Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews authors Kerrie Flanagan and Chuck Harrelson about the steamy romantic comedy novels they have been co-authoring under the name C.K. Wiles. Before the interview, Mark shares a personal update explaining why he isn't participating in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) this year, even though he loves it. He talks about how he will be using the month of November to get caught up on previous unpublished NaNoWriMo novels - in an effort he is calling NaNoComMo (National Novel Compleition Month) as well as a few other outstanding book projects he has in the works, including print and audiobook versions of two of his recent books on writing & publishing, The 7 P's of Publishing Success and Killing It On Kobo. He then thanks new Patron of the show, Mary Jo Rabe as well as the other existing patrons via www.patreon.com/starkreflections for their support, then gets side-tracked into remembering television shows like Romper Room and The Polka Dot Door. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . .During the interview, Kerrie, Chuck and Mark talk about: How Kerrie and Chuck first met, about ten years ago, via a developmental editing project The support Chuck has offered in helping hold Kerrie accountable for various writing projects over the years The strategic decisions behind the collaborative C.K. Wiles project The origin of the psuedonym The process of how they brainstorm, map out, outline, and write each of the novels How Chuck uses AutoCrit's web-based editing software (which provides automated recommendations for improving your manuscript in over 20 areas – categories like poor dialogue, use of adverbs, and relying on cliches) The cast and universe of characters that they have created and draw upon for each novel in this series The interesting and unplanned story arc that is beginning to reveal itself as they were working on the third book The logistics of how they published the C.K. Wiles books to the various retail platforms The co-author contract/agreement that Kerrie and Chuck created regarding this author name and series The importance of trusting one another and "having no ego" on a collaborative work - looking at the work as "ours" as it is being worked on and re-written The different elements that Kerrie and Chuck each bring to the narrative that make it better Plans they have for promotions and attention for this series After the interview, Mark reflects on one of the elements that Kerrie and Chuck mentioned, which is playing off one another's strengths. He considers teamwork and the importance of recognizing strengths and weaknesses when working with others. Links of Interest: C.K. Wiles Website C.K. Wiles Books Sign up to get Book One for FREE Kerrie Flanagan Episode 31 - Interview with Kerrie about Writing Magazine Articles Northern Colorado Writers Group Findaway Voices NaNoWriMo Romper Room The Polka Dot Door Polkaroo AutoCrit Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey The 7 P'S Of Publishing Success Killing It On Kobo Kerrie Flanagan is a freelance writer with over 20 years' experience and is the author of Guide to Magazine Article Writing. As a writing consultant, she works with writers, giving them the encouragement, support, resources and tools to find success on their writing journey. She is the author of 8 books under her label, Hot Chocolate Press. Chuck Harrelson resides in Denver Colorado and is an active member of both the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers and the Northern Colorado Writers Group. His past manuscripts won the 2014 Top of The Mountain Book Award competition, the Ballot Press Competition and one was a finalist at the 2016 San Diego Writers Conference. 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

Having just spent six days at the WMG Business Master Class workshop in Las Vegas, Mark reflects on the overwhelming and head-spinning influx of information, insight, wisdom, ideas, inspiriation, and perspective that he had just taken in. In this episode, he walks through some of the ideas on how authors can process such a deluge of information and adapt the curated learnings and ideas into things that are likely to best work for them. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . Some of the elements that Mark talks about are: A few key things to remember before setting out to try to implement the ideas gathered The importance of first stepping back to take a breath and get perspective A list of questions to ask yourself when looking at all of the ideas that you have jotted down or taken in The importance not just of deciding on something, but deciding to act on that something The concept of EAT, FEED, DRAIN The FOUR-D way to update a to-do list The importance of taking responsibility for your own career Mark then thanks new Patron to the show, Matty Dalrymple, and sends a thanks to all patrons for their ongoing support of the show via www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Links of Interest: WMG Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Dean Wesley Smith Kristine Kathryn Rusch Kevin J. Anderson Rebecca Moesta David Farland David P. Vandagriff (aka The Passive Voice) Damon Courtney (Bookfunnel) Christina F. York Andrea Pearson Donna Cook Loren L. Coleman T. Thorn Coyle Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey The 7 P'S Of Publishing Success 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

In this episode Mark chats with Dave Sweet and Sarah Graham about their new book SKELETONS IN MY CLOSET: Life Lessons from a Homicide Detective, an unorthodox police memoir taking readers on a ride-along like no other, revealing poignant truths about life and death, and how we can all work and live together. Danger and grit pair with humour and compassion in this gripping, fresh read. Dave Sweet, a conservative, veteran homicide detective has teamed up with Sarah Graham, a liberal, optimistic author to write this unconventional universal life-lessons book. Before the interview, Mark shares a personal update which includes: Why he is pushing back the release date of his book INDIE PUBLISHING INSIDER SECRETS Some reflections on how previous Stark Reflections podcast guest Dana Pharant turned a mistake into a win Mark's forthcoming trip to Las Vegas to teach at a WMG Publishing Master Class about the business of writing and publishing This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . In the interview, Mark and Dave and Sarah talk about: How Dave and Sarah first met and then decided to work on this project together The work Dave has been doing with local area writer groups looking for insights and realistic detail related to actual police work The dichotomy of "Homicide Cop" and "Life Lessons" The importance that this book be optimistic and not be gratuitous in its portrayal of Dave's experiences The transformation that is witnessed in the various people involved in a homicide investigation and the lessons learned along the way The early reader expectation of "more grit" and how the authors responded to that with respect for the victims and their loved ones The decision to release this book as by Dave with Sarah rather than keeping Sarah's name hidden like a more traditional "ghost written" book, because of the way that Sarah's voice and influence helped to smooth out some of the rougher edges that come from Dave's experience The processes and different techniques used in how they wrote this book together (actual writing, raw words, interactive presentations, phone calls) What Dave learned about writing through this process What television actually gets right about police work and police life How Sarah's experience as a writer was different than the writer/cop partnership seen on television programs like Castle The publishing options, agent feedback and choices made for the publication of this book The intriguing "sneak peak" preview eBook their publisher created in a "Behind the Scenes" chapbook The comparison between when Sarah is all-consumed when working on edits and Dave is all-consumed when focusing on a case The "Reading Guide/Study Guide" section at the end of the book Forthcoming books in this series which will each explore courage and death After the interview, Mark reflects on how Dave and Sarah kept working at testing out different ways of making the collaboration work, not giving up, but continuing to experiment and find new ways for the process to happen smoothly. He discusses their publishing path as well, which was a series of learnings and tweaks and changes, until they found the one that suited them best. He considers how they applied patience, persistence, partnership and progression in their path towards publication. Mark then thanks Patrons for their sponsorship of the show via www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Links of Interest: Skeletons in My Closet Mischievous Books WMG Publishing Workshops Findaway Voices Dana Pharant on Stark Reflections Dana's Facebook Video about mistakes & wins Patreon for Stark Reflections Stark Reflections Survey The 7 P'S Of Publishing Success 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

In this week's episode, Mark speaks with Tina Dietz who is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a few personal updates that include the launch of his new traditionally published book Macabre Montreal, and how that book launch interfered with attending the NIGHT OF THE WRITING DEAD event in Pittsburgh that same weekend. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . . . . and also by the Patrons of the show at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. All patrons will find, this week, the full audio of the first chapter about PRACTICE from Mark's forthcoming audiobook of The 7 P's of Publishing Success. In their conversion, Mark and Tina talk about The link between writing/expression and entrepreneurship How writing (particularly in print) can be an enduring format as a tangable legacy Tina's introduction into podcasting and audiobook production Tina's Forbes article "Do You Sound Like a Leader?" that focuses on the relationship between vocal qualities and how a person is viewed as a leader Getting used to and comfortable with the sound of one's own voice Breathing techniques and facial exercises used for voice or singing voice Food and drink to avoid when doing voice work (dairy and citrus, for example) The coaching Tina does helping authors getting ready to do interviews for radio or podcasting The difference between forms of media like television, radio and podcasting Trends in the audiobook industry that authors might not be familiar with The concept that anything you create needs to be an asset and not a burden The free download that Tina has on her website that helps demystifies the audiobook process - www.launchyouraudiobook.com Things to consider when deciding between narrating and producting an audiobook yourself or outsourcing that How Tina's clients often "come for the audiobooks and then stay for everything else" The pre-interview Tina sent to Mark ahead of the podcast which made things so much easier for Mark In the post-interview reflections, Mark talks about how Tina's info PDF made his job as an interviewer so much easier and he also shares a link to a WORD document template that authors can download and modify so they have something similar to use for their own podcast or radio interviews. Tina Dietz is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert who has been featured on media outlets including ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes. Tina's podcast, The StartSomething Show, was named by INC magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs. Tina's company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, connects leaders, entrepreneurs and experts with larger audiences, resulting in expanded influence and income. Tina divides her time between the US and Costa Rica, where she's part of a leadership team building a conscious community called Vista Mundo. Links of Interest: Tina's Website Tina on Twitter Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Goodreads Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections Night of the Writing Dead More Information about Stark Publishing Solutions Stark Reflections Survey Macabre Montreal The 7 P'S OF PUBLISHING SUCCESS 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 reflects upon some of the things that happened at NINC and why he enjoys attending it every year. One of the things, of course, was that he recently became Director of Business Development for Draft2Digital. This episode is sponsored by Findaway Voices . . . . . . and also by the Patrons of the show at www.patreon.com/starkreflections. Links of Interest: Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections More Information about Stark Publishing Solutions Stark Reflections Survey NINC (Novelists Inc) Macabre Montreal The 7 P'S OF PUBLISHING SUCCESS 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

This episode centers upon four quick chats with industry folks from NINC (Novelists Inc) 2018 in St Pete, Florida. Mark shares chats (originally posted as Facebook Live videos on Sept 27, 2018) with: Carlyn Robertson from BookBub Damon Courtney from BookFunnel Christine Munroe from Kobo Writing Life Ricardo Fayet from Reedsy Prior to the interview, Mark shares some personal updates, including some activities that happened at the conference (such as a bookstore visit to Haslam's in downtown St. Pete) as well as prior to the conference. He also shares that his book The 7 P's of Publishing Success is now live at all the major eBook retail sites, with the print and audiobook versions coming soon. He also mentions a comment on the previous episode which inspired him to make getting the audio version of the book a priority, and talks a bit about using Findaway Voices (the sponsor for this episode, to get that book distributed and into the market).After the interview, Mark reflects upon the learning that can happen, at all levels, at a conference like NINC. Links of Interest: Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections More Information about Stark Publishing Solutions Stark Reflections Survey NINC (Novelists Inc) Haslam's Book Store Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores & Libraries The 7 P'S OF PUBLISHING SUCCESS 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 early audio draft of the chapter on Professionalism for his forthcoming book THE 7 P'S OF PUBLISHING SUCCESS which will be released under his "Stark Publishing Solutions" imprint by the end of Sept 2018. Prior to the audiobook excerpt, Mark shares a few personal updates which include: Attending NINC (Novelist's, Inc.) writer conference in St Pete, Florida, where he will be giving a talk entitled 5 CAREER KILLING ERRORS AN AUTHOR SHOULD AVOID as well as co-hosting an open discussion entitled BRAINSTORMING "THE FUTURE" FOR AUTHORS AND VENDORS Also, while at NINC, Mark will be visiting Haslam's Book Store which is allegedly haunted by Jack Kerouac (Mark wrote about it in his book Tomes of Terror) A thank you to the Patrons supporting the podcast via www.patreon.com/starkreflections A shout-out to Rook Winters for an awesome photo of some skull plates he shared on Twitter Thanking new folks who continue to fill-out the Stark Reflections Podcast Survey (with a mention of how the show has been modified in line with a few common comments from some previously rec'd surveys Mark also talks about how the main content for this episode is a test/early draft for the audiobook version of his book THE 7 P's OF PUBLISHING SUCCESS and mentions the way he'll be using Findaway Voices (the sponsor for this episode). In the main content of the episode, Mark talks about the importance of professionalism for authors and breaks it down to three main elements: Paperwork, Contracts and Content In Person Appearances and People Skills Adversity and Rejection After the main section, Mark shares the behind a behind the scenes look at how the book this chapter is taken from came to be. Both it and another book, were originally chapters in the main book he had been working on to capture the many things he has learned in his decades of experience in the bookselling and publishing industry. But these two particular chapters grew a life of their own and became unique products as part of a larger line up of titles in the Stark Publishing Solutions Imprint/Series. These books will be: THE 7 P'S OF PUBLISHING SUCCESS (Sept 2018) KILLING IT ON KOBO (Oct 2018) INDIE PUBLISHING INSIDER SECRETS (Nov 2018) While still finalizing re-writes and edits of the books, Mark talks about the desire to get them all up for pre-order as soon as possible. He shares where people can sign up to be informed about them as well as other related "Stark Publishing / Stark Reflections" updates: www.markleslie.ca/starkpublishingsolutions Links of Interest: Findaway Voices Patreon for Stark Reflections More Information about Stark Publishing Solutions Stark Reflections Survey NINC (Novelists Inc) Haslam's Book Store Tomes of Terror: Haunted Bookstores & Libraries The 7 P'S OF PUBLISHING SUCCESS 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 Nathan Van Coops who claims that he lives on a diet comprised mainly of tacos. He enjoys old planes, motorcycles, and Volkswagens, contends that there is such a thing as "dressy" flip-flops and is the time travel adventure series, In Times Like These, and The Skylighter Adventures. Nathan, of course, isn't just an author, but he is also an aviator and the man behind Book Faces Live and we talk about all three things, and more. Prior to the interview, Mark gives a personal update that includes: His story "Active Reader" appearing in the latest issue of Pulphouse Magazine (#3) and how that had been a long-time goal The royalty check received from McGraw/Nelson for a short story "Almost" that is being used in a British Columbia high school curriculum He considers how both of these "new" items are stories that were previously published and yet can still result in residual income Mark then thanks new Stark Reflections Patron, Amy Teegan and all existing Patrons who support the show via www.patreon.com/starkreflections In the interview, Mark and Nathan talk about: Nathan's latest book, THE WARP CLOCK and its tag-line "To save her future, he can't have one." and the stand-alone nature of this series (THE WARP CLOCK is book 4 in the series) that allows a reader to jump in at any book How time travel isn't just a trope that is being used and, instead, is an integral part of the world and story, in the same way that J.K. Rowling used magic in her Harry Potter universe The first person present tense POV that is used for the majority of these books that are told through Benjamin's perspective The genesis of the SKYLIGHTER adventures, based on the quiet and calm that Nathan experienced while flying a plane. He imagined the concept of what if the sky was actually as busy as the ocean? The advice that Nathan would give to his younger self just starting writing The branding Nathan created for his series, landing on using Damonza covers and then taking a hands-off approach to let them do what they do best The reasoning behind why Nathan started Book Faces Live (to fill a gap in his own weekly podcast listening routine) and how he use his podcast to learn and gather information The fact that, unlike many writers, Nathan is an extrovert; always where and when Nathan likes to write The deliberate placement of Benjamin from the IN TIMES LIKE THESE series in 2009 After the interview, Mark talks about the tech issue that affected the tail end of the chat, and reflects upon how Nathan handled the unexpected issue quite professionally and effectively. He reminds writers that these types of things will happen and that it is important to remember the audience is actually cheering for you and you are in this together. Mark remembers the way Nathan thought of the reader when working on his book covers, and suggests that Nathan did the exact same thing here during the tech issue - he considered the audience and did his best to safely "land" the podcast. The lesson? When things go wrong, take a breath, and consider the audience. Links of Interest: Nathan's Website Book Faces Live Nathan's Interview with Mark (Episode 37) Pulphouse #3 (featuring Mark's story "Active Reader") Damonza (Book Cover Services) Findaway Voices Stark Reflections on Patreon

Mark chats with Dana Pharant, a business owner, a speaker, an author and the host of the Inner Dominatrix Podcast, about her new book The Inner Dominatrix Guide: Become a Badass in Business. Before the interview, Mark shares a few personal updates: Misadventures of the cat and the headset cord Experience using PublishDrive Getting Sean into indie audiobooks (and a mention that this podcast is sponsored by Findaway Voices) Mark also thanks new Patrons of the show, Joanna Penn and Ellie Ashe as well as all existing patrons who support the podcast via Patreon. In their chat, Mark and Dana discuss: The back-story and where the use of "Dominatrix" comes from (Dana spent 6 years as a Dominatrix) how principles of healing were learned through that experience which Dana has been able to apply to the concept of power, space and authority that are integral to the Inner Dominatrix The intriguing parallels between the role of Dominatrix and the role of Author Where the "Badass" attitude comes from and the energy that it can put people into The way that creative people can really shrink back when it comes to the business, marketing and promoting of their work The last thing that a person who is tied up and blind-folded wants to hear The importance of leaning into being unapologetic in one's approach The energy-based concept of "practical woo" The three main principles that Dana teaches: 1) Getting you out of the "wrongness of you" 2) Connecting with and following your intuition 3) Being willing to lose it all Her forthcoming book launch (October 15th) and the early-preview launch speaking event on Sept 26th After the interview, Mark reflects about the concept that Dana mentions of "stepping into authority" and how he believes this to be important for authors. He also talks about his friend James A. Owen, who regularly reminds authors of not downplaying the importance and value of what they do. Links of Interest: Dana Pharant: The Dominatrix's Guide to Inner Power in Business Stark Reflections Episode 30 (previous appearance by Dana): Target Markets & Relationships Episode 77 of Dana's podcast (Dana interviews Mark about the Transition in his life) Findaway Voices PublishDrive CAPS: Canadian Association of Professional Speakers Dana's CAPS Speaker Profile Mark's CAPS Speaker Profile Stark Reflections Listener Survey Patreon for Stark Reflections Sean Costello James A Owen Superstars Writing Seminars 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 talks about two specific examples from his own publishing experience, where having a crappy cover didn't help sales. He walks through the back-story for the eBooks in question, his reasoning behind the initial crappy cover as well as the positive results that came after he recognized his mistake and created a better cover. He explains that he is using personal examples for a few reasons, which include: the fact that it's easier to see fault in someone else's mistakes - perhaps seeing the mistakes Mark made makes it easier for an author to understand for their own purposes to illustrate that, even though he has fourteen years of experience in self-publishing and more than twenty-five years in bookselling, and should know better, he still makes mistakes - which means everyone can and will make these mistakes (so don't beat yourself up over it) Prior to the main content of the podcast, Mark provides a personal update about two items. 1) Recently received audiobook royalties from ListenUp Audiobooks and Findaway Voices. (With a mention that this podcast is sponsored by Findaway Voices - because he's just that cool at slipping it into the conversation) 2) A recent promotion that Mark ran on his book A CANADIAN WEREWOLF IN NEW YORK in order to help support the Kobo/Walmart promo that is taking place. Mark walks through the logistics of how some of the Kobo lists are set up and explains the third-party promo from Written Word Media that he used to help elevate the ranking and status of his book in the Kobo/Walmart list. He shares the numbers and results (so far) for this promo (the details from this are shared with Mark's Patreon supporters) The two examples of book cover updates that Mark walks through are: Spirits - a 6,000 word short story that Mark originally launched in eBook in June of 2011. Mark walks through the reasoning behind publishing this short story as an eBook in terms of the financial return based on his original goals to sell the story to a pro market. Snowman Shivers - Two snowman-themed tales that Mark launched in 2012 that required BOTH a cover and a sub-title makeover. Mark closes up the podcast by thanking his Patreon supporters as well as explaining a new option that Kobo Writing Life recently announced to authors, the ability to transfer ratings and reviews to new eBooks, and what that can mean from authors interested in updating/changing their distribution to Kobo methods. Links of Interest: Findaway Voices Episode 33: Two Wrongs That Make a Writer Spite Episode 8: Author Promotions with Ricci Wolman from Written Word Media (BargainBooksy/FreeBooksy) Transfering Your Ratings & Rankings on Kobo Details about Canadian Werewolf Promo Cost, Numbers, Results, for all Patreon Supporters 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