Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing
Mark Leslie Lefebvre, Matty DalrympleReflections on the business of writing and publishing.
| Platform |  | Pricing | Freemium | Publishes | Weekly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 59 | Founded | 6 years ago | Last Issue | 11 days ago |
| Active | |||||
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starkreflections.substack.comLatest Issues
1000 True Fans? How About 200?
With just a few hours left on the clock on September 30, 2026, I watched the pledge counter on my Kickstarter for A Book in Hand tick past $5,000 CAD. And the next morning—because, yes, I did go to bed before it closed—the campaign had clos...
The Power of 202 Supportive Authors
This is just a short post, mostly video, but also likely something I’ll reflect on a little deeper in next Monday’s regular weekly post.
But I’m so appreciative that 202 supporters helped my Kickstarter campaign for A BOOK IN HAND hit that...
Five Things I’ve Learned From Behind The Author Table
There’s an old saying about a bird in hand being worth two in the bush.
My experience as a bookseller, which started in 1992, led me to adapt that phrase slightly into: A book in hand is worth two on the shelf.
Stark Reflections on Writin...
Reflections On Spines, Thumbnails, and Showing Up
Yesterday I read a really great article from my friend Terry Fallis (Why I so often say “Yes”). It’s a brilliant look at some of the reasons why he has done more than 1,300 book events since his first book came out.
But it’s more than that...
Print Books Aren’t Dead, And Other Myths
While my latest book for authors, A BOOK IN HAND: Strategies for Optimizing Print Book Sales via Signings and Other in Person Events isn’t coming out until November 2026, I am doing a pre-launch event Kickstarter where you can get early acc...
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Authors
The writers behind this newsletter.
Mark Leslie Lefebvre is a writer, editor, bookseller, speaker & book nerd. He writes fiction, urban fantasy, horror, true ghost stories, and humor under Mark Leslie and books for writers under his full name.
Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels and the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers (www.mattydalrymple.com/). She also writes, speaks, podcasts, and consults about indie publishing as The Indy Author (www.theindyauthor.com/).
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