Mark interviews T Thorn Coyle about writing, community, and their new book The Midlist Indie Author Mindset. Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word from this episode's sponsor. Cruising Writers - 7 Day Western Caribbean Cruise - Feb 22 to Mar 1, 2025 Featured Guest Speakers: Erin Wright and Mark Leslie Lefebvre More details at: Cruising Writers In the interview, Mark and Thorn talk about: Getting into writing when they were 5 years old - and the variety of types of writing they didThorn jokingly torturing fiction and deciding to write non-fiction until a few characters showed up and knocked on their doorWriting mostly fantasy-tinged fictionHow most of Thorn's non-fiction guides have been about spiritual practice, but that this latest one is their first non-fiction business of writing bookThorn's author tagline: "Magic is real. And justice is worth fighting for."The way that Portland is such a fascinating city and how Thorn can find magic anywhereAn appreciation of Charles de LintThorn's forthcoming book: The Midlist Author MindsetThe massive mindset shift that comes from being curious about business the way one is curious about writingValue that came with learning what worked for Thorn, as opposed to things that work for other writersThe numerous streams of income that Thorn has been developing over the yearsLooking at long-term sustainability by thinking of it like cultivating a garden instead of seeking out short-term dramatic spikesSome of the roadblocks that Thorn encountered on the way to establishing the Midlist Author MindsetUnderstanding that for Thorn marketing was about connection with readersHow asking "Does social media sell books?" is the wrong question to askThe Kickstarter for the book and related materials and exclusive content that runs April 16, 2024 to May 7, 2024A little bit about Thorn's fiction series booksThoughts and current approach to audiobooksThorn's final words of advice that they would want to leave with writersAnd more . . . After the interview, Mark reflects on the concepts of sustainable, long-term, and burn-out as well as the important question of what is practical for you and your life and goals. Links of Interest: T. Thorn Coyle's Website Kickstarter for The Midlist Indie Author MindsetFiction TitlesNon-Fiction Titles Thorn's Patreon SiteWriters of the Future - Blog Post Announcing Mark as a JudgeStark Publishing Support for Authors Via Margins AgencyScribeCount (Mark's Affiliate Link)Mark's YouTube ChannelBuy Mark a CoffeePatreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and LibrariesThe Relaxed Author Buy eBook DirectBuy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for AuthorsAn Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & BookstoresWide for the WinMark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story)A Canadian Werewolf in New YorkStowe Away (Novella)Fear and Longing in Los AngelesFright Nights, Big CityLover's MoonHex and the CityOnly Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and AutomobilesYippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard T. Thorn Coyle worked in many strange and diverse occupations before settling in to write full time. Buy them a cup of tea and perhaps they’ll tell you about it. Author of The Witches of Portland, the Seashell Cove Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, the Pride Street Paranormal Cozy Mysteries, The Steel Clan Saga, and The Panther Chronicles, Thorn’s multiple non-fiction books include Sigil Magic for Writers, Artists & Other Creatives, Crafting a Daily Practice, Kissing the Limitless, and Evolutionary Witchcraft. Thorn's work also appears in many anthologies, magazines, and collections. An interloper to the Pacific Northwest U.S., they pay proper tribute to all the neighborhood cats, and talk to crows, squirrels, and trees. You can find them at thorncoyle.com. 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
