Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark Leslie Lefebvre
  • 4.9 (19)
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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)

  1. 9h ago

    EP 497 - A Look At The Current Publishing Landscape with Jane Friedman

    In this episode Mark interviews Jane Friedman in a discussion about the current landscape of traditional and self-publishing. Prior to the interview Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episodes sponsors. This episode is sponsored in part by The 2026 Novel Writing Storybundle. Learn more about this limited-time offer (which ends at the end of November 2026) at https://storybundle.com/writing In their conversation, Mark and Jane talk about: How highly Mark recommends Jane's book THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (2nd Edition What it was like revisiting the book for a second edition, including reorganizing the entire structure of the book Where Jane thinks the industry has been moving recently, including authors being able to reach more readers directly via things like direct sales How a lot of the MFA Writing programs have such a heavy focus on traditional publishing Some of the trends and stories that Jane has been thinking about recently (mid October 2026) A recent ethics change made by the AALA (Literary Agents Association) The power imbalance between the author and the publisher combined with so much effort being spent to try to please the agent, who is also the middleman between those two How the contests at Writer's Digest were a profit center where more and more contests made Jane very uncomfortable Agents who run their own publishing companies, which is becoming more popular lately The publishing/literary landscape in a post-BEA (Book Expo America) world Winter Institute, the new conference that helps replace BEA that ABA (American Booksellers Association) created The new Simon and Schuster digital-first branding: Simon Stream Some of the publishers who are doing dynamic and innovative new experiments with rights splitting and digital publishing Publisher concerns over cannibalization of print book sales from eBooks and audiobooks Thoughts on the impact of AI on the overall industry And more... After the interview, Mark reflects on Jane's discomfort about when certain publishing players roles slide into a bit of a grey area. Links of Interest:   Jane Friedman's Website EP 496 - Communal Storytelling with Author and Actor Jamie Flanagan Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Stark Reflections articles on Substack 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 Stark Realities Book 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 Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! S*****r Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises   Jane Friedman has spent her entire career in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals. Her latest book, THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER SECOND EDITION (University of Chicago Press), received a starred review from Library Journal.   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

  2. 9h ago ·  Bonus

    You Might Also Like: The Next Five

    Introducing Sovereignty, Data and Code: Who's in Control? from The Next Five. Follow the show: The Next Five Throughout history, statecraft was defined by borders, battlelines, and territory. In the 20th century, global power shifted to financial capital and energy reserves. Today, with the digital revolution well underway, does real authority now belong to those who control our data and code? And what does sovereignty now mean in a fast changing AI landscape? Back in the day it used to mean keeping data in a local server room. But today, frontier AI models are advancing at pace, some argue at a speed we can’t control and regulatory lines are being redrawn across the world to try and keep up. Governments and boardrooms now face a fundamental question: who’s controlling who? And what can we do about it? Joining host Tom Parker is Charlie Giancarlo, Chairman and CEO of Everpure, Sana Khareghani, Chief Strategy Officer at Era4, Professor of Practice in AI at King’s College London, AI Policy Lead for Responsible AI UK and Former Head of UK Government Office for Artificial Intelligence and Clare Schramm Fergus, Managing Director, Transaction Banking Technology Platforms, Lloyds Banking Group and Board Member of OpenUK. Sources: FT Resources, Wired, TAIDE, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, UK GOV Sovereign AI Fund, Politico This content is paid for by Everpure and is produced in partnership with the Financial Times' Commercial Department. The views and claims expressed are those of the guests alone and have not been independently verified by The Financial Times. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.

    You Might Also Like: The Next Five

  3. 23h ago ·  Bonus

    Prompt for Episode 500: I Want to Hear YOUR Reflections

    This is a special betweenisode (and yes, I borrowed that term from Joanna Penn) to let you know that I want to hear YOUR thoughts, your reflections, and, ideally, in your voice, for inclusion in episode 500 of the Stark Reflections Podcast. Use this link for a handy form you can use. Form for Recording a Comment You can, also, if you prefer, share your thoughts and reflections right here. Thanks, in advance for your reflections, and thanks for listening.

  4. Oct 16

    Communal Storytelling with Author and Actor Jamie Flanagan

    In this episode Mark interviews actor and Bram Stoker Award–winning writer Jamie Flanagan about their work on the 2026 Carrie television series, various other scriptwriting and acting projects, their short stories, novels, and editing. Prior to the interview Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episodes sponsors. This episode is sponsored in part by The 2026 Novel Writing Storybundle. Learn more about this limited-time offer (which ends at the end of November 2026) at https://storybundle.com/writing In their conversation, Mark and Jamie talk about: Talk about: How Jamie got into theatre because they had a crush on someone, and how that led to falling in love with communal storytelling Becoming a cardiac ultra-sound technologist and doing that for a few years Jamie's brother Mike Flanagan beginning to gain some traction in the film production he'd been doing and inviting Jamie to be a part of it (Absentia, Oculus, Hell House, Bly, which Mike did in order to be able to make Midnight Mass) The various roles that Jamie has played in different films and TV shows over the years Writing screenplays between patients Loving a novel (Veniss Underground by Jeff Vandermere) so much that they adapted it into a feature film script adaptation for it Getting pulled into the writer's room for Bly Manor Losing count of the number of scripts written based on existing IP projects Not having the rights to scripts that you write for projects that don't get picked up How the "green lights" happening when a script gets picked up, it's rare How most screenwriters usually have backup jobs The way the writing room works for a television series The special flower-shaped craft that a former partner of Jamie had made for them out of one of their children's picture books Adaptation being the sincerest form of flattery A short story ("Moira") Jamie had published in an anthology (Shadows in the Stacks) and it's fascinating history, including a very special audio production of it that includes a brilliant score How one of the few conversations you can have in entertainment is via theatre The live show that absolutely floored Jamie and how it hit them at the right time in the right way The recent series adaptation of Carrie where Jamie is one of the script writers on this Mike Flanagan project The way Mike pitched the idea to King, and how a similar thing happened when he pitched the Doctor Sleep adaptation A novel that Jamie has coming out in 2027 The Views from the Overlook Stephen King-authorized The Shining anthology that Jamie is editing (and that Mark sold a story "The Scraps of Lives" to Jamie's children's book reprint that's being released in a new edition in 2027 The short stories Jamie has coming out in several anthologies in the next couple of years And more . . .   After the interview Mark reflects on three of the things they discussed and it includes a few additional personal insights and updates, including the story behind Mark's first in person meeting with Jamie and how it was a powerful, life-altering experience. Links of Interest: Jamie Flanagan's Website Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Stark Reflections articles on Substack 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 Stark Realities Book 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 Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! S*****r Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises Jamie Flanagan (they/them) is an actor and Bram Stoker Award–winning writer. Screenwriting credits include Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor, Midnight Mass (WGA nomination, Original Long Form), The Midnight Club, and The Fall of the House of Usher; AMC Shudder's Creepshow; Peacock's Hysteria!; and Amazon's adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie. They've appeared on regional stages with the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Theater J, and Off-Broadway in New York Theatre Workshop's production of columbinus (Drama League nomination). Film/Television roles include appearances in House of Cards, Hysteria!, The Haunting of Hill House, The Midnight Club, Doctor Sleep, and others. Their debut novel, Deserters, is due to be published in summer of 2027 by SAGA press. They're represented by WME, Echo Lake, and the Tobias Literary Agency. Member: HWA, SAG-AFTRA, WGA-East. 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

  5. Oct 9

    A Live Chat with Juliette N. Banks

    Mark interviews Juliette N. Banks via a chat that was livestreamed to YouTube on Thursday October 7, 2026 at 7 PM Eastern. You can watch the video here: https://youtube.com/live/uGxilXgnAuw?feature=share Links of Interest: Juliette N. Banks Website A Book in Hand (Main Weblink with Kickstarter link on it - for late pledges) Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Stark Reflections articles on Substack 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 Stark Realities Book 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 Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! S*****r Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises   Juliette N. Banks is an international bestselling romance author who has taken the romance world by storm. She writes both contemporary and paranormal page-turning romances with hot alpha heroes you'll fall in love with. Juliette has a vast background in consumer marketing and was previously published with Random House. When she's not writing and publishing monthly, or coaching other authors, she's either at the beach or playing with her Maine Coon kitty   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

  6. Oct 2

    Whales, Comic Books, Horror, and the Power of Community with Angela Yuriko Smith

    Mark interviews Angela Yuriko Smith, a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, editor, educator, and publisher. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, welcomes a new patron, and offers a word about this episode's sponsors. This episode is sponsored in part by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In their conversation, Mark and Angela talk about: The origin of the term "The Halloween People" for the HWA StokerCon conference Creating a huge "save the whales" message using rocks How a quote from a comic book first got Angela into writing Angela's start in writing doing articles and non-fiction and newspaper writing The situation that led to Angela taking over Space & Time magazine How important it is to put positivity into the world Winning a Bram Stoker Award for her "accidental" poetry Angela's first experience with critiques from a writing group Helping a woman publish her husbands poetry and what an honor it was for Angela Not really having an idea of what she's doing most of the time How Space & Time works for submissions for writers and their search for flash fiction The way that the Substack ties back into the printed magazine The story behind Authortunities The value of community Advise Angela has for other writers After the interview Mark reflects on the power of community, the power of words, and the power that fear of judgement can hold over us. Links of Interest: Angela's Main Website: Authortunitiespress.com The Expat Life Article (Randy Green) A Book in Hand (Main Weblink with Kickstarter link on it - for late pledges) Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Stark Reflections articles on Substack 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 Stark Realities Book 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 Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! S*****r Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises   Angela Yuriko Smith is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, editor, educator, and publisher. She leads Space & Time and is the founder of Authortunities, a creative ecosystem helping writers create meaningful work, build sustainable creative lives, and shape the worlds they want to inhabit. She believes the world is a work in progress. Writers are here to shape what comes next.   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

  7. Sep 25

    Reflections on Spines, Thumbnails, and Showing Up

    In this solo episode Mark shares a couple of recent articles that share perspectives of the logistics related to "spine marketing" and "thumbnail marketing." This episode is sponsored in part by... Mark's forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND. Click here to get to the Kickstarter listing and be notified when the Kickstarter for the book goes live in mid September 2026. This episode is also sponsored in part by: An affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. Links of Interest: Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Stark Reflections articles on Substack 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 Stark Realities Book 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 Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! S*****r Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises   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

  8. Sep 17

    Life in the Fast Lane with Misti Hurst

    Mark interviews Misti Hurst, a racer, a writer, a coach, and a mom. She is the author of LIFE IN THE FAST LANE: Discovering the Art of Cornering which is part manual, part memoir and compiles her decades of experience as a rider, a racer, and a coach.  Prior to the main content Mark shares recent comments, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsors. This episode is sponsored in part by... Mark's forthcoming book A BOOK IN HAND. Click here to get to the Kickstarter listing and be notified when the Kickstarter for the book goes live in mid September 2026. In the interview Mark and Misti talk about: Recently celebrating a milestone birthday and looking at what she wanted to do next The column Misti wrote for in Motorcycle Mojo Magazine called "Life in the Fast Lane" Repurposing those articles into a book project to help fulfill a long-time dream she'd had How the content of Misti's articles are a bit of a "memoir meets technique" The two distinct moments where Misti totally fell in love with riding and racing motorcycles How motorcycle racing on a track is far safer because you're not dealing with the unpredictable behavior of other types of vehicles and motorists Some of the signals that motorcyclists offer one another when they pass on a highway The comradery and shared connection that motorcyclists have with one another Life lessons that can be derived from a passion for motorcycles and racing How Misti is going to focus on slightly different topics in the ongoing series of books The chapter in Misti's book called "Oh, Great! I Got The Girl Coach" that addresses stereotypes and sexism Breaking stereotypes related to motorcycle culture The freedom and exposure to the environment that can be experienced when driving on a motorcycle How when racing on her motorcycle is the only time when Misti's mind is calm because you HAVE to be focused The value of leveraging the very techniques of learning a track when traveling to foreign and differently laid out track environments The concept of "at least they were doing what they loved" and the power of that sentiment And more... After the interview Mark shares a few reflections from elements of the conversation. Links of Interest: Misti Hurst's Website Episode 489 - The Balanced Approach to the Writer's Life with Ann Charles Substack Article: Word by Word, Pound by Pound: Measuring success in the long-run rather than in your "lesser" moments Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%) Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections Mark's YouTube channel ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link) Stark Reflections articles on Substack 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 Stark Realities Book 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 Once Bitten (Novella) The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard Merry Christmas! S*****r Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises   Misti Hurst's mission is to lead by example as a racer, coach, writer, and mom—blending skill, vulnerability, and grit to help others grow on two wheels and in life. She is a former AMA Pro 600 Supersport and FX Racer, a certified Level III California Superbike School Coach Worldwide, and a columnist for Motorcycle Mojo and Adventure Bike Rider magazines. She has also worked as a freelance writer, pr/media specialist, mountain bike instructor, and, her toughest role yet, a mom of two incredible kids. She is passionate about helping riders become the best versions of their riding selves. Writing her stories started as a way to stay connected to the sport and community she loves — even when mom duties kept her from spending weekends racing or riding.   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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About

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)

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Leslie Lefebvre
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    500
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License
  • Show Website
    Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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