Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In this episode Mark shares the first half of a Draft2Digital "Ask Us Anything" Live Chat that was recorded on Thursday June 27, 2019. The chat was composed of questions submitted by authors and answered by Dan Wood, Kevin Tumlinson, and Mark. Prior to the main segement, Mark shares a personal update, talks about comments from previous episodes and 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 the Live Chat, Dan, Kevin, and Mark cover these questions: What is the biggest missed opportunity on D2D for most indie authors already using the platform? I understand that the ebook will go out to places that are checked on the next page. How can I check on the results? In addition to universal links, what's the benefit of using D2D to list our books? Why are payments from Draft2Digital sometimes delayed? Is the expense for purchasing my own ISBNs worth the outlay? How do promo opportunities work for the various channels you distribute to? Places like Kobo and Apple and OverDrive. I'm confused over how to make Books2Read work for me. Beyond a link on my website, what more should I be doing to help readers find me? Is there some sort of pre-built chart or graph in the Draft2Digital dashboard that shows all your sales in one place? Questions about formatting WORD documents with images for eBooks as well as using Vellum for eBook formatting. After the recording, Mark shares a few thoughts about the idea of asking questions and how questions can be understood differently by different people. Links of Interest The Draft2Digital Facebook Page The Ask Us Anything Live Chat Video Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey 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 Jim F. Kukral, author of Your Journey to Becoming Unskippable™: (in your business, life & career). Prior to the interview Mark Shares a comment from a previous episode Talks about a new short story he is working on and some of the logistical research challenges that were holding him back Talks about an ASK US ANYTHING Facebook Live chat that Mark, Kevin Tumlinson and Dan Wood will be hosting on the Draft2Digital Facebook page on Thursday July 27 at 3PM Eastern Mark then says 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 conversation, Jim and Mark discuss: Why Jim opened the book sharing his perspective on goals and priorities that have more to do with personal satisfaction than seeking wealth and status The importance of the merger between mindset and business The deeply personal and vulnerable way Jim shared his experience getting involved in local politics The authenticity of Jim's voice in the book which matches the way that he would deliver the same content in person via a conversation or on stage The strategy of not wanting to write a straight-up marketing book, but, instead, a book with business lessons and personal inspiration Jim owning the trademark for the term Unskippable™ The importance of creating powerful moments and "talk triggers" that people will remember well beyond just the "cheapest price" or "fastest delivery" or some other temporary perk from a popsicle hotline at a hotel pool to the Jolly Ranchers that a business supply owner added in to every order The reasons that set you apart, take you to th next level, and make you unskippable and memorable The story behind the mysterious persona "Johnny Showtime" The importance of actually standing for something as a brand in order to reach "belief-driven buyers" After the interview Mark shares the logistics of how listeners can download a free digital copy of Jim's new book, and also possible win some signed copies. Free Digital Download Click here to access your free copy of Unskippable™ Win a Signed Copy of the paperback of Unskippable™ Leave a comment for Episode 81 at www.starkreflections.ca by July 10, 2019. Entrants will be entered into a random draw for a signed copy of the book that Jim will be shipping. All entrants who leave a comment by July 10, 2019 will be entered Possible things to comment about include: What's one point you took away from this interview that you'd want to highlightor reflect on? What's one unique thing about you or your writing that might help you towards establishing yourself as unskippable in today's skippable world? This copy is courtesy of Jim Kukral Win a paperback copy of Unskippable™ All entrants, as above, will be entered in a second random drawing for an additional copy of the paperback Mark will be ordering this via an online bookstore (most likely Amazon, unless the listener is in a country where shipping via a local store there is preferable) One more chance for winning the 3rd paperback copy All Patrons of Stark Reflections will automatically be entered in a chance to win the third copy of the book. (Yes, that means Patrons who comment get an additional chance to win) A final chance for the 4th copy (also for Patrons) Over on Patreon, patrons of the podcast can comment on this post for an additional chance to win a print copy of the book Mark then reflects on something that Jim spoke about in the interview. When Jim was talking about standing for something and brands taking a stance, a solid, non-wishy-washy stance that focuses on beliefs and core values, it reminded Mark of the age-old advice to authors that your book is NOT for everyone. Links of Interest Jim Kukral's Website Your Journey to Becoming Unskippable™ (All Retailers) Jim's other books Jim's podcast: Unskippable with Jim Kukral Jim's co-hosted podcast - The Sell More Books Show The Creative Penn Podcast (Joanna Penn) Episode: How To Be An Unskippable Author with Jim Kukral Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey Patreon for Stark Reflections Jim Kukral is recognized as an expert in online marketing and branding. He delivers insightful and entertaining keynotes to growth-oriented organizations on attention-getting marketing, creative branding and understanding how customers think, react and most importantly, buy. With a passion for speaking and teaching, Jim travels around the world to teach brands and business owners on how they can apply his UNSKIPPABLE method to their marketing and brand mission to generate positive ROI-based outcomes and purposely attract lifetime customers. 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 Mark O'Neill a writer of German spy thrillers who has released more than a dozen books in his Department 89 spy thriller series in the past couple of years after spending thirty years passionate about writing. Prior to the interview, Mark talks about a Twitter comment from Rachel Amphlett regarding episode 78. He also thanks Patrons of the show who support it via www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Mark also shares a personal update about receiving his annual royalty statement and cheque from one of his publishers, referring to it as "Schrodinger's Envelope" - before the envelope is opened it is both larger than and small than last year's at the same time. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation Mark and Mark talk about: Mark's background in writing via journalism and a life-long passion until he encountered Mark Dawson who opened his eyes to the self-publishing side of things The value of the introduction to self-publishing course that Mark Dawson taught The reasoning behind setting his spy thrillers in Germany as well as making the lead character a strong female spy Mark's contacts in the police, embassy and military that have been helpful for research in his novels The concept of Mark's thrillers not being for those who want 100% accuracy but are there to enjoy the escape and fantasy of a novel that is just an entertaining romp The importance of not focusing on Captain Sophie Decker, the main character, as a sex object, but as a specialist and capable professional regardless of being male or female A bit of the backstory of how Decker created Department 89 The different English and German media programs that Mark might have been partially inspired by when writing this series The German translations that Mark has produced for the first two books in the series A little about the difference in the German market as compared to the North America and UK markets The media page that Mark has on his author website What Mark would go back and tell his younger writer self about what he has learned in the past two years Links of Interest Mark O'Neill's Website Mark's Media Kit Mark Dawson's Self Publishing Formula Courses Episode 51 - Interview with Rachel Amphlett Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark is a 40-something Scotsman, now living the expatriate lifestyle in Würzburg, Germany. He has been writing in one form or another for the past 30 years. However, he is now an independently published fiction writer, currently working on the Department 89 espionage novels starring the female spy Captain Sophie Decker, protecting the German state. The first D89 book, "The Renegade Spy" was downloaded more than 4,000 times in the first 4 weeks. Plots have been outlined for up to 20 Department 89 novels. The first book, "The Renegade Spy" has received rave reviews, with one reviewer comparing Sophie Decker to the female version of Bruce Willis's character, John McClaine, in the Die Hard movies. 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 slightly shorter episode (which was initially intended to be a bonus episode for Patreon supporters of the podcast), Mark does a "reflections on other podcasts" show. He shares a clip from the Kobo Writing Life Podcast where Christine Munroe interviews Rakuten Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn and then reflects on some of the things that Michael talks about. Prior to the interview, Mark reads some listeners comments from Pranathi and Chad Boyer and also thanks new podcast patron Linda Stirling for supporting the show via www.patreon.com/starkreflections and talks a little about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by BundleRabbit You can learn more about how authors can use BundleRabbit as a collaborative publishing tool over at www.bundlerabbit.com. In the interview, which is a clip from Episode 153 of the Kobo Writing Life podcast, podcast co-host Christine Munroe interviews Michael Tamblyn. Michael shares an intriguing and meaningful response to the question Why Kobo? and also talks about other things that are important to this eBook and audiobook retailer that is focused on the reading experience. After the short clip, Mark reflects on the comments from Michael. Links of Interest Kobo Writing Life Podcast - Episode 153 - Why Our CEO Loves Indie Authors Bundlerabbit Episode 9 of Stark Reflections - Interview with Chuck Heintzelman of BundleRabbit Episode 27 - Jamie Ferguson on Bundles, Curation and Collaboration Killing It On Kobo Stark Reflections Survey 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 shares some thoughts and reflections from last week's visit to Book Expo America in New York. He explains a bit about what the fair is, why the fair is, his impressions and thoughts of this year's fair and a bit about its history, as well as a few news items related to the fair. Prior to the main content, Mark talks about a few comments and welcomes new Patron Stanley B. Trice. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. During the episode Mark talks about: Headline - a cool way to promote your audio content An intriguing blog series from Penguin Random House with insights into traditional publishing A deal between Dreamscape Media and LMBPN Publishing (Michael Anderle's publishing company) James A. Hunter and the publishing company (Shadow Alley Press) that he runs with his wife Jeanette Links of Interest Book Expo America BISG (Book Industry Study Group) LMBPN Publishing Dreamscape/LMBPN Press Release Shadow Alley Press Penguin Random House Blog Series (Book Lover's Guide to Publishing) 1 - Publishing Ephemera 2 - Publishing Process 3 - Printing & Production 4 - Design & Size Findaway Voices Blog post on using Headliner to promote your audio Stark Reflections Survey 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 chats with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch about writing with chronic health issues, contract negotiations with publishers, mistakes that authors are making, and so much more. Prior to the interview, Mark does a little house-keeping regarding winners of Danny Bell's first novel from Episode 70, reads new comments, thanks Patrons who support the show, and talks about being in New York this week for Book Expo America. Mark also shares a recent presentation that Michael Tamblyn, CEO of Kobo, presented to the BISG (Book Industry Study Group) in late April. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. In their conversation Kris and Mark talk about: Kris's recent move and the discoveries made in relation to a book she recently released called WRITING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS How Kris's entire life has revolved around exercise and writing and that likely made a positive difference for her despite huge health challenges that she faced, and potentially is what might have kept her alive The realization that Kris made only recently that she had never learned how to rest The way she utilizes running and walking to benefit her writing How Kris's training in radio automatically activates her "critical voice" The rotating playlists Kris uses when running (often ones that have to have a really good beat) The move from 5000 square feet (with offices across the house from one another) to 1600 square feet (and a shared office) and how Kris and her husband Dean manage their own unique writing spaces The value for writers in understanding the way that different editors approach a piece of writing Breaking down the myth that there's a single book (or story) out there that everyone will love What "reader cookies" are and how they can play upon an editor's personal preferences A look at "anti-reader cookies" - element or content in a story that an editor hates or will refuse to read How Ray Bradbury practiced writing a short story a day The concept of "writing into the dark" when creating your first draft and how that plays into the fact we have been consuming stories since we were pre-verbal How, with so many tasks, deadlines and balls in the air, Kris decides what writing project to work on next The importance of growing as a writer by writing about things that stretch or challenge her How Kris's book DEALBREAKERS helped Mark negotiate a much better contract with his publisher The choice of "walking" which writers always have when being presented with a publishing contract The three big things that Kris sees that indie authors are not doing correctly: Following Trends, Burning Out and Neglecting their Personal Lives/Families/Health, Following the Scams (that promise seemingly impossible results) The free content that Kris shares (both fiction and non-fiction) on her website on a regular basis, and the origin for both The value of networking and personal connections made during in-person workshops (both the craft workshops as well as the business workshops) The "no politics" and "no religion" rules that Kris and Dean operate within for their workshops (which allows writers to bond regardless of their political or religious biases After the interview, Mark reflects upon one of the things Kris said regarding taking a workshop when it's in town as opposed to removing yourself from your regular schedule/life, and why the travel/removal of one's self from day to day life for such a learning/bonding experience can be valuable. Links of Interest Kristine Kathryn Rusch Business Musings Blog Posts Book: Writing with Chronic Illness WMG Publishing WMG Writing and Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Stark Reflections Survey Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Kris writes in almost every genre and her novels have made bestseller lists around the world and her short fiction has appeared in more than twenty best of the year collections. She has won more than twenty-five awards for her fiction, including the Hugo, Le Prix Imaginales, the Asimov's Readers Choice award, and the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine Readers Choice Award. Kris also has an extensive history in publishing and editing, having been the editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction as well as co-publishing the original Puuse Magazine with her husband, Dean Wesley Smith. The two now run WMG Publishing, which publish a revised version of Pulphouse, the Fiction River anthology series and many other projects, along with running publishing workshops both online and in person.

In this episode Mark interviews Sarah McVanel, author, professional speaker, and owner of the boutique firm Greatness Magnified, about her latest book FLIP SIDE OF FAILING. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update (which includes being stuck in Oklahoma City for a couple of extra days due to tornado-rich storms) 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. In their conversation, Sarah and Mark talk about: Sarah's introduction to being a writer and a speaker when a work colleague that she adored decided to retire How we (the corporate world) don't properly leverage recognition Sarah's first book F.R.O.G. (Forever Recognize Others' Greatness) and the accompanying workbook that provided tools she co-authored with Brenda Zalter-Minden How Sarah and Brenda collaborated on the books Recognizing the two distinct author voices in their particular collaboration and how they leveraged that The exploratory method that took two years for Sarah and Brenda to write their first book How Home Depot was the first big corporate client to hire Sarah because they discovered her first book A personal and professional turning-point moment involving Sarah's son, dealing with bullying, and cutting Sarah's new book Flip Side of Failing and how she didn't plan on writing a book on failure The common theme of the book that you can fail and still be great - and how failure can help us achieve greater success How we have to have a failure-friendly mindset, and be in a context that accepts failure in order to elevate from failure The acronym ACCEPT (Acquire / Choice / Connection / Expect / Progress / Transformation) How Sarah launched the book exclusively at the Spark Women's Leadership Conference on May 16th prior to the book's global release on May 21st. Everyone at the conference gets a book, Sarah does a keynote, and there's a panel that Sarah moderates on the topic of failing How you are going to show up if you believe in your new book and what it offers to readers The importance of attaching your book launch to an event After the interview Mark reflects on two things from the conversation with Sarah that were important to him. First, the importance of recognizing the greatness in others. And second, the concept Sarah mentioned that you don't always write the book you planned to write. Mark then thanks Patrons of the show and reminds them of the additional audio content available to them (including a few answers to four questions post that went up earlier that same day) - he also riffs off of a couple of verbal errors he previously made. Links of Interest Sarah McVanel's Website Flip Side of Failing Forever Recognize Others' Greatness The FROG Effect Workbook Sarah's Speaker Profile Sarah's Video Resources Findaway Voices EP 005 - Global Audiobook Opportunities for Authors EP 022 - Finding my Way with Findaway Patreon for Stark Reflections CAPS - Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Stark Reflections Survey SARAH McVANEL helps individuals leverage the exponential power of recognition to retain top talent, fuel healthy teams and sustain healthy bottom lines. She speaks nationally on the topic, leads workshops, coaches leaders, and conducts organizational recognition program reviews. Sarah specializes in working with service-based organizations and "helping professionals." Sarah is a Certified Speaker Professional (CSP), Certified Senior Organizational Development Professional (CSODP), Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), and president of the Toronto Chapter of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers (CAPS). She has a BA in Psychology, MSc in Family Relations, and Diplomas in Human Resources and Healthcare Administration. Sarah has over 18 years' experience including at a senior leadership level and now owns boutique firm Greatness Magnified. She is an author of peer-reviewed journals, articles and four books. 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 Carolyn Arnold (the author of the Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures) and her husband George. Prior to the interview, Mark 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 his personal update, Mark shares the fact that he is in Oklahoma City, OK, spending a week at the Draft2Digital offices. He also talks about the importance of connecting in person (both with respect to hanging out with his colleagues from D2D as well as the in-person connections that happen at writer conferences). He also shares his experience attending the Alicia Witt concert at The Blue Door in OKC and as well as his involvement "working backstage" or "front of house" for the evening. In addition, he talks about the anger that fans of Game of Thrones have been expressing recently, and a petition fans are signing along with the thought that the emotional investment fans are displaying is evidence of really powerful and effective storytelling. In their chat, Mark, Carolyn and George talk about: How long Carolyn and George have been collaborating as a husband and wife team and writer and publisher George's 25 years of experience as a designer before he adapted that knowledge into designing Carolyn's book covers Carolyn's start in writing in a serious way in 2006 shortly after a work colleage asked her to tell her a story What drew Carolyn to the dark corners of murder and mysteries The way that Carolyn doesn't really know the end of her novels and that she investigates along with her investigators How writing 10 books in a single year led to Carolyn's need of having George start to do the formatting of the eBooks and print books for her Carolyn's belief that, though she is the creative person (the writer) that George is also a very creative person in their partnership The need for divided and separating their at home work spaces Strategy and detailed analytics that into the launch of each new book How the message in Carolyn's book IN THE LINE OF DUTY is nearest and dearest to her heart The research involved ERT and SWAT to ensure accuracy in the details of Carolyn's novels The origin of Carolyn's two main branding catch phrases The spreadsheet Carolyn and George have with various contacts and specialists from police, FBI, coroners, etc Long term and patient curation of and engagement with Carolyn's fan base The way Carolyn alternates between writing in her difference series books The business decision behind the settings for Carolyn's novels in the US rather than in Canada The value of ARC and early reader feedback and how they use Bookfunnel for that The "empowering to women" effect of Carolyn's Madison Knight series and character How SHADES OF JUSTICE was influenced by a double homicide that happened in Toronto Strategies regarding moving into audiobooks How the beauty of a leaf led to freeing up Carolyn's creative mind in determing the solution to a novel she had been working on Advice that Carolyn and George would offer to help a creative person transition their passion to a full time career After the interview, Mark reflects on the creativity involved in publishing and marketing. He then thanks recent commenters on the podcast and Patreon supporters. Links of Interest Carolyn Arnold's Website Hibbert and Styles Publishing Alicia Witt A clip from the end of the song "Liz" that Alicia wrote for Mark A recent blog post where Mark gushes about Alicia's music The Blue Door OKC Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures. Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™. Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. She currently lives in London, Ontario with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime. GEORGE ARNOLD is a graphic design artist with nearly thirty years experience. Through his employment with a local graphic company, his talent has been put to work for many big names including 3M, McDonald's, the London Knights, and Diamond Aircraft. He joined Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc. full-time January 2016 for the purpose of cover design, interior formatting, sales and marketing. He's been designing Carolyn's covers since 2011 and has worked with others on theirs during that time, as well. George was born in rural Ontario and has the desire to put his skills to use serving others in the publishing industry. 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 shares a live discussion from the Rock Apocalypse conference and workshop in Cleveland, OH that took place in early May 2019. The session is a recorded panel discussion from the two day event. Zach Bohannon moderated a panel discussion with T.W. Piperbrook, J, Thorn, Jim Kukral and Mark. Prior to the interview, Mark reads a few comments from listeners from the previous episode and thanks Patrons and commenters for engaging with the podcast. He then shares a word from the 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 details of how he planned a marriage proposal for his girlfriend with Alicia Witt at her recent Toronto live concert performance, and plays a few clips from the song Alicia wrote for the engagement. The panel discussion that was recorded at the Cleveland conference features Zach asking the panelists about: How they got started in publishing What's advice they'd offer their 2019 self What they think might be coming in the future of publishing Links of Interest Alicia Witt A clip from the end of the song "Liz" that Alicia wrote A recent blog post where Mark gushes about Alicia's music The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto The Career Author Summit Findaway Voices J. Thorn Zach Bohannon T. W. Piperbrook Jim Kukral Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey 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 Additional music in this episode: "Liz" was written, composed and produced by Alicia Witt. Copyright © 2019 Alicia Witt. "Bobcaygeon" written by Rob Baker, Gord Downey, Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair, from the album Phantom Power Copyright © 1999 by The Tragically Hip

In this solo episode Mark reflects upon the concept of Digital Minimalism that he is reading about in Cal Newport's new book. Prior to the main topic of this episode, Mark shares a personal update regarding his travel to Cleveland, OH to participate in the "Rock Apocalypse 2019" event held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and run by J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon. The event is described, quite aptly as: "A world-building experience, writer's seminar, and your destination vacation in two epic days!" Along with the intimate and engaging world-building with the small group of writers, Mark talks about Eric and Rinn from Findaway Voices (this episode's sponsor) and things they shared with the writers. 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 talks about listening to Newport's latest book on his drive from Waterloo, ON to Cleveland, OH. This book is a bid for Newport become the Marie Kondo of technology - to help people realize where digital technology bring value and where it takes away value. Mark also shares how the book references the writing and philosophy of Henry David Thoreau, and shares a clip from a radio program he hosted in 2008 that asked how much more connected we could get. He finds it startling how much MORE has happened since that 2008 reflection. He then shares a concept for his own attempt at adapting some of Newport's recommendations into his own digital life and at the importance of disconnecting from technology, connecting with the physical world, being in the moment, and the value and benefit that comes with allowing yourself to become bored. As the show ends, Mark thanks new patron Leigh Anne Beckett, as well as all patrons and listeners to the show. He also shares the winners of the prizes for comments on Episodes 70 and 71. Links of Interest Cal Newport's Website Cal Newport's Books Findaway Voices Blog post about Authors Direct StoryBundle "The Write Stuff" Bundle (limited time offer) Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey 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