Stark Reflections On Writing And Publishing

Mark has a virtual beer with Kevin J. Anderson while they talk through various aspects about writing and publishing. This episode is from a live chat that was hosted on the evening of Sunday March 16, 2025. This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place in early Feb 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO and where Mark will be a guest speaker. Use code: STARK100 to get $100 off your registration. In their chat Mark and Kevin talk about: The loss of author and poet Danny Peart, Neil Peart's brother and how the first story Kevin and Neil wrote together named the main character after Neil's brother Mark and Kevin's Rush and beer connection Kevin's "music starter kit" to his grand-kids The significance of the Rush album Grace Under Pressure to both Kevin and Mark How the Columbia Music Record Club is what led to Kevin discovering Rush (because he was looking for sci-fi style album covers and Rush's 2112 jumped out at him) The back-story to Kevin's T

In this solo episode Mark shares an excerpt from his forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other In Person Events. Prior to the main content, Mark shares a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here. The content for this episode is an excerpt from the work in progress: A BOOK IN HAND. Links of Interest: Notification for when A BOOK IN HAND becomes available Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella

In this solo episode Mark shares an excerpt from his forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other In Person Events. This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place in early Feb 2026 in Colorado Springs, CO. Use code: STARK100 to get $100 off your registration. Links of Interest: Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only M

In this special additional solo episode, Mark reflects on the term "Elbows up!" and recent events in Canada/US relations and the tariffs being needlessly opposed based on completely fabricated issues. He also discusses the disease of division that is so prominent today, and shares a clip of Canadian Prime Minster Justin Trudeau from a press conference held on March 4, 2025.   Links of Interest: Buy Me a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in

Mark interviews writer, actor and poet, Richard Marsh, the genius behind YIPPEE KI YAY the one-man poetry stage parody of Die Hard. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a brief personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you’re writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be. Mark also mentions a free podcast event he'll be on with Suzie on March 7th called NAVIGATING TODAY'S PUBLISHING. In the interview, Mark and Richard talk about: How, ever since Richard started poetry, he ended up using it to tell the types of stories that one wouldn't normally think could be told via poems The poetry rom-com stage show Richard worked on with a good friend How the pr

Mark interviews Laurie Cooper, an award-winning speaker, and an author coach and marketing expert, who helps fiction authors go from struggling, feeling invisible and not knowing what to do next, to finding and connecting with their ideal readers. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a word about this episode's sponsor. Learn more about Toronto Indie Author Conference 2025 here. In their conversation, Mark and Laurie talk about: The round-about way that Laurie got into the role of becoming a marketing coach for authors Starting off as a virtual assistant, then moving on to more marketing-related and coaching for authors It being 11 years since Laurie started working with authors Some of the ways the marketing landscape and promotion strategies have changed over the years Laurie's "The Visible Author Method" that authors can enroll in, but only after a discovery call with Laurie and an invitation The idea that coaches need coaches and therapists need therapists The most important aspect of what writers want,

Mark reflects on the power and importance of Superstars Writing Seminars and why it's one of the most important annual in person sessions he attends and participates in. He also reflects on the rule of "no politics/no religion" in writing groups focused on supporting one another and helping to learn and grow, a new way he now sees this, and his desire for continuing to create bridges rather than divides without compromosing his morality.   Links of Interest: Superstars Writing Seminars Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and

In this special 400th Episode, Mark shares comments from the Stark Reflections Community. This episode's sponsor: This episode is sponsored by ScribeCount (affiliate link). Spend less time logging in to multiple platforms and crunching numbers, and more time writing and marketing your books thanks to ScribeCount’s handy all-in-one interface. This episode includes comments from: Matty Dalrymple Zachary Kai Birgit Constant Stanley B. Trice Donn King Beth Biss Matthew del Papa Guylaine Kathy Mac Justin Trudeau Links of Interest: Superstars Writing Seminars Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Sh

Mark interviews Deborah Kevin, the visionary founder and chief inspiration officer at Highlander Press, about her new book SHELF LIFE: A Field Guide to Long-Term Author Success. Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a word from this episode’s sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you’re writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be. During the interview Mark and Deborah talk about: How Deborah describes herself as one of the most curious people you'll ever meet First learning about the Camino de Santiago in 2013, and then later walking the pilgrimage in chunks Learning to read when she was four years old, and Deborah's first library card at the age of five Writing h

Mark interviews Denise Baden about the novel/book version of Murder in the Climate Assembly as well as the various incarnations and adaptions she had created for the stage and television. Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a word about this episode’s sponsor. This episode is sponsored by ScribeCount (affiliate link). Spend less time logging in to multiple platforms and crunching numbers, and more time writing and marketing your books thanks to ScribeCount’s handy all-in-one interface. During the interview Mark and Denise talk about: Denise's varied educational, professional, and personal background which has given her a finger in "every pie" How Denise turned to fiction because it's her joy The different formats that a story can take for a creative person Denise's memoir "Confessions of a Climate Activist in a Business School" and how she adapted it into a novel by fictionalizing some elements Also creating a re-adaptation of the story into a stag

Mark interviews Ron Vitale about his writing, and his recent unflinching and honest looks at his writing income versus expenses. Prior to the interview, Mark talks about wanting to hear from listeners on THEIR reflections via an online form or via a few Zoom hangouts (see more info here) for forthcoming Episode 400. Mark also shares comments, a personal update and word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place Feb 6 through 9, 2025 in Colorado Springs, CO. Use code: MARK1592 to get $100 off your registration. In their conversation Mark and Ron talk about: Ron growing up in an environment where a family member stuggled with alcoholism and then learning how to heal from some of the trauma experienced in his past The 2020 lockdown blog posts that Ron wrote and shared in order to help others who might be dealing with that and giving back to the community The four "Let Go And Be Free" books he released th

Mark interviews Waubgeshig Rice, an author and journalist from Wasauksing First Nation, and the author of four books, most notably the bestselling novels Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning Leaves. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments, a personal update and word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place Feb 6 through 9, 2025 in Colorado Springs, CO. Use code: MARK1592 to get $100 off your registration. In their conversation Mark and Waubgeshig talk about: Waub's interest in high school with English classes but still feeling like there was no strong connection and that not many of the books and stories being taught in Ontario in the 1990s were all that relatable Being shown books by indigenous authors via his Auntie that weren't being studied in school -- books by authors such as Richard Wagamese, Lee Maracle, Louise Erdrich -- and how that blew his world wide open and included tho

Mark shares reflections on his 2024 sales, as well as a bit of a rant about people sharing their 2024 sales without disclaimers about how much they spent, or the other costs involved in achieving those sales. This episode is sponsored by the patrons who support this podcast at https://patreon.com/starkreflections and https://buymeacoffee.com/markleslie.    Links of Interest: Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds Mark's YouTube channel Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building Th

Mark interviews author and former Playboy Playmate Charlotte Kemp about her book CENTERFOLDS. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place Feb 6 through 9, 2025 in Colorado Springs, CO. Use code: MARK1592 to get $100 off your registration. In the interview Mark and Charlotte talk about: Charlotte adjusting her last name Helmkamp into Charlotte Kemp when she first began modeling Being Playmate of the month December 1982 and the cover model for the October 1983 issue of Playboy Interviewing about 40 women in order to get the 20 stories that she included in the book Being blocked from publishing her book when she'd first started by Hugh Hefner Using the title "Centerfolds" for her book because she wasn't able to use the term "Playmate" as the trademark is owned by Playboy How Charlotte decided which of the stories ended up making it into the book

Mark interviews author Jody Swannell about her writing and the book ajacent activities and strategies she has employed. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Superstars Writing Seminars: Teaching you the business of being a writer which takes place Feb 6 through 9, 2025 in Colorado Springs, CO. Use code: MARK1592 to get $100 off your registration. In the interview Mark and Jody talk about: How Jody got started in writing about 20/30 years ago Spending at least an hour a week at Chapters big box bookstores back in the day, with dreams of wanting to write a book The way that the recent pandemic inspired a lot of people to actually take a shot at some of the things they'd wanted to do for a long time The two novels and one novella that Jody has released in the past 3 years Jody's interest and writing about Tarot card reading Selling books in person at the local markets and how Jody was inspired by seeing local author Richard Ste

Mark interviews Emma Dhesi, a bestselling author and certified book coach who educates and inspires first-time authors to fulfil a calling and write their debut novel. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the patrons who support this podcast at https://patreon.com/starkreflections and https://buymeacoffee.com/markleslie.  New content for patrons has dropped here. In the interview, Mark and Emma talk about: How Emma got started in writing as a child at school The waves of how that "itch" to write kept coming to Emma every 6 months or so The feeling of writing that first draft and the effective challenge it was for her Emma's first book THE DAY SHE CAME HOME and how it began as an exploration of post-partum depression The concept of how engaging in the creative life can provide that balance we need How it can look different depending on where on the creative journey we are, but the similarities The importance of trying new thi

Mark interviews Dale L. Roberts about his new book NETWORKING FOR AUTHORS. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, reads comments from recent episodes, and shares a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Mark's book AN AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO WORKING WITH LIBRARIES AND BOOKSTORES. You can get the book for 50% direct from Mark from now until Jan 2024 using coupon code STARK2024 at checkout. Patrons will get access to a 75% off coupon for that book and a wider range of titles from Mark's direct sale store. In their interview Mark and Dale talk about: How long it has been since Dale has been on the Stark Reflections podcast. (Episode 96 - Sept 2019) Dale's first big breakthrough in the indie author space and how that led to him pivoting to becoming a YouTube content creator Dale's passion for helping showing other authors things related to the business of writing and publishing Their mutual passion for Rush How the word networking can be thought of as a "dirty" word Dale's uni

Mark interviews author D.F. Hart about 2 of Harts Business Services, a company she founded with her sister by empowering indie authors and small businesses through bookkeeping services that not only track the ‘in and out’ but also provide tailored product analysis reporting to assist authors in growing their business. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the 2024 Novel Writing Storybundle - Only available until the end of November 2024.   In the interview, Mark and DeAnna talk about How long it has been since D.F. Hart and Mark co-authored a book (Accounting for Authors) in March 2022 The work she has done as an accountant which started with Wide for the Win, an indie author, and a local newspaper back in April 2022 Walking away from her full-time day job in July of 2024 in order to have the time to support the growing roster of clients she works with The various specific things that she is

Mark interviews Cathy Rankin and Ken Mary about Cathy's new single "Now You've Gone." On October 29, 2024, Cathy Rankin released her debut single “Now You’ve Gone,” featuring renowned musicians David Ellefson (formerly of Megadeth) Ken Mary (formerly of Alice Cooper) and John Ronson. The emotional track, inspired by deeply personal experiences, reflects on themes of love, grief, and ultimately hope. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the 2024 Novel Writing Storybundle - Only available until the end of November 2024.   In the interview, Mark, Cathy, and Ken talk about: Cathy's various family members who are musicians, her first exposure to music when she was young and how that impacted her creative life Getting into theatre, and acting, when she was little, but not having the confidence in music itself The first time Cathy had to perform a singing scene when she was acting in a film The dif

Mark interviews Andy Lidstone about the unconditional boundaries he talks about in his life coaching as the Uncondictional Coach. This episode is sponsored by the patrons who support this podcast at https://patreon.com/starkreflections and https://buymeacoffee.com/markleslie.    Links of Interest: Andy Lidstone's Unconditional Coach EP 387- Rambling Reflections From The Disappointing Aftermath One Hand Screaming: 20 Haunting Years Books2Read Link Shop Local (Canadian Indie Bookstore Lookup) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Lo