Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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)

  1. 8h ago

    EP 483 - Author Branding with Jessica Sorentino

    Mark interviews Jessica Sorentino, an author brand strategist with more than a decade of experience helping writers and thought leaders connect with their audiences in meaningful, lasting ways. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Jessica talk about: What an author's brand is and how to determine what that brand is A technique of visualizing a coffee/lunch date with a dream reader/follower and writing down what you spoke about Stripping back the sales and marketing and finding that common ground The importance of authors having a handy in and having control of marketing their books even when a book is published by a major publisher Work done with Macmillan on their first business-to-consumer product How authors can sometimes feel being "dumped" by their publisher after the initial launch period That it's not really the buzz that makes for solid sales, but it's passionate readers How much of "comps" (ie "comp authors" and "comp titles") are a part of author branding The comradery of authors lifting one another up Jessica's "Turning Pages" private consulting for authors and the triangle of the author/book/reader connection Pulling out themes from a book that can help build out that conversation The value of an author brand during the query/the pitch process to an agent, editor, or publisher How the publishing industry is really about businesses making a bet on what they're investing in Jessica's "Open Book" Substack and how authors can get access to it for free The relationship between platform, brand, and marketing The book club podcast that Jessica co-hosts called "Third Glass" The question of how a book is a want not a need, so how do you make a reader want your book A reminder of the number of times a person needs to see something before it really sticks, which is 12 If you only show up when you have something to promote instead of showing up regularly Prioritizing engagement and conversations versus followers and likes And more... After the interview Mark reflects on a number of things Jessica mentioned. Links of Interest: Jessica's Website Open Book (Substack) Third Glass Podcast (Spotify) EP 482 - Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline with Paul Austin Ardoin EP 481 - Becoming a Creative Luminary with Laura Holley EP 309 - From Zero to Four Figures with Paul Austin Ardoin 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) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) Stark Realities Book An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Wide for the Win Ghost Stories of the Great Lakes 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   Jessica Sorentino is an author brand strategist with more than a decade of experience helping writers and thought leaders connect with their audiences in meaningful, lasting ways. She has worked with top publishing houses, including Simon & Schuster and Macmillan Publishers, where she developed deep expertise in positioning authors for commercial success and authentic reader engagement. Jessica is the voice behind Open Book: Where Storytelling Meets Strategy on Substack and co-host of the Third Glass: Reading Between the Wines podcast, where she explores the intersection of storytelling, publishing, and personal brand. Her insights have also been featured on many industry podcasts. A sought-after speaker and respected industry voice, Jessica has repeatedly moderated at the Digital Marketing World Forum. She speaks on the importance of personal branding for authors, sharing best practices for using content and storytelling to build engaged communities as well as strategies for maintaining sustainable content creation. Based in Connecticut with her partner and dog, Jessica spends her mornings reading, her weekends baking and gardening, and her workdays helping authors build story-driven brands that connect them with the readers who will love their work most.   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. 8h ago ·  Bonus

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    Introducing "The Gospel of the Goose" (w/ Kesha) from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Follow the show: Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang Join Matt, Bowen and self proclaimed "walking psychedelic trip" KESHA on this episode of Las Culturistas, which begs the question: should Kesha open up a supermarket that sells "pop rocks flavored blue Kesha ramen"? The three silly gooses discuss that, as well as hoarding, doing mushrooms in the desert, and building community amongst millions of Animals out there. Also, working with Rick Rubin and Ryan Lewis to discover new depths to Kesha's voice and artistry, how hearing "Drop It Like It's Hot" opened up a world of musical possibility for Kesha, the sexual awakening that was Will Smith in the late 90's, and collecting teeth. All this, raging on the Kesha Cruise with Bob the Drag Queen and Big Freedia, spirituality, and the idea that Kesha is on her last human life. You are the crazy people, and you are also the fortunate people that Kesha blessed LC with her time! Listen to "Origami" now and see Kesha on The Freedom Tour! Kesha makes our heart beat like an 808 drum. And so do you 3 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy 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.

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  3. Jul 9

    Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline with Paul Austin Ardoin

    In this episode Mark interviews Paul Austin Ardoin about his new book OUTLINING FOR NOVELISTS WHO DON'T OUTLINE. Prior to the interview Mark shares a person update and a word from this episode's sponsors. This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026 Learn more about Author Nation and register at AuthorNation.live. In the interview Mark and Paul talk about:  Paul's previous non-fiction book for writers FROM ZERO TO FOUR FIGURES Mark's offer of gifting 3 copies of FROM ZERO TO FOUR FIGURES by buying them from Paul and/or a local bookshop for listeners based on a random selection of comments for this episode Paul's new book OUTLINING FOR NOVELISTS WHO DON'T OUTLINE How Paul wrote his first four mystery novels without using an outline The method Paul used to adapt strategies from outlining processes that a pantser could leverage within their own writing without having to sacrifice their strengths as a "discovery writer" How the book doesn't talk down to pansters/discovery writers, but embraces and understands that perspective Discovering that all of his different novels that he pants were all exactly 27 chapters What a time-loop mystery is, the comparison to movies like Groundhog Day and Paul's example with his novel A TIME FOR MURDER The mini flashlights that can help when a writer is "writing into the dark" Keeping the enjoyable element of discovery writing while having a plot concept to fall back upon Advice Paul would like more authors to know How Paul's love for Milwaukee really comes through in his books And more... After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that came up in the conversation and reminds listeners of the opportunity to win a free copy of Paul's previous book. Links of Interest: Paul Austin Ardoin (Website) Paul's Book: Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline Paul's Book: A Time for Murder EP 309 - From Zero to Four Figures with Paul Austin Ardoin 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) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) Stark Realities Book An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Wide for the Win Ghost Stories of the Great Lakes 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   Paul Austin Ardoin is the USA TODAY bestselling author of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries, The Woodhead & Becker Mysteries, and the author guides From Zero to Four Figures and Outlining for Novelists Who Don't Outline. A California native, Paul holds a B.A. in creative writing from the University of California, Santa Barbara and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Phoenix. He lives in the Milwaukee area, where he enjoyed Milwaukee's surprisingly excellent symphony orchestra and unsurprisingly excellent fried cheese curds.   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

  4. Jul 2

    Becoming A Creative Luminary with Voice Actor Laura Holley

    In this episode Mark interviews Laura Holley, a Utah-based voice actor and speculative fiction writer whose passion for storytelling began with her first stage performance at seven years old. Prior to the main content, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report. In the interview, Mark and Laura talk about: Laura getting into theatre in the second grade and the first role that she played The power of playing a villain really well and how fun it is to play (in both acting and voice acting) the antagonist Transitioning into the role of voice actor The early decision between two roles Laura held in high regard: Hollywood actress and stay-at-home mom Recognizing that she could get involved in voice acting from home Paying for a voice acting program early on during the pandemic The term "creative catalyst" that Orna Ross mentioned in Episode and Laura's term "creative luminary" Different techniques that can be used when performing audiobooks and voice acting How acting can inform one's writing And more... Links of Interest: Laura Holley's Website Episode 472 - Going All In On Substack with Orna Ross Episode 479 - The Keyboard is My Favorite Fidget Toy with Premee Mohamed Episode 480 - Rambling Reflections From the Road: Returning From Camping & Vitamin N Substack Reflection: The Trees and I, The Rooted, yet Restless Writer Substack Reflection: The Long & Winding Road Back To A Typewriter The Creative Penn Podcast - June 22, 2026 Episode (Mark as guest): Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, And Author Mindset with Mark Leslie Lefebvre 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) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) Stark Realities Book An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Wide for the Win 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   Laura Holley is a Utah-based voice actor and speculative fiction writer. Her passion for storytelling began with her first stage performance at seven years old. Trained by vocal coaches Jessica Straus and Glad Klassen and writing mentor Wulf Moon, she brings depth and richness to every story with her voice or her pen. When not creating new worlds in her private studio, she's often in her home's hidden game room—plotting to conquer them.   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. Jun 25

    Rambling Reflections From The Road: Returning From Camping & Vitamin N

    In this episode Mark shares a solo reflection recording pm his return from a couple of nights spent camping on the shores of Lake Huron at Point Farms Provincial Park. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a brief personal update (which includes a segment from Joanna Penn's latest episode of The Creative Penn Podcast) and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026 Learn more about Author Nation and register at AuthorNation.live. In his reflection Mark considers the idea of the value of nature/simplicity when recharging. He asks how writers recharge? And do they take enough time to pause to celebrate what they've accomplished? Links of Interest: The Creative Penn Podcast - June 22, 2026 Episode (Mark as guest): Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, And Author Mindset with Mark Leslie Lefebvre 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) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) Stark Realities Book An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Wide for the Win 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

  6. Jun 19

    The Keyboard Is My Favorite Fidget Toy with Premee Mohamed

    In this episode Mark interviews Premee Mohamed, a Nebula, World Fantasy, Ignyte, Locus, and Aurora award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you're writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be. In their interview, Mark and Premee talk about: How Premee introduces herself as a writer in different contexts The snobbery that can exist in the CanLit spaces in relation to sci-fi/fantasy/horror The generous umbrella of the term "speculative fiction" Being drawn to write in the speculative genres because that's what she liked to read The first completely partially illustrated story Premee remembers finishing when she was eight years old The Stephen King anthology (authorized stories set in the world of The Stand) was the most Premee had been offered for a short story ever The agent Premee found for selling her first book and having worked with them for almost nine years The common response of a multi- or cross-genre book confusing publishers who liked it because they didn't know "where to put it" on the shelves How the awards Premee has won so far haven't really moved the needle at all in terms of increasing book sales Premee's forthcoming books that are coming from the big five publishers Loving the writing anyway, and how Premme would write even if she wasn't publishing Premee's experience as a Writer in Residence at the Edmonton Public Library Advice Premee would offer to writers looking for a publisher to sell their writing to How she used to be a pantser but is now a completely converted outliner How Premee's only self-publishing experience being a painful experience because it was work she did not enjoy, but how it led to her selling enough units of the ebook that it helped cover a trip to Dublin for a World Con The powerful impact of Canada's PLR program for writers And more... After the interview Mark reflects on a few items that came up in the conversation. Links of Interest: Premee Mohamed's Website EP 478 - The Pinocchio Problem EP 475 - Writing Emotions and Making the Reader Feel with Jeff Elkins Substack Article - Hat Switch on the Highway: A Tale of Two Marks 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) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) Stark Realities Book An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors Wide for the Win 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   Premee Mohamed is a Nebula, World Fantasy, Ignyte, Locus, and Aurora award-winning Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction author based in Edmonton, Alberta. She has also been a finalist for the Hugo, British Fantasy, British Science Fiction, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Crawford awards. In 2024, she was the Edmonton Public Library writer-in-residence, and she has taught at establishments including the Banff Institute for the Arts, the Clarion Workshop, and the Carl Brandon Society. She has judged short fiction contests for CBC and Alberta Views Magazine and can be found on her website at www.premeemohamed.com. She is represented by Michael Curry of DMLA.   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. Jun 12

    Stark Realities Excerpt: The Pinocchio Problem

    This episode features an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Mark's book STARK REALITIES: Stacked-up Lessons Every Writer Needs To Know About The Business of Writing and Publishing. The chapter is called "The Pinocchio Problem." Prior to the main content Mark shares a brief personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor. This episode is sponsored by the book STARK REALITIES: Stacked-up Lessons Every Writer Needs To Know About The Business of Writing and Publishing. The Truth About Building a Writing Career With No Sugarcoating, Just Real Talk. The Honest, practical guide that every writer needs. Learn more about this book at markleslie.ca/starkrealities   Links of Interest: Stark Realities Book 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) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) 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 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. Jun 4

    Rambling Reflections From The Road to StokerCon

    In this solo episode recorded while driving between Waterloo, Ontario and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on his way to attending StokerCon, a horror writer conference, Mark shares some reflections on his dual life as an author-supporting industry representative and a horror author. This episode is sponsored by Author Nation, being held in Las Vegas Nov 13 through 14, 2026 Learn more about Author Nation and register at AuthorNation.live.   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) Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup) 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 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

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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
    485
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License
  • Show Website
    Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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