Kobo Writing Life Podcast

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode featuring Brenna Aubrey is all about translations and how to find success in a foreign language market. Brenna had great advice about being a globally conscious author, translation rights, and more! Breakout star in France, Italy and Germany, Brenna Aubrey gives listeners tips on translations. She advises on how to decide if translations are right for you, how much money an author should budget for translations, picking which market to target and selecting which backlist titles to translate. Brenna also discusses how she fell into her niche (writing “geek romance”) and why ultimately, she decided on self-publishing rather than traditional publishing. To learn more, visit Brenna's website.  

In this episode, we are joined by Canadian author Noreen Nanja, whose debut romance novel, The Summers Between Us, was published this year via Penguin Random House. The Summers Between Us is a dual timeline second-chance romance set in Canadian cottage country and is the perfect read for these late summer days—or anytime of year! We had a wonderful time reading this novel (and chatting with Noreen, of course) about all things writing, editing, and developing your debut novel. Noreen spoke to us about how she got her start as an author, her experience being an author’s mentee, writing a dual timeline romance, working with an editor, and much more!  Learn more on Noreen’s website and grab a copy of The Summers Between Us on Kobo!

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. Today, we're bringing you a recording of a live Q&A event with Maria Fesz, team lead of collection development at OverDrive! This Q&A is full of great information on how to get your books onto those (digital) library shelves. In this episode, we spoke to Maria Fesz, who is team lead of collection development at OverDrive. Kobo and OverDrive are companies with a combined passion for readers and reading and by working together, we have developed a way to make it easy for KWL authors to opt their titles directly into OverDrive’s library marketplace. This conversation consisted of great conversation and plenty of helpful information, including: The importance of selling to libraries BISAC codes Preorder titles How to opt in your books to OverDrive via KWL And much more! Check out OverDrive's website to learn more.

In this episode, we were joined by USA Today and New York Times best-selling historical romance author, Erica Ridley! Erica is a full-time author who publishes through both traditional publishers alongside her own self-published books. Erica has written dozens of books across multiple series and in many different sub-genres, with some of her best-sellers include the Dukes of War series, the Rogues to Riches series, and many more. We talked to Erica about how she went from working in advertising to being a full-time writer, her experience as a hybrid author, what genres she likes to write in and why, researching for her historical novels, her marketing strategies and how she uses her newsletter, her YA novel debut, and much more! We had a great time talking to Erica and she has lots of amazing advice to share in this episode. For more information, visit Erica's website and check out her books on Kobo.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. Today, we're bringing you a great conversation about writing dark romance with best-selling author Autumn Jones Lake. We loved chatting to Autumn about all things motorcycle romance and the misconceptions about being an author writing in this sub-genre!  USA Today bestselling author,Autumn Jones Lake explains the misconceptions associated with motorcycle romance, how she plots her Lost Kings MC series (fifteen books and counting!) and shares her tips for aspiring romance writers. In this episode: Autumn tells us about her publishing journey from trying out traditional publishing, working with a small press, and her decision to go indie She explains why she enjoys writing MC romances and the common misconceptions people have about the genre Autumn breaks down her writing process from planning an outline to keeping track of all o

In this episode, we are joined by fantasy author and founder of BookFunnel, Damon Courtney! It was great to have Damon join us on the podcast again to talk about all things indie publishing, BookFunnel, and… Taylor Swift! Who, by the way, is someone indie authors can learn a lot from when it comes to self-publishing business practices. We spoke to Damon about how he founded BookFunnel, his career as a self-published author, what BookFunnel can offer indie authors, how the BookFunnel team develops new features to better serve the needs of indie authors, how BookFunnel has worked with Kobo, why publishing wide is so important for self-published authors, and much more! Damon previously joined us for a KWL Live Q&A session as well as an author takeover. Be sure to check out these recordings if you want to hear even more advice from Damon! And, to learn more, visit Damon's website and check out BookFunnel.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode features two former Kobo employees, Simon Collinson and Ben Dugas! These two experts share everything authors need to know about EPUBs and eBook files, and offer some great advice to indie authors looking to avoid common formatting and file-making errors. Join Chrissy as she sits down with EPUB experts Simon Collinson and Ben Dugas from Kobo. They teach us everything we need to know about eBook files. They explain the different types of EPUB files, the tools available to authors to make their own EPUBs and common errors to watch out when creating your own file. They also discuss the future of eBooks and accessibility. In this episode: Simon and Ben tell us what the difference between different EPUB formats is. Simon talks about the different ways authors can go about creating their own EPUB files. Ben chats about t

In this episode, we are joined by romance author, disability advocate, and writer of “fiercely inclusive happy endings,” Evie Mitchell! Evie is the author of multiple series across many romance subgenres, including small-town romance, biker romance, bodyguard romance. Her small-town romance series, All Access, focuses on disabled characters as romantic leads! We had a wonderful conversation with Evie and are excited to share this episode during Disability Pride Month. We asked Evie about her journey to becoming an author, why she got into indie publishing, learn more about her personal experiences have influenced her writing, talk about what inclusivity means to her (and to us), touch on the importance of sensitivity readers, expert readers, and editors, and much more! Visit Evie’s website to learn more and check out Evie’s books on Kobo.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. We're excited to bring back this episode featuring best-selling romance author and trauma therapist Adriana Herrera, whose approach to "unapologetic happy endings" is key to writing her romance novels! In this episode, we are joined by USA Today bestselling author and trauma therapist Adriana Herrera, author of romance novels with “unapologetic happy endings.” One of her most recent release and first in a new series, A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, published on May 31st 2022. Join us for an invigorating discussion about Adriana’s journey to writing romance, representation in romance, how her work as a trauma therapist informs her writing, the writing workshops she teaches, fanfiction, and more. Learn more on Adriana's website and check out her books on Kobo.

In this episode, we are joined by internationally best-selling Canadian thriller author, Amy McCulloch! Amy is also the author of eight novels for children and teens. Not only is she a successful author—she is also the youngest Canadian woman to climb Mt. Manaslu in Nepal! A lifelong adventurer, Amy draws inspiration from her real-world experiences to write her fiction. Her latest thriller, Runner 13, is out now from Penguin Random House Canada. In this episode, we discussed Amy’s newest novel, Runner 13, her journey to becoming an author, her previous career in the publishing industry, the real-life adventures and experiences that inspire her thriller novels, working with three editors, and more! We had a great time talking with Amy and could have asked after her marathon and mountain-climbing stories all day—don’t miss out on this exciting episode. Learn more on Amy’s website and check out Amy’s books on Kobo.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode highlights our conversation with Maria Riegger, author, attorney, and champion of authors who want to get educated on their legal rights and liabilities. This interview with Maria is full of great advice on legal issues to consider and more and is definitely worth another listen! In this episode, we spoke to Maria Riegger, attorney, self-help writer, and author of fiction and non-fiction titles such as the best-selling Legal Issues Authors Must Consider, a book that provides information on starting your self-publishing business, legal liability considerations, advice on how to protect your copyrights, how to safely use copyrighted material, and more. We learned a lot from Maria and found this discussion of the legal aspects of being an indie author very interesting and informative! Content note: Nothing discussed i

In this episode, we are joined by best-selling romance author Pam Godwin! Pam is the author of over thirty books, in multiple dark romance and survival romance series, including her latest series, Frozen Fates. Pam’s books focus on romances starring strong heroines and villainous heroes. She always writes what she wants to write and gets into what that means for her as an author in this episode. We also get to learn more about what Pam is writing next, so don’t miss out on this amazing listen. Pam spoke to us about her author career, how she got into self-publishing, how she creates her heroes and heroines for her dark romance novels, what drew her to the dark romance genre, why she writes what she wants to write, and much more! Learn more on Pam’s website and check out Pam’s books on Kobo.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode features our conversation with best-selling author of "kissing books," Alexis Hall, who describes himself as a "genrequeer writer," is the author of Murder Most Actual, Boyfriend Material, Rosie Palmer Takes the Cake, A Lady for a Duke, and many, many more. Alexis, Rachel and Tara have a wonderful time chatting about Alexis' books, her Kobo Originals title, Murder Most Actual, their writing process, and much more! Best-selling author Alexis Hall joins us on the podcast this week to discuss his Kobo Originals title, Murder Most Actual, and what it was like writing her first cozy mystery. Alexis talks to us about their career as a hybrid author, the inspirations behind Murder Most Actual, and how she tries to normalize queer relationships in his writing.  Learn more on Alexis’ website, follow Alexis on Facebook, X

In this episode, we are joined by Canadian-born, UK-based debut author Grace Flahive, whose humorous and heart-warming speculative fiction novel, Palm Meridian, was recently published by Simon & Schuster Canada. Palm Meridian is described as "a rollicking, big-hearted story of long-lost love, friendship, and a life well-lived, set at a Florida retirement resort for queer women, on the last day of resident Hannah Cardin’s life." We were so excited to be joined by Grace to discuss her writing career, her previous work in publishing, and more. Be sure to grab a copy of Palm Meridian, available on Kobo now! We spoke to Grace about her journey to becoming an author, what inspired her to write this story, how she depicted death and mortality in her novel alongside levity and humour, why she chose to focus her story on the queer community, what makes this novel speculative fiction, and much more! Follow Grace on Instagram to learn more.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode features our conversation with author of mysteries, thrillers, and romantic suspense novels, Rachel Grant, and acclaimed narrator of many of her titles, Greg Tremblay. Rachel and Greg have a great conversation that illuminates much of the author and narrator relationship in this interview. Author Rachel Grant and her narrator Greg Tremblay shed some light on the process of creating an audiobook. Rachel discusses the working relationship she has with Greg and how his narration has influenced her future work. Greg shares his experience as a narrator, and the process for creating audiobooks. Learn more on Rachel’s website and Greg’s website, and check Rachel’s books on Kobo as well as Greg’s books on Kobo.

In this episode, the Kobo Writing Life team attended the Toronto Indie Author Conference and recorded a live podcast with speculative fiction author and conference founder Tao Wong! We had a great time interviewing Tao in front of a live audience and getting to answer listener questions in real time. We’re excited to present the complete interview to you now (with all the ambient sounds you might expect from a conference… it’s as if you’re really there)! We spoke to Tao about his writing career, why he started the Toronto Indie Author Conference, his thoughts on book marketing, the challenges Canadian indie authos face, and much more! Thanks again to Tao and all of the organizers involved in making a wonderful weekend of indie author-led talks, workshops, and roundtables happen – the KWL team had a great time and we are looking forward to next year. If you are a Canadian indie author interested in learning more about the Toronto Indie Author Conference, there's no better place to start than an interview

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. This episode features our conversation with best-selling SFF author Gail Carriger. Gail discusses her writing career, her non-fiction title, The Heroine's Journey, and how she started out as a traditionally-published author before going indie (and finding much success in the indie space)! 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 s

In this episode, we spoke with Cali Mann, author of dozens of contemporary romance, fantasy, and paranormal romance novels under multiple pen names! Cali is the author of the Wickem Academy series, a new paranormal romance series exclusively available from Kobo Originals. Wickem Academy follows a young woman named Marigold, who “is ripped from her quiet life of anonymity and thrust into the ruthless halls of Wickem Academy,” where she uncovers her family history… a history consisting of magic, secrets, and necromancy! The first book in the series, Heir of Shadows, is available now. We talked to Cali about her writing career, her journey to indie published, her inspiration for Wickem Academy, her love of the reverse harem and why choose tropes, how she crafts her characters, plots, and worlds, and much more! Learn more on Cali’s website and be sure to check out her books on Kobo.

Welcome to the Kobo ReWriting Life Podcast! Alongside your regularly scheduled Kobo Writing Life podcast episode releases, we will also be featuring some highlights from our backlist. Way back in July 2015, we were joined by Victoria Strauss, co-founder of Writer Beware, a SFWA-sponsored organization whose mission is to “track, expose, and raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry." Whether you are a new indie author or have a decade of experience on your side, don't miss out on this helpful episode! This week’s podcast is essential listening for all authors: Victoria Strauss from Writer Beware is joining us to share her most important advice for how writers can avoid being scammed. Writer Beware was co-founded by Victoria and Ann Crispin in 1998, is sponsored by SFWA, and its mission is to “track, expose, and raise awareness of the prevalence of fraud and other questionable activities in and around the publishing industry.” Visit Vi

In this episode, we are joined by best-selling legal thriller author and fellow podcast host, Aime Austin! Aime’s latest thriller, His Last Mistress, is described as a “nail-biting social thriller with a heartbreaking twist.” We spoke to Aime back in 2021, and we were so excited to have her join us on the show again and hear more about what she’s been writing since then. We spoke to Aime about her author career, what she’s been up to in the last four years, heard more about her move from romance to thriller authors, got some insight into her experience with the indie author community, learned more about His Last Mistress, were given great advice for other thriller and mystery authors, talked about her podcast, A Time to Thrill, and much more! Once more, be sure to listen to our previous episode with Aime as well! Visit Aime’s website to learn more, take a listen to her podcast, A Time to Thrill, grab a copy of His Last Mistress, and check out the rest of Aime’s books on Kobo!