EP 380 - Passion Project Publishing with Brianna Wodabek

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing

Mark interviews Brianna Wodabek, Assistant Manager of Digital Marketing at HarperCollins about her lifelong love of reading, books, and writing, and her evolution in the book industry.

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 Brianna talk about:

• How Brianna always loved reading and writing, but also knew that she wasn't interested in journalism
• Finding the brand new Creative Writing & Publishing degree program at Sheridan College
• Learning improv and how that helped with the overall process involved in publishing pitching
• Thinking that she would be focusing more on the writing program when she got involved, but pivoting over to the publishing side of things
• Getting an unofficial internship in her first year with a small Canadian publisher in Oakville, Ontario and being able to gain experience wearing multiple hats
• Her official internship at Wolsak and Wynn publishing in Hamilton
• Having to deliver her valedictorian speech for graduation via video because of the global pandemic
• Securing her first job as Digital Marketing Coordinator at Harper Collins US (HTP Books) within 2 months of graduating and then progressing through a series of promotions to other positions
• The fact that Harper Collins HTP Books interns are paid
• The in-house influencer program called "The Hive" that Brianna and one of her colleagues created
• How there's a growing trend of book influencers who collect more than one edition of a book
• Brianna's passion project achievement with Voyage of the Damned by Frances White and bringing it to North America despite not being an acquisitions editor
• How the role of the gatekeeping in the publishing world is being lowered due to additional influencers even from outside the publishing realm - social media influencers, for example
• The way some publishers are reaching out directly to authors via social media DMs
• Advice Brianna would share to authors and what she would like them to know about the traditional publishing world
• The value of being you and being authentic
• And more . . .

After the interview Mark reflects on the idea of a new type of reader who collects multiple editions of a book, how Brianna's passion led to a fantastic acquisition, and the importance of authenticity.

Links of Interest:

• HTP Books
• Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
• Brianna Wodebek on Instagram
• 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

Brianna Wodabek, an Honours Bachelor graduate in Creative Writing and Publishing, transitioned from independent publishing to her current role as Assistant Manager of Digital Marketing at HarperCollins. In this capacity, Brianna combines her expertise with her passion for storytelling, having notably personally acquiring important books like "Voyage of the Damned" by Frances White and collaborated with authors such as Colleen Hoover, Mary Kubica, Chelsea Devantez, Eve, and more to enhance their brands.

Apart from her professional endeavors, Brianna's written works have been featured in publications like the Journal of Applied Social Science, PAUSE. Magazine, and The Mighty. With her industry experience and creative drive, Brianna is devoted to crafting compelling narratives that resonate with diverse audiences.

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