Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this additional "between episodes" addition, Mark shares a Medium article with the following important message. "From one citizen to another, I beg of you: take a deep breath, ignore the deafening noise, and think deeply about what you want to put back into your life. This is our chance to define a new version of normal, a rare and truly sacred (yes, sacred) opportunity to get rid of the bullshit and to only bring back what works for us, what makes our lives richer, what makes our kids happier, what makes us truly proud. We get to Marie Kondo the shit out of it all. We care deeply about one another. That is clear. That can be seen in every supportive Facebook post, in every meal dropped off for a neighbor, in every Zoom birthday party. We are a good people. And as a good people, we want to define — on our own terms — what this country looks like in five, 10, 50 years. This is our chance to do that, the biggest one we have ever gotten. And the best one we’ll ever get." The message is from the article "Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting" by Julio Vincent Gambuto.   Mark then reflects on the importance of this moment in time and the "reset" that can happen.   This episode contains explicit language which may offend some listeners.   Links of Interest: Julio's Medium Article Julio Vincent's Website Patreon for Stark Reflections   The son of a bus-driver-slash-bread-baker, Julio Vincent ("Julie") grew up in a large Italian family on New York’s Staten Island, where aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered often around Mom's seafoam-green formica kitchen table for “cake and coffee” — always an Entenmann’s crumb cake — to tell stories, argue about the Mets, and play cards with the neighbors. After seven years on merit scholarship at the prestigious Staten Island Academy, Julie left the borough for Harvard, where he graduated with a BA in English and American Literature and Language, with honors. He completed his training as a film director at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he was honored as an Annenberg Fellow. Julio Vincent recently completed post-production on his first feature film, Team Marco, and is currently developing the feature family comedy, The Julie Stories. In 2017, Julio founded Boro Five, an independent film and television content production company. He serves as Executive Producer of the company’s slate. Julio has written and produced film and television content for Nickelodeon, PBS, E! Entertainment, and James Franco’s Rabbit Bandini. Learn more below. Julio lives in New York 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

In this episode Mark shares a live chat with Roland Denzel, AKA the Indestructable Author, from April 2, 2020 about Strategies for a Healthy Home Workspace. Roland shares what people can do to maintain health and exercise with limited space and no equipment; fundamentals of creating an ergonomic workspace in your home, and much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a reflection on how he feels Covid-19 is going to become a major tipping point for the way that people consume books and move from print-book puritans to eReading adoptions. He also shares the fact that it's likely the major publishers are going to be forced to finally properly dip their toes into the eBook pool. Mark then shares 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 Roland talk about: Roland's background as a writer and health coach and advocate focusing on the nutrition and habit side of things His plans for writing a series and stacking them for a consistent release schedule Taking a "Supercharge your Protagonist" course with H Claire Taylor to help improve his fiction The side-effects of living behind a keyboard for thirty years that include carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuropathy How moving around for as little as 5 minutes every thirty minutes or so can reduce your blood sugar by up to 20% and improve insulin sensitivie by as much as 20% How coffee isn't the big problem that many people say it is, and can be useful because if you drink it, you're likely getting up to go to the washroom more often, and thus moving more The Pomodoro technique which follows 25 / 5 - 25 minutes of work, followed by 5 minutes of a break, or rest How just a little bit of planning can help you maintain better health and productivity Roland's perspective on ergonomics The importance of what Roland calls "the dynamic office" Things people can do to get exercise without equipment, in limited space, or without being able to go to the gym How much people underestimate the value of walking How important it is to make changes from a sedentary lifestyle in small steps or stages In general how the healthier you are, the easier it is to focus Strategies for dealing with anxiety in a limited or shared work space And more... After the interview, Mark shares a few personal updates, including his recent appearance on The Creative Penn and The Indy Author Podcasts, the weekday Draft2Digital Spotlights he has been participating in, and a forthcoming online course he will be teaching in a series from Jane Friedman.   Links of Interest: Roland Denzel's Indestructable Author Website Episode 127 - Blaze Ward Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Online Course (via Jane Friedman) - Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction The Creative Penn Podcast - Mark's Appearances Episode 482 Episode 408 Episode 300 Episode 262 Episode 178 Episode 143 The Indy Author Podcast - Mark's Appearances Episode 20 Episode 14   Roland Denzel is a coach, a nutritionist, and a restorative exercise specialist who also happens to be a writer. He has fought off carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy, and plantar fasciitis, all while "keeping his butt in the chair" long enough to work a full-time job and release more than ten books. He coaches authors and other awesome humans about ergonomics, healthy lifestyle, balance, and overcoming physical and mental limitations to be healthier, happier, and more productive.     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 has an in depth conversation with author Blaze Ward. Blaze Ward writes science fiction in multiple universes. He also writes odd bits of high fantasy with swords and orcs. In addition, he is the Editor and Publisher of Boundary Shock Quarterly Magazine and many other magazines and publishing projects. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes. He also announced the winner of the book and workbook for THREE STORY METHOD from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon from a random selection of commenters from Episode 123. In addition, the Patreon winner is also announced. In their conversation Mark and Blaze discuss: When Blaze started to kick into full production schedule for his writing Writing 400,000 words a year while he was employed and working full time, and how he ramped it up to 100,000 words a month, which he has consistently reached for the past two years The daily/weekly schedule that Blaze keeps in order to write 4000 words a day Monday through Saturday The plan for Blaze to write 14 novels and 40 stories in 2020 Mal Cooper, who wrote 40 novels in 2018, and makes Blaze look like a slacker The thrill of "getting to go write" when Blaze wakes up in the morning P Time and L Time (Personal Time and Linear Time) The plans for ensuring that his heirs will continue to benefit from the works that Blaze has written The various different novels in different series' that Blaze has written and is working on Why Blaze isn't playing the "exclusive to Kindle" game in publishing and has chosen to go wide Selling short stories that are not available anywhere else directly on his website How Blaze is using Patron (to provide his $5/month patrons content a full year before it is available to anyone else) Boundary Shock quarterly magazine, which Blaze edits, including the inspiration for creating it and the logisitics of filling each issue of that magazine and others with content using a syndicate of fifteen other writers The different newsletters that Blaze sends out Some of the financial changes that Blaze and his wife Leah (also an author), have recently made regarding translations and travel to writer conferences And more... After the conversation, Mark reflects on comparisonitis and discipline. This episode was sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast who support this show and gain access to additional content over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections.   Links of Interest: Blaze Ward's Website Episode 126 - Thanks for the Laughs and Inspiration Episode 125 - Simplifying, Streamlining and Organizing with Janice Savage Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon 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

Thanks for the Inspiration is a type of show that appears from time to time in the regular schedule for this podcast. As writers, we often absorb elements from the world, the places, and the people around us. We observe, we ask questions, we speculative, we listen, we watch, we feel, and we write so much of that down which gets re-integrated, like some sort of sausage creation, into the stories and words and worlds we share with our readers. Thanks for the Inspiration episodes are an attempt to acknowledge and say thanks to the people, places, and things that have helped to either feed the muse, or perhaps just to feed the very soul and makeup of the writer behind that writing. In this bonus episode of the podcast, Mark thanks the creative spirits who have produced musical parodies about Covid-19 and the current global situation. Because laughter is important.   Yes, these are dark times, but laughter is important. It connects people. And laughter has been shown to actually stimulate positive activity in a person's immune system. I know we're all scared, we're uncertain, we aren't sure what's coming, for us, and for those we know and love. Things seem to be spinning out of control. But we can always control where we focus and how we respond. I choose love, compassion, and humor. And I choose to thank all of these amazing creative people who took the time to spread their own passion, through humor, to help others find smiles and laughs in these trying times.   Mark introduces the following musical parodies in this order:   Covid-19 - The Taylor's - Parody of "Come On, Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners. JJ Mason Taylor (The Taylor Family) YouTube Video My Corona - Parody of "My Sharona by The Knack Kevin Brandow Lyrics by Chelsea Brandow YouTube Video Quarantine - Parody of "Let It Be" by The Beatles Joe Cron YouTube Video Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (with new lyrics!) Parody of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke from the movie Mary Poppins Daniel Matarazzo You Tube Video One Week of COVID 19 - Parody of "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies Pepper Coyote Adapted original lyrics by @daniAwesome YouTube Video My Corona Home - Parody of "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys from the movie Cocktail Jon Pumper YouTube Video Coronavirus Rhapsody - Parody of "Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen Adrian Grimes Lyrics by Dana Jay Bein YouTube Video   Mark then closes out the show with a thanks to all of the first responders and medical and health professionals on the front lines as well as essential services personnel who continue to risk their own safety and welfare for the good of society. And he again thanks the creative folks who wrote, performed, and shared these songs (and so many others not included here) to help inspire smiles and laughter in others during these trying times.   This episode was sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast who support this show and gain access to additional content over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections.   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 Janice Savage, Savvy Concierge about strategies that enable work-life balance which translates into more personal time and less stress. Prior to the interview, Mark reads a word from this episode's sponsor, 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. He then reads comments from recent episodes, reminding listeners they still have a chance to win a copy of THREE STORY METHOD and the accompanying workbook from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon by commenting on Episode 123 before the end of March 2020. He also shares a brief personal update that includes the adaptation of the Career Author Summit in Nashville in May (where Mark is a featured speaker) to a virtual event, as well as being a guest on the Rebel Author Podcast with Sacha Black. In their conversation, Mark and Janice talk about: How Janice loves being in a position to do something to help other people, which organically grew into her business How Janice pays attention and listens to both what people say, as well as the things that people don't say, as part of her process of helping them The value of being invited into the personal workspace of the people that Janice works with The importance of, before looking at someone's space, you take a look at their values What "clutter" does to us (makes us stressed, takes away our focus) - space, mind, physical clutter How having clutter in our minds and physically, it takes away from the creative process Examining a workspace for all of the things that can cause distraction The importance of making a specific system that works for you, your preferences, your goals, your work space How routine and the right habits build success The complimentary consult that Janice offers her potential clients How small changes can make a huge impact The importance of having an accountability partner The value of SNAP (The "Sunday Night Plan") - which is a written-down plan for the forthcoming week Ideas for managing an email inbox without getting stressed or overwhelmed And more . . .   After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of building up solid habits or an impactful routine.   Links of Interest: Janice's Website - Savvy Concierge Findaway Voices Library Promotion Opportunity (Expires after March 29, 2020) Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Episode 124 - Lindsay Flanagan on Working with an Editor The Rebel Author Podcast - Episode 21 - How to Get Your Book Into Libraries Patreon for Stark Reflections   Janice Savage, founder of Savvy Concierge, is a Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Manager. She alleviates the stress and that feeling of being overwhelmed that her busy clientele experience. Janice has taken the strategies and tips she developed first by raising four kids and then by working one-on-one with her clientele to introduce Savvy Principles to Simplify Your Life. She has recently segued into speaking opportunities, educational presentations and conducting workshops where she shares her expertise with larger audiences. By empowering the audience to attain their goals through an organized and decluttered personal and professional life she is spreading her message – Simplify Your Life.   The 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 Lindsay Flanagan, an editor that he had the privilege of working with. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a public service announcement from CDC regarding Covid-19, a number of comments from previous episodes, a new Patron (Katie), and injects a bit of a personal writing update in with those comments. Mark also reminds listeners of their chance to win a copy of THREE STORY METHOD from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon by commenting on Episode 123 before the end of March 2020. He then shares a tip from this episode's sponsor, 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, Lindsay and Mark talk about: How Lindsay had always been into writing, studying English Language and Literature, how her career took her away from that, and her eventual return back to the world of writing and editing The role-flip that Lindsay and her husband took about who the main bread-winner would be, and who would do more freelance-style work How Lindsay had been impressed by the professionalism and style of Angela Eschler of Eschler Editing How Lindsay's choice, in editing, always comes back to story and to language The one day a week that Lindsay keeps aside for her personal writing projects A high level review of the different types of editing, such as substantive/developmental, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading How Mark and Lindsay professionally met as writer and editor The things that Lindsay looks for in a writer client and what writers should look for when sourcing an editor The style and genres of fiction that Lindsay prefers to work on when editing How some clients at Eschler Editing are authors who want to ensure their work is polished professionally before they submit it to the traditional publisher market, while others are indie-published authors who want a professional edit before they self-publish the book How two different 80,000 word manuscripts might be given two different cost estimates depending on the shape the manuscript is in when it is turned in, which is why an edit can cost anywhere from $300 to $2000 The important that a writer always gets a sample edit from an editor that they are considering working with Why a professional edit is so important The way that an editor can help a writer understand differing changes in the marketplace for trends within specific genres Some of the most common mistakes that writers often make in their writing That all too important question an editor often asks: "But what is this doing to move your story move forward or your character to grow?" Some of the free resources available for writers at EscherEditing.com And more . . . After the interview, Mark shares his reflections on the importance of working with an editor who is properly aligned to your specifc writing and genre, in the same way that a writer needs to be thinking about their very specific target audience prior to working on marketing their book. Links of Interest: Eschler Editing Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Lindsay Flanagan (Twitter) Angela Eschler (LinkedIn) Findaway Voices Episode 123 - Three Story Method with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains Patreon for Stark Reflections   Lindsay Flanagan is a freelance writer and editor, who, after earning a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing, left her career of over a decade to pursue her dream job in the publishing world. She joined the Eschler Editing team in 2014 as an editor and project manager. She also edits for Immortal Works and Champagne Book Group. Because she's a glutton for knowledge, she's also interning with Corvisiero Literary Agency. Angela Eschler, founder of the award-winning Eschler Editing and manager of the boutique publisher Scrivener Books, has more than twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, including nearly a decade working in-house at traditional publishers. She now works as a freelance editor and industry coach for authors, editors, publishers, and other organizations and has edited over a thousand manuscripts from diverse genres. A published author herself, Angela’s work has been featured on television, radio, and in documentary film. The E. Team is comprised of highly skilled writers, editors, designers and publishing and promotion professionals that hail from diverse segments of the publishing industry. They’ve amassed advanced degrees in literature or writing, been published, received distinguished awards, and worked additionally in related industry fields as librarians, reporters, or writing professors. Most importantly, as vetted genre experts, they know what it takes to make it in publishing. So no matter if you want to self-pub or get an agent, we’ll help you learn to stand out, be discovered, and make a bigger impact. Why? Because filling the world with powerful books is vital. Writers are important; they’ve changed history, they’ve changed our lives, and we want to ensure they keep changing the world one reader at a time. That’s our story. Now, let’s make sure your story is heard.   The 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

Storytelling doesn't have to be complicated. In this episode, Mark chats with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon about their new book THREE STORY METHOD which proves that storytelling can be straightforward. Bohannon and Thorn are successful co-authors, are the minds behind the Authors on a Train, Vampires of New Orleans, Sci-Fi Seattle, Night of the Writing Dead and Cleveland Rock Apocalypse writing retreats. They also launched their Career Author podcast in January 2018, the same week that the Stark Reflections Podcast was launched. Prior to the interview, Mark waxes poetic about the previous times J. and Zach were on the podcast, including episode 74, where Mark had shared details about how he had proposed to his girlfriend Liz on the 50th birthday during an Alicia Witt concert, with a song Alicia wrote for him to use for the occasion. He also shares a short clip from the chorus of the song. Mark then talks about working on getting a representative from Google Play Books to come on in a future episode, and reminds writers that it's easier than ever to create a direct Google Play account for publishing: New publishers can visit g.co/play/publish and create an account in just a few easy steps There’s no longer an invite code or waiting period when setting up a new publisher account Mark also shares a word from this episode's sponsor, 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, J., and Zach talk about: The origin of Three Story Method and how the process for it was developed over the course of publishing a dozen books together The importance of a having a process that can be used in a similar way for multiple different projects How the book is meant for getting from an idea to a first draft of a manuscript and should be all that a writer needs. There's no up-selling or courses associated with it The accompanying workbook that can either be downloaded for free or purchased for the lowest price they could set on Amazon for it Ongoing dedication to learning, and re-learning, and continuing to refine the craft of writing The importance of starting off with a good book before you even begin or consider heavy marketing The value of the community that comes from running a weekly podcast Why they value tight-knit, intimate groups when it comes to hosting author gatherings The experience of brainstorming a universe for an anthology in a room full of engaged authors J.'s ways and Zach's hacks (a bit they do on their own podcast) ....and more.... After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of life-long learning of both the business and the craft of writing. He then shares how listeners have until the end of day March 31, 2020 to leave a comment on the show notes for Episode 123 at www.starkreflections.ca for a chance to win a free copy of Three Story Method and the accompanying workshop, courtesy of J. and Zach. Mark asks that commenters leave either a "Way" or a "Hack" that they've found useful for either the business or the craft of writing (in honour of the J.'s Ways and Zach's Hacks bit that the two regularly do on their own podcast. Mark also mentions that Patrons who support this podcast over at www.patreon.com/starkreflections are all automatically entered into a drawn to win the same prize. $1 / month patrons will be entered in for one chance. $3 /month patrons will be entered in twice. $5 / month patrons will be entered in 3 times.   Links of Interest: The Career Author Podcast Three Story Method Findaway Voices Episode 116 - Taking the Short Tack with Matty Dalrymple Episode 21 - Real World Connections in a Digital World with J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon Episode 74 - Perspectives on the Past, Present, and Future of Publishing (with J, Zach, Mark, Jim Kukral and T.W. Piperbrook) Alicia Witt Patreon for Stark Reflections   The 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 Evan Gow, founder of StoryOrigin, about the platform and the many tools and offerings it has for authors. Prior to the interview, Mark shares the two winners of the book TAKING THE SHORT TACK: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction written by Mark and Matty Dalrymple. One winner was randomly selected from those who left comments on Episode 116, and the other was select from among the patrons of the podcast. Mark then shares a word from this episode's sponsor, 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. He then shares a personal update that includes writing projects, revised book covers, and the cancellation of the London Book Fair. In their conversation, Evan and Mark discuss: The origin of StoryOrigin, which started in high school and then a college entrepreneur program called "Three Day Startup" in Austin, Texas How Evan determined the different needs and desires of indie authors in order to build his suite of what StoryOrigin offers them The confusing term "newsletter swap" and an explanation of what one actually is The transparency that is available for authors who are wanting to collaborate on newsletter swaps or group promotions The strategy for beginning authors to start by creating a reader magnet, and what a reader magnet might be - Using StoryOrigin for distribution of promo codes from Audible US, UK and Findaway Voices The ability to make an informed decision regarding potential reviewers who are requesting codes to review your book after receiving a free download code Some of the things authors were quick to adopt that Evan was surprised by The goal-tracking tools within StoryOrigin The open and free beta that StoryOrigin is currently in, as well as the transparent plans Evan has for charging authors for these tools After the interview, Mark reflects on a couple of things that Evan had mentioned in the interview.   Links of Interest: StoryOrigin Findaway Voices Episode 116 - Taking the Short Tack with Matty Dalrymple Patreon for Stark Reflections   Evan Gow is the indie developer of StoryOrigin, a marketing tool and community of authors that work together to build their mailing lists, increase sales, find reviewers, and stay on top of deadlines.   The 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 Sir John Hargrave, the author of MIND HACKING, SIR JOHN HARGRAVE'S MISCHIEF MAKER'S MANUAL and the bestselling book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE. Prior to the interview, Mark discusses listener comments from recent episodes and also shares a word from this episode's sponsor, 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. Mark offers a personal update in which he shares a writing tip gleaned from Dean Wesley Smith at the recent WMG Publishing anthology workshop in Vegas that Mark had been speaking at earlier in the week. He also shares the result of this year's PLR Program (Public Lending Right Program) check. In their discussion John and Mark chat about: The origin (which was a prank) where the name Sir John Hargrave came from The concept of reinventing yourself and how John went from being a human author to a geeky self-help author, to discussing rebuilding the global economy The common threads that move through all of John's books The many mini careers that people tend to have in today's day and age that draw upon the same core skills. In John's case they are humor and technology How BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYBODY is about the reinvention of the self as an accessible book with humor What blockchain is and how John got into the technology The interesting origin of Bitcoin and the mystery of the creator who has vanished The concept of "one world money" How John had to write the book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE twice The great promotional opportunity that John had for the book Finding the strength to go on when things are dark, and how you successfully respond to challenges How John had done his own audiobook using a professional recording studio that his son created in their home The new book BLOCKCHAIN SUCCESS STORIES that John is co-authoring for O'Reilly And more...   After the interview, Mark reflects on something John mentioned in the interview regarding persistence and personal growth in the face of adversity, and reads from two poems that he feels address the sentiment: "If" by Rudyard Kipling and "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou. Links of Interest: Sir John Hargrave's Website Media Shower Blockchain for Everyone WMG Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Twisted by Jeffrey Deaver The Sixth Sense Strangers to Superfans by David Gaughran Public Lending Right Program PLR International PLR Program Canada PLR Video (1:34) More detailed PLR Video (7:04) Patreon for Stark Reflections   Sir John Hargrave is author of MIND HACKING, SIR JOHN HARGRAVE'S MISCHIEF MAKER'S MANUAL and the bestselling book BLOCKCHAIN FOR EVERYONE. He is also the CEO of Media Shower, his company publishes the blockchain investor website, Bitcoin Market Journal which reaches 100,000 blockchain investors monthly. He is a frequent speaker, lecturer, and was a hoot to interview.   The 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 has a chat with Leah Cutter who writes page-turning, wildly imaginative fiction set in exotic locations, such as a magical New Orleans, the ancient Orient, rural Kentucky, Seattle, Minneapolis, and many others. Prior to the main episode content, Mark shares a quick personal update that includes details related to his writing income for 2019. 2019 Writing Income 64.97% Self Published 15.03% Traditional Publishing 20.00% Mixed Self and Trad He also shares a word about this episode's sponsor, 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 discussion Leah and Mark discuss: Leah's choice of doing the interview and some writing at a local coffee shop How Leah does the majority of her writing during the week in the tiny house she lives and works in during the week Leah's 8 year old document that stated that when she grew up she wanted to be a writer The way that Leah only writes on one specific project at a time (despite writing broadly in multiple genres) How each new project she works on must pass "the giggle test" and how she can't write something that she's not truly excited about Leah's writer tagline as "Writer/Traveler" How many projects Leah publishers in a given year The decision Leah made to publish something new once a month every month for the past three years How Leah knows if a project is going to be a story, a novella, or a novel The fact that Leah has a seperate writing computer and a separate writing desk in her tiny house where she divides up the different types of work The "Business for Breakfast" books that Leah has published The strategy of publishing to the 30 day Amazon pulse while still publishing wide to other platforms The two flavors of newsletters that Leah produces based on things she learned from Tammi Lebreque's Newsletter Ninja course ...and more... After the interview, Mark reflects on Leah'a positive attitude, her passion, and the dual newsletters that she produces each month for her followers. Links of Interest: Leah Cutter's Website WMG Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections   The 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