Kobo Writing Life Podcast
423 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 48 ratingsThe Kobo Writing Life Podcast features exciting interviews with bestselling authors, tips on the craft and business of writing, and advice for a successfully self-publishing career. Millions of readers are waiting to discover your book - publish today at www.kobo.com/writinglife.
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Episodes
#254 - Writing Temperance Brennan with Kathy Reichs
July 06, 2021 18:04 - 35 minutes - 32.5 MBBestselling author and forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs joins us on the podcast today to celebrate the release of The Bone Code, the latest release in her Temperance Brennan series (out today!). Kathy talks to us about her journey to publishing, her writing process, and how she has maintained such a compelling long-standing series. We also chatted about the process of adapting her series into the hugely successful TV show Bones and what it was like bringing her characters to life on scre...
#253 - Multiple POV Mysteries with Aime Austin
June 29, 2021 21:19 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBCrime fiction author Aime Austin joins us on the podcast this week to talk about her Casey Cort Legal Thrillers series and how she develops compelling legal mysteries through multiple points of view. Aime recently rebranded her entire series and she tells us how and why she decided it was time to rebrand and what that process was like, and we also discuss her new podcast, A Time to Thrill, and how her real life experience as a lawyer influenced her writing career. Learn more about this epi...
#252 - Inside the Kobo Elipsa with Kobo VP of Product Ramesh Mantha
June 22, 2021 19:34 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBRamesh Mantha, Kobo’s VP of product for devices, joins us on the podcast this week to tell us about Kobo’s newest eReader: the Kobo Elipsa. Ramesh walks us through the research and development behind the Elipsa, the challenges his team faced launching a new device during a pandemic, and he answers all of our questions about the technology behind eReaders. Learn more about this episode!
#251 - The Three Story Method with J. Thorn
June 15, 2021 19:18 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBAuthor and writing coach J. Thorn is on the podcast this week to talk about his book, Three Story Method, and to share some of his advice for new writers and established authors alike. J. has been an indie author for over a decade and he tells us how the indie publishing industry has changed throughout his career and why he believes this is the best time to be an indie author. Learn more about this episode!
#250 - Exploring Characters' Choices with Lisa Taddeo
June 08, 2021 18:38 - 23 minutes - 22.2 MBIn our 250th episode, bestselling author Lisa Taddeo joins us on the podcast to discuss her writing career and her first novel, Animal. Lisa is also the author of the runaway nonfiction hit, Three Women, and she talks to us about the writing process for both of her books, her career as a journalist, and why she enjoys exploring the decisions people make in her writing. Learn more about this episode!
#249 - From Industry to Author with Zakiya Dalila Harris
June 01, 2021 21:26 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBDebut author Zakiya Dalila Harris joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her novel, The Other Black Girl. Before becoming an author, Zakiya worked as an editorial assistant at a publishing house and she tells us what real life experiences influenced her book and what it was like being on the other side of the author-editor relationship. She also talks to us about her experience getting an MFA, the television adaptation of The Other Black Girl, and what changes in the publishing industr...
#248 - Telling Stories in Style with Heather Newberger
May 25, 2021 21:31 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBAuthor and professional stylist Heather Newberger joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her first book, How to Date Your Wardrobe: And Other Ways to Revive, Revitalize, and Reinvigorate Your Style. We speak to Heather about her career path as a stylist, her road to publication and the bumps that were caused by the pandemic, what post-pandemic fashion will look like, and we talk about using fashion and visual cues to help build in-depth characters and layered storytelling.
#247 - Making the Most of a Pandemic Book Launch with Jessica Hamilton
May 18, 2021 19:21 - 29 minutes - 26.6 MBDebut author Jessica Hamilton joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her recently released thriller, What You Never Knew. Jessica talks to us about her journey to publication, how she plots her thriller novels, and what it was like publishing her first book during a pandemic. Learn more about this episode!
#246 - Inside Digital Publishing with Kobo Senior Vendor Manager Siobhan Padgett
May 11, 2021 18:45 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBWe are joined by Kobo’s Siobhan Padgett on the podcast this week. Siobhan is the Senior Vendor Manager for the US and Canada, working with hundreds of publishers across both territories, and she talks to us about her role at Kobo, what elements successful titles have in common, and what indie publishers and traditional publishers can learn from one another. Siobhan has worked in the publishing industry for over two decades and she shares what changes she has seen within the industry, where s...
#245 - Optimizing OverDrive with Lateefah Zawistowski
May 04, 2021 18:55 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBThis week on the podcast we are joined by Lateefah Zawistowski to discuss all things OverDrive. As an account manager for OverDrive, Lateefah gives us the inside look at how OverDrive works, how authors can add and market their books on OverDrive, and how libraries utilize the service. She also shares some advice on pricing your books for libraries, what trends she’s currently seeing in library sales, and she discusses the impact of the pandemic on libraries. Learn more about this episode!
#242 - Word of Mouth Marketing with Kobo Content Sales Lead Deandra Lalonde
April 27, 2021 18:13 - 29 minutes - 27.9 MBThis week on the podcast we sit down with Kobo’s Content Sales Lead for North America Deandra Lalonde to talk about the new Kobo Staff Picks page and the power of word of mouth marketing. Deandra tells us why she’s decided to bring back the Kobo Staff Picks page, what she’s learned about the Kobo customer during her time with Kobo, and we discuss what new releases Deandra is excited for and the power of word of mouth marketing, especially when it comes to backlist titles. Learn more abou...
#244 - Word of Mouth Marketing with Kobo Content Sales Lead Deandra Lalonde
April 27, 2021 18:13 - 29 minutes - 27.9 MBThis week on the podcast we sit down with Kobo’s Content Sales Lead for North America Deandra Lalonde to talk about the new Kobo Staff Picks page and the power of word of mouth marketing. Deandra tells us why she’s decided to bring back the Kobo Staff Picks page, what she’s learned about the Kobo customer during her time with Kobo, and we discuss what new releases Deandra is excited for and the power of word of mouth marketing, especially when it comes to backlist titles. Learn more abou...
#243 - Mastering Productivity with Strategist and Author Sagan Morrow
April 20, 2021 18:40 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBProductivity strategist and author Sagan Morrow joins us on the podcast this week. Sagan tells us how she got into productivity strategy and what habits authors can implement to better fit writing into their schedule. She also talks to us about her polyamorous romantic comedy series, Polyamorous Passions, and how she’s using the romantic comedy genre to break down common misconceptions about polyamory. Learn more about this episode!
#242 - How to Build a Strategic Marketing Plan with Nina Grinstead
April 13, 2021 20:17 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBNina Grinstead, the founder of Valentine PR, joins us on the podcast this week to share how she creates strategic marketing plans for her authors. Nina talks to us about influencer marketing, utilizing different social media platforms, and how she helps her authors reach their career goals. Learn more about this episode!
#241 - Romance Mastermind with Skye Warren
April 06, 2021 19:20 - 38 minutes - 35.6 MBNew York Times bestselling author Skye Warren joins us on the podcast this week. Skye has been an indie author for almost a decade and she tells us how her writing process and marketing strategy has changed throughout her career. Skye is also the founder of the Romance Authors Mastermind and she tells us how RAM came to be and why it is so different from other author conferences. Learn more about this episode!
#240 - From Podcast to Book Deal with Liv Albert
March 30, 2021 18:48 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBLiv Albert, host of the popular podcast Let’s Talk About Myths, Baby, joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her new book Greek Mythology: The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook. Liv talks to us about her podcast and how it came into fruition, she tells us what her research and production process is like, and she tells how her podcast led to a book deal and what it was like writing her first book. Learn more about this episode! Check out our audiobook sale here. With so many audi...
#239 - How to Perform in a Crowded Market with Ricardo Fayet
March 23, 2021 17:09 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBRicardo Fayet, the head of marketing and one of the founders of Reedsy, joins us on the podcast this week to discuss his book How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market. Ricardo uses his wealth of marketing experience to give advice and share some best practices for finding your target audience, discovering new readers on different retailers, and converting page views to book sales. Learn more about this episode!
#238 - Manifesting Creativity with Shauna Cummins
March 16, 2021 18:48 - 39 minutes - 36.1 MBDebut author and certified clinical hypnosis practitioner Shauna Cummins joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her book Wishcraft. Shauna has been a hypnotherapist for almost a decade and she talks to us about finding creativity during difficult times, her creative process and the experience of writing her first book, and she shares a simple technique authors can start using today to retrain their mind to register productivity and progress over negativity. Learn more about this epi...
#237 - Master KWL Promotions with Kobo Strategist Shayna Krishnasamy
March 09, 2021 20:32 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBKobo Writing Life’s very own Shayna Krishnasamy joins us on the podcast this week to discuss all things promotions. Shayna is the Author Relations and Promotions Strategist for KWL, and she not only manages our promotions tab, but she also helped create it! Shayna tells us how the promo tab came to be, how authors can best utilize the promos we run, and what authors should do if they’re rejected from a promo. Learn more about this episode! If you would like the promotion tab enabled on y...
#236 - How to Craft Character Emotions with Sacha Black
March 02, 2021 19:44 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBAuthor and writing teacher Sacha Black returns to the podcast this week to discuss her book The Anatomy of Prose and crafting fully-realized characters. Sacha talks to us about her experience as an editor and how that’s affected her reading habits, and she gives some great insight into creating effective character emotions, embodying your characters' personalities, and creating layered descriptions in your prose. Learn more about this episode!
#235 - How to Build Skeleton Drafts with Steff Green
February 23, 2021 20:49 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBBestselling paranormal author Steff Green (AKA Steffanie Holmes) joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her writing career and her unique writing process of using Skeleton Drafts. Steff also talks to us about her writing community, Rage Against the Manuscript, revitalizing her blacklist, and what it’s like navigating the publishing world as a legally blind author. Learn more about this episode!
#234 - Editing 101 with Kristina Stanley, JoEllen Nordstrom, and Lisa Lepki
February 16, 2021 20:02 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBWe are joined by three editing professionals on the podcast this week: Kristina Stanley, the creator of Fictionary, JoEllen Nordstrom, the founder of First Editing, and Lisa Lepki, head of marketing for ProWritingAid. Kristina, JoEllen, and Lisa walk us through the editing process, from story editing to proofreading, and discuss everything an author needs to know to make their book the best it can be before publishing. They also give some great advice on how to find the right editor for your...
#233 - Building an Engaged Readership with Courtney Milan
February 09, 2021 19:38 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBNew York Times bestselling author Courtney Milan joins us on the podcast this week. Courtney’s book The Duke Who Didn’t was on New York Times’ most notable books of 2020, and she tells us about her writing career, why she loves writing historical romances, and how to build a strong, engaged readership. Courtney is also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in publishing, and she talks to us about activism within the romance community, Romancing the Runoff, and what she hopes the futu...
#232 - Hockey Heroes and Self Care with Kelly Jamieson
February 02, 2021 16:52 - 26 minutes - 24 MBUSA Today bestselling romance author Kelly Jamieson talks to us about her newest series with Penguin Random House, Bears Hockey. She also discusses why self care is vital for authors, and why celebrity heroes are so popular among readers! Join the platform that’s fast, free and easy. www.kobo.com/writinglife
#231 - How to Succeed as a Hybrid Author with Rebecca Zanetti
January 26, 2021 19:44 - 27 minutes - 25 MBNew York Times bestselling author Rebecca Zanetti is on the podcast this week to discuss her writing process and what her experience has been like as a hybrid author. Rebecca talks to us about her decision to try indie publishing and why she chose to self-publish her most recent series, The Anna Albertini Files, she discusses the challenges of juggling multiple publishing contracts as well as her indie publishing schedule, and she gives us some great insight into why so many successful write...
#230 - Building Your Readership on YouTube with Teen Author Sophie Torro
January 19, 2021 19:26 - 22 minutes - 21.6 MBSophie Torro, a sixteen year old Canadian author, joins us on the podcast this week. Sophie has been writing stories her entire life and she talks to us about how this passion has evolved and led her to publishing seven books (and counting!) before finishing high school. Sophie also talks to us about her writing process, how she balances school with her busy publishing schedule, and how she utilizes YouTube to build her readership organically. Enter to win a Kobo Nia on Sophie's YouTube c...
#229 - Breaking Barriers with Legendary Hollywood Actress Irene Tsu
January 12, 2021 20:38 - 47 minutes - 43.9 MBActress, artist, and writer Irene Tsu joins us on the podcast this week to discuss her debut memoir, A Water Color Dream: The Many Lives of Irene Tsu. Irene tells us about her life and career as an actor, from a child dreaming of becoming a ballerina to becoming one of the first working Asian-American actors in Hollywood, appearing in films alongside legends such as Elvis, Bette Midler, and Jeff Bridges. Irene also talks to us about her writing and publishing experience, the evolution of the...
#228 - The Evolution of Digital Publishing with Kobo CCO Pieter Swinkels
January 05, 2021 20:58 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBWe are kicking off 2021 with a delightful conversation with Kobo’s Chief Content Officer Pieter Swinkels. Pieter has worked for Kobo for almost a decade and previously worked as a publisher in the Netherlands, giving him a wealth of experience in the publishing industry which he was kind of enough to share with us. Pieter discusses the differences in publishing in North America and Europe, the evolution of digital publishing and his predictions for the future of the industry, and why he beli...
#227 - Climate Smart Romances with Tara L. Roi
December 22, 2020 21:44 - 1 hour - 62.6 MBAuthor 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!
#226 - All About Vellum with Brad West
December 15, 2020 21:21 - 42 minutes - 38.8 MBBrad 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!
#225 - How to Write Engaging Dialogue with Zalika Reid-Benta
December 08, 2020 20:11 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBAuthor 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!
#224 - How to Write Engaging Dialogue with Zalika Reid-Benta
December 08, 2020 20:11 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBAuthor 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!
#224 - Building Library Catalogs with Jaclyn Derlatka
December 01, 2020 20:25 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBLibrarian 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!
#223 - Reaching Your Publishing Goals with Kate Tilton
November 24, 2020 19:45 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBAuthor 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!
Bonus Episode: Kobo in Conversation with Eden Robinson
November 20, 2020 14:37 - 1 hour - 55.5 MBPlease 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...
#222 - A Festive Kobo Original with Talia Hibbert
November 17, 2020 20:31 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBBestselling 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!
#221 - Using Patreon as an Indie Author with Lindsay Buroker
November 10, 2020 20:55 - 45 minutes - 41.6 MBAuthor 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!
#220 - Writing Bestselling Crime Fiction with Karin Slaughter
November 03, 2020 21:10 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBNew 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!
#219 - Finding the Right Translator for Your Novel with Vanessa Åsell Tsuruga
October 27, 2020 19:46 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBDebut 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!
#218 - The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger
October 20, 2020 19:33 - 1 hour - 55 MBBestselling 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 o...
#217 - How to Excel at Co-Writing with PC Cast and Kristin Cast
October 13, 2020 20:11 - 43 minutes - 40.6 MBBestselling 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!
#216 - The Art of Embodied Writing with Brooke Adams Law
October 06, 2020 19:53 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBAward 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!
#215 - Crafting a Compelling Series with Susan Stoker
September 29, 2020 20:04 - 47 minutes - 44.3 MBBestselling 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!
#214 - Going Global: Sell More Books Around the World with Orna Ross
September 22, 2020 19:02 - 49 minutes - 45.8 MBNovelist, 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!
#213 - Selling a Series with Laurelin Paige
September 15, 2020 19:07 - 39 minutes - 36.2 MBInternationally 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!
#212 - All Things Audio with Deyan Audio
September 09, 2020 19:34 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBJeff 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!
#211 - Advice for Going Wide with Adam Croft
September 01, 2020 18:48 - 34 minutes - 32.1 MBBestselling 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!
#210 - Fandom, The Evolution of Geek Culture, and Building an Online Author Community with Sam Maggs
August 25, 2020 18:49 - 49 minutes - 45.9 MBBestselling 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...
#209 - Collaboration in Self-Publishing with Tim McConnehey
August 18, 2020 19:23 - 31 minutes - 29.4 MBAuthor 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.
#208 - Book Reviews and Author Branding with Melissa Dalton Martinez
August 11, 2020 19:06 - 59 minutes - 55 MBMelissa Dalton Martinez, a veteran marketing and PR manager and the host of The Book Break, joins us on the podcast to discuss the ins and outs of book reviews and author branding. Melissa explains the process behind paid book reviews, when and how authors should use these reviews, and how to create a cohesive author brand. Learn more about this episode!