Kobo Writing Life Podcast

Author Tara L. Roí joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her career and how she combined her love of writing with her passion for fighting climate change. Tara writes “steamy romance in a heating world”, and she talks to us about her path from screenwriter to journalist to romance author, what her writing process looks like and how it has evolved, and how she became passionate about the fight against climate change and how it has influenced her writing.  Learn more about this episode!

Brad West, the co-creator Vellum, joins us on the podcast this week to answer our questions about his ePub creating software. Brad tells us how Vellum its start, how the software works, what users can expect from Vellum in the future, and he talks to us about what he’s learned during his time as a small business owner.  Learn more about this episode!

Author and winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary Fiction Zalika Reid-Benta joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her award winning debut title Frying Plantain. Zalika tells us about the book’s road to publication, from high school writing project to finished work, she tells us about her writing process and how it has evolved over time, and she gives some great advice for writing natural and organic sounding dialogue.  Learn more about this episode!

Librarian Jaclyn Derlatka sits down with Steph and Joni this week to discuss her role as the department head for children’s and adult fiction at Whitby Public Library, and how she curates the library’s collection. Jaclyn talks to us about using Overdrive and Hoopla to build the digital library, what publishing trends she’s noticed recently, and how the pandemic has affected libraries. Learn more about this episode!

Author consultant Kate Tilton joins us on the podcast this week to discuss figuring out your goals as an indie author and what practices to implement in order to reach them. Kate started out in the publishing industry as an author’s assistant, and she talks to us about what prompted her to start her own business, why authenticity is key when it comes to social media, and why avoiding burnout as an indie author is so much easier than recovering from it.  Learn more about this episode!

Please enjoy this preview of Season 3 of Kobo in Conversation! Eden Robinson joined us to talk about how she outfoxed her inner editor to write the Trickster trilogy -- including Return of the Trickster, coming in 2021 -- and explained why it’s a bad idea to follow her on twitter if you enjoy popular TV shows. And we learned how many narrators she tried for the Trickster story before landing at last on Jared. You can subscribe to Kobo in Conversation anywhere you listen. https://www.kobo.com/blog/kobo-in-conversation

Bestselling author Talia Hibbert joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her career, her writing process, and her newest Kobo Original, Wrapped Up in You. Talia writes sexy, diverse romance and she talks about how indie publishing is more accessible for diverse authors. We also discuss how she works from the initial story idea to the finished product and where she thinks indie publishing is going next. Learn more about this episode!

Author and co-host of the Six Figure Authors podcast Lindsay Buroker joins us on the podcast this week. Lindsay has been an indie author for almost a decade and she talks to us about how the industry has changed over that time, where she thinks it’s going next, and she tells us about her Patreon and how she utilizes the platform to distribute ARCs and reward her fans.  Learn more about this episode!

New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her career and what makes a great crime novel. Karin tells us how she plots both her novels and her long-running series, what her research process is like, and the double standards imposed on female crime writers. Karin also tells us about her non-profit, Save the Libraries, and she gives some great advice for aspiring authors. Learn more about this episode!

Debut author Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her novel Förgätmigej för alltid (Forget-me-not Forever), and how she went about translating her book into English. Vanessa tells us how she found the right translator for her novel, what the translation workflow was like, and how she fits writing into her busy work and home life.  Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling author Gail Carriger joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her new non-fiction book, The Heroine’s Journey. Gail started out as a traditionally published author, but once she got a taste of indie publishing she absolutely loved it. Her newest book, The Heroine’s Journey, takes a look at the storytelling device by the same name and how it appears throughout the literary canon and pop culture. Gail also talks to us about her writing process, the fate of the publishing industry, and what happened when she stopped running ads for three months.  Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling mother-daughter author duo, PC Cast and Kristin Cast, join us on the podcast this week. PC and Kristin tell us how they got their start writing and what prompted them to start working together, what their co-writing process looks like and how their individual writing practices differ, and they discuss the evolution of YA as a genre and where they see publishing going next.  Learn more about this episode!

Award winning author Brooke Adams Law joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing method, embodied writing, which aims to explore emotions and experiences through the physical body. Brooke also talks to us about her MFA experience, and the journey from idea to publication for her award winning debut novel, Catchlight. Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling author Susan Stoker joins us on the podcast this week to discuss how she creates her romance series from creating the initial layout on an Excel spreadsheet to deciding which marketing strategies to use when launching a new series or bringing a new audience to an older one. Susan also talks to us about translating her series for a non-English audience and how she’s managed to sustain such a successful writing career.  Learn more about this episode!

Novelist, poet, and director of the Alliance of Independent Authors Orna Ross joins us on the podcast this week to discuss taking a global approach to your indie publishing business. Orna talks about what business decisions authors should consider and how to get into the right mindset before going global, and she gives us some great advice for new and veteran authors alike. Learn more about this episode!

Internationally bestselling author Laurelin Paige joins us on the podcast this week. Laurelin has a background in musical theatre and marketing, making her an expert in both writing stories and selling them, and she gives us some great advice on how to tackle creating a series, what marketing techniques she has found effective when launching a new series or rebranding an old one, and how to approach your writing career as a business.  Learn more about this episode!

Jeff and Jamie from Deyan Audio join us on the podcast this week to discuss all things audiobooks! Jeff and Jamie have a combined 23 years of experience at the award winning production company, and they share their expertise by giving us an insider look at the audiobook production process from casting to quality control and every step in between.  Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling author and creator of The Indie Author Mindset Adam Croft joins us on the podcast this week. Adam is a huge advocate for publishing wide, and he shares some excellent advice for authors who are considering making the jump from exclusive, and he also shares how indie publishing has changed throughout his career and where he thinks it’s going next. Learn more about this episode!

Bestselling author Sam Maggs joins us on the podcast this week. Sam has written both fiction and nonfiction books, as well as comics, graphic novels, and video games, and talks to us about how she tackles writing across a variety of mediums, and the difference between writing original works and pitching to write for an already established IP. Sam also discusses what it’s like working as a woman in the traditionally male-dominated Nerd World, how gate-keeping and diversity in Geek Culture and publishing have changed over the past few years, and how she has utilized social media to build both her career and a community of her peers. Learn more about this episode!

Author and founder of Izzard Ink Tim McConnehey joins us on the podcast this week. Tim has spent almost a decade working with indie authors and connecting them to publishing professionals, making him an expert in the collaborative nature of the publishing industry. Tim talks to us about why authors should hire professionals to help their work succeed and how authors can find the right publishing pro for their book.