Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

In the introduction, Mark talks a little about being in Colorado attending Superstars Writing Seminars in Colorado Springs, CO and the importance of understanding the business of writing and publishing. He shares that he will be doing Facebook Live videos of his experience at Superstars on his Stark Publishing Facebook page. This episode features an interview with Kelly Lytle from Findaway Voices. In their conversation, Mark and Kelly talk about: How Findaway Voices is a single service built to help independent authors and small publishers create and distribute their audiobooks, and that they are a fully non-exclusive platform to the largest network of audio sellers in the world (retailer, library and K through 12 markets) The pay per use model that Bibliotheca (3M) has. Meaning the library doesn't need to pre-purchase the audiobook in advance. It is listed (like on any major retailer), and the purchase doesn't happen until the library patron checks out that title The background to Findaway Voices as part of the larger Findaway family. Their "flagship" product, for example, was the Playaway Device, a single title pre-loaded audiobook player that is about the size of a deck of cards, with built in play and pause buttons. These devices have been hugely popular with the library market (as an easy to merchandise and easy to use for patrons who weren't savvy about digital check-outs or even using CD audiobooks) and the military Pre-loaded tablets called "LaunchPad" that are also in the library markets The platform called Audio Engine. The world's largest business-to-business audiobook service Kelly's own background as a passionate reader with a thirst for storytelling. Even though he worked on Wall Street and in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, his compass kept pointing back to that original passion and joining Findaway a little more than four years ago To Dad, From Kelly, the memoir Kelly wrote about his relationship to his late father who passed away in 2010. Kelly's experience going to TuneIn's studio in Santa Monica, California to record the audiobook himself How Findaway works with authors and as well as the sign-up and vetting process they use for narrators. Mark's very positive experience getting his short story collection Active Reader produced by Findaway Voices and how pleased he was with Eric Moore's recording. Which leads to the question of how a writer might be able to request to work with the same narrator again for a future project, or a narrator that they have already chosen (even if that narrator isn't already part of the Findaway Voices talent pool community) How to use Findaway Voices to upload an audiobook that you already have produced in order to leverage their distribution channels The price control that the author/publisher has on their audiobook (which is a critical differentiation of the way that Amazon's ACX sets the price and doesn't allow that control to the copyright owner) The urgent quest for Audiobook promotion platforms to provide a "BookBub" or "Bargainbooksy" style service, and the existing awesome audio review sites, such as BookRiot or AudioFile How they are seeing authors make hundreds of dollars through the aforementioned library "pay per use" model, which is a huge opportunity, as well as through sites most authors might not be paying much attention to, including Playster. A recommendation for authors to also make sure that the narrator, and not just the author gets the free Audible download codes to help promote the book. The partnership that Findaway Voices has with Draft2Digital.com that allows an author to easily port their ebook's metadata over to set up an audiobook at Findaway. Also, Kelly's respect for the "author-first" approach to authors that Draft2Digital employs in everything they do The notion of format-agnostic consumption of stories and the growth this means for authors After the interview, Mark talks about the importance of publishing wide and shares his own experience with earning revenue from Findaway Voices via sales channels that weren't even on his radar. His belief was that he would make most of his money from the audiobook sales via Audible, the Amazon-owned largest retail site for audiobooks, but the reality was, the majority of his earnings came from several other sales channels. He talks about the recent progress from Apple, Google and Kobo in the past week as an example of "you never know, so it's best to be available everywhere." He then shares a second reflection on how the investment related to the creation of an audiobook file is an important reminder to authors of focusing on the long-term, on looking at the various investments they make, not just in money, but in time, and in education. Links of Interest: Findaway Voices Website Findaway Voices on Twitter Kelly's book: To Dad, From Kelly Mark's Findaway produced books: Active Reader: And Other Cautionary Tales from the Book World Collateral Damage: A Sin-Eater Midadventure Superstars Writing Seminars

Mark chats with Canadian Science Fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer. Sawyer is one of only eight writers in history — and the only Canadian — to win all three of the world's top Science Fiction awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (the full list of such winners: Paolo Bacigalupi, David Brin, Arthur C. Clarke, Joe Haldeman, Frederik Pohl, Kim Stanley Robinson, Robert J. Sawyer, and Connie Willis). In their conversation, Mark and Rob talk about: The fact that Rob was the very first science fiction writer in the world to have a website (sfwriter.com) which has grown to over 1 million words of text and more than 800 documents since it launched in 1995, including documents about the craft and business of writing and publishing The text-heavy nature of Rob's website and how he still manually codes his website in HTML The SEO involved in the creation of the SFWriter website using the three main key words: "science fiction writer" and how that has led to Rob being on the first page of search results for those in the media looking to talk to a sci-fi writer for various commentary on events (example, anniversary of the moon landing, cloning, the death of a famous science fiction writer, etc) How optimizing his brand and SEO has led to just under 1000 radio and television interviews The way that Rob's novels are typically grounded in real-life scientific research, such as his latest novel, Quantum Night, which is about psychopathy and what might happen if a psychopathy were to get into the office of the President of the United States The way Rob was able to pivot in the marketing of the book after Donald J. Trump became the US President The brilliantly supportive way that Rob's US audiobook publisher (Audible) worked quickly to resolve the issue of a few funny incorrect pronunciations that a US narrator made with a couple of "Canadian" words Advice for authors regarding dividing up your IP by format as well as by territory and how the aggregate of the sale of rights of each unique division adds up to far more than a single "world rights" offer would typically be How Rob used KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) and KWL (Kobo Writing Life) and other direct to retailer and distribution platforms to publish to iBooks, Nook and other markets using the rights that he did not sell to a publisher (ie, direct selling an "international edition" of a book like QUANTUM NIGHT where publishers only purchased Canadian and US rights) How each new format that emerges for a book enlarges the audience, rather than cannibalizes upon the previous format editions The ABC Television program (FlashForward) which was based on Rob's 1999 novel of the same name and details about his involvement with that experience The approved changes in the television adaptation (which includes changing the "flash forward" from 21 years to 6 months) that helped to make the story more palatable for a US network television audience yet retained the important theme of "fate VS freewill" How a scene in that novel, published in 1999 had a scene which predicted the existence of the Espresso Book Machine, which can print and bind a paperback in about 15 minutes right inside a bookstore The changes within publishing since Rob's first novel was published in 1990 The different royalties received on the self-published version (70%) VS the traditionally published version (17.5%) of Rob's novel Quantum Night and a reflection on the time most likely spent by the author and by the publisher on a single book (typically a 12:1 ratio) and how that changes the perspective of the 3:1 split in the publisher's favor A teaser for Rob's next novel about the Manhattan Project, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020 and how that ties in to Rob's marketing plans for the book and himself The figure Rob has in mind for selling the Canadian, American and British rights to a publisher and, if his agent isn't able to secure those numbers, his plans to release it independently The odds that a book will never be made into a movie, including stats on how only 3 out of the 53 novels that have so far won the Nebula Award (often seen as the "best science-fiction novel" of the year) have been made into movies (They were: Dune, Ender's Game and Flowers for Algernon) The approximate 16 years that Rob's Nebula Award winning novel The Terminal Experiment has been optioned for film rights (but with no film ever having been made so far) After the interview, Mark reflects upon two elements from the conversation. First he looks at the manner by which Rob has acted as a linchpin within the writing and publishing community, mentoring other writers, assisting beginners and always looking to connect people together. Then he explores the way that, when Rob is talking about one of his novels, he focuses on the high level concept that makes people think or makes people want to engage, rather than a "blow by blow" of the plot details. He encourages writers to look for a similar thing in their own work. This podcast was sponsored by Findaway Voices – a company that gives authors and publishers everything they need to create professionally-narrated audiobooks and reach listeners in more than 170 countries through the world's largest audiobook distribution network Links of Interest: Robert J. Sawyer's Website Rob on Twitter Rob's Facebook Author Page The "How to Write" section of Rob's website Misc links to media Coverage of Rob Video of Rob's launch of WATCH at McMaster University Robert J. Sawyer — called "the dean of Canadian science fiction" by The Ottawa Citizen and "just about the best science-fiction writer out there these days" by The Denver Rocky Mountain News — is one of only eight writers in history (and the only Canadian) to win all three of the science-fiction field's top honors for best novel of the year. Rob — who holds honorary doctorates from the University of Winnipeg and Laurentian University — has taught writing at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University, Humber College, and The Banff Centre. 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

Mark interviews Sinead McElhinney, PR Coordinator on the Communications team from Rakuten Kobo in Toronto, Ontario about some interesting reading data that Kobo released near the end of 2017. They discuss the analysis of reading data, understanding core eBook readers better, as well as some of Sinead's favorite things about her role in the book industry. During the chat, they discuss: Where she started and how she got her start at Kobo Her role in marketing and the on-brand customer/reader experience The double-edged sword of social media The difference between using social media for personal use and for a corporation that needs to keep its target demographics in mind Details about the top "actually read" books from the previous year and the data dissection performed on this reading data Just because something is a bestseller doesn't mean that it is a book that has been read through to completion. IE, looking at books that were actually finished can be meaningful data The binge-reading that Sinead does the same way some others might engage in binge-watching a show via Netflix Some common themes in the most popularly read books The dynamic engagement with both writers and readers that Sinead participated in when visiting the Romantic Time (RT) Booklovers conference in Atlanta in May 2017 The diversity within the many different types of romance readers that Sinead discovered at RT Booklovers The launch of audiobooks at Kobo in late summer of 2017 and some of the things they learned about the types of books people prefer reading in eBook format versus listening to The integration of OverDrive library borrowing in the Kobo Aura ONE After the interview, Mark reflects on the evolution of storytelling and how, in oral storytelling, the creator could receive immediate and instant audience feedback that might help them to adjust their story's tone, pacing and other elements on the fly. He touches upon how story, as a written medium in print format, completely divorces that connection when the act of reading becomes a solitary pursuit, but that digital reading brings back an intriguing degree of those elements that writers and publishers could likely benefit if analyzed effectively. He shares his own experience telling ghost stories to live audiences and how, as a storyteller, he can easily adapt the tales based on audience reaction. He discusses the interesting metrics that a platform such as Wattpad.com offers to writers about the demographics of their readers and other reading stats. He also talks about the "real time" blog story I, DEATH that his novel was based upon allowed him the luxury of adapting the story as it was being rolled out based on reader reaction. And, finally, he suggests that platforms like Kindle and Kobo wield a fascinating opportunity related to the type of in depth reading data that Sinead was talking about that can significantly benefit writers and publishers. Links of Interest: Kobo PR - http://news.kobo.com/ Instagram Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube Mark and Sinead on the KWL Podcast at RT (Romantic Times) – Episode 84 "How to be alone, but not lonely" - An article Sinead wrote about unplugging for a weekend in a style that Henry David Thoreau would certainly appreciate. Related Articles on Reading Data From EBooks: What Canadians Read in 2017 (Most Read and Longest Reading Session Titles) Behind the Digital Screens: Reading habits of the industry's most valuable customers Kobo Writing Life Titles Top Best-Selling and Best-Read lists The Guardian: Ebooks can tell which novels you didn't finish Sinead McElhinney is the Public Relations Specialist at Rakuten Kobo Inc in Toronto, Ontario, where, among other things, she manages Kobo's PR agencies in Canada, the United States, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Australia. She believes in uniting professionalism and personality and is committed to the notion that the right story has the ability to spark meaningful change. This podcast was sponsored by Findaway Voices – a company that gives authors and publishers everything they need to create professionally-narrated audiobooks and reach listeners in more than 170 countries through the world's largest audiobook distribution network

Mark interviews Joanna Penn of www.thecreativepenn.com about her latest book The Healthy Writer: Reduce Your Pain, Improve Your Health, And Build A Writing Career For The Long Term (co-authored with Dr. Euan Lawson) and they also have a discussion about trends in publishing and speculation about the opportunities that might be coming for writers. In his introduction to the episode, Mark announces that Findaway Voices is now an official sponsor. He shares his own experience with using Findaway Voices to create audiobooks and also his plans for some forthcoming projects. In Mark's interview with Joanna, they talk about: The new book Joanna has co-written with Dr. Euan Lawson (The Healthy Writer) as a book she has written because it was something she needed to learn The "letter to sugar" that Joanna shares in the new book and how it was affecting both her physical and mental health How the decision to co-author this title came about (measuring the value that each brings to the project) and how Joanna and Euan worked on it together How Joanna balances her three different personas (JF Penn, dark fantasy/thriller author; Joanna Penn, the optimistic writing and publishing personality, and Penny Appleton, the co-authored books she is writing with her mother) The critical importance of scheduling one's time into blocks of activities, including "time off" from particular types of activities The role that personal connections can play in terms of building and sustaining a sense of community for a writer How Joanna incorporates business related travel and decisions on which events to agree to speak at for helping with research for her fiction projects The state of "burn-out" Joanna had reached almost two years ago and what inspired her to double-down on her own podcast instead of letting it go A strategy for how writers and entrepreneurs can approach out-sourcing some of the work they need to do for their own goals and objectives What has changed in the writing and publishing industry since Joanna started as a blogger and a podcaster almost ten years ago The thing that surprised Joanna the most about what happened in publishing in the past year The challenges that come with being an early adopter in the digital publishing space The potential forthcoming shifts that are likely to be coming within the book industry within the next few years and what it means to authors The story structure, drama, character development and masterfully storytelling from particular movies and television program like The Crown, which are also areas of opportunity for writers What the advent of self-driving cars might mean for content creation and distribution In his post interview wrap-up, Mark shares a short section from The Healthy Writer that has resonated with him, discusses the importance of optimism in a writer's life, and then shares his own plans to train for a half-marathon later this year and how that ties back to an inspirational talk that Joanna gave in a backlist episode from her own The Creative Penn Podcast about a 100 Kilometer ultra marathon that she completed and what that taught her about her own writing. This podcast was sponsored by Findaway Voices – a company that gives authors and publishers everything they need to create professionally-narrated audiobooks and reach listeners in more than 170 countries through the world's largest audiobook distribution network Links of interest: The Creative Penn (Joanna Penn's website) Joanna Penn on Twitter Euan Lawson (Doctor and writer) Euan Lawson on Twitter The Healthy Writer Joanna's 9 Lessons Learned about Writing (from the KWL Blog – Episode 74) Findaway Voices

The start of a new year is always a time for reflection. It's often a look back at the previous year and the goals accomplished during that period. And it usually also involves setting some goals or targets for the year ahead. In this episode, Mark Leslie Lefebvre shares three of the goals that he set for 2017 which he didn't complete. He walks through each of them and demonstrates not only where he missed the goal as well as how he could choose to beat himself up over not achieving his goals, or instead look at what he did manage to accomplish and how that has moved him forward. He also shares the meager earnings associated with a couple of these goals and explains why he feels it is important to share that information. When discussing audiobooks for indie authors, Mark reveals an unexpected source for his recent audiobook income, reminding authors of the importance of publishing widely to as broad a retail base as possible. He also looks at the trend of collaboration in publishing, calls out a few specific elements he has been interested in following (Authors on a Train - and BundleRabbit), and his vision for the continued future of collaboration through digital publishing. Links of Interest The Writing Show - Getting Published with Mark Leslie Public Lending Rights Program (Canada) Authors on a Train - J. Thorn & Zach Bohannon Bundlerabbit.com Mark Leslie's Author Website

Access to publishing has never been easier; and it's an amazing time to be a writer. But it may also be harder and more confusing than it ever has been. You currently have more choices, more options than ever in the history of publishing. What paths are right for you and for your goals? Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing is a weekly podcast starting in January 2018. Drawing upon more than a quarter century of experience as a bookseller, a writer, an editor and a respected and trusted book industry representative, I'm going to speak with folks from both the traditional publishing and indie-publishing communities, and share my own personal experiences and reflections on what I'm continuing to learn as a writer and industry consultant. I hope you'll consider me as an informative and inspirational companion on your writing journey.