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. 19H AGO

    Rambling Reflections From The Road: You Are Loved

    In this short solo episode Mark shares a "Rambling Reflection From The Road" while at Superstars Writing Seminars talking about the important signals that seemed to come at the right time: Your feelings are valid Your opinions matter You are irreplaceable Your best is enough It's okay to take a break You are loved   Links of Interest: EP 459 - Creating Experiences in Art and Story with Tanya Hales Superstars Writing Seminars James A. - Everything is Signal Stark Reflections on Pushing for Better (Team Landing Page) CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) Mental Health Meter What's Your Stress Index? 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

    15 min
  2. You Might Also Like: The Run-Through with Vogue

    19H AGO · BONUS

    You Might Also Like: The Run-Through with Vogue

    Introducing Why Halle Berry Says She's Never Had a Birthday Party from The Run-Through with Vogue. Follow the show: The Run-Through with Vogue This Friday on The Run-Through, Academy Award-winning actor Halle Berry chats with Vogue’s Kiana Murden and Margaux Anbouba about Crime 101, her new thriller out on February 13. In it, Berry—appearing alongside Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo—plays Sharon Colvin, an insurance broker involved in a high-stakes heist. Berry calls the shoot “one of the best experiences, I think, of my 30 years,” due to the great energy and professionalism on set. She also shares the stories behind some of her most iconic red carpet looks, including her custom LaQuan Smith gown for last year’s Met Gala. As for what she’s excited to wear next? Berry says that she’s a “Dior girl.” Berry also talks about how a misdiagnosis led to her activism in the women’s health space and the launch of her healthcare startup, Respin. And on the subject of menopause, she says: “It’s nothing to be afraid of. You are your best self at this time. We’re smarter, we’re wiser. We’re like turbo versions of ourselves. That’s what I want women to know and to look forward to this time of life.”  The Run-Through with Vogue is your go-to podcast where fashion meets culture. Hosted by Chloe Malle, Head of Editorial Content, Vogue U.S.; Chioma Nnadi, Head of British Vogue; and Nicole Phelps, Director of Vogue Runway, each episode features the latest fashion news and exclusive designer and celebrity interviews. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices 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.

  3. JAN 30

    Creating Experiences in Art and Story with Tanya Hales

    In this episode Mark interviews author and artist Tanya Hales. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, 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 Tanya talk about: When Tanya and Mark first met: at Superstars Writing Seminars The sketch that Tanya made of Mark at SSWS when he was speaking there Identifying herself as equal parts author and illustrator The value of CREATING EXPERIENCES with people How long Tanya has been creating art and how her mother was instrumental in getting her into art The "nature-based" element and love of animals that are recurring in Tanya's art Writing novels in spiral-ring notebooks by the time of Fifth Grade The first time Tanya put her art out into the world at the age of sixteen Handy and helpful resources available to Tanya in her high school The "Doodle Dudes" that Tanya had created back then Doing a lot more digital art lately for logistical parental reasons How one of Tanya's skills is being able to adapt to new things relatively easily Being in different modes, such as writing, editing, art Various Kickstarter projects Tanya has done and is currently doing The Animal Magica Coloring Books Tanya has created Why Tanya thinks that it's evitable that she creates the way she does The first full-length novel in the Animal Magica universe The first cozy fantasy novel that Tanya recently released After the interview Mark reflections on passion and creating experiences.   Links of Interest: Tanya Hales Website Tanya's Substack Article: "It Was Inevitable" Tanya's "Go, Writer, Go" - Humorous Parody Book for Writers Kickstarter 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   When Tanya Hales was a baby, she enjoyed books by chewing them to pieces before eventually moving on to the higher art of reading. Tanya splits her time between her work as a writer, an illustrator, and a mother, all of which she loves intensely. She now lives in Utah with her husband and four children, illustrating coloring books, writing YA fantasy, making cute stickers, and daydreaming constantly about imaginary worlds. Tanya is the creator of YA epic fantasy as well as the Animal Magica fantasy coloring book series, books made in collaboration with dozens of other authors who contributed beautiful short stores to pair with the art.   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

    1h 3m

  4. JAN 28 · BONUS

    Push For Better

    In this brief bonus episode Mark shares an annual "Push for Better" Push-Up challenge he has joined for the third Feb in a row and the fact he has created a team that others can join. The Push-Up Challenge is one that combines fun physical activity (2000 pushups between Feb 5 and Feb 27, 2026) with support for Mental Health Awareness and fundraising. Team Landing Page: Stark Reflections on Pushing for Better The Canadian version of this program raises funds for CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association). Links of Interest: Stark Reflections on Pushing for Better (Team Landing Page) CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) Mental Health Meter What's Your Stress Index? 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! Shitter 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

    10 min

  5. JAN 25

    A Show That Makes You Smile with The Patrick Scott Patterson Project

    Mark interviews Scott from The Patrick Scott Patterson Project Podcast. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update, comments from recent episodes, 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 Scott talk about: How Scott got into the current numerous roles that he is participating in today, including podcasting Being inspired by the dreams that his parents had but which they pushed off to the side The pro wrestling experience that he did for 10 years The importance of deciding to try Scott's reasoning behind the Patrick Scott Patterson Project How at the end of the day we're all human beings - some folks have just reached for their dreams Interviewing notable celebrities on Scott's podcast Doing the interviews well in advance and having a good 10 episodes in the can already The two year plan that Scott has created for the podcast The positivity in Scott's podcast and what he is doing All the stressful things Scott was going through around the time of the pandemic How Drew Barrymore's new talk show was exactly what Sco needed to get through those hard days The way that Drew Barrymore makes Scott smile - period! How something Barrymore said in one of those episodes really struck with Scott The incredible power of doing/saying even the smallest nice thing such as "have a nice day" which can make a huge difference in someone else's life How Scott feels better himself when he's being kind to someone Meeting Drew Barrymore on her 50th Birthday episode taping after more than 42 years of first seeing her with his mom when he was 7 and they went to see E.T. Some of the favorite moments on Scott's podcast Advice Scott would offer to writers who haven't yet put their work out into the world How Scott first got on Collector's Call because of a fluffy news story from 5 years earlier Gary K Wolf's story about how many times his book "Who Wacked Roger Rabbit" was repeatedly rejected over the years. He never gave up, and it's, incidentally his most well-known book. The movie adaptation would never have happened After the interview Mark reflects on a few things that Scott said about positivity, creating "comfort food" moments, and the importance of having things out there and how it can lead to opportunities. Links of Interest: Patrick Scott Patterson's Website YouTube Channel CBC - Cost of Living - How Scholastic Book Fairs Became Tight With Canadian Schools Mini Trailer for LOVER'S MOON (Romantic Comedy) Full Audio of LOVER'S MOON Read by the Authors (YouTube) Patreon Post (Free for anyone to read): I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again! Substack article: Eight Years, 452 Episodes, And One Important Lesson 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   Patrick Scott Patterson is a Texas-based pop culture personality, video game historian, and podcaster. Over the decades, he's moved from professional wrestling rings to television cameras, working with G4tv to produce the first-ever live arcade world record broadcast. He has appeared in documentaries like Nintendo Quest and on MeTV's Collector's Call. He's spoken at San Diego Comic-Con and SXSW, and runs Hyperspace Arcade Repair out of Denton, Texas, where he keeps vintage arcade machines alive for collectors. In 2025, Scott launched The Patrick Scott Patterson Project, a podcast about chasing goals and following unexpected paths—inspired by finally meeting his lifelong celebrity crush, Drew Barrymore, which taught him that the dreams we pursue have a way of opening doors we never anticipated.   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

    1h 22m

  6. JAN 23

    The Published Novelist Saves Schrödinger's Cat!

    In this solo episode, Mark reads a new article entitled: The Published Novelist Saves Schrödinger's Cat! How to Improve the Odds Before You Open the Box—OR—What Writers Can Control While Their Book's Fate Remains Uncertain Links of Interest: Substack Article Link The Dialogue Doctor 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

    24 min

  7. JAN 16

    Kobo Insights with Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life

    Mark interviews Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life about Kobo, Kobo Plus, and the self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life (KWL). Prior to the interview, Mark shares 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 their interview, Mark and Tara talk about: Tara's background and how she got into the reading/writing world and Kobo Kobo's distinct identity as a platform that is exclusively dedicated to READING How Kobo is the 2nd largest seller of eReading devices in the world Kobo releasing 1 to 2 devices a year and the importance of a distraction-free reading experience The Kobo Clara Colour and the Kobo Libra Colour devices The option of connecting your Google Drive and OverDrive (AKA Libby) library account to a Kobo device for seamless reading of your personal content and library books Being able to add different colours to your highlights when making notes on your Kobo Tara's advice for readers who've not yet attempted a "digital reading diet" The "forever reading" option that now exists within the Kobo reading experience The self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life and how it's designed to making the publishing process as painless as possible What listeners can expect to hear on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast Kobo Writing Life's "worst-kept secret" of the marketing tab/tool A little bit about how Kobo Plus works for authors The growth in revenue of Kobo Plus around the world in the past few years (it's now available in 28 countries) Partnering with a publisher in Portugal to create a subscription service The importance for authors of always thinking about Kobo in a global sense The value that comes with being in front of the most engaged readers And more... After the interview Mark reflects on numerous things about Kobo that authors should consider when thinking about marketing their books (as well as the amazing people who work there)   Links of Interest: Kobo Kobo Writing Life KWL Blog KWL Podcast 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   Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL), Kobo's self-publishing platform. Combining her love for books with a decade of indie publishing expertise, she champions independent authors. Tara is focused on making KWL the most intuitive, author-friendly platform, helping authors reach readers globally. Leading a team of book enthusiasts, she also hosts live events featuring authors and industry experts, sparking engaging conversations and is a regular voice on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast.   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

    56 min

  8. JAN 9

    Finding Surprising Success Publishing Kids' Books with Darcy Pattison

    Mark interviews award-winning author Darcy Pattison about publishing childrens' books. In their conversation, Mark and Darcy talk about: Darcy's background on getting into being an author of children's book The 70 books Darcy has written in the past 13 years The number of different illustrators Darcy has worked with over the years The Moments in Science picture books Darcy has written with along with the specific illustrator who has worked on a dozen of those titles with her The books for authors Darcy is releasing in January 2026 that collect details about the current state of publishing for children's books The challenge of doing layout for a children's picture book The importance of an author being clear on their own definition of success How children's book authors can find the right illustrator and/or designer How Darcy fulfills orders online for her books Getting her books into education distributors (Follett, etc - Follett can order their books through Ingram) The EPIC app and how Darcy earns money from it The various reviews Darcy gets, including paid Kirkus reviews (which are important) Who you are writing for versus who you are selling to when it comes to kids books Fiction VS Non-Fiction The importance/difference of being good at illustration versus being good at text (or even layout) The challenge of scaling up things like school visits The benefit of finding places that will sell a kids' book in bulk And more... After the interview Mark reflects on the unique element of the two audiences for childrens' books, as well as the efficient business mind-set Darcy adopted in her approach to how to grow a more scaleable author business. Links of Interest: Indie Kids Books  Mims House Books  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 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

    49 min
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4.9
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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
    462
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Public License
  • Show Website
    Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

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