Kobo Writing Life Podcast

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 eBooks and audiobooks globally! Cristina covers a lot of ground in our conversation, including advice for selling on an international scale, the difference between Kobo’s eBook and audiobook customers, marketing tips for when you’re on a budget, and what makes Kobo (and our customers) unique!

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 on Kobo, including what genres do especially well as audiobooks, how she curates audiobook promotions and emails, what types of promotions are the most successful for audiobooks, and she gives some great tips for how to competitively price your audiobook for Kobo’s market.

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 us on the podcast this week to discuss writing in different genres and how she  incorporates her love of Scottish folklore and mythology into her work no matter what she's writing. She also talks about her experience co-writing series with authors she admires and why she decided to go wide.

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 mental health shaped the story she wanted to tell. Nora tells us about her writing journey, from childhood dreamer to published author, about why she likes writing Young Adult Fiction, and about the conversations she hopes her novel will spark.

Science fiction and fantasy author Anthony Dobranski is on the podcast this week to talk about the tarot deck he created as a tie-in to his book, The Demon is Business Class. Anthony takes us through the creative process behind the deck, from inception to production to marketing and sales, and he gives us a Business Class Tarot reading (which you can also watch on our Youtube channel)!  In collaboration with author Anthony Dobranski, Kobo Writing Life is giving away one Business Class Tarot Deck to one lucky follower! To be eligible for the giveaway you must:1. Follow us on Instagram at @kobo.writing.life or our YouTube channel Kobo Writing Life 2. Leave a comment of what your favourite tarot card is. Follow and comment on both for twice the entries!

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 to not only publish new work, but also expand their reader base. With a background in digital marketing, Kilby shares tips and tricks of the trade, from marketing steamy romance novels to the importance of creating a unique and flexible marketing plan.

Author Abbigail N. Rosewood joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her debut novel, If I Had Two Lives, and the real-life inspiration behind the story. Abbigail also discusses how she benefited from her MFA in creative writing beyond improving her craft, including gaining a built-in writing community and getting more comfortable with sharing her work.

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 week to discuss her journey from the courtroom to the bestseller list, what it takes to make the jump from author to screenwriter, and she gives some excellent advice to anyone looking to adapt their work for the silver screen.

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 activists including Jennifer Lopez, Tessa Thompson, and Reese Witherspoon. She talks to us about her journey as a writer and what it’s like to know her work has had such a wide reach, how she ensures she maintains her original intentions when sharing her work, and why she feels it’s so important for her to share and protect her authentic voice.

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 own podcast to narrating, marketing, and editing audiobooks. Joanna also talked about how and why audio content is evolving, and she gave us some great predictions about the future of audiobooks and publishing.   You can find Joanna's podcast, The Creative Penn, here!

Historical thriller author Glenn Dyer was in his sixties and freshly retired when he published his first novel, The Torch of Betrayal. Now planning the release of his third book, Glenn joins us on the podcast to discuss finding the motivation to realize his dreams of becoming a published author, how he weaves historical facts into his novels, and what he has learned about self publishing along the way.

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 author. He talks about how his first book came about while he was touring Europe as a musician, how playing his own music in front of a crowd differs from reading his own words, and how learning to edit his books has influenced his approach to songwriting. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear Eamon play us his song, In Like a Lion.

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 to us about his writing journey, what he has learned about the publishing industry, and he gives us some wonderful advice on finding your character’s voice and how to finish that dreaded first draft.

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 bailey, Saeed talked about growing up black and gay in the southern United States, the process of putting his life onto paper, his desire to save Meghan Markle, and how everyone is fighting for their lives. It’s a fun and wonderfully insightful conversation; we hope you enjoy! Hear more from Kobo in Conversation.

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 pen names, how these names came about, and how they’ve proven to be incredibly useful marketing tools.

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 20 books a year, his creative marketing techniques that helped him build a loyal fan base, and why he’s such a big advocate for publishing wide.

Our international KWL team members were in town earlier this month, so we all crowded into our small (and very warm) podcast room to discuss the future of publishing, where we think indie publishing is heading, and our current reality television obsessions.

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 like, and how to keep your backlist fresh to attract new readers.

New York Times Bestselling romance author Jennifer Probst discusses her experience in publishing and how she found her success, why she loves writing romance, and the secret to writing a great sex scene. Fan of the podcast? We would love to hear from you! If you have a couple minutes to spare, please fill out our survey below. We want to learn more about you and what you would like to hear on the podcast next! https://forms.gle/i2gkgvFBbHa19YvU7

USA Today bestselling author, Autumn Jones Lake explains to us the misconceptions associated with motorcycle romance, how she plots her Lost Kings MC series (16 books and counting!) and shares her tips for aspiring romance writers. Fan of the podcast? We would love to hear from you! If you have a couple minutes to spare, please fill out our survey below. We want to learn more about you and what you would like to hear on the podcast next! https://forms.gle/i2gkgvFBbHa19YvU7