Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Are you looking for ways to stop being dependent upon Amazon for your author earnings income? Are you hoping to expand and grow your sales on multiple platforms in global territories? Do you need strategies to help you get started NOW in terms of creating a successful "publish wide" author plan? Would you like to increase and optimize your sales on Apple Books, Kobo, Nook, Google Play and more? Then this episode which features a reading of an article by Erin Wright called "Top 10 Tips to Going Wide." Prior to the main content, Mark 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 his personal update, Mark shares the progress he has made on the "Canadian Werewolf" series, including a cover rebranding, a pre-order for mid August, and another pre-order for Feb 2021. He also shares the fact he has started work on a book called WIDE FOR THE WIN which will also be published in early 2021. The tips shared are: Stop jumping and out of KU Stop giving away Amazon gift cards of Kindle eReaders Stop advertising in paid newsletters that only include Amazon Stop linking to just Amazon Stop buying your books on Amazon Stop cross-promoting with other authors who are KU exclusive Stop targeting KU authors in your ads Stop spending money on AMS ads Stop having an ARC team that only reviews on Amazon Stop trying to learn from authors who are KU exclusive After sharing the article, Mark reflects on the basic strategy that Erin employs across all of the tips. Links of Interest: Erin Wright's Website Top 10 Tips to Going Wide - Erin's Article on Hidden Gems Wide for the Win Facebook Group Episode 143 - Unstoppable Goals with HB Lyne 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) Wide for the Win Submission Form Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections USA Today Bestselling author Erin Wright has worked every job under the sun, including library director, barista, teacher, website designer, and ranch hand helping brand cattle, before settling into the career she's always dreamed about: Author. She still loves coffee, doesn't love the smell of cow flesh burning, and has embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, traveling the country full-time in an RV. (No one has died yet in the confined 250-square-foot space – which she considers a real win – but let's be real, next week isn't looking so good…) Find her updates on ErinWright.net, where you can sign up for her newsletter along with the requisite pictures of Jasmine the Writing Cat, her kitty cat muse and snuggle buddy extraordinaire. 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 urban fantasy author and podcaster HB Lyne about her fiction, her forthcoming title GOAL SETTING FOR WRITERS, and more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares 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. In the interview Holly and Mark talk about: When and how Holly got into writing in the first place - writing since she could hold a pen Making up stories that her young friend would illustrate Writing screenplays and theatre when when was a teenager, and going off to University with a goal to write and direct movies Writing her first book and how she wanted to share it straight away, and didn't want to wait and go through all the hoops, bells, and whistles of traditional publishing Holly's first series, with four books, and why had to plan on rebranding, despite having had paid for beautiful covers for the first set, as well as brilliantly conceived titles The rebranding of the series name, the titles, and the covers and what Holly's plan is (rapid release of the three books, then the new fourth book in the fall of 2020) Holly's first non-fiction book, Goal Setting for Writers, which is coming on July 31, 2020 The mind-set shift required to move from writing fiction to non-fiction How Holly does all of her planning doing the bullet journal system How, when we write by hand, we retain much more than when we are typing The challenge of imposter syndrome The Unstoppable Authors Podcast that Holly co-hosts with Angeline Trevena And more . . . After the interview Mark shares a reflection on Holly's rebranding as well as his own recent decision to rebrand a series in the same genre. He also shares a chance for listeners to win a copy of Holly's book on goal setting for writers by leaving a comment on this episode by EOD July 31, 2020. Patrons are also automatically entered for their own chance to win another copy of the book. Links of Interest: HB Lyne's Website HB Lyne Instagram HB Lyne Facebook Unstoppable Authors Podcast Episode 142 - Strategies for Launching a Book During a Pandemic with Suzy Vadori Episode 139 - Dreaming, Singing, and Moving People with Ashley Joanisse Findaway Voices Blog on Mastering Audio Patreon for Stark Reflections H.B. Lyne lives in Yorkshire, UK, with her husband, two children and cat. When not juggling family commitments, she writes dark urban fantasy novels, purging her imagination of its demons. Inspired by the King of Horror himself, Holly aspires to be at least half as prolific and successful and promises to limit herself to only one tome of The Stand-like proportions in her career. Holly is a proud geek, podcaster and bullet journal enthusiast with a knack for organisation and getting stuff done. 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 Suzy Vadori about the massive in person book launches she has done for the first two books in her The Fountain trilogy and the way she had to pivot away from the original plans of a major launch for book three, Wall of Wishes, due to the global pandemic. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor, reads some recent comments on the podcast, and offers a bit of a personal update. 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. Mark also shares that the podcast has surpassed 50,000 downloads, has been downloaded in over 100 countries, and he thanks listeners for helping him achieve those stats. In their interview, Mark and Suzy talk about: The giant Wall of Wishes backdrop Suzy and her kids created for the special at home video launch sessions she was doing The Fountain trilogy and where Suzy's new book "Wall of Wishes" fits into it The "ride" of pubishing the trilogy starting with "The Fountain" in 2015 - and how that eventually led to writing full time How, with the first two books in the trilogy, Suzy sold far more print books than eBooks, despite her small press publisher not having full proper bookstore distribution warehousing and channels The way that kids read more print books than digital books - Selling thousands of copies of her print books by doing multiple in person events throughout the year Two two tours every year sponsored by the Alberta Book Society The talks Suzy does at the schools, which aren't just about her books, but about the possibilities that exists in multiple careers for curious students Earning a speakers fee as a fiction author - and the importance of not speaking for free The special things that Suzy has done for in person book launch events, such as the party for over 300 people at a local brewery (with a free beer offer for guests), and the giant prop fountain that she toured bookstores with Hitting the bestseller list from a major launch event because the book sales were done through a local indie bookstore (that reports into the local newspapers bestseller list, which also rolls into the national newspaper bestseller lists) Partnering with local bookstore Owls Nest for a virtual book launch that was being broadcast live from the vacant bookstore (featuring Suzy and bookstore manager Stacey Kondla) in a physically distancing-safe manner Why Suzy started filling the fountain with lollypops after discovering a couple of issues with water The pennies Suzy has collected to allow people to make a wish in the fountain - an excellent ice-breaker (at least pre-Covid) How Suzy took over the reins for book three in this trilogy from her publisher without ruining the existing solid relationship she had with them The challenge of what was going to happen with a book launch originally planned for April 2020 - and then the global pandemic hit, throwing all those plans into a tail spin Earning the rank of Aurora Awards finalist for the first two books in the series, and winning the Bronze Medalian from Reader's Favourite for Best Young Adult Romance (which came with an actual medal that Suzy wore all over the place, and also brings it to school events) The listing of custom programs Suzy offers for author talks which appear on her website (include link) The value of tenacity and the ability to pivot The importance of playing to your strengths And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on two of the things Suzy mentioned: "If you're entertaining as an author, then presumably your books are also entertaining" "Play to your strengths..." Links of Interest: Suzy Vadori's Website Social Media Facebook Twitter Instagram Video of this Interview Owl's Nest Books Wild Rose Brewery Episode 139 - Dreaming, Singing, and Moving People with Ashley Joanisse Ashley's YouTubeChannel Hey Bartender American Dream Blue Wave - American Resistance Song Episode 140 - Writing Your Memoir with Rachael Herron Mark's Tavern (A Cheers Parody) Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Suzy is a Book Coach, Editor, Public Speaker and the Calgary Bestselling Author of The Fountain Series (The Fountain, The West Woods, Wall of Wishes). This fantastical Young Adult Series has received two Aurora Nominations for Best Young Adult Novel, as well as Five Stars and a bronze medallion from Readers' Favorite Book Awards. Suzy lives in Calgary, Canada with her husband and three children and is an involved member in the writing community. She is a Program Manager for Calgary's When Words Collide (WWC), teaches writing at Alexandra Writers' Centre Society, and is a touring member of the Young Alberta Book Society. Suzy is also the founder of WriteIt! creative writing programs in schools. 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 Luanga Nuwame (or Lue, as most of his friends affectionately know him), a 43-year old Canadian comic book publisher and writer, YouTube cardboard craft artist, board game developer, and author. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, reveals the Patreon winner of a "story stuck" consultation with Clark Chamberlain, and shares a personal update including the creation of a short Cheers parody called Mark's Tavern. 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 discussion, Mark and Lue talk about: How writing was a great outlet for Lue, particularly when he was younger, suffered from depression, didn't know how else to emote The joy of being able to escape into fantasy by creating different stories How Silver Surfer #4 was what started Lue's love of comic books as a medium that could be truly appreciated on multiple levels Lue's Paper, Rock, Scissors comic book and how playing the game with someone from Mongolia inspired Lue that it was a universal game that transcended language and culture Wondering what might happen if Paper, Rock, and Scissors were given human attributes and the story was set in space Coming up with how paper could defeat rock - it's obvious, rocks are claustrophobic How Lue found artist collaborators to work with who illustrated his comic books Getting into YouTube in 2008 and then discovering what could be done with cardboard crafting, and the accompanying videos showing how to make these crafts Creating a modular board game of huge octagons that can fill the entire living room and yet still stack and be tucked away when not in use The "Beautiful Canada" collectible series that Lue created celebrating the uniqueness of each province How Lue makes all of his unique cardboard crafts by hand The way that Lue learned how to interact with people when at his author/artist table The sense of community and networking that happens at these in person events, not just with the general public, but with fellow writers and artists The difficulty Lue has been facing with the recent loss of in person events due to the global pandemic Lue's book The Cardboard Bible where he provides designs and templates to help others with their own cardboard creations And so much more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on how Lue learned and developed from a past failure, and also how he has adapted and innovated with cardboard in a unique and inspiring way that writers can learn from. Links of Interest: Lue's Website Lue's YouTube Channel Lue's Amazon Author Page The Cardboard Bible Episode 140 - Writing Your Memoir with Rachael Herron Mark's Tavern (A Cheers Parody) Mark's Stupid Dad Joke Short Film "The Things We Miss Most" Night Cries (Audio Book) Findaway Voices Story Stuck Consulation Up, Up, And Away Superhero Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections Luanga Nuwame (or Lue, as most of his friends affectionately know him), is a 43-year old Canadian comic book publisher and writer, YouTube cardboard craft artist, board game developer, and author. Residing in Mississauga, Ontario, Nuwame operates the Homemade Game Guru YouTube channel to showcase his love for making all sorts of crazy creations out of cardboard. Be it furniture, exercise equipment, geek crafts, or swimming pools, there is no limit to what Nuwame can make out of cardboard. Nuwame's past cardboard designs have been featured on CBC News, CTV News, Make Magazine, The Toronto Star, Global News and Readers Digest. He achieved a world's record from The World's Record Academy in 2009 for the 'World's Largest Board Game Made by One Person'. Nuwame is also the founder of Zelpha Comics (named after his grandmother) and he acts as the principal writer and letterer for all published issues. He created the series Paper Rock Scissors N' Stuff Wars (the classic hand game brought to life on a distant planet), Enter the World of Mephistopheles (a new horror series) and The Adventures of Little Petalianne (a children's comic series). Beyond comics, Nuwame is a self-published author of a wide range of books. His novels include The Fantabulously Awesome Life of a Charity Donation Truck Driver (an expose on the clothing donation business), The Boy With Zero Self-Esteem (a memoir about his past battles with depression and loneliness), Hi, My Name is Karma (a short story 'thriller'), Smoking a 'J' With Jesus (religious criticisms), and multiple The Adventures of Little Petalianne children's books. 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 Rachael Herron about her writing, her multiple pseudonyms, being a hybrid author, and writing memoirs. Prior to the interview, Mark shares some comments from recent episodes and via Twitter, some information about an offer the Clark Chamberlain has for his Story Stuck Consultation, and a personal update. He also thanks new patron Johanna Rothman as well as all existing patrons for the podcast, and lets his patrons know that they were automatically entered in a chance to win a story stuck consultation from Clark. In their conversation, Mark and Rachael discuss: The thought that being a writer is like having homework for the rest of your life Rachael's thriller (Hush Little Baby) that she just turned into her editor at Penguin Random House and which comes out in May 2021 Getting over the "who cares" issues she was having working on this novel in the middle of a global pandemic and a world-wide drive to end systemic racism by recognizing that it's okay to delve deep into a focused project like this How willpower can be a finite, exhaustible resource How a good writer can take people out of their normal world and the feeling when a reader reaches out to let Rachael know that her book has moved them or helped them The feeling when you're reading a book that the person who wrote it "just gets you" The value of feeling seen and heard, of community, and of responding to reader emails Being involved in blogging from the early days, and the connections that can come out of that The fact that, despite appearing to share everything socially and on blogs, podcasts, etc, the content is actually curated - but that it's still authentic Rachael's book "Fast Draft Your Memoir: Write Your Life Story in 45 Hours" The importance of recognizing that there are plenty of people who want to write a memoir but who don't want to writers How there are so many genres within memoir One of the principal tenants of a good memoir - in that you treat yourself more critically than anyone else, and that you give and show grace to anyone who might have done you wrong How when you write about the most uncomfortable things how people really lean in to listen How Rachael's book "Letters to New Authors" is based on a series of emails she created to encourage other writers Being a fully hybrid author, and the mental shift involved when Rachael moves between traditional and indie publishing How not having control of little things can drive Rachael crazy with some of her books How Rachael's books, both, traditionally published and indie published, tend to sell better in eBook format The advice that Rachael would give to her younger self Ira Glass's theory of "the gap" And so much more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on writing about uncomfortable things. Links of Interest: Rachael Herron's Website Rachael's Resources for Writers (Including a weekly encouragement newsletter) Rachael's Essays on the Creative Life (Patreon) Rachael's Podcasts How Do You Write? The Writer's Well Rachael interviewed by Mark on the Draft2Digital Spotlight The Writer's Well EP 178 - If You Couldn't Write Books, How Would You Be Creative? (Mark guest co-host) Episode 137 - Dreaming, Singing, and Moving People with Ashley Joanisse Episode 138 - Cash Flow for Creators with Michael W. Lucas Mark's Stupid Dad Joke Short Film "The Things We Miss Most" Public Lending Right Program Canada Public Lending Right International Story Stuck Consulation Up, Up, And Away Superhero Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections Rachael Herron is the internationally bestselling author of more than two dozen books, including thrillers (under R.H. Herron), mainstream fiction, feminist romance, memoir, and nonfiction about writing. She received her MFA in writing from Mills College, Oakland, and she teaches writing extension workshops at both UC Berkeley and Stanford. She is a proud member of the NaNoWriMo Writer's Board and is the host and co-host of two awesome podcasts for writers. 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 Ashley Joanisse, a Canadian Country Singer-Songwriter who writes songs about politics, love, and life. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, welcomes new patron Krista D. Ball, thanks patrons, and 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. In his personal update, Mark shares a new StoryBundle that he is a part of, which launched on June 18, 2020, as well as a pair of videos he recently released focusing on how to pronounce his last name. In their conversation, Ashley and Mark talk about: Where Ashley's love of music first started The fact that Ashley always payed close attention to the lyrics of the songs she listened to The strong desire to write her own music rather than cover someone else's songs The little journey that Ashley kept since she was about thirteen years old, constantly jotting down poems, notes, song lyrics, and other things that inspired her Writing a chorus that might stay in the journal for several years before the lyrics for the rest of the song came to her Ashley's introduction to music in the 8th grade, and first learning how to play chords on the guitar Playing by ear - she has not yet learned how to read music The first guitar class Ashley was in where the instructor laid out a rule that nobody was allowed to play "Smoke on the Water" The very first song that Ashley nailed, which was "Outsider" by Taylor Swift How Mark learned about Ashley when she was putting out a collaborative call for people to submit video clips for a forthcoming video release Ashley's first single, "Hey Bartender!" How the song reminds Mark of a classic tune like "Piano Man" from Billy Joel The way that the music video was partially inspired by the clips Ashley received from friends and strangers How "Hey Bartender" was written and recorded two years ago and was produced about one year previously and the depression and circumstances that delayed the release The way that the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic inspired her out of the funk she had been stuck within The logistics of how Ashley created the video for "Hey Bartender" completely on her own How Ashley pulled off a video where she played two different characters (bartender and patron) in the same shot (and the way she learned how to do it) The difficulty for an artist when you put something out and you get virtually no response to the effort (something that is common for writers, musicians and other artists) (A little mix up where Mark's Google device starts playing a song) Ashley's latest song, titled "American Dream" which is a song inspired by tweets from the 45h president of the United States How this song allows her to express something she feels so intensely and how listening to the song can perhaps help others who feel the same way The way that "American Dream" is like the Arkells song "People's Champ" in that it's a powerful and catchy song, but there's an underlying meaning that some listeners might not actually pick up on How Ashley felt so strongly about releasing this song that she went out and bought professional equipment to produce it The mechanics of how Ashley recorded the song and produced the video for "American Dream" Why it's important to actually sing instead of lip syncing when you're trying to lip sync to an audio track for a music video Mark's impression of how bad the lip syncing on Grease 2 was The way that feedback from her two recent releases has further inspired her to want to continue to write and record more songs The irony of two negative things (a global pandemic and a narcissistic president who feeds on ignorance, fear, and lies) that inspired art, and got Ashley out of the depression she had been in Why Taylor Swift is a major influence on Ashley The advice that Ashley would give to her younger self And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on two of the things Ashley spoke about. The idea that if you stop, you'll never ever write that song that might move people, and how writing and music is a way to allow people to have a voice, to say things they are thinking and feeling about, which can empower writers/musicians and readers/listeners. Links of Interest: Ashley Joanisse Facebook Page Twitter Instagram YouTube Hey Bartender Music Video American Dream Music Video Episode 138 - Cash Flow for Creators with Michael W. Lucas Mark's Recent Videos How to Pronounce Lefebvre You Call Me Fever Music Video (Parody of Fever) Up, Up, And Away Superhero Storybundle Patreon for Stark Reflections Ashley Joanisse is a Canadian Country Singer-Songwriter who writes songs about politics, love, and life. She is an activist for human rights, and feels that we need to take a stand against hate and injustice anytime we can! Ashley has always had an interest in music since she was a little girl and her passions remain music and writing. Ashley grew up in Mattawa, Ontario a very small that helped her to become who she is today; just a small town girl living in a lonely world. 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 Michael W. Lucas about he books he has written which range range from crime and SF thrillers to arcane tomes on how to build your own Verizon. They also chat quite a bit about Michael's latest book: Cash Flow for Creators. In the opening of the episode, Mark shares some comments from recent episodes, as well as 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. Immediately prior to the interview Mark shares a personal update about his recent appearance on the overnight radio program Coast to Coast with George Noory, and all the positive results that came from that. In their conversation, Michael and Mark talk about: How writing for Michael started when he was about 4 and realized that books were created by human beings and this was something people could grow up to do The evolution of getting to full time writer via rejection notices, selling more and more things, and working on the craft Michael's start in writing writing for table top games The styles of fiction that Michael writes and where his heart is in writing The many "what ifs" that Michael enjoys, such as "What if there were Orcs in 1927 Detroit running booze across the border?" What happened to make leaving the full-time role as a writer possible, which involved a lot of watching Michael's new book for writers called CALL FLOW FOR CREATORS and why it was written out of self-defense The reality that making a living is about cashflow How evening out cashflow helps reduce the highs and lows of the typical cycle of a writer's income The importance of looking at one's lifestyle, where they live, how they want to live, when making decisions regarding the amount of money they need to make, the expenses they are willing to live with, etc The special editions that Michael does of some of his books, made specifically for his readers How, if you can do something special that speaks to your people, how Michael would encourage you to give it a try The way that Michael does his crowd-funding a little differently, using disintermediation, rather than using IndieGoGo or Kickstarter How not only are all of Michael's books published wide everywhere, but that they are all also available for sale direct The sponsorships that Michael does that includes surprises, such as a gift he will send you upon the book's publication And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on a few things that Michael spoke about, including when you know your fans, you can feed them the right things that they value, and how people will support you and they WANT you to succeed - if you treat your readers well. Mark then shares details about how listeners can win a copy of Michael's book Cashflow for Creators. Links of Interest: Michael's Website Episode 137 - Action Sequences and Sex Scenes with Joshua Essoe Joshua's Kickstarter Project: Essoe's Guide to Writing: Action Sequences and Sex Scenes! Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (June 5, 2020) Patreon for Stark Reflections Michael W Lucas has written 30-odd books, ranging from crime and SF thrillers to arcane tomes on how to build your own Verizon. His latest book is "Cash Flow for Creators." 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 editor Joshua Essoe who has edited for bestsellers, Piers Anthony and David Farland, for Dean Lorey, lead writer of Arrested Development, as well as numerous Writers of the Future winners, and USA Today bestsellers. Prior to the interview, Mark reads some comments from recent episodes, reveals the winner of Sacha Black's Anatomy of Prose and says a word about this episode's sponsors, the patrons of the podcast. Mark also shares a person update that includes: Work being done on his Canadian Werewolf series of books A new non-fiction writing project he will be releasing in the Fall of 2020: Wide for the Win In their conversation, Mark and Joshua talk about: How, 11 years ago, Joshua accidentally fell into the role of editor Joshua's previous role as an old book restorer Being a book nerd since Joshua was 7 years old Asking Brandon Sanderson to read one of his stories and the generous and constructive feedback he was offered Advice from Superstars Writing Seminars that led Joshua to deciding to take on a new challenge, editing a fellow author's fantasy novel Setting a goal of editing one of David Farland's novels The difference between restoring old books and working as an editor The genres that Joshua specializes in as an editor (science fiction, fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction) The importance of aligning your writing and your goals with the right editor The new book project Joshua is releasing and how he is launching it using Kickstarter The first book: Action Sequences and Sex Scenes and why Joshua is releasing that one first And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on the huge success Joshua saw on his Kickstarter project within the first 6 hours and first four days and a quote from the artist James A. Owen, who designed his new non-fiction books. Links of Interest: Joshua Essoe's Website Joshua's Kickstarter Project: Essoe's Guide to Writing: Action Sequences and Sex Scenes! Episode 133 - Anatomy of a Rebel with Sacha Black Episode 135 - Creative Collaborations in FerroCity with Joe Scacciaferro Career Author Summit Patreon for Stark Reflections Joshua Essoe has edited for bestsellers, Piers Anthony and David Farland, including the multi-award-winning novel, Nightingale. He's also edited for Dean Lorey, lead writer of Arrested Development, Mark Leslie Lefebvre, former director at Kobo, numerous Writers of the Future winners, USA Today bestsellers, and many other top-notch independents. He was lead editor at Urban Fantasy Magazine from 2014-2015. From 2012-2015 he recorded the weekly writing podcast Hide and Create with co-hosts Michael J. Sullivan, Diana Rowland, Jay Wells, and Debbie Viguie. You can find Joshua teaching about pitches, back cover copy, and editing every year at the Superstars Writing Seminars in CO. His approach to editing is to help you make your story the best version of itself it can be. Joshua is also a writer. He was a 2014 finalist in the Writers of the Future contest, and is in the process of releasing his first in a series of non-fiction books on editing for writers. 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 Brian Rathbone who is an international #1 Bestselling author on Google Play with both audiobooks and eBooks. Brian talks about the strategies and things he has learned about success in selling audiobooks, a market he has been playing in for two decades now, so he has a lot of learning to share there - as well as how he reached #1 on Google Play, a market that a lot of authors are struggling to learn and understand. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes and reminds listeners of their chance to win a signed copy of Sacha Black's latest book, Anatomy of Prose, by commenting on Episode 133 as per the episode and show notes details, prior to the end of day Friday May 29, 2020. This episode is sponsored by the wonderful patrons of the Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing Podcast. You can learn how you can become a patron, gain access to special patron-only prizes and also receive bonus patron-only episodes of the podcast as well as other additional text and video patron content at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. In their conversation, Brian and Mark discuss: How Brian got into his writing career, and the programming career he had prior to that The day that Brian started typing the first novel one day while sitting in the Atlanta airport in 2005 and felt a change coming The various jobs and roles that Brian worked at and played over the years How Brian ended up falling into the role of helping other writers by publishing their work and creating tools to help small publishers The royalty calculation software that Brian started to develop Brian's early introduction to audio via podiobooks years before audiobooks started to be a growing option for indie authors Some of the successes that Brian has had with audio promotions using a "loss leader" model for the first book in a series How his "first free book in series" led to being ranked as the #1 downloaded free audiobook on Google Play, and the resulting sales of the rest of the series from that What happened when Brian took an entire audiobook digital box set trilogy that sold for close to $30 and making it 99 cents for a full month via a Chirp promotion The importance of including a sample at the end of an audiobook to lead the person to the next audiobook Methods and techniques that Brian has learned work really well and have helped him become a top seller on Google Play Things Brian has learned that he would tell his younger self And more After the interview, Mark reflects on a few things Brian talked about, including the unique metadata fields that different retailers might focus on or use in a different way to help prop up a book in bold new ways. Links of Interest: Brian Rathbone's Website Brian on Twitter Episode 133 - Anatomy of a Rebel with Sacha Black Patreon for Stark Reflections Career Author Summit 20BooksVegas #1 International bestselling fantasy author Brian Rathbone is a bit odd. After growing up training standard bred racehorses, he went to work at a nuclear plant before helping to build the Internet. When he isn't writing, Brian tells a few too many bad dragon jokes on Twitter and spends a lot of time thinking about unicorns. 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 Joe Scacciaferro who has been in the media and entertainment business for over 30 years, has founded and run several successful media and entertainment production and technical support companies, most noticeably FerroProductions, and is behind the collaborative platform FerroCity. Prior to the interview, Mark shares some comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and 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 the interview Mark and Joe talk about: How story has always been important in Joe's life, and how that sometimes backfired when he was a young child The way that everything is a story, and the more that we are comfortable with story, the better we can engage with others Joe's musical background, and how story through music was one of his first loves and felt natural to him The prominence of unplanned transitions in Joe's life How it can be ALL about the journey Different types of collaborations that creative storytellers can work on together in music verses prose writing The critical nature of music and how it impacts a visual storytelling medium The different types of documentary projects that Joe has worked on over the years Fascinating answers you can get from some basic simple questions The critical balance of skill combined with a solid community How everything you learn is important to everything you do The way that the collaborative community of FerroCity is the culmination of Joe's entire career How the platform FerroCity helps connect the community together and learn from the way people engage with it How writers who are interested in checking it out can begin to participate in the FerroCity community and platform Why Joe says that you can't learn anything unless it's entertaining The three phases of FerroCity that are being rolled out the spring/summer of 2020 Why Mark calls this platform a type of "Field of Dreams" How a team can synergize over a single posting on a platform like this The camaraderie that comes from working alongside other team members After the interview, Mark reflects on the universal nature of storytelling, and the unimagined and unforeseen benefits that can result from creative collaboration. Links of Interest: FerroCity Ferro Productions Episode 133 - Anatomy of a Rebel with Sacha Black Episode 97 - 10 Tips for Marketing and Making Money off Your Short Fiction The Stay Home Story Summit Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Isolation Parody Songs (K-Tel Spoof Commercial) Spud Wars: A New Helplessness (Parody Movie Trailer) Stuck in this House here with You (Parody Music Video) Dad Joke Short: The Things We Miss Most Dad Joke Short: Dramatic Exit Dad Joke Short: Skeleton Jokes Career Author Summit Bookfunnel 20BooksVegas Joe Scacciaferro has been in the media and entertainment business for over 30 years and has founded and run several successful media and entertainment production and technical support companies, most noticeably FerroProductions. He has been honored with 5 Emmys, 9 Emmy nominations, co-authored 15 books on the creative use of music technology, written music scores for broadcast programming, produced dozens of network sports shows / documentaries and been honored with two super bowl rings from the NY Giants for his programming efforts during the past 20 years. Joe's creative abilities are self-evident based on the longevity and diverse successes of his career. But when asked about his single greatest professional accomplishment, he will always point to enormous career successes of his interns. He is a strong believer in creative collaboration, and networking opportunities, and he shares an exciting new project called FerroCity, which represents the culmination of his extraordinary career and life. 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