5 Things to Know About Going Wide
“Publishing wide is an attitude, not just a technical choice”– Joanna Penn One of the biggest questions indie authors face is, “should I go wide or…
KWL Live Takeover with bestselling author and success coach Becca Syme
The Kobo Writing Life team is excited to announce our latest Live Q&A on June 25th 2020. From 12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST, our takeover host, Becca Syme, will be…
KWL Live Takeover with Director of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross
The Kobo Writing Life team is excited to announce our latest Live Q&A on May 20th 2020. From 12:00 PM-1:00 PM EST, our takeover host, Orna Ross, will be…
What I Wish I’d Known When I Began Self-Publishing
By D.F. Hart I began this journey in March of 2019, and literally had no clue what I was doing through my first three book releases.…
Sell More on Kobo with Promotions
NOTE: This piece originally appeared on StoryShopUni. Looking to sell more titles on Kobo? Then you should be taking advantage of Kobo Writing Life’s Promotions Tool!…
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.
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.
How to Immerse Readers in Setting + KWL Fantasy Writing Playlist
Creating a vivid and realistic setting for your readers is a complex process. KWL breaks down the nuances of setting, from its relation to characters, plot, and symbolism, writing with the five senses, and figurative language. Plus, some musical inspiration for setting: get lost in your fantasy world with our playlist of the month!
“I found a career where walking the towns of Ireland and seeing the interior of a pub is in my job description.”
I treat it like a job, because it is a job. I retain control of content, cover, blurb, and marketing. I am happier for it. I bring a healthy income into our household after years outside of the workforce. I actually found a career where walking the towns of Ireland and seeing the interior of a pub is in my job description.
How Dale Mayer Writes 9000 Words Before Breakfast
Dale Mayer, USA Today bestselling author, gives advice to listeners on how to develop a long and successful career in indie publishing. She also explains how dictating her books helped her become one of KWL’s most prolific authors.
How Indie Publishing Changed Julie de Lestrange’s Life
Julie de Lestrange is a true KWL superstar in her native France. Her first independently published novel was such a success that she caught the attention…
KWL Podcast EP 146: Carrie Ann Ryan
With 12 books releasing this year, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carrie Ann Ryan, takes time out of her jam-packed schedule to talk to us about her writing technique, how the self-publishing landscape has changed since first starting out and why she wanted to branch out into a new genre. Carrie also gives listeners a sneak peek of her first YA novel, From Breath and Ruin.
NetGalley Promo Opportunities
Are you an indie author looking to promote your titles and grow your readership? Kobo Writing Life and NetGalley have partnered to benefit authors and publishers looking to do just that.
Don’t let comparison steal your joy!
Bestselling author and KWL superstar Susan Stoker still occasionally falls victim to comparing herself to other authors. Here she discusses why comparison is destructive and how to battle self-doubt as an author.
The A to Z of KWL
Not sure where to start with publishing? Tara Cremin lays out the A-Z of Kobo Writing Life!
KWL EP 137 – Nana Malone
In this episode, Stephanie and Marina interview USA Today best-selling author Nana Malone. Nana talks to us about her writing journey and how adapting and changing…
Telling vs. Showing When Emotions Are at Work
By Angela Ackerman Show, Don’t Tell is one of those writerly phrases thrown out often enough that many writers can’t help but roll their eyes when…
Calling All Authors: The Indie Unconference is coming to Italy!
By Elizabeth Jennings and Tiziana D’Oppido The Indie Unconference, Europe will take place in April 11–13 2019 in Matera, Italy SPECIAL GUESTS: Camille Mofidi and Sandra Lonchamp of Kobo Writing Life,…
The Best of the KWL Blog 2018
Happy New Year from us all at Kobo Writing Life! As we leave 2018 behind, let’s take a moment to celebrate and revisit some of the…
Update: New Categories for your Book
You’ll now have the option to browse through over 2,000 categories to find the ones that best suit your book and help tell your story.
KWL EP 124 – Eve Langlais
Kobo Writing Life Podcast Insights and inspiration for growing your self-publishing business, featuring interviews with bestselling authors and publishing experts. In this episode, Stephanie sits down…
KWL EP 123 – Shayla Black
KWL EP 123 – Shayla Black In this episode, Stephanie and Laura sit down with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shayla Black.…
Publishing (And Pasta!) at the Women’s Fiction Festival in Matera
This literary festival is a unique conference in Europe dedicated to women’s fiction, with a four-day program for authors to learn more about the craft of writing fiction; the book market; the new landscape of both traditional and self-publishing.
Reflections: The Inner World of a Multi-Genre Author
By Barbara Avon Enter, if you will, the mind of a multi-genre author. Images, ideas and words swirl aimlessly in my mind. A 3 a.m. wake-up…
How to Do Everything
by Dr. Melissa Yi KWL: Hi, Melissa. How come you’re wearing a white coat? Melissa: Because I’m an emergency doctor. I also have one husband, two…
KWL at Romancing the Capital, 2018
By Tara Cremin The fourth annual Romancing the Capital conference took place in Ottawa on August 2-4th. The conference is the brainchild of New York Times…
KWL Author Takeover #2: Adam Croft!
I’ve been writing crime fiction and psychological thrillers for a decade now, and have been self-publishing for around eight years.
I’m now fortunate enough to have sold more than 1.5 million books all around the world, and I’ve reached the position where I’m able to give something back.
My 30-Year Road Trip to Indie Publishing
It’s a great time to be an author.
Overcoming Writer’s Block with Automatic Transcription
Here’s the core idea: thinking out loud is often less arduous than writing. And it’s now easier than ever to combine the two, thanks to recent advances in speech recognition technology.
Promoting Your Books (and Career!) Through Multi-Author Boxsets
By Erin Wright In the summer of 2017, I got together with five other Western Romance authors and we decided to put together a boxset…
KWL at RT Booklovers 2018
By Tara Cremin Last month, thousands of romance writers and fans converged for the annual Romantic Times Booklovers Convention. What most people didn’t know upon…
Now is the Time to be the Writer You Want to Be
There has never been a better time to be an independent author. Powerful platforms like Kobo have made it possible for us to write the stories we want to write and put them before a huge audience that, twenty years ago, wouldn’t have been available to us.
How I Became an Author in Retirement
by Michele Sabad We define ourselves in various ways, depending on time, mood, inclination. Many of our identities are stable throughout life. I am a woman.…
Turning a Passion into a Podcast: Adam Croft and Robert Daws—Partners in Crime
There aren’t many jobs in which you can meet up with friends and colleagues for a beer or a coffee and discuss the best way to dispose of a dead body.
5 Ways Travel Writers Earn Money From Their Craft
The most successful travel writers today are not writing for magazines on the newsstand or books on a store shelf.
The Lasso of Truth About Entrepreneurial Publishing
Independently publishing my books gives me freedom and empowers me to pursue my passions, connect with my fans, and create the life I always dreamed of.
Kobo Writing Life Podcast – Episode 106 – Maxwell Alexander Drake
In this episode, Chrissy Munroe interviews award-winning author and creative writing instructor Maxwell Alexander Drake.
The 5 Traits That All Successful Authors Share
Great authors are seldom born; instead they’re moulded, sculpted and polished over time.
Marie Force: Building a Self-Publishing Empire
My life was changed forever by self-publishing, and I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity to take control of my career.
Indie Publishing: Making Time and Everything Else Your Friend
For me, becoming an independent publisher (nice ring, right?) has given me back the happiness and joy I used to receive from writing.
-Larissa Reinhart
10 Things Top Kobo Authors Have in Common
Christine will be hosting a free Bublish webinar on Wednesday, March 21 to talk about what’s new and exciting at KWL and what’s driving book sales at Kobo today.
Exclusive Preview of Holly Evans’ Latest Book!
The Kobo Writing Life blog is getting the first peek at Holly Evans’ newest title, Blood of The Wolf, available for preorder now only on Kobo.
The Queer Eye: LGBT+ Voices in Fiction
When I’m asked why on earth I write gay and bi protagonists, the answer’s really very simple. I’m bi, I grew up around a lot of LGBT+ people, and the majority of my close circle are LGBT+, so I’m doing what writers are told to do again and again—I’m writing what I know.
Not Taboo Anymore: The Rise of Self-Publishing in the Netherlands
The idea of the indie movement is slowly spreading in the Netherlands and I personally think that our 17th century forefathers would be proud to see that their adventurous and entrepreneurial spirit is still alive and well.
Interview with Cecile Bertod (AKA Celia Hayes)
Sandra Lonchamp, our European Coordinator, interviews Italian KWL superstar Cecile Bertod.
What Makes A Good Author Bio?
Like yodelling on a mountaintop, when I say the words ‘author bio’ I can hear the collective author groan echo from every corner of the globe. Like eating your vegetables or doing your taxes, writing your author bio is unfortunately an inescapable part of literary life.
Read a Book, Help Find a Cure
KWL author Terry Odell is splitting her February royalties for her novel “Deadly Engagement” with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
From Chaos to Success: My First Twelve Months as an Indie.
Valentine’s Day celebrates love. For me, it also celebrates my first twelve months as an indie author. Some fifteen years after writing the first draft…
How to Reach Readers on Kobo
By C.J. Archer C.J. first started publishing independently in 2011 and was an immediate success—making enough to become a full-time author within her first year. She…