. Among the earlier novels, The Guardians was published in Canada (Doubleday Canada) in January 2011, the U.K. (Orion) in February 2011, and following this internationally in various territories. It was selected a Globe and Mail 100 Best Books of the Year. The Killing Circle, Andrew's fourth novel, was a national bestseller in Canada, and has been published in the U.K. (HarperCollins) and U.S. (St. Martin's/Minotaur). Translation rights have been sold in Holland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Japan. Kiss Me, a collection of short stories, was published to acclaim in 1996. Following its publication, Mr. Pyper acted as Writer-in-Residence at Berton House, Dawson City, Yukon, as well as at Champlain College, Trent University. His first novel, Lost Girls, was a national bestseller in Canada and a Globe and Mail Notable Book selection in 1999 as well as a Notable Book selection in the New York Times Book Review (2000) and the London Evening Standard (2000). The novel won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best First Novel and is an Otto Penzler pick on Amazon.com. Lost Girls has been published in the U.S. (Delacorte Press) and U.K. (Macmillan) in 2000, and has also been translated into Italian, Dutch, German and Japanese. Andrew's second novel, The Trade Mission, was published in Canada, the U.K., U.S., the Netherlands and Germany. It was selected by The Toronto Star as one of the Ten Best Books of the Year. Andrew's third novel, The Wildfire Season, was a Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year and has been published to acclaim in the U.K., Canada, U.S. and Holland. Andrew's creative writing teaching experience includes terms at Trent University, the University of Toronto, and, currently, Colorado College. He lives in Toronto. 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

In this episode Mark shares an interview with Monica Leonelle, a USA Today bestselling author best known for her young adult urban fantasy and paranormal romance series, Waters Dark and Deep. She also teaches writing, publishing, business, and marketing at TheWorldNeedsYourBook.com. Her most recent nonfiction series, Growth Hacking for Storytellers, has helped thousands of writers write faster, become better storytellers, and find their way to success. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal, update, some comments and a few words about this episode's sponsors. These details include Commentary on Robin Cutler joining LMBPN Thoughts about publishing trends and future predictions (based on insightful comments from patrons) A bit about Mark's early writing history, Tough Guys Big Adventure and a stupid Dad Joke video short Sponsors: Findaway Voices and Clark Chamberlan's Author Hustle 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 Monica and Mark talk about: Monica's start in self-publishing back in 2009 in non-fiction How Monica's first book on social media for corporations allowed her to shift from software engineering to social media marketing Wanting to buy a domain called "howtobeanauthor" but Joanna Penn got it first The era of self-publishing when Amanda Hawking first exploded onto the scene Monica's first fiction book, Silver Smoke, which was not written to market, but still sold 5000 copies The "early days" of eBook publishing, which often involved learning html coding How learning to write fast was the next major turning point in Monica's writing career Some of the fundamental marketing practices that Monica recommends How books like Twilight and The Martian are written to super-specific genres, but with some high level story structures that are universal The importance of psychological triggers in a story How Monica has divided up her time working on three different types of writing and multiple author names/brands Trends that Monica has been tracking in the writing industry Some of the things going on with different reading apps outside the major retailers How Monica leverages different tools to sell direct, and her enthusiasm about being able to do bundling of eBook/Audio/Print via direct website sales The interesting history and secrets of the old house that Monica lives in And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on Monica's long term experience within indie publishing, and the important of persistence and sticking it out for the long run. Links of Interest: Monica Leonelle Main Website The World Needs Your Book Special Courses from Monica (for Early 2021) Solo Storm Books Card Reading Queen Kobo Writing Life NaNoWriMo Promo (use coupon code NANO2020) Findaway Voices Clark Chamberlan's Stock Up Author Hustle Offer LMBPN Press Release about Robin Cutler Wide for the Win Submission Form A Christmas Howl (Christmas Carol Dad Joke) Patreon for Stark Reflections Monica Leonelle is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her young adult urban fantasy and paranormal romance series, Waters Dark and Deep. She also teaches writing, publishing, business, and marketing at TheWorldNeedsYourBook.com. Her most recent nonfiction series, Growth Hacking for Storytellers, has helped thousands of writers write faster, become better storytellers, and find their way to success. She also founded The World Needs Your Book event series to bring this training to the world. Before becoming an independent author, Monica led digital marketing efforts at Inc. 100 companies like Hansen's Natural and Braintree. She's been an avid blogger of marketing and business trends since 2007. Her ideas have been featured in AdAge, The Huffington Post, Forbes, Inc., the AMEX OpenForum, GigaOm, Mashable, Social Media Today, and the Christian Science Monitor. Monica lives in a very, very old, 3-story home in St. Louis, MO with her husband and adorable westie, Mia. It possibly has ghosts. And definitely has a secret passage. To find out what she's up to and get access to her latest fiction updates, exclusive giveaways, advanced review copies, and more, sign up at MonicaLeonelle.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

In this episode Mark interviews David Farland, a New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author, who has written for major franchises such as Star Wars and The Mummy, and mentored dozens who have gone on to staggering literary success, including Brandon Mull, Brandon Sanderson, and Stephenie Meyer. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, and a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and David talk about: How David started writing when he was 17 years old, but didn't get serious about it until the age of about 25/26 Deciding he wanted to win a short story contest, and how that led to winning the Grand Prize at Writers of the Future and how that led to a traditional publishing offer which led to a bestseller (On My Way To Paradise) which also won the Philip K. Dick Special Memorial Award His role as the Coordinating Judge of The Writers and Illustrators of the Future writing contest Why David spends so much time helping to prop up and support beginning writers Different game-related stories David has been involved in, including a new game-related story David has coming out in 24 different languages The problem with writers who don't see things in the long term and in the global market The way that Hollywood options work for writers and the money that can be earned on movies that never get made (such as Isaac Asimov's Foundation series) The fact that Philip K Dick's short stories usually have about 100 options in place at any given time (Dick's stories have been made into movies such as "Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Screamers, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, and The Man in the High Castle) Why David created the Apex Writer's Group - the importance of authors educating and inspiring each other Some of the sensations that David was behind, including Stephanie Meyer, Brandon Sanderson, James Dashner, Dan Wells, and even the push of Rowling's Harry Potter novels The origin of the pseudonym David Farland And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on the concept of casting a wide net and keeping that net out there, via an example David had shared of an author who gave up, and then years later her books hit it big. Links of Interest: David Farland's Website My Story Doctor (Website for Writers) Apex Writer's Group Writers & Illustrators of the Future Superstars Writing Seminars Episode 167 - Author, Author, Give Me The News with Laura Hayden Episode 166 - Wording Around with KathyMac Episode 164 - Reflections on The Creative Penn Podcast Kobo Writing Life NaNoWriMo Promo (use coupon code NANO2020) Mark's Tavern (Opening Theme Song - Cheers Parody) Mark's Tavern - Pilot Episode (Cheers Parody) Ghost Stories from the Winking Judge (Video) Spirits Untapped: The Winking Judge Obsessions: An Anthology of Original Fiction Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough Mark's Canadian Werewolf Series This Time Around (Book 0) A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1) Stowe Away (Book 1.5) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2) Findaway Voices Wide for the Win Submission Form Patreon for Stark Reflections David Farland is an award-winning, international bestselling author with over 50 novels in print. He has won the Philip K. Dick Memorial Special Award for "Best Novel in the English Language" for his science fiction novel On My Way to Paradise, the Whitney Award for "Best Novel of the Year" for his historical novel In the Company of Angels, and many more awards for his work. He is best known for his New York Times bestselling fantasy series The Runelords. Farland has written for major franchises such as Star Wars and The Mummy. He has worked in Hollywood greenlighting movies and doctoring scripts. He has been a movie producer, and he has even lived in China working as a screenwriter for a major fantasy film franchise. As a writing instructor, Farland has mentored dozens who have gone on to staggering literary success, including such #1 New York Times Bestsellers as Brandon Mull (Fablehaven), Brandon Sanderson (Wheel of Time), and Stephenie Meyer (Twilight). Farland judges L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future, one of the largest worldwide writing competitions for new fantasy and science fiction authors. The contest has helped discover and launch many authors into professional careers, with nearly 100 new science fiction and fantasy books released in just the last year. In the video game industry, he has been both a designer and a scripter and was the co-leader on the design team for StarCraft: Brood War. He set the Guinness World Record for the largest single-author, single-book signing. David Farland has been hailed as "The wizard of storytelling" and his work has been called "compelling," "engrossing," "powerful," "profound," and "ultimately life-changing." 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

In this episode, Mark interviews author and bookseller Laura Hayden, who is the co-founder and owner of Author-Author an experimental retail bookshop that deals in online sales, special events, books for writers and books for authors. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from this episode's sponsor . . . You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark also welcomes new Patron Melissa Yi and shares a personal update that includes a couple of talks he gave to library groups in the past week, as well as a few Kobo promotions he is participating in. Mark reminds listeners they can get the following books via Kobo until the end of 2020 by using the coupon code NANO2020 at checkout: The Indie Author Mindset – Adam Croft Dear Writer, You Need to Quit – Becca Syme The 7 P's of Publishing Success – Mark Leslie Lefebvre Let's Get Digital: How to Self-Publish and Why You Should – David Gaughran In their conversation, Mark and Laura talk about: Laura's introduction to books by being an early avid reader The librarian who took Laura by the hand and guided her through the incredible journey through reading The effect of a constant travel life of being a military family on maintaining a reliable career Laura's initial entry into bookselling by walking into a bookstore and offering to help part-time Laura's return to bookselling by offering to volunteer in a bookstore and fixing two of their sections that she saw could use some help Learning about the Harlequin Intrigue imprint and how Laura sold her first novel to them on her very first submission The steps Laura took by spotting opportunities related to books, bookselling, and bookstores The origin of opening up her first physical bookstore How the bookstore only lasted 2 years and went into significant debt because there wasn't a cash-for-trade option How Laura has accounts with 18 larger publishers and 44 small publishers, not to mention Ingram, the world's largest wholesale book distributor The non-returnable account Laura has with most publishers, which allows her to offer authors a deep discount on book purchases How Laura works within a 6 to 9% margin in her business and that she's been doing it since 2007 The way that Laura works with conferences and other organizations for selling authors books at events The fact that Laura works 1:1 with all of her clients The impact of running this bookstore on Laura's career as a writer Working as a ghost writer The Laurence Saunders ghost writer scandal The Ella Vaughn pseudonym that Laura is co-authoring with another writer The discounts that a bookstore sees when you set different discounts via Ingram Spark or other print on demand services The insights Laura has into some "publishers" that writers are considering working with What you get with a paid listing in Ingram's monthly ADVANCE magazine Something that Laura wishes all authors would understand about bookstores when considering carrying their books The way a successful indie publishing author has worked successfully with a large indie bookstore After the interview Mark reflects on some of the insights Laura shared but also on how her personal writing took a back-seat to the business she operates in helping writers. Links of Interest: Author-Author Laura's Author Website Superstars Writing Seminars Kobo Writing Life NaNoWriMo Promo (use coupon code NANO2020) Obsessions: An Anthology of Original Fiction Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough Mark's Canadian Werewolf Series This Time Around (Book 0) A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1) Stowe Away (Book 1.5) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2) Findaway Voices Let It Snow Audiobook Event (Blog Post - Findaway) Mark's Blog Post about Let It Snow Wide for the Win Submission Form Patreon for Stark Reflections Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Laura started reading at the age of four and in six short years, exhausted the children's section of the local branch library. She switched to adult mysteries and science fiction and never looked back. Trained as an engineer, she continued to write "for fun" until one day, she decided to write "for real." Since. as a kid, when she wasn't reading, she was watching TV, her seventeen books and short stories straddle multiple fiction genres and include vivid characters with action, suspense and humor. Her latest book, DARKWOOD CROSSING: Bailey, the Critter Sitter, is a middle grade collaboration written with Yvonne Jocks under the pseudonym of Ella Vaughn. Laura's latest short story under her own name is "The Ghost of Dogwood," the 10th entry in the popular multi-author "Dogwood Series." Having traveled across the US as a military spouse, Laura now resides (permanently!) in Colorado with her husband and two dogs. She's one of the founders of Pikes Peak Writers, its first president and has been the director of its conference an unprecedented eight times. To learn more about Laura, the writer, visit her at http://suspense.net To learn more about Author, Author!, visit http://www.author-author.net 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

In this episode Mark interviews Poet and teacher Kathy Mac who lives in Fredericton NB, Canada and teaches creative writing at St. Thomas University along with one of her students, Neomi about a book project, Wording Around with Prose, and the course it originated from. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from this episode's sponsor . . . You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark also shares comments from recent episodes and a personal update, which include the following: A walk through of the Draft2Digital payment splitting A talk about the writing and publishing Mark will be doing for Susie Moloney, the Writer in Residence for Edmonton Public Library on Dec 8, 2020. (It's free to attend but you can email susie.moloney@epl.ca to register The Let It Snow Audiobook Giveaway #snowaudio2020 Working on adding courses to his Stark Publishing Teachable platform During the interview, Mark, Kathy, and Neomi discuss: How Kathy got into academia in 2002 after a start in literary publishing The additions Kathy helped usher into the university, including the course on Literary Publishing Neomi's background in theatre and how that ties into her passion for poetry, prose, and script writing The strong and tight-knit artistic community in Fredericton - Getting into the desired course without having the pre-requisites, and the importance of trying and asking when you're passionate about something Details about the make-up and layout of the course How the course has evolved as digital publishing has grown The decision of the class to use Draft2Digital for the eBook, and how they came to that conclusion Where the manuscript that was published came from and how it was adapted into the course and the work that the students did The cancellation of the Wordspring conference and how that led to the origin of this course The different assignments that student groups worked on in the publishing of this book Creation of the video book trailer to help support the marketing of the book Neomi's learnings of the process and what surprised her about the business of publishing How we tend to minimize the amount of work that other people do The way the title "Wording Around" was inspired from a blog from writer A.J. Ripley and their blog What is next for Wording Around Press How there was a plan for making a partially-hand-crafted print version of the book, but how the second wave of Covid-19 ramped up, preventing that from happening And more . . . After the interview Mark shares a few reflections and thoughts about the conversation and the project. Then he welcomes new patron Tessa Smith McGovern and thanks all patrons for supporting this podcast at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Links of Interest: Kathy Mac's Website Wording Around with Prose Facebook Twitter Instagram Episode 165 - Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough Episode 164 - Reflections on The Creative Penn Podcast Episode 517 Episode 163 - Getting a Creative Edge with Mickey Mikkelson Kobo Writing Life NaNoWriMo Promo (use coupon code NANO2020) Obsessions: An Anthology of Original Fiction Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough Mark's Canadian Werewolf Series This Time Around (Book 0) A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1) Stowe Away (Book 1.5) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2) Findaway Voices Let It Snow Audiobook Event (Blog Post - Findaway) Mark's Blog Post about Let It Snow Books2Read Draft2Digital Payment Splitting Video Walk-Thru Wide for the Win Submission Form Patreon for Stark Reflections 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

In this special shorter episode of the podcast, Mark talks about a book that he has published via his Stark Publishing imprint written by a friend who found himself homeless in London, England. Mark shares the origin of the book and why he is publishing it, as well as some of the mechanics and logistics surrounding the distribution of the eBook and print editions. He also reads an excerpt from the chapter "Down and Out in London." Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough Peter C. Mitchell Hardcover ISBN: 9781989351413 Print ISBN: 9781989351376 eBook ISBN: 9781989351383 Links of Interest: Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough (Universal Book Link) Rude Awakenings (Hardcover - via Author, Author) Rude Awakenings (Paperback - via Author, Author) A Different Drummer Bookstore (Burlington, Ontario) Patreon for Stark Reflections 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 is a special "Reflections on Other Podcasts" style episode. Mark reflects on Episode 517 of The Creative Penn Podcast, where Joanna Penn interviews Holly Worton. The description from that episode, which is highly recommended that you listen to is this: How can you prevent self-doubt and fear from blocking your creative expression? What if you've built an audience for your books, but then you want to change direction? Joanna Penn discusses these issues and more with Holly Worton in Episode 517 (November 23, 2020) of The Creative Penn Podcast. Holly Worton is the author of 17 nonfiction and self-help books about business mindset and personal growth, as well as on walking and the wisdom of trees and nature. She's also the host of the Into the Woods podcast. Prior to the episode's main content, Mark shares comments from previous episodes, a word from this episode's sponsor . . . You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. Mark also shares a personal update, which includes. Progression on NaNoWriMo The launch of the OBSESSIONS anthology Publishing another book (unexpectedly) - Nocturnal Screams Vols 1 to 8 The forthcoming release of RUDE AWAKENINGS FROM SLEEPING ROUGH by Peter C. Mitchell Links of Interest: Episode 517 of The Creative Penn Podcast: Business Mindset and Pivoting Your Author Career with Holly Worton The Creative Penn Holly Worton Mark's NaNoWriMo Profile Episode 163 - Getting a Creative Edge with Mickey Mikkelson Episode 32 - Hybrid Author Publishing with C. C. Humphreys Kobo Writing Life NaNoWriMo Promo (use coupon code NANO2020) Obsessions: An Anthology of Original Fiction Rude Awakenings from Sleeping Rough Mark's Canadian Werewolf Series This Time Around (Book 0) A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1) Stowe Away (Book 1.5) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2) Findaway Voices Books2Read Draft2Digital Wide for the Win Submission Form Patreon for Stark Reflections 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

In this episode Mark interviews Mickey Mikellson of Creative Edge Publicity - a boutique publicity firm specializing in arranging events such as book signings, library or school presentations, online and print media opportunities, and many other events related to the arts in general. Mickey and his firm are advocates for both the traditional and independent artist. Prior to the interview, Mark shares some recent comments from listeners, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation, Mark and Mickey talk about: The last time Mark interviewed Mickey, for the Kobo Writing Life podcast in Calgary at When Words Collide What Creative Edge Publicity does and how they work with authors in terms of setting up interviews, chats, appearances, articles, etc, since 2016 How it had been Robert J. Sawyer, Mickey's first traditionally published author, who introduced Mark to Mickey How Creative Edge Publicity went full-time in September 2020 and doubled their client base in less than a month How Mickey got into the business The typical services and connections that Creative Edge offers to their clients The reality of not being able to guarantee sales, but working on long term building-blocks of opportunities Some of the differences now that this business is operating full time The rewarding experience of getting to work with highly intelligent and creative individuals on a daily basis The difference between a publisher's in-house publicist and an independent publicist Mickey's preference towards creating and continuing to build a relationship with an author who is a client, versus short-term, one-off projects The ability to continue to publicize back-list titles versus the three month window of publicity that comes with traditional publishing The first conversation with potential clients in terms of determining the fit, which is typically one hour How Mickey signs authors not based on the content of their books, but more on their personality and how they might fit well within the larger team of clients The perspective of the entire client basis of Creative Edge being a team or extended family The typical budget range an author working with Creative Edge would be looking at The results-based charges currently used for billing clients The value of attracting a reader-based audience versus a mass media based audience Some of the misconceptions authors have about publicists Links of Interest: Creative Edge Publicity Facebook Twitter Mark's NaNoWriMo Profile Episode 162 - Happy Accidents with Joshua Pantalleresco Episode 161 - NaNo No-No's Episode 133 - Anatomy of a Rebel with Sacha Black Episode 155 - Rebel Reflections with Guest Host Sacha Black Episode 145 - Leveraging Your Author IP and Hybrid Publishing with Robert J. Sawyer Episode 004 - Optimizing Your Author Brand with Robert J. Sawyer Kobo Writing Life NaNoWriMo Promo (use coupon code NANO2020) Kobo Writing Life Podcast EP 97 - (Mark chats with Mickey, Robert J. Sawyer, and C.C. Humphries) Mark's Canadian Werewolf Series This Time Around (Book 0) A Canadian Werewolf in New York (Book 1) Stowe Away (Book 1.5) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles (Book 2) Findaway Voices Books2Read Draft2Digital Wide for the Win Submission Form Patreon for Stark Reflections Mickey Mikkelson is the founder and brain child behind Creative Edge Publicity. Graduating from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology with a Marketing Diploma, Mickey has been in the book industry since 2006 where he started as the Special Events Manager in St Albert, Alberta for Chapters/Indigo, the largest bookstore chain in Canada. Ten years later, he formed Creative Edge Publicity, an aggressive boutique publicity firm that specializes in advocating for both the traditional and independent artist. Realizing there was a direct need by authors for publicity, Mickey tailored his firm to obtain media for indie authors initially and then spreading out to promoting works by traditionally published writers as well. In the four years that Creative Edge has been in existence, Mickey has managed to sign some of the top talents in the literary industry including multiple award winners, signing New York Times Bestsellers, and has been able to get indie authors various levels of success with many of them becoming international bestselling authors while working with the Creative Edge brand. 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