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Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

By: Mark Leslie Lefebvre
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 Perspectives and reflections on the writing and publishing life. Mark Leslie Lefebvre, a writer, bookseller, digital publishing advocate, professional speaker, and publishing consultant explores inclusive and collaborative opportunities for writers and book publishing professionals via interviews, discussions, and reflections about the industry. (Mark's personal website is www.markleslie.ca)Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • EP 441 - A Bookstore for Indie Authors with Donovan Scherer

    EP 441 - A Bookstore for Indie Authors with Donovan Scherer
    Oct 31 2025
    Mark interviews artist, author, and indie bookstore owner Donovan Scherer about his writing, his art, and his store in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin. Prior to the interview, Mark welcomes new patrons, shares recent comments, a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Donovan talk about: Donovan background as an illustrator creating various characters, and then eventually moving on to writing middle grade chapter booksNever really learning about how to sell books online, but rather through in person events like comic book conventionsThe popularity of the ZomBeans (zombies) Donovan has drawn, including unique caricatures of his patronsThe idea of working on a "talking flowchart" to help understand what people gravitate towardsHow Donovan has been doing local markets for 15 years -- since 2010The regular festivals Donovan has started running in the parking lot across the street from his storeAcquiring the Studio Moonfall 400 square foot store in 2019What Donovan carries in his storeHow Donovan acquired ten pallets of books from a library that was wanting to move themHalf of what Donovan sells in his own store being his own work -- meaning that his average margin is much higher than most other bookstoresThe CUT THE LINE promo where authors can get their books featured in the store and via the store's socials by providing 8 copies of their book to Studio MoonfallAnd more... After the interview Mark reflects on the incredible effort and unique approach to creating his own store in order to ensure his work was available in a brick and mortar space. He also talks about the various margins that are typical for bookstores and how Donovan has navigated that with some ingenius moves. Mark also shares a special offer for patrons related to the CUT THE LINE promotion Donovan has in place. Links of Interest: Donovan Scherer: Adventures in Art & MadnessStudio Moonfall Author Submissions Page EP 440 - Behind the Scenes of the Podcast Guest Playbook with Matty DalrympleMark's Substack Article: When the Math for an Author Event Doesn't Add UpManuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelMark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This 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 Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation Donovan Scherer is an author and illustrator creating worlds of adventure with a sense of humor and a little bit of dread that everything will go terribly, terribly wrong. In 2009, he started the Fear & Sunshine series of middle-grade illustrated novels and began his work in book publishing. Along with developing more of his own series across novels, comics, video games, and animation, he also works with independent authors to help bring their stories to life. In 2019, he opened the Studio Moonfall in downtown Kenosha, Wisconsin - an art studio and bookstore featuring his endlessly increasing body of work and highlighting other local and independent authors and artists. 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
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • EP 440 - Behind the Scenes of The Podcast Guest Playbook with Matty Dalrymple

    EP 440 - Behind the Scenes of The Podcast Guest Playbook with Matty Dalrymple
    Oct 24 2025
    In this episode Mark talks with Matty Dalrymple, co-author of the book The Podcast Guest Playbook which was released earlier in 2025. Prior to the interview, Mark shares recent comments, a brief personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK5 at checkout and save $5.00 off your own personalized report. In their interview, Mark and Matty talk about: Something that Stark Reflections listeners might not know about Matty related to getting her private pilot licenseHaving worked aviation into at least two of her novelsThe phrase that goes along with the very intentional passing of the manuscript from one co-author to anotherHow long Matty has been running The Indy Author PodcastThe genesis of the book PODCASTING GUEST PLAYBOOK that Matty and Mark co-authoredThe underlying importance of connections that can happen through direct conversation between two people, but also among people who listen to that conversation (such as in a podcast)An anecdote from meeting an author at ALA (American Library Association) who thought they'd met Mark in person before because they'd heard him as a guest on someone else's podcastWanting it to be a mutually beneficial relationship when making those connectionsA reminder about the old Storygraph tool that showed a visual representation of how books were linked (Back in 2007 this was a visual search tool where book covers appeared as thumbnails and "connections" between books (via "customers who bought this also bought this") were drawn as lines.Some of the unique connections that happened when both Mark and Matty were at ALA in Philadelphia in the summer of 2025An example of how Damon Courtney of Bookfunnel is a great podcast guest who is more interested in providing value to all listeners rather than someone who is solely trying to sell his productHow indirect opportunities can be better than a sudden spike in book salesThe offer that Matty has for authors to help do a short interview for them to demonstrate their skills as a interview guestA special offer for patrons of the Stark Reflections Podcast to get a free coaching session from Matty with her pod-pro coachingAn example of a guest who was very reluctant to provide valuable information in an interview (ie, being far more interested in selling something)The value of having a service mindset over a selling mindsetMaking sure that you're pitching to the right podcast in the right way at the right timeAdvice Matty would offer to authorsAnd more . . . After the interview Mark reflects on a few different things, including the rise of the sophistication of the spammy author connection and service requests that arrive in his email a half dozen times a day. Links of Interest: The Indy AuthorThe Podcast Guest PlaybookMatty's POD PRO Consulting (Patron link to access offer)EP 439 - Rambling Reflections from the Road to Can-ConManuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelMark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This 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 Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 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
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • EP 439 - Rambling Reflections From The Road to Can-Con

    EP 439 - Rambling Reflections From The Road to Can-Con
    Oct 17 2025
    On his drive to Ottawa, Ontario for the annual Can-Con (Ottawa's Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Literature Convention), Mark reflects on his experience with that conference from it's initial inception in the early 1990s along with its evolution. He also reflects on the importance of CanCon in general (Canadian Content regulations) and how it has played and continues to play an important role for Canadian musicians, artists, performers, and writers. This episode is sponsored by the 2nd Edition of the book TAKING THE SHORT TACK: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction which is co-authored by Mark and Matty Dalrymple and was released this week in October 2025 Links of Interest: Can-Con (Ottawa Conference)Terry Fallis WebsiteEP 328 - Reflections on A New Season with Terry FallisEP 029 - Terry Fallis on Writing With Authenticity, Humor, and PassionThe Littlest HoboMr. DressupThe Polka Dot DoorManuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link)Buy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark ReflectionsMark's YouTube channelMark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This 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 Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die HardMerry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 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
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    54 mins
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