Kobo Writing Life Podcast

Author T.W. Piperbrook joins us on the podcast this week to discuss bringing his Sandstorm series wide for the first time. T.W. talks to us about his career as a full-time author, why he decided to take his series wide and how he went about setting his wide release up for success, and he explains how his time working in the indie music industry compares to indie publishing.  Learn more about this episode!

We are joined by David Bezmozgis on the podcast this week. David is an award winning author, the host of the writing podcast Love and Defiance, and the creative director of the Humber School for Writers, and he speaks to us about all avenues of his career. He tells us about the different writing opportunities he’s had, how he got involved in the Humber School for Writers and what the mentor-based program involves, and he tells us about his podcast and how he hopes it can inspire aspiring writers. Learn more about this episode!

Book launch coach Sue Campbell joins us on the podcast this week to share her best advice for finding your niche as an author and reaching your ideal reader. Sue tells us about the proven framework she uses to build marketing plans, she explains why approaching marketing with a positive mindset can make a huge difference in your marketing success, and she tells us how to find and pitch your work to influencers. Learn more about this episode!

We are joined by author Michael Polelle on the podcast this week. Michael is a former lawyer and emeritus law professor who started his writing career after he retired from practicing law. He talks to us about his two novels, The Mythros Conspiracy and American Conspiracy, what his research process was like for his books, and what his writing process (which includes morning chocolate!) is like.  Learn more about this episode!

Editor Janice Zawerbny sits down with us this week to discuss her career in publishing and to share her advice for authors who are new to the editorial process. Janice was the editor of three books on the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize shortlist, and she talks to us about what drew her to acquire those books and how the editorial process differed between each title. Janice also tells us about the writing prize she co-founded, the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction. Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her experiences working with both large publishers and small indie presses. Jennifer’s most recent series, Blood and Ash, went viral on TikTok, and she talks to us about that experience and the power of word of mouth marketing. Learn more about this episode!

Authors and co-founders of the The Author Conference club Jenn Falls and Fatima Fayez join us on the podcast this week to talk about all things Clubhouse. Jenn and Fatima tell us how they got their start in indie publishing, what drew them to Clubhouse in the first place, and how they use the audio-only app to connect with other writers and host an author conference.  Learn more about this episode!

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh joins us on the podcast this week to talk about her long standing career as a romance author and why she recently decided to try her hand at writing thrillers. Nalini chats to us about her publishing journey, why she decided to give indie publishing a try and become a hybrid author, and she tells us what it was like to be included on Oprah’s list of Best Romances to Read in this Lifetime.   Learn more about this episode!

Author Eric Maikranz joins us on the podcast this week to talk to us about his book, The Reincarnationist Papers, and the unique approach he took in order to secure a film adaptation of his book. Eric also talks to us about the differences between his indie and traditional publishing experiences, what the research process was like for his book, and he tells us his favourite reincarnation story.   Learn more about this episode!

Author Sarah Selecky joins us on the podcast this week. Not only is Sarah a Giller nominated author, but she is also a business owner, writing coach, and mentor, and she talks to us about her writing process and how overcoming her own writer’s block inspired her to start a writing school. We also chat about the craft of writing, the author community, and her writing competition, The Little Bird Contest. Learn more about this episode!

New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her journey to publishing, her career as a hybrid author, and how she manages her backlist of over 80 titles. Kristen also talks to us about her newest release After the Climb: Special Edition, which she wrote with the help of her readers, and she tells us about her reader community, Rock Chick Nation.  Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling author and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs joins us on the podcast today to celebrate the release of The Bone Code, the latest release in her Temperance Brennan series (out today!). Kathy talks to us about her journey to publishing, her writing process, and how she has maintained such a compelling long-standing series. We also chatted about the process of adapting her series into the hugely successful TV show Bones and what it was like bringing her characters to life on screen.  Learn more about this episode!

Crime fiction author Aime Austin joins us on the podcast this week to talk about her Casey Cort Legal Thrillers series and how she develops compelling legal mysteries through multiple points of view. Aime recently rebranded her entire series and she tells us how and why she decided it was time to rebrand and what that process was like, and we also discuss her new podcast, A Time to Thrill, and how her real life experience as a lawyer influenced her writing career. Learn more about this episode!

Ramesh Mantha, Kobo’s VP of product for devices, joins us on the podcast this week to tell us about Kobo’s newest eReader: the Kobo Elipsa. Ramesh walks us through the research and development behind the Elipsa, the challenges his team faced launching a new device during a pandemic, and he answers all of our questions about the technology behind eReaders.  Learn more about this episode!

Author and writing coach J. Thorn is on the podcast this week to talk about his book, Three Story Method, and to share some of his advice for new writers and established authors alike. J. has been an indie author for over a decade and he tells us how the indie publishing industry has changed throughout his career and why he believes this is the best time to be an indie author.  Learn more about this episode!

In our 250th episode, bestselling author Lisa Taddeo joins us on the podcast to discuss her writing career and her first novel, Animal. Lisa is also the author of the runaway nonfiction hit, Three Women, and she talks to us about the writing process for both of her books, her career as a journalist, and why she enjoys exploring the decisions people make in her writing.  Learn more about this episode!

Debut author Zakiya Dalila Harris joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her novel, The Other Black Girl. Before becoming an author, Zakiya worked as an editorial assistant at a publishing house and she tells us what real life experiences influenced her book and what it was like being on the other side of the author-editor relationship. She also talks to us about her experience getting an MFA, the television adaptation of The Other Black Girl, and what changes in the publishing industry she’s seeing now and hopes to see in the future. Learn more about this episode!

Author and professional stylist Heather Newberger joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her first book, How to Date Your Wardrobe: And Other Ways to Revive, Revitalize, and Reinvigorate Your Style. We speak to Heather about her career path as a stylist, her road to publication and the bumps that were caused by the pandemic, what post-pandemic fashion will look like, and we talk about using fashion and visual cues to help build in-depth characters and layered storytelling.

Debut author Jessica Hamilton joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her recently released thriller, What You Never Knew. Jessica talks to us about her journey to publication, how she plots her thriller novels, and what it was like publishing her first book during a pandemic. Learn more about this episode!

We are joined by Kobo’s Siobhan Padgett on the podcast this week. Siobhan is the Senior Vendor Manager for the US and Canada, working with hundreds of publishers across both territories, and she talks to us about her role at Kobo, what elements successful titles have in common, and what indie publishers and traditional publishers can learn from one another. Siobhan has worked in the publishing industry for over two decades and she shares what changes she has seen within the industry, where she hopes the industry will go in the future, and she shares some fun insider stories with us.  Learn more about this episode!