Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Sheena Cundy, the author of the Witch Lit series of novels that include The Madness and the Magic and Bonkers and Broomsticks. Prior to the personal update, Mark shares a word from the episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices - specifically about the promotional opportunities available through Voices Plus as well as the fact that Findaway is opening their Authors Direct beta up even wider.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 talks about: The 12 hour delay in publishing of this episode due to meetings, taxes and Avengers: Endgame No spoilers, just how much Mark enjoyed the new Avengers movie (and brief reflections on previous spoilers from The Empire Strikes Back and The Crying Game) Visiting Cleveland for Rock Apocalypse event run by The Career Author Podcast folks J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon In their interview, Mark and Sheena talk about: The origin of Sheena's treehouse and the different creative tasks she does in the treehouse Sheena's interest in promoting other creative people via her Treehouse TV YouTube video The band, Morrigan's Path, that Sheena has played in for five years Her origin getting into the band with her husband as a lyrisist and vocalist based on her poetry The "single release" strategy that the band has engaged in as a lead-in to the release of their third album How, even though they get paid to perform gigs, the band and the music has always been for the love of it Sheena's Witch Lit series (about a crazy witch having a mid-life crisis) which includes The Madness and the Magic and Bonkers and Broomsticks The initial serialization of Sheena's first book on a pagan blog after writing it during NaNoWriMo The role of Mark Dawson's Self-Publishing 101 course in helping Sheena evolve from traditional and into indie publishing How Sheena divides up her time and schedule with her various creative activities The DIY approach she has taken with her publishing tasks and schedule The timing of the release of Book 2 (Bonkers and Broomsticks) on May 1st with Beltane ("May Day") a Gaelic pagan seasonal festival Sheena's forthcoming visit to 20Books50K Edinburgh and her fascination with the ethos of that group How you can become like a sponge when you're thirsty for learning The importance of being with people who are already doing what you want to do The value of networking and connecting with people in the flesh as well as on a 1:1 basis Focusing on your target audience and readers How Witch Lit is defined as being Chick Lit with Witches The creativity that all of us have and the importance of trusting that it will find its own expression in its own format After the interview, Mark reflects on what Sheena said about the importance of having good feedback and encouragement in your creative endeavors which helps provide the confidence to keep moving forward and to keep writing and to keep practicing. Mark shares one of his own experiences of a fantastic high school English teacher, Gary Furhman, whose comment on a short story he wrote in Grade 11 had a profound and lasting impact on him. Links of Interest Sheena Cundy's Website Music: https://morriganspath.bandcamp.com/ Morrigan's Path Video: TreehouseTV (YouTube) The Witch Lit Facebook Group The Witch Lit YouTube Show Promo Video for lastest Morrigan's Path Album Findaway Voices Blog post about Authors Direct CNET Article on when to take a pee break during Avengers: Endgame Public Lending Right (PLR) Program Canada Australia New Zealand United Kingdom StoryBundle "The Write Stuff" Bundle (limited time offer) Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey Sheena Cundy is a witch, wife, mother, and musician. She teaches the Tarot, spiritual development and horse riding, and sings and writes songs for her pagan band - Morrigans Path. She is also the author of a non-fiction book The Magic of Nature Oracle and the Witch Lit series of novels that include The Madness and the Magic and Bonkers and Broomsticks. Sheena says that she wrote this debut novel to keep out of prison, a straitjacket and the divorce courts while battling with dodgy hormones during a mid-life crisis. 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 USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn about her three decades of experience in writing and publishing. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from the 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 personal update section Mark shares the following: A reminder about the Public Lending Right for Canadian authors (and authors from UK, AU, NZ) An article he recently wrote for Hamilton Magazine (including a bit about the TV show The Hilarious House of Frightenstein An interview he did with the guys from the Paranormal Faction Podcast in Harriston, Ontario in a haunted theatre His forthcoming visit to Book Expo America in New York An update on the prize offered for commenters on Episode 70 The deadline to comment has been extended to the end of April A new StoryBundle called the Write Stuff 2019 Spring Bundle that is available until early May. A steal for $5 for 4 books or 15 for all 12 books plus a $50 online lecture. Listeners will have a chance to win this bundle In their chat, Mark and Patricia talk about: The original publishers Patricia worked with when she had a few different series traditionally published How hearing a talk at NINC given by Chris Anderson (who coined the concept of "The Long Tail") inspired Patricia to take a fresh look at the publishing industry and to consider indie publishing opportunities The "Writer's Work" website Patricia created in 2009 as "insurance" in case the publishing industry went a little bonkers Getting the rights back for all of her previously released works (except for one German edition of a title) CONTROL being one of the main differences between traditional publishing and indie or self-publishing The difference in timeframes and how publishers will sometimes sit on a manuscript for a year The reality of the "16 days" you had on the bookstore shelves with titles published in the Harlequin Silhouette imprint What clauses and types of contracts would have to have for Patricia to consider signing one again Of course, mid-way through the interview, Patricia turns the table and starts asking Mark questions. After a brief section of talking about things publishers do well, and things they don't do so well, Mark realizes what Patricia has done (she is a great podcast host and asks great questions), and turns the tables back on her. They then talk about: What dried wallpaper paste has to do with helping Patricia make the move towards writing and publishing The one letter Patricia got back from an editor earlier in her career that said: "It's clear that you know nothing about the publishing industry" The various elements of romance and mystery that Patricia likes to include in her writing How Patricia feels that writing 3 to 5 books a year still isn't enough to keep up with the characters and ideas floating through her mind The reasons why Patricia started the Authors Love Readers Podcast and how she wanted to model over a simple conversation with a writer where readers could eavestrough Patricia's recent non-fiction book for writers called Survival Kit for Writers Who Don't Write Right How authors have approached Patricia with tears in their eyes after she delivered a presentation on this same topic because they thought they were the only ones who wrote in a more "pantsing" type of style The reason why Patricia has the book for sale for 99 cents on her own website Patricia's number one piece of advice for writers - that writing advice is a buffet. You can try a bit of this, a bit of that, go back for seconds of something else. YOU control the buffet After the interview Mark reflects on the concept of writing advice being a buffet that authors can selectively pick and choose from. Links of Interest Patricia McLinn's Website Patricia on Twitter Patricia's Author Facebook Page Patricia's Pinterest Patricia on Instagram Patricia's Podcast: Authors Love Readers Findaway Voices Public Lending Right (PLR) Program Canada Australia New Zealand United Kingdom StoryBundle "The Write Stuff" Bundle (limited time offer) Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn spent more than 20 years as an editor at the Washington Post after newspaper stints in Rockford, Ill., and Charlotte, N.C. She received BA and MSJ degrees from Northwestern University. McLinn is the author of more than 47 published novels, which are cited by readers and reviewers for wit and vivid characterization. Her books include mysteries, romantic suspense, contemporary romance, historical romance and women's fiction. They have topped bestseller lists and won numerous awards. Now living in Northern Kentucky, McLinn loves to hear from readers through her website, Facebook and Twitter. 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 author Danny Bell and voice actor and model Whitton A. Frank about The Black Pages series that Danny writes and Whitton narrates. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from the 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 personal update segment Mark shares an update on the work for the self-narrated audiobook version of The 7 P's of Publishing Success as well as his recent guest spot on Episode 6 of Joanna Penn's new Books & Travel Podcast. In their chat, Danny, Whitton, and Mark talk about: How the initial idea for "The Black Pages" came to Danny from a variety of sources, including something he reflected upon when watching Doctor Who. Danny's interest in the deaths of secondary characters on various television shows in which are often shared as no big deal, whereas if the protagonist or their close friends suffered the same fate, it was a major trauma. Purposly not making the protagonist a straight white guy The element of humor that is a part of the narrator in Empty Threat. How Elana is a black and white character in a morally grey universe and was created with a lot of room to grow through each book. The unique experience of Whitton as both the voice and the face of Elana. How Danny and Whitton clicked when they met at a party that neither of them had been in a mood to want to be at. The way that Danny started seeing Whitton in his head when he was writing the character of Elana. Whitton modeling for the concept art for the cover, which led to the cover designer asking if she would be the model in the actual shoot. Voice Over Atlanta, the biggest VO conference in the US that Elana just got back from. The plans for the release of book three in the series and the special "full cast" production of this one (with Whitton still as the main narrator). The debate over whether or not Elana needed to have a love interest in the first two books And more . . . After the interview, Mark makes an offer to do a random giveaway to two people who comment on the show notes for Episode 70 at www.starkreflections.ca. Comments have to be posted by Noon EST on Thursday April 18th and eligible entries will be comments about one of the following: What book would you love to escape into? (the way Elana can slip into a book) What secondary character from any fictional world? (book, television, movie, etc) would you love to save (the way Elena saves the lives of secondary characters) Mark then reflects upon the concept of something Danny said in the interview - "the most important thing you can do is to FINISH." After, Mark shares a brief clip from the opening of Empty Threat. Links of Interest The Audiobook Mastering Guide (by Wesley Ingram) The 7 P's of Publishing Success (Computer Narrated Version) Findaway Voices The Books and Travel Podcast Episode 6 - Macabre Montreal Danny Bell Author Central Profile The Black Pages on Facebook Matt Altman IMDB Star Wars Toy Stories Anthony Brodeur Whitton Frank - Website Whitton Frank - ACX Narrator Profile Getting Published with Mark Leslie (The Writing Show Podcast Reality Series where Mark attempted to write A Canadian Werewolf in New York while being tracked and interviewed about his progress) Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey Danny Bell is the USA Today Best Selling Author and Amazon #1 Best Selling Author of The Black Pages and he nearly had an out of body experience when he realized that the song Mr. Brightside by The Killers is thirteen years old and that would surely mean that he was also older than thirteen. Older than double in fact! Certainly not triple. He has three cats, Mister, Jameson, and Koala, and they all tolerate each other. He would never compare himself to Robocop, why would he do that? He plans to continue to write books forever with hope that one day there will be a Quantum Leap style thing where Dr. Sam Beckett will help fix his life, or failing that, the time-traveling ghost of Samuel Beckett, the author, will tell him that he has been pronouncing 'Godot' wrong the whole time. He isn't sure why anyone ever wants a bio, but if you're willing to read random things about him that may or may not be true, he's willing to provide you with them. Whitton Frank performed in her first show when she was 8 years old, and spent her summers through her high school studying at theAmerican Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.After majoring in Acting and Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon University, Whitton travelled to Russia to study at the Moscow Art Theatre. Following this Whitton moved to Los Angeles and was subsequently discovered by Tony Basil. This meeting led to her role in the US TV series 'Cold Case' and the films 'Amnesia' and 'Who Are You?', both of which won awards at various film festivals around the USA. In 2016 Whitton launched her own production company Red Compass productions which is dedicated to promoting women in film and theater and telling their stories. The Company produced a revival of the 1970's hit Out of Our Father's House, which tells the stories of American women, in their own words. They have also produced a short dark comedy/horror film called Seeing Green, which is currently making the rounds at film festivals. She can been seen in the TNT hit, Murder in the First Season 3 acting opposite Curry Grahm, as the lovable and quirky Jenna Laffy. Also in 2016 she did voice over for the Star Wars Fan Film: Star Wars Toy Stories Rogue One. voicing Jyn Urso and Rei. This stop motion film has been screening and winning awards at conventions and film festivals around the world. For their work, the cast was invited to present it at Comic Con in San Diego. In the past two years she has narrated 5 audiobooks and is working on several more. You can check out her work on audible.com. 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 solo episode, Mark shares an article that he'd had published in the summer of 2009 when he was asked to make a prediction about something that likely wouldn't exist in publishing ten years later. WARNING: This episode contains a short clip of Mark singing a parody version of "Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams. (He couldn't help it. Song lyrics haunt his brain. The minute he mentioned the summer of 2009, the classic Adams song came to mind.) Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from the episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices . . .He talks about the sources of his latest payment from Findaway Voices, which don't include the big players, like Audible or Apple, or Google, or Kobo. You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway. As an introduction to the article, Mark shares the back-story of how he wrote article for an online magazine called The Mark News (no relation) on the topic of publishing and bookselling. This had been back when he was on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Booksellers Association, an active member of a couple of Campus Bookstore associations as well, and heavily involved in using the print-on-demand technology of The Espresso Book Machine in a bookstore in Hamilton, Ontario. The reason Mark started thinking about the article in question was because of a sale he noticed on Kindle for the book that the article was republished in. A 2011 volume called Living at the Tip: Navigating the Digital Tipping Point of the Book World. This book is something Mark published in the space of a few hours when Kindle first announced KDP Select, their exclusivity program. He collected the articles together, used Amazon's cover generation tool and published it, just to have a title in the program at all times. In the article being shared, Mark explains the basic workings of territorial rights and how it has historically operated with publishers in various countries, agents, and authors. He also shares his own frustration with the fake virtual borders in a digital world that don't seem necessary because the old ones were based on warehousing books inside the borders of a country after they were shipped there, or the rights were acquired for that territory. In a digital world, the shipping of dead trees from continent to continent is not an issue, and, therefore, is something that Mark speculated SHOULD begin to disappear ten years from when he wrote it in 2009. He goes on to explain how self-published and indie authors and smaller publishers have embraced the new digital world in ways that the major or larger publishers haven't. This is most likely due to the fact that big publishers are heavily invested in printing, stocking and shipping physical books, which represents the majority of their revenue. Links of Interest Living at the Tip (Amazon link) Reflections on Digital Publishing (Video clips from an interview with Mark in 2012) Mark's Super-Brief History of Publishing (a breif excerpt from a talk about the Future of Publishing from a 2014 Writers of the Future Awards ceremony - HINT: Mark's predication was that it would involve more collaboration than ever before) Findaway Voices Bryan Adams Website Music video for "Summer of '69" Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey The song "Summer of '69" was performed by Bryan Adams. It was written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, a long-time writing partner of Adams. It was produced by Bryan Adams and Bob Clearmountain and released in June 1985 by A&M Records as the fourth-single from the album Reckless. 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 Brian Meeks, author of Mastering Amazon Ads and Mastering Amazon Descriptions. The interview was recorded during a Facebook Live video on the Stark Publishing Facebook page. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word from the 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 personal update area, Mark talks about a recent 40% off Box Set promotion that he and author Sean Costello had with Kobo, how they added their own push for the promo, and how it helped them sell more copies not just on Kobo, but also on Kindle, Apple and Nook. Mark talks about the detailed analysis of the promo which he published for Patreon supporters of the podcast and thanks them for their ongoing support. In their chat, Mark and Brian talk about: How Brian once put off launching a fiction title for 60 days because he wanted to avoid the task of writing the product description How a description done correctly will convert at about 1 in 10 (1:10) - ie, ten views of an ad will result in a click through to the product by a potential customer The most common problems that authors face when trying to write their book product description The idea of using previous or existing reviews of a book to find hints and clues to what made the book special to readers Ways authors can practice writing or creating compelling product descriptions The ultimate goal of a product description, which is to get a potential reader to READ your book Creating a log line that can be used as an "elevator pitch" How formatting of a description can be as important as the words used in that description How the main goal of the FIRST line (or opening hook) of a product description is to get the reader to read the SECOND line The concept of the call to action to request the reader to "buy" or "get" the book today Brian's story of the "miracle product description" How customers don't care so much the difference between $2.99 or $4.99 and that their TIME in reading the book is something they consider more valuable, more precious The concept of variance, and how it can take 1000 clicks before you have enough data to accurately measure the results of a data set Amazon Ads for authors who are published exclusively to Kindle (KDP Select and part of Kindle Unlimited) VS authors who publish their books "wide" to all retail platforms Why an author shouldn't spend more than 90 seconds writing up their advertising copy What is a good place to start or to learn how Amazon Advertising works for you The critical importance of patience and setting expectations and how much investment of time and energy it takes to perfect the process How "Bid Plus" is a terrible idea for authors to use in Amazon Advertising How Brian gives about 7 to 10 days for an ad to see if they are "getting turned on" and, if it isn't, he kills it The differences of playing within the Amazon Advertising world today compared to how it used to be In his post-interview reflections, Mark talks about three things from the chat that stuck with him. The idea of NOT using the "Bid Plus" option when creating Amazon Advertising Ads The concept of having a first line / log line of 4 to 6 words to grab the attention of a potential reader in your book description The methodology of incorporating elements from reader reviews of your book when revising your book's blurb Links of Interest Brian Meeks Website Mastering Amazon Ads Facebook Group Mastering Amazon Descriptions Facebook Group Brian's Amazon Page The Facebook Live video for the interview segment of this podcast Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey Brian D. Meeks is an author who writes under his name and the pen name Arthur Byrne. 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 Nancy Christie, the author of the award-winning book Rut-Busting for Writers. 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 personal update for this episode, Mark shares some of the work he has done in his "Canadian Werewolf" universe, including the recent audiobook version of the short story "This Time Around," reworking the cover for A Canadian Werewolf in New York and the short story to include a wolf image (giving the book a bit more of an urban fantasy look and feel), and the new short story he is currently working on that he is calling "Stowe Away" and which he describes as a cross between "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" and "Logan." In their conversation, Mark and Nancy talk about: Nancy's passion for writing that started in the 2nd grade How she had never planned on being an author until she "accidentally" published her first book The two years of personal journal entries she started when her mother was diagnosed with cancer in 1999 and how that evolved into a book project The Rut-Busting workshops Nancy had been offering which ended up being adapted into a book Strategies for dealing with procrastination The concept of creating a writing roadmap The importance of consistency with devoting the time to writing The value of the 30 minute / 30 day strategy that Nancy recommends The writing toolbox and the objects Nancy uses from them in a writing workshop And more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on a few things Nancy said, including the concept of "just get started" as well as the idea of making time to write for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. Links of Interest Nancy Christie's Website Nancy's Author Profile on Facebook Nancy on Twitter Nancy on Pinterest Nancy on Instagram Nancy on YouTube Nancy's Blog Article on Book Launch Tips Findaway Voices Scott Overton Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey Nancy Christie is the author of the award-winning Rut-Busting Book for Writers, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and The Gifts Of Change. Her short stories and essays have appeared in numerous print and online publications. Peripheral Visions and Other Stories, Christie's second short fiction collection, won a second place award in the prestigious 2018 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition. It's scheduled for publication in 2020 by Unsolicited Press. She is currently working on Rut-Busting Book for Authors, a companion book to Rut-Busting Book for Writers, that will be released Fall 2019. A professional writer based in Ohio, Christie provides copywriting services to agencies, businesses and organizations nationwide through her company, Professional Writing Services. A member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Florida Writers Association and Short Fiction Writers Guild (SFWG), Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries and schools. She is also the founder of the annual "Celebrate Short Fiction" Day (www.nancychristie.com/focusonfiction/celebrate-short-fiction-day/). 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 Adriel Wiggins about the behind the scenes support she provides authors as both a virtual assistant as well as a continuity editor. Prior to the interview, Mark provides a short personal update and talks 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 chat, Mark and Adriel discuss: The backstory of how Adriel got involved in becoming an author's virtual assistant The random jobs she had been working at prior to taking editorial and VA type work The different and unique tasks that each author Adriel works with use her for What she looks for in terms of authors that she is interested in working with How an author can determine if they are ready for a virtual assistant Typical charges for a virtual assistant's various tasks What continuity editing is and why it is important The four types of editing (Developmental Editing, Copy/Line Editing, Proofreading, Continuity Editing) The eggs benedict breakfast that James A Owen hosts at Superstars Writing Seminars The importance of valuing yourself After the interview, Mark reflects on the importance of valuing yourself and your time as a writer. Links of Interest Adrielwiggins.com Adreiel's Pricing Info Adriel on Working with an Assistant Adriel's curated resources Findaway Voices Scott Overton Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey Whether she is running her own business, tackling administrative duties at her local Christian school, or raising her family, Adriel Wiggins always seems to find herself the center of a situation in need of organization. Combining her passion for organization and optimization with her love of books, Adriel Wiggins now helps authors to streamline the non-writing aspects of managing a successful writing career. For more than four and a half years, she's balanced the in's and out's of book promotion, community growth, online marketing, and more for a growing roster of clients from around the world. 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 an article that he recently had published in WRITE magazine, the official magazine of The Writer's Union of Canada. In the word about this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices . . .. . . Mark shares a recent announcement from BookBub regarding Chirp, the new audiobook promotion service they are launching in partnership with Findaway. 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 reflects on how procrastination recently led to him finally being "caught with his pants down" at the recent WMG Publishing anthology workshop. For the main segment of the show, Mark reads an article entitled "Two Publishing Paths Diverged in a Digital World: A Stark Look at Self-Publishing" which appeared in the Winter 1999 issue of WRITE magazine. He then talks about why he feels it was important for this article to appear in that particular magazine. Links of Interest BookBub Announcement About Chirp (Audiobook Promotion) Findaway Voices Fiction River Pulphouse Magazine WMG Anthology Workshop The Writers' Union of Canada 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

In this extremely short episode, Mark talks about Procrastination and how it has been a significant part of who he is and how he works on projects. He talks a bit about the Fiction River anthology project that he is currently in Vegas for as an editor (and how that relates to this topic), as well as Tim Urban's hilarious and yet accurate portrayal of what goes on in side the mind of a master procrastinator. Links of Interest: Tim Urban Tim Urban's TED talk on Procrastination: Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator Wait But Why (Blog) Fiction River WMG Anthology Workshop 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

In this solo episode, Mark plays clips from a couple of other podcasts, shares some personal updates related to his own audiobook products, and goes neck deep into his thoughts about audiobooks for authors. The 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. Some of the topics Mark covers in this episode include: How much he still loves the 1987 song "Somewhere Down The Crazy River" by Robbie Robertson A FreeBooksy promo he recently ran on an erotic horror title called SOMETHING WICKED (Nocturnal Screams 7) A BookBub promo he ran with his pal Sean Costello for the book HERE AFTER A new computer synth version of his book The 7 P's of Publishing Success that is now available and why he is pricing this version at 99 cents A sample from his new VocoCraft computer synth version of the book, as well as the same sample from the human self-narrated version of the book The recent Public Lending Right Program check he received for the appearance of his books in Canadian libraries and why authors in Canada, the UK, Australia and other countries that have a PLR program should take advantage of that His recent guest appearance on The Sell More Books Show with Jim Kukral (Mark stepped in at the last minute to replace co-host Bryan Cohen who was ill) A short clip from Episode 255 of The Sell More Books Show talking about a new "choose your own audio" project from Amazon A couple of clips from The Creative Penn podcast episode 417, where Joanna interviewed Will Dages from Findaway Voices The reveal of the new Voices Share program from Findaway Voices Mark also welcomes new Patron Sherilyn Decter and thanks all patrons who support the show and have access to additional audio content (Stark Reflections on Other Podcasts) and other material at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. He also thanks those who commented on Episode 62 and draws the name of two winners for the Mythulu creation cards. Links of Interest: Written Word Media (BargainBooksy, FreeBooksy, etc) BookBub The 7 P's of Publishing Success The VocoCraft Computer Synth Version VocoCraft Public Lending Rights Program (Canada) YouTube Video The Sell More Books Show (Episode 255) The Creative Penn Podcast (Episode 417) Mythulu Superstars Writing Seminars Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey Something Wicked (Nocturnal Screams 7) Killing It On Kobo 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