Mark Leslie Lefebvre's Blog, page 6

Episode 385 – Rambling Reflections From The Road: Go West Not So Young Man

In this solo episode, Mark shares a few thoughts from his hotel room in Victoria, British Columbia, on Canada’s West Coast.

This episode is sponsored by the patrons who support this podcast at https://patreon.com/starkreflections and https://buymeacoffee.com/markleslie. 

Links of Interest:

One Hand Screaming: 20 Haunting YearsBooks2Read LinkShop Local (Canadian Indie Bookstore Lookup)Mark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 384 – Rambling Reflections From The Road: World Fantasy Con 2024

In this solo episode, Mark shares a few thoughts from the hotel room at World Fantasy Con 2024 in Niagara Falls, New York.

This episode is sponsored by the patrons who support this podcast at https://patreon.com/starkreflections and https://buymeacoffee.com/markleslie. 

From Mark’s extremely detailed bullet points about what he wanted to reflect on:

1) Coming to WFC.

2) The nature of relationships in the writing world/community

3) Feeling like a real writer (via recent events)

4) But also feeling like a failure – afternoon at Indigo

5) 

Links of Interest:

One Hand Screaming: 20 Haunting YearsBooks2Read LinkShop Local (Canadian Indie Bookstore Lookup)Mark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 383 – 20 Haunting Years

In this solo episode Mark talks through the logic and reasoning behind a recent book launch by sharing a little of his own experience and publication history.

This episode is sponsored by the patrons who support this podcast at https://patreon.com/starkreflections and https://buymeacoffee.com/markleslie. 

Mark shares the behind-the-scenes story of:

Why he first self-published the book One Hand Screaming in 2004 The logistics and strategy behind making it fully returnable and why he was trying to push the envelope of publishing so early in the digital publishing revolutionA little bit of his experience as a writer in those manual “mail out submissions” daysThe reasoning behind wanting to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of this first published book by launching One Hand Screaming: 20 Haunting YearsWhy he invested into getting this self-published book into a traditional distribution warehouse in Canada with a sales team — and what that meansCollaborating with a local brewery to create a tie-in beer One Hop ScreamingSome of the marketing and branding logistics, reasoning, and strategies being used for the book launchProducts and marketing swag that Mark is leveraging, including a bonus “haunted beer” story to go along with the beer (QR code printed on the beer cans and the double-sided coasters

Mark also shares a couple of new marketing tools that he has come across and been experimenting with that are designed to help an author maximize their ability to create sales copy, draft up press releases, provide comp author/comp title information, and more.

Links of Interest:

One Hand Screaming: 20 Haunting YearsBooks2Read LinkCounterpoint Brewing
One Hop Screaming (Beer – online order)One Hop Screaming and One Hand Screaming (Online order)“As One Hop Screams” (Haunted beer story)Mark’s 2006 to 2011 Podcast: Prelude to a ScreamShop Local (Canadian Indie Bookstore Lookup)Marketing Tools MentionedNoteBookLM (Google)ManuscriptReport.com (Manuscript Marketing Report)Social Media Content GeneratorMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 382 – From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker

Mark interviews Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn about their new co-authored book From Page to Platform: How to Succeed as an Author Speaker.

Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode’s sponsor

This episode is sponsored by the Fall 2024 Novel Writing Storybundle.

In their conversation, Matty, Michael, and Mark talk about:

A bit of a refresher/background for both Matty and MichaelDale L. Roberts being the person who connected the two of them togetherHow they got the idea for the book when both at a Writer’s Digest conference togetherThe process of going about writing the book togetherThe flight instructor term of the “awkward exchange of control”Why a writer might be interested in getting into speakingA look at the importance of fleshing out your goals from speakingHow speaking can open up new opportunities for a writerSome of the key strengths that can be brought to a speaking engagement, such as storytelling or making a talk feel more like a conversationThe “dress for the job that you want” aspect for speakersIdeas for how to get started particularly if you’re nervous about speaking to a large group of peopleSome of the do’s and don’ts for doing panels, author readings, keynotes, etcAdvise for authors who are on a panelThe concept of stepping up if necessary if the moderator isn’t performing the job as well as they shouldMatty’s concept of the two different bios – the “speaker application bio” and the “brief speaker introduction” bioTips for professional behavior and things author speakers should consider doingAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on a couple of things from the interview and also shares a special offer for Patrons related to the aforementioned Storybundle.

Video of the interview portion of this episode.

Links of Interest:

Matty Dalrymple’s Author SiteMichael’s Author Level Up SiteThe Indy AuthorEP 379 – Simplify Your Life and Your Work With Dre BaldwinMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers and the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and Suspense Shorts. She also podcasts, writes, speaks, and consults on the writing craft and the publishing voyage as The Indy Author. Her articles have appeared in Writer’s Digest magazine, and she serves as the Campaigns Manager for the Alliance of Independent Authors.

Michael La Ronn is the author of over 100 science fiction & fantasy books and self-help books for writers. He writes from the great plains of Iowa and has managed to write while raising a family, working a full-time job, and attending law school. Michael runs the award-winning YouTube channel “Author Level Up,” and Michael serves as the Outreach Manager for ALLi.

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 381 – Showcasing Independent Bookstores, Publishers, And Authors with Andrew Snook

Mark interviews Andrew Snook about his writing and editing work as well as Canadian Independent Publishers magazine, which is celebrating its first anniversary.

Prior to the interview Mark welcomes new Patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode’s sponsor

This episode is sponsored by FROM PAGE TO PLATFORM by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn. You can learn more about the book at https://theindyauthor.com/platform.

In their conversation, Mark and Andrew talk about:

Celebrating the first year of publishing Canadian Independent AuthorAndrew’s first ventures self-publishing many many agoSome of the early novels and novellas that Andrew releasedMoving to Ottawa to become a newspaper reporter so that he could write full timeMoving back to Mississauga and getting a role in the Business-to-Business magazine businessStarting up his own company in 2019The six issues per year of Canadian Independent Publishers MagazineHow the magazine is still a cost center and is not yet generating a profit – and how the goal is to have the magazine at least pay for itselfThe gig Andrew got going to local hockey games and covering them and how that led to an internship with Metroland (who owned the paper), and eventually a job with a local newspaperThe form for Canadian authors interested in advertising their books in this magazineThe flash fiction contest Andrew is running to help Canadian authors in showcasing their workWhen Mark and Andrew first met at Hamilton Comic Con several years agoThe small reader fee for submitting to this contest, which is $25How Mark is offering for any Canadian authors listening who are interested in submitting to this flash fiction contest that Mark will pay the entry fee for the first 4 who contact him (form link)The two books in the Remy series Andrew wroteThe dice rolling interactive game book Andrew publishedThe introductory chapter book Andrew published partially as a way to provide content for his daughter and other similar readers who were interested in the chapter book format, but with slightly longer chaptersThe impact that working on and producing this magazine has had on Andrew’s writing timeHow Andrew used to work around his family and work schedule to get his writing doneAndrew’s experience teaching young kids creating writing and how that led to going back to further his post-secondary educationMistakes Andrew has made as a writerAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on a couple of things from his chat with Andrew and then shares how Canadian writers can participate in the promotional ad opportunity as well as in the flash fiction contest.

Links of Interest:

Canadian Independent Publishers MagazineCanadian Authors Interested in Cdn Independent Publishers Mag OpportunitiesMark’s Kickstarter for ONE HAND SCREAMING: 20 Haunting YearsWide for the WinWide for the Win New YouTube ChannelEP 379 – Simplify Your Life and Your Work With Dre BaldwinMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Andrew Snook has been working as a professional writer and editor for 15 years. He started his writing career as a newspaper reporter in the Ottawa area before moving to Toronto to take on various roles as a magazine editor and feature writer for a variety of business publications. In 2019, he founded his content creation company, Snookbooks Publishing. 

In his spare time, Snook is an avid fiction writer and reader. He has published four works of fiction to date: Remy’s Dilemma (2015); Remy’s Dilemma: Special Delivery (2019); Dungeon Jest: The Ruby of Power (2022); and The Snookie-Cookie Crew and the Cranberry Cookie Cruncher (2022). Snook’s fiction and business writing have won him a combined 22 national and international awards, which is neat, but he’s happier knowing he made someone laugh out loud while reading his books during an inappropriate moment.

Snook is also passionate about promoting independent authors, bookstores and publishers. In 2023, he founded Canadian Independent Publishers Magazine, which is dedicated to offering a platform for showcasing Canadian writers.

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 380 – Passion Project Publishing with Brianna Wodabek

Mark interviews Brianna Wodabek, Assistant Manager of Digital Marketing at HarperCollins about her lifelong love of reading, books, and writing, and her evolution in the book industry.

Prior to the interview Mark welcomes new Patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode’s sponsor

This episode is sponsored by FROM PAGE TO PLATFORM by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn. You can learn more about the book at https://theindyauthor.com/platform.

In their conversation, Mark and Brianna talk about:

How Brianna always loved reading and writing, but also knew that she wasn’t interested in journalismFinding the brand new Creative Writing & Publishing degree program at Sheridan CollegeLearning improv and how that helped with the overall process involved in publishing pitchingThinking that she would be focusing more on the writing program when she got involved, but pivoting over to the publishing side of thingsGetting an unofficial internship in her first year with a small Canadian publisher in Oakville, Ontario and being able to gain experience wearing multiple hatsHer official internship at Wolsak and Wynn publishing in HamiltonHaving to deliver her valedictorian speech for graduation via video because of the global pandemicSecuring her first job as Digital Marketing Coordinator at Harper Collins US (HTP Books) within 2 months of graduating and then progressing through a series of promotions to other positionsThe fact that Harper Collins HTP Books interns are paidThe in-house influencer program called “The Hive” that Brianna and one of her colleagues createdHow there’s a growing trend of book influencers who collect more than one edition of a bookBrianna’s passion project achievement with Voyage of the Damned by Frances White and bringing it to North America despite not being an acquisitions editorHow the role of the gatekeeping in the publishing world is being lowered due to additional influencers even from outside the publishing realm – social media influencers, for exampleThe way some publishers are reaching out directly to authors via social media DMsAdvice Brianna would share to authors and what she would like them to know about the traditional publishing worldThe value of being you and being authenticAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of a new type of reader who collects multiple editions of a book, how Brianna’s passion led to a fantastic acquisition, and the importance of authenticity.

Links of Interest:

HTP BooksVoyage of the Damned by Frances WhiteBrianna Wodebek on InstagramMark’s Kickstarter for ONE HAND SCREAMING: 20 Haunting YearsWide for the WinWide for the Win New YouTube ChannelEP 379 – Simplify Your Life and Your Work With Dre BaldwinMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Brianna Wodabek, an Honours Bachelor graduate in Creative Writing and Publishing, transitioned from independent publishing to her current role as Assistant Manager of Digital Marketing at HarperCollins. In this capacity, Brianna combines her expertise with her passion for storytelling, having notably personally acquiring important books like “Voyage of the Damned” by Frances White and collaborated with authors such as Colleen Hoover, Mary Kubica, Chelsea Devantez, Eve, and more to enhance their brands.

Apart from her professional endeavors, Brianna’s written works have been featured in publications like the Journal of Applied Social Science, PAUSE. Magazine, and The Mighty. With her industry experience and creative drive, Brianna is devoted to crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 379 – Simplify Your Life & Work with Dre Baldwin

Mark interviews Dre Baldwin the CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. about his books and his experience helping others in finding their own paths to success.

Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode’s sponsor

This episode is sponsored by FROM PAGE TO PLATFORM by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn. You can learn more about the book at https://theindyauthor.com/platform.

During the interview, Mark and Dre talk about:

The importance of the simplification process as a great place to beginThe 80/20 rule and the less-than-smooth ways we have of not being able to drop the 80%How, over time, Dre has accumulated little pieces of wisdom that have ended up being part of the training and coaching that he doesThe first question that Dre often asks which is: What is your goal?The challenge of being inundated with so many messages which results in trying to work on more than one priorityHow Dre has always been a big reader and a bit of a closet computer geekThe appeal of self-generated media and being able to articulate his ideasPutting videos on YouTube about the basketball he was playing professionally and how other players began to take advantage of his advice and coachingHow even people who weren’t playing sports could benefit from those basketball videos, which led to Dre recognizing he could help people beyond athletesHow a lot of Dre’s mindset stuff started to come out around 2009/2010Blogging his ideas and starting to put out his booksHow discipline is the most important hallmark of the professionalThe way people can fall off their structure and the importance of finding the structure that works best for youCoaches being one of the ways that people can find/apply the proper structureHow a true professional holds themselves accountable to a structureShortcuts as something that can come from the right coachThe way that a coach can KEEP a professional athlete goodHuman beings doing better work when accountability is involvedThe importance of showing yourself the same respect you would show to a “boss” or some other supervisor or superior you report to at workHow the two golden questions related to your goal (What do you want and why do you want it?) help you build that bridge to the structure that can get you thereKnowing that he had always wanted to write a book and combining that with the fact he knew he already had an audience via his YouTube channelThe reason Dre didn’t really pursue traditional publishing and decided to publish it himself in 2010Dre’s book Buy Me A Game (which is available as a free download)Publishing about 19/20 books between 2010 and 2017Doing an in person speaking gig in Atlanta all on his own dime and what opportunities that led to, including a New York publisher (McGraw Hill) who was interested in publishing a book for him. That book was Working on Your GameWhy Dre wasn’t interested in reliving that experience again without the right offer/contract in placeAdapting part of the traditional publishing editing process into his own procedure for self-publishing his booksWhy Dre prefers to have direct sales of his books on his own websiteHow in business the most valuable thing you have is your customer listDre’s book The Third Day: The Decision That Separates The Pros From The AmateursHow a professional shows up and delivers even when they don’t “feel like it” – that’s what makes them a professionalThe fact that most people don’t hear something you say – repeating it or exploring it in different ways can helpAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on several of the points Dre brought up in the conversation, including re-leveraging your own IP by exploring a single topic into further detail and the fact that a professional always shows up.

Links of Interest:

Dre Baldwin’s WebsiteWork on Your Game/DreThird Day (Book)http://Instagram.com/DreBaldwinhttp://YouTube.com/Dreupthttps://www.facebook.com/WorkOnYourGameUniversityhttp://LinkedIn.com/in/DreAllDayhttp://Twitter.com/DreAllDayhttp://TikTok.com/WorkOnYourGameMark’s Kickstarter for ONE HAND SCREAMING: 20 Haunting YearsWide for the WinWide for the Win New YouTube ChannelEP 378 – Multimedia Storytelling with Dominician GennariMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Dre Baldwin is CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc. He has given 4 TEDxTalks and has authored 35 books.

Dre’s content has been consumed over 103 million times. His daily Work On Your Game MasterClass has amassed over 2,900 episodes and over 7.3 million listeners.

Dre had a 9-year professional basketball career, playing in 8 countries. Dre’s framework is the “roadmap in reverse” for professional Mindset, Strategy, Systems & Accountability.

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 378 – Multimedia Storytelling with Dominician Gennari

Mark interviews Dominician Gennari, a writer, storyteller, composer, and musician about his multimedia book and novella opus, The War for Ascension.

Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, a word from this episode’s sponsor . . .

One Hand Screaming: 20 Haunting Years – Kickstarter

. . . as well as a word about a sponsor from previous episodes: NEWS: Please note that the Feb/March 2025 Writers Retreat at Sea from Cruising Writers has been cancelled.

During their conversation Mark and Dominician talk about:

How Dominician’s creative and artistic voice started with music at about the age of 13/14Discovering Tolkien about six or seven years laterHow, when writing, Dominician was imagining the accompanying soundtrack and the way the process became inseparableLearning from one of the most incredible music teachersDominician’s Italian heritage and how his family would gather in the kitchen and, while cooking together, would sing works like the music from Madame Butterfly and other classical sourcesHow that learning is layered and added in to the other styles and genres of music that Dominician composes and playsThe way that Richard Wagner would compose music with the elaborate use of leitmotifs (musical phrases associated with individual characters, places, ideas, or plot elements)Dominician picking ten of the key moments in his story to hit really hard with his own compositionsThe various members of the local musical community who participated in the recordingAbout the 2nd track, “Light of the Hydroverse”Advice that David Farland, a mentor who worked with Dominician, offered in relation to this projectBeing told by Dave Farland that Dominician reminded him of Gene WolfeUnpacking numerous languages in order to re-package them into the original language he created for this universeThe Kenorian greeting in the language Dominician invented which says “may serenity follow you”Working with producers on a script adaptation of The War for Ascension but coming to irreconcilable differences that resulted in an end to that projectHow Dominician connected with Dave Farland via a course he took online from Writers of the FutureTurning down what could have been millions of dollars on that cancelled Hollywood projectHow people can get ahold of the accompanying soundtrackThe process that Dominician uses when writing the stories and composing the music What’s next for DominicianAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of creating in the kitchen and the power of that type of collaboration, as well as the integrity to say no to a huge opportunity if it crosses the line of what is deemed as acceptible.

Links of Interest:

Dominician’s WebsiteDominician on InstagramMark’s Kickstarter for ONE HAND SCREAMING: 20 Haunting YearsEP 377 – Pivoting Your Publishing Dreams with Denise MassarMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Cruising WritersBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Dominician Gennari grew up in the rough western suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, in the 80’s after his migrant parents fled war-torn Europe after WW2. As a young child, he would fantasise about imaginary creatures living in his backyard and he would dream of magical worlds.

As the years unfolded, Dominician’s creative spirit flourished, giving birth to his mythical world, Númaria. This world, meticulously crafted, boasts a rich history and a complex ecosystem, providing the perfect backdrop for the vast timeline of his unfolding story called The War for Ascension.

Submerging himself in the fields of forbidden archaeology, esoteric wisdom, USAPs of the US government, and ancient warfare, a great awakening occurred as the veil of secrecy was lifted from his eyes. After learning humanity’s obscured past was stranger than fiction, his desire to create a truthful and artistic message through fiction arose. This acquired knowledge segued into writing his epic fantasy series The War for Ascension and the sequential standalone series The Ascension Archive.

Having spent 3 years working alongside renowned Hollywood producers, Dominician garnered invaluable knowledge of screen craft and storytelling. But due to unforeseen events, he chose an alternative path to pursue his dream of writing wholesome fantasy stories.

Guided by fantasy author and genius, David Farland, Dominician is set to expand his grand mythology, The War for Ascension into a multimedia book and novella opus, along with accompanying soundtracks of epic music.

Dominician is also the producer of the epic industrial metal band Ark of Light, and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor and National Champion. He currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 377 – Pivoting Your Publishing Dreams with Denise Massar

Mark interviews Denise Massar, a writer, an adoptee, and a mom via birth and adoption about her new memoir MATCHED and the ten-year journey she took getting it published.

Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from a recent episode, a personal update, and a word from this episode’s sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Cruising Writers.

During their conversation Mark and Denise talk about:

How Denise had been “big five or die” when it originally came to her publishing dream and how and why that changed over the yearsSome of the feedback that Denise’s agent got back on submission of her memoir in 2020 and how they fueled her in a positive wayDenise’s agent coming up with a strategy to change the title, to wait a year as publishing shifts and movements within editorial departments would naturally occur, then to try to send it out on sub to the market againSome of the limitations within traditional publishing that happen with titles that might be perceived by some as “somewhat similar”How memoir from an “unknown” person is one of the hardest things to sellPrince Harry’s penisHaving run the course with her agent on this book, and the respectful mutual decision to part waysSubmitting the book to a number of university presses without her agentThe sudden health scare that turned out to be a benign lump that Denise had to have surgery to removeResetting those initial big dreams that she had about what would happen when her book was finally publishedThe importance of her kids seeing her “finish this book” that she’d been working on for 10 yearsDeciding to take the indie publishing approach which allowed her several freedoms, including changing the title back to MATCHED, working with the cover designer artist that she knew and liked, among other thingsLeveraging 60 different ARC readers for her memoirThe power of hearing readers say things like “me too” – and “I never knew that anybody else went through that” and other ways a writer can come to feel that their writing resonates with readersWriting about her own adoption and realizing that for the first six months of her life, before she was adopted, that she must have been in foster careAltering the names of some of the people in the book in order to preserve their privacyHow the eight different birth mothers Denise was in contact with via the course of adopting her son who ended up changing her lifeAdvice Denise would give to her younger self as well as advise she’d give to beginning authorsAnd more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on just how significant it is when an editor provides any sort of feedback beyond a form/token “not for us at this time” rejection, as well as an agent that’s willing to “re-package” a book in order to try to put it out on submission for a second round. He also reflects on how nothing can stop a determined writer.

Links of Interest:

Denise Massar’s WebsiteDenise on InstagramMark’s Kickstarter for ONE HAND SCREAMING: 20 Haunting YearsEP 188 – A Gritty & Real Adoption and Publishing Journey with Denise MassarMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Cruising WritersBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Denise Massar is a writer, an adoptee, and a mom via birth and adoption. Her essays have been published in HuffPost, Writer’s Digest, Mutha Magazine, Raise Magazine, An Injustice!, and she’s a recurring guest blogger for Jane Friedman. Denise’s memoir, Matched, is about the nine months she spent obsessively searching for a baby to adopt, the nine potential birth moms she met on that journey, and how, in a twist of fate, her son’s birth mom led Denise to the one person she thought she’d never meet: The woman who gave birth to her. You can find Matched anywhere you buy books, and you can read the first ten pages right now, and get Denise’s Top Ten Memoir Recommendations on her website, http://www.denisemassar.org/

The introductory, end, and bumper 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

Episode 376 – Dianne Scott on Writing Historical Mysteries

Mark interviews bestselling and award-winning author Dianne Scott about her Christine Lane Mystery series which is set on Toronto Island in the 1960s.

Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from a recent newsletter he sent out asking writers to share their thoughts on the collective noun for a group of editors, a personal update (including the launch of his new Kickstarter campaign), and a word from this episode’s sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by Cruising Writers.

During their conversation Mark and Dianne talk about:

How, after writing a creative writing piece in University that was supposed to be a research essay, Dianne’s teacher suggested that she switch her major over to EnglishThe teaching that Dianne has done for the past 30+ yearsOther writing that Dianne has worked on and publishedDianne learning from her father, how he, as a police officer, used to patrol Toronto Island, and the spark of that into some ideas for her novelsDeciding to make her main character a female officer in that place in the 1960sPreparing the final and 5th book in the series, FINAL LOOK, for publication in June 2025Pitching and submitting her work to various Canadian marketsThe innate conflict that was part of the first novel in Dianne’s Christine Lane seriesThe “old VS new” conflict that happens in the stories in this settingDianne’s first two years in self/indie publishingSome of the volunteer work that Dianne does within her realms of expertiseThe importance of literacy The different types of creativity that can fulfill that internal desireAdvice Dianne would give to other writersAnd more…

After the interview Mark reflects on the research Dianne had to do as well as the concept of being creative in different ways.

Links of Interest:

Dianne Scott’s WebsiteMark’s Kickstarter for ONE HAND SCREAMING: 20 Haunting YearsEP 374 – WMG Publishing Editor Round TableMark’s Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)Cruising WritersBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsHow to Access Patreon RSS FeedsAn Author’s Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed AuthorBuy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook DirectPublishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author’s Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark’s Canadian Werewolf BooksThis Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover’s MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the BuildingThe Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard

Dianne Scott lives a short ferry ride from Toronto Island, which is the setting of her mystery novels. She is the award-winning author of the Christine Lane Mystery series. The first book, Final Look, was a #1 Amazon bestseller, Kobo Emerging Writers Award nominee and winner of the Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Award. The second book, Missing, was a Finalist for the CWC Excellence in Writing Award. Lost and Found and Sabotage are the third and fourth books in the series.

When Dianne is not writing, she is walking Toronto’s neighborhoods, coffee klatching with friends and cuddling her Bichon Poodle. She also teaches literacy skills and is working on her Erne in pickleball. For more information about Dianne, visit her website at diannescottauthor.com

The introductory, end, and bumper 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