KWL – 203 – Establishing Your Author Brand with Dana Kaye
Veteran Publicist, social media pro, and brand manager Dana Kaye joins us on the podcast this week to discuss all things marketing, publicity, and branding. Dana…
KWL – 202 – A NaNoWriMo Success Story with Paul Austin Ardoin
Mystery author Paul Austin Ardoin joins us on the podcast this week. After spending eight years writing the first few chapters of his novel, Paul signed…
KWL – Bonus Episode – Kobo in Coversation with Linwood Barclay
Please enjoy this special bonus episode from Kobo in Conversation! We spoke with thriller writer (and former newspaper columnist and humourist) Linwood Barclay about the myth…
KWL – 200 – Marketing Your Books on a Global Scale with Cristina Mendes
Kobo’s CRM and Marketing Manager, Cristina Mendes, joins us for our 200th episode to give insight into the Kobo customer and how to effectively market your…
KWL – 199 – Selling Audiobooks to the Kobo Customer with Elyse Daniels
Kobo’s Global Audiobook Merchandiser Elyse Daniels is on the podcast this week discussing all things audio. Elyse tells us the ins and outs of selling audiobooks…
KWL – 198 Incorporating Mythology and Folklore into Your Writing with Skye MacKinnon
Skye MacKinnon is an international bestselling author who writes across multiple genres, from science fiction to fantasy to paranormal romance and even children’s books. Skye joins…
KWL – 197 – An #OwnVoices YA Debut with Nora Shalaway Carpenter
Author Nora Shalaway Carpenter is on the podcast this week to discuss her debut YA novel, The Edge of Anything, and how her own experience with…
KWL – 196 – Expanding Your Written Universe with Anthony Dobranski
Science fiction and fantasy author Anthony Dobranski is on the podcast this week to discuss the tarot deck he created as a tie-in to his book,…
KWL – 195 – Alternative Storytelling Platforms with Kilby Blades
Romance author and marketing executive Kilby Blades joins us on the podcast this week to talk about the new, ever evolving storytelling platforms authors can access…
KWL – 193 – Adapting Your Novel for the Screen with Maggie Marr
Maggie Marr has been an entertainment attorney, a producer, an entertainment agent, and is a USA Today bestselling author. She joins us on the podcast this…
KWL – 192 – Sharing Your Authentic Voice with Jasmin Kaur
Writer, illustrator, and poet Jasmin Kaur joins us on the podcast this week. Jasmin’s work has been celebrated globally, and has been shared by celebrities and…
KWL – 191 – Audiobooks, Podcasts, and the Future of Publishing with Joanna Penn
Bestselling author, podcaster, and motivational speaker Joanna Penn joined us for a KWL Facebook Live event recently, where she discussed all things audio from recording her…
KWL – 190 – Finding the Motivation to Become a Published Author with Glenn Dyer
Historical fiction author Glenn Dyer was in his sixties and freshly retired when he published his first novel, The Torch of Betrayal. Now planning the release…
KWL – 189 – Touring as an Author vs. Touring as a Musician with Eamon McGrath
Canadian musician and author Eamon McGrath joins us on the podcast this week to discuss the differences and similarities between being a musician and being an…
KWL – Ep 188 – Writing Advice and Finishing Your First Draft with Andrew David MacDonald
Debut author Andrew David MacDonald joins us on the podcast this week. Fresh off the release of his first novel, When We Were Vikings, Andrew talks…
KWL – Ep 187 – Kobo In Conversation with Saeed Jones
Award winning poet Saeed Jones was in the Kobo office recently to discuss his new memoir, How We Fight For Our Lives. In conversation with maxine…
KWL – Ep 186 – The Importance of a Pen Name with Tawdra Kandle
Tawdra Kandle, a USA Today bestselling romance author, writes across multiple genres using just as many pen names. She tells us why she decided to utilize…
KWL – Ep 185 – Getting Creative with your Book Marketing with T S Paul
Bestselling Science Fiction and Paranormal author TS Paul joins us to discuss how he went from a reluctant writer to an author who puts out over…
KWL – Bonus Episode: The Future of Publishing with the Kobo Writing Life Team
As 2020 is a leap year and contains an extra day, we figured why not record an extra podcast! Our international KWL team members were in…
KWL – Ep 184 – Writing Retreats and Finding Your Writing Community with Darcy Burke
USA Today bestselling author Darcy Burke sits down with Steph and Tara to discuss the importance of having a writing group, what writing retreats are really…
KWL – Ep 183 – Writing Great Romance with Jennifer Probst
New York Times Bestselling romance author Jennifer Probst discusses her experience in publishing and how she found her success in an evolving industry. Jennifer tells us…
KWL – 182 – Misconceptions about Motorcycle Romance with Autumn Jones Lake
USA Today bestselling author, Autumn Jones Lake explains the misconceptions associated with motorcycle romance, how she plots her Lost Kings MC series (15 books and counting!)…
KWL – Ep 181 – Building Your Readership through Email Marketing with Holly Mortimer
Holly Mortimer, both an author and email marketing specialist, discusses strategies authors can implement to sell more books. Holly describes the common mistakes authors make when…
KWL – Ep 179 – How to Plot a Mystery with Sara Rosett
Sara Rosett, USA Today bestselling author, gives her tips for plotting mystery novels, discusses the psychology of why readers choose cozy mysteries, and explains the challenges…
KWL – Ep 178 – The Pirate Author Code with David Mark Brown
David Mark Brown speaks to Kobo Writing Life about Fiction Vortex and StoryVerse™, which allows authors to collaborate and make narrative content in shared worlds. Listen…
KWL Ep 180 – A New Approach to Author Branding with Vanessa Vale
Vanessa Vale, USA Today bestselling author of sexy romance novels, discusses publishing in a niche genre and how she strives for brand recognition through her author…
KWL – Ep 177 – Writing Crime Fiction with Robert Craven
Crime fiction writer Robert Craven chats to us about how he writes strong female characters, his formula for writing and pitching a book, and provides insight into the conference scene in the UK and Ireland
KWL Ep. 176 Exploring Steampunk with Victoria L. Szulc
Multi-media artist and author Victoria L. Szulc chats to us about using steampunk as a creative theme and how she is able to create her own…
KWL Ep 175 The Queen of YA: Holly Black
With 30 books published for children and teens, New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, discusses the evolution of the young adult genre from when she…
KWL – Ep 173 – Launching a Stand-Out Series Wide with Michael Anderle
Michael Anderle, best-selling indie author, gives us the scoop on the launch of his first “wide” series, Opus X. He tells us his author origin story, and…
KWL Ep 171 – Making Your Backlist Work for You with Zoe York
Zoe York talks to us about how she began her career writing “the stories of her heart”, and then went on to turn those stories into…
Ep #170 From Wedding Planner to Writer with Violet Howe
Violet Howe talks to us about her writing career and how feeling strongly about her story and characters led her to indie publishing. Violet discusses how writing two different series in the same town allows her to explore two genres. Violet also talks to us about how her past work experiences have influenced her writing but also how they have helped with other aspects of her writing business.
Ep 169: Lessons from the ER: How Melissa Yi Balances Writing and Medicine
Melissa Yi, an emergency room physician and author, chats to us about how she balances being a writer and part-time doctor. She discusses how her work experiences have made their way into her Hope Sze Medical Mystery Series and she shares some of her favourite emergency room stories. Plus an exclusive sample of her audiobook, Code Blues!
NaNoWriMo 2019: Beginning of the Trail
Our NaNoWriMo journey has begun! Check out Joanna Penn’s 5 tips to help you write a novel in one month. Plus an exclusive offer on The Writer’s Toolbox 2019 and The Successful Author Mindset.
KWL Ep#168 – The Author and Narrator Relationship with Rachel Grant and Greg Tremblay
Author Rachel Grant and her narrator Greg Tremblay shed some light on the process of creating an audiobook. Rachel discusses the working relationship she has with Greg and how his narration has influenced her future work. Greg shares his experience as a narrator, and the process for creating audiobooks. Start self-publishing today with KWL.
#167 Relatability in Romance with Samantha Young
New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young talks to us about the life-changing success of her self-published novel On Dublin Street. Samantha examines the benefits of being a hybrid author, stepping out of her comfort zone with her forthcoming novel Outmatched and why relatable characters are the hallmark of all her novels. Plus an exclusive offer on Samantha’s audiobook, Into the Deep.
#166 How to Craft a New Writing Persona with Piper Rayne
Writing duo, Piper Rayne, gives us insights on what it is like being a writing duo and they discuss the writing and revision process that works best for them. No two writing duos are alike! They discuss the prep work and strategy behind releasing a successful new persona and give their tips for new co-authors starting out. Plus an exclusive offer on Book #1 of The Baileys!
#165 Storytelling with Waubgeshig Rice
Waubgeshig Rice, an author and journalist originally from Wasauksing First Nation, talks about his latest novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, a take on a post-apocalypse story told from an indigenous perspective. He also describes his path to writing and offers advice for young aspiring writers.
#164 – Learning the Habits of your Readers with Emma Chase
Emma Chase, NYT bestselling author, discusses the importance of learning the habits of your readers and setting reader expectations before the release of a new book. She discusses how she built up her newsletter audience and gives us hints about what to expect next from her Royally series.
KWL Ep. 163 How to Stay Relevant with an Authentic Online Presence with Rachel Van Dyken
New York Times best-selling author, Rachel Van Dyken discusses how having an authentic online presence offers something tangible to readers and allows authors to stay relevant in the ever-changing publishing world. She talks to us why she decided to be a hybrid author and discusses her upcoming novel Fashion Jungle which she co-wrote with model Kathy Ireland.
KWL Ep. 162 Behind the Book with Ghost Writer Joshua Lisec
Joshua Lisec take us behind the scenes on what it is like being a celebrity ghostwriter. He discusses how he became a ghostwriter, what the ghostwriting…
KWL Ep 161: How to Sustain a Successful Writing Career with Jill Shalvis
With 20 years in the industry and over 100 novels under her belt, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jill Shalvis shares her tips for finding the right method of publication for you and how to sustain a lifelong publishing career.
Ep 160 — From Fan Fiction to Finalist with Kobo’s Winning Romance Author Julie Evelyn Joyce
Julie Evelyn Joyce talks to us about the inspiration for prize-winning novel Steeped in Love. Julie shares how writing Gilmore Girls fan fiction taught her about craft and how a chance meeting at RWA led her to entering and winning Kobo’s Emerging Writer Prize!
Podcast Ep 159 — Best Practices for Indie Writers with David Wind
This week, Steph and Joni sat down with David Wind, author of The Indie Writer’s Handbook. Wind has written 59 titles and started his author journey with a traditional publisher, before becoming a very early adopter of indie publishing in 2008.
Podcast Ep 158 – Using Obsession to Drive your Debut Novel with Nora Decter
Nora Decter, Kobo’s Emerging Writer Prize Winner for Literary Fiction, chats to us about her debut novel How Far We Go and How Fast. She talks about…
Podcast Ep 157 – Creating Your Own Audiobook with Sarah Williams
This episode starts a little differently, with an excerpt from Sarah’s audiobook, The Brothers of Brigadier Station, narrated by Myles Pollard. If you’d like to read…
Podcast Ep 156 — Diversity in Romance with Jackie Lau
Jackie Lau reflects on her first year of self-publishing and the steps she took to ensure success. She discusses the importance of diversity in romance and how she wanted her characters to fill a void that is missing in the romance community. She also talks about how Twitter and Instagram are the social media platforms that work for her.
KWL Ep 155: How to Find the Right Editor for You with Stefanie London
Stefanie London, USA Today best-selling author, shares her tips for completing your first draft, how to sustain productivity while working from home and how to find the right editor for your project. She also discusses the importance of taking time off for your creativity.
KWL EP 154 — All About Reedsy with Co-Founder Ricardo Fayet
Founder of Reedsy, Ricardo Fayet answers all our questions about the company from founding principles to their latest launch, Reedsy Discovery. He talks about SEO and steps authors can take to increase their searchability to ensure new readers find their books. He also discusses the manual process of acquiring freelance professionals to ensure authors have help for every step in their publishing career.
KWL EP 153 – The Michael Tamblyn Interview: Why Our CEO Loves Indie Authors
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. http://www.kobo.com/writinglife