EP 381 - Showcasing Independent Bookstores, Publishers, And Authors with Andrew Snook

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Andrew Snook about his writing and editing work as well as Canadian Independent Publishers magazine, which is celebrating its first anniversary.

Prior to the interview Mark welcomes new Patrons, shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word about this episode's sponsor

This episode is sponsored by FROM PAGE TO PLATFORM by Matty Dalrymple and Michael La Ronn. You can learn more about the book at https://theindyauthor.com/platform.

In their conversation, Mark and Andrew talk about:

• Celebrating the first year of publishing Canadian Independent Author
• Andrew's first ventures self-publishing many many ago
• Some of the early novels and novellas that Andrew released
• Moving to Ottawa to become a newspaper reporter so that he could write full time
• Moving back to Mississauga and getting a role in the Business-to-Business magazine business
• Starting up his own company in 2019
• The six issues per year of Canadian Independent Publishers Magazine
• How the magazine is still a cost center and is not yet generating a profit - and how the goal is to have the magazine at least pay for itself
• The gig Andrew got going to local hockey games and covering them and how that led to an internship with Metroland (who owned the paper), and eventually a job with a local newspaper
• The form for Canadian authors interested in advertising their books in this magazine
• The flash fiction contest Andrew is running to help Canadian authors in showcasing their work
• When Mark and Andrew first met at Hamilton Comic Con several years ago
• The small reader fee for submitting to this contest, which is $25
• How Mark is offering for any Canadian authors listening who are interested in submitting to this flash fiction contest that Mark will pay the entry fee for the first 4 who contact him (form link)
• The two books in the Remy series Andrew wrote
• The dice rolling interactive gamebook Andrew published
• The introductory chapter book Andrew published partially as a way to provide content for his daughter and other similar readers who were interested in the chapter book format, but with slightly longer chapters
• The impact that working on and producing this magazine has had on Andrew's writing time
• How Andrew used to work around his family and work schedule to get his writing done
• Andrew's experience teaching young kids creating writing and how that led to going back to further his post-secondary education
• Mistakes Andrew has made as a writer
• And more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on a couple of things from his chat with Andrew and then shares how Canadian writers can participate in the promotional ad opportunity as well as in the flash fiction contest.

Links of Interest:

https://www.canadianindependentpublishers.ca/

• Canadian Independent Publishers Magazine
• Canadian Authors Interested in Cdn Independent Publishers Mag Opportunities
• Mark's Kickstarter for ONE HAND SCREAMING: 20 Haunting Years
• Wide for the Win
  • Wide for the Win New YouTube Channel
• EP 379 - Simplify Your Life and Your Work With Dre Baldwin
• Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
• Buy Mark a Coffee
• Patreon for Stark Reflections
  • How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds
• 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

Andrew Snook has been working as a professional writer and editor for 15 years. He started his writing career as a newspaper reporter in the Ottawa area before moving to Toronto to take on various roles as a magazine editor and feature writer for a variety of business publications. In 2019, he founded his content creation company, Snookbooks Publishing.

In his spare time, Snook is an avid fiction writer and reader. He has published four works of fiction to date: Remy’s Dilemma (2015); Remy’s Dilemma: Special Delivery (2019); Dungeon Jest: The Ruby of Power (2022); and The Snookie-Cookie Crew and the Cranberry Cookie Cruncher (2022). Snook’s fiction and business writing have won him a combined 22 national and international awards, which is neat, but he's happier knowing he made someone laugh out loud while reading his books during an inappropriate moment.

Snook is also passionate about promoting independent authors, bookstores and publishers. In 2023, he founded Canadian Independent Publishers Magazine, which is dedicated to offering a platform for showcasing Canadian writers.

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