Kobo Writing Life Podcast

Michael Tamblyn, the CEO of Kobo, provides the most compelling argument to date about why indie authors need to go wide. Spoiler: You don’t want one algorithm to run your life. Michael discusses the origin story of Kobo and Kobo Writing Life and his own unique career path that led him to where he is today. He also talks about how indie authors have been excellent at exploiting opportunities as the eBook market shifts. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Indie publishing activist David Gaughran discusses the benefits of BookBub in targeting specific markets such as Kobo and how much money authors should spend on advertising. David discusses the importance of creating a marketing strategy and how to revive a title with decreasing sales. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife  

Sacha Black joins us to discuss the archetypal villain and how writers can stop writing boring clichéd villains. Sacha gives tips on how to write a kickass protagonist that stands out and why copywriting is a skill all writers should continually work on. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Learn how to combat writer’s block or any type of creative block with Mythulu creation cards. Creator Laura Crenshaw talks about the creative process involved in creating these cards and how the first year running her business has influenced her writing. Laura also gives tips on starting your own business and where she sees Mythulu growing in the coming years. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife 

Dale Mayer, USA Today bestselling author, gives advice to listeners on how to develop a long and successful career in indie publishing. She also explains how dictating her books helps her to be one of KWL’s most prolific authors. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

We dive deep into romantic comedies and the key components that make a great love story. Spoiler alert: it’s sexual tension! Sally and Mhairi tells us about their latest releases 99 Percent Mine and Don’t You Forget About Me and how they fell into writing. We also have a lightening round where they tell us their favourite rom-coms. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife  

Book Smart Romance: How Penny Reid bypassed gatekeepers to create her own niche market. Penny discusses the ways in which writing romance is revolutionary, why creators today appear to be more accessible and why authors should always strive towards authenticity in their work. She also uses the magical power of math and science to provide detailed insight into the recent controversies of the romance community. Join the self-publishing platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

With 12 books releasing this year, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan, takes time out of her jam-packed schedule to talk to us about her writing technique, how the self-publishing landscape has changed since first starting out and why she wanted to branch out into a new genre. Carrie also gives listeners a sneak peek of her first YA novel, From Breath and Ruin. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Have you ever wondered if a book trailer would be right for your next novel? Adam Cushman, the founder of Film 14 (https://film-14.com/), breaks down the benefits of having a book trailer and discusses the process of creating a cinematic book trailer from conception to final product. Adam talks about pricing and the different ways an author can utilize a book trailer in their marketing. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Gritty crime fiction writer, Dharma Kelleher joins us to talk about her experience as a transgender author, and the recent controversy around the book deal for the fictional biography of transgender doctor, Dr. James Barry. We discuss the importance of sensitivity readers and how/when an author should employ them in their writing process. Dharma also sheds some light on marketing a title that was deemed “unmarketable.” Never miss an episode: subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Stitcher. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that's fast, free, easy. We put authors first. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Retired police officer Brent Pilkey joins us to talk about his time as a beat cop for one of the roughest areas of Toronto, and how this experience influenced his writing. Brent discusses the genesis of his Rage series and how he decides which areas of being an officer should be excluded from his novels. Brent also discusses his writing process and what readers can expect from him next. Never miss an episode: subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Stitcher. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that's fast, free, easy. We put authors first. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Please enjoy this preview of Kobo's new podcast Kobo in Conversation! Join our chief booklover, Rakuten Kobo CEO Michael Tamblyn, as he welcomes famous authors and other notable guests from around the literary world and learn about the inspirations and influences behind your favourite books. In this episode, Michael speaks with the author of Forgiveness: A Gift from My Grandparents, winner of CBC Canada Reads 2018, about empathy, loss, and how his family let light shine in after one of the darkest chapters in Canadian history.

Superstar New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Meredith Wild, talks about her unique experience as being both an indie author and independent publisher. Meredith talks about the early days of starting her own boutique publisher Waterhouse Press, and why she wanted to start her own “untraditional” publishing company. Meredith also discusses battling her doubts as being a relatively new writer in the romance realm and how Waterhouse Press approached marketing in their first few years. Never miss an episode: subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Stitcher. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that's fast, free, easy. We put authors first. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Book cover designer Stuart Bache joins us on the podcast this week debunking our theory that authors should not design their own covers. Stuart talks to us about his journey into cover design and how he started his business Books Covered. He sheds some light into his process working with authors directly and the information he needs from an author to design their cover. Stuart also tells listeners tips they can utilize when designing their own cover. Never miss an episode: subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Stitcher. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that's fast, free, easy. We put authors first. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Lauren Layne, New York Times bestselling author and branding superstar, shares her secrets on cultivating an author brand and mastering trickier social media platforms, specifically Instagram and Pinterest. Lauren demystifies author branding and explains how authors can find their own aesthetic. She also discusses why she chose to limit her social media presence to two platforms and how she has made these platforms work for her. We also discuss the evolution of her newsletter and how it has changed throughout the years. Never miss an episode: subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast on Apple, Spotify, or Stitcher. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that's fast, free, easy. We put authors first. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Damon Suede, a chart-topping M/M romance author, will change the way you think about craft and characters. Damon gives listeners tips from his books Verbalize and Your A Game, such as thinking about characters in the term of budgeting a blockbuster film and why every character should be driven by a specific word. He also talks about sex, romance, and exploring different types of relationships. Warning: this episode contains explicit content!

Breakout star in Italy, France, and Germany, Brenna Aubrey gives listeners tips on translations. She advises on how to decide if translations are right for you, how much money an author should budget for translations, picking which market to target and selecting which backlist titles to translate. Brenna also discusses how she fell into her niche (writing “geek romance”) and why ultimately, she decided on self-publishing rather than traditional. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

How to be a career author: USA Today bestselling powerhouse Nana Malone shares the writing and marketing process you need to stay motivated and inspired for the next 10 years and more. Nana also talks about how the royal wedding between Meghan and Harry affected her Royals Undercover series and why she loves the romance genre. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

How a virtual assistant can transform your publishing business and create more time for what you love most: writing. Veteran VA to superstar authors and CMO of Book+Main, Melissa Saneholtz, tells listeners how she got her start as an author virtual assistant and what a VA can do for an author, and how to find one that's right for you. Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife

Empower more people to read your books. This behind-the-scenes at Kobo episode features Senior QA Analyst Wendy Reid, talking about the importance of EPUB accessibility, and specific features you can include in your eBooks to make them more accessible. Wendy also discusses her role in launching audiobooks for Kobo and how specifications for audiobooks do not exist (yet). Start self-publishing today with KWL. Join the platform that’s fast, free, easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife