Mark interviews Deborah Kevin, the visionary founder and chief inspiration officer at Highlander Press, about her new book SHELF LIFE: A Field Guide to Long-Term Author Success.

Prior to the interview, Mark reads comments from recent episodes, shares a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor.

This episode is sponsored by the Show, Don't Tell Writing Podcast with Suzy Vadori. In this weekly show, Suzy brings you writing techniques, best practices, motivation, inspirational stories from real live authors out there making it in the world, and actionable advice that can help you turn that book you're writing into the bestseller you know deep down that it can be.

During the interview Mark and Deborah talk about:

• How Deborah describes herself as one of the most curious people you'll ever meet
• First learning about the Camino de Santiago in 2013, and then later walking the pilgrimage in chunks
• Learning to read when she was four years old, and Deborah's first library card at the age of five
• Writing her first "novelette" when she was eleven years old, and then later adapting that initial story into a novel that she used to get into Stanford
• The giant wall calendar that Deborah uses for planning out the year using different colored sticky notes
• Launching Highlander Press, and the story behind the initial name Deborah wanted to use to denote the idea of a mission
• The 51 books that Highlander Press has released (as of November 2024 when the interview was conducted)
• Shifting the structure of the way we talk about running a business from less masculine energy and more feminine energy
• Deborah's new book: SHELF LIFE: A Field Guide to Long-Term Author Success and the origin of writing it
• How promotion and marketing can be simple and easy and to properly serve readers
• Suggestions for authors on pre and post publication promotions
• The importance of ensuring that "fun" is a part of the work you do when showing off your creative works and life
• How showing up as ourselves authentically is one of the best things an author can do
• And more...

After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of dividing big tasks into chunks, the importance of not self-rejecting, and being one's authentic self.

Links of Interest:

• Highlander Press Books
• Deborah Kevin on LinkedIn
• EP 142- Strategies for Launching a Book During a Pandemic with Suzy Vadori
• EP 398 - Multiple Outlets for Your Writing with Denise Baden
• EP 397 - In It For the Creativity and Connection with Ron Vitale
• EP 396 - Waubgeshig Rice on Community, Publishing, and the Creative Journey
• Form for Listener Reflections for Episode 400
• Superstars Writing Seminars
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• Mark's YouTube channel
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
• The Relaxed Author
  • Buy eBook Direct
  • Buy Audiobook Direct
• Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
• An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
• Wide for the Win
• Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books
  • This Time Around (Short Story)
  • A Canadian Werewolf in New York
  • Stowe Away (Novella)
  • Fear and Longing in Los Angeles
  • Fright Nights, Big City
  • Lover's Moon
  • Hex and the City
  • Only Monsters in the Building
• The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles
• Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard
• Merry Christmas! Shitter Was Full!: A Trivia Guide to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Deborah Kevin, the visionary founder and chief inspiration officer at Highlander Press, ignites change-makers to share their stories of healing and truth. Having steered hundreds of authors to literary success, she's a beacon for impactful writing. Deborah also hosts the STORYTELLHER podcast, amplifying women's voices one riveting episode at a time. When she's not shaping the future of publishing, she's globetrotting from the historic trails of Camino de Santiago to the comforts of home in Maryland with her soulmate, Rob, their adventurous sons, and a mischievous puppy, Fergus.

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