Jan 16, 2026
Mark interviews Tara Cremin, Director of Kobo Writing Life about Kobo, Kobo Plus, and the self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life (KWL).
Prior to the interview, Mark shares a personal update and a word about this episode's sponsor.
This episode is sponsored by an affiliate link to Manuscript Report. Use code MARK10 at checkout and save 10% off your own personalized report.
In their interview, Mark and Tara talk about:
- Tara's background and how she got into the reading/writing world and Kobo
- Kobo's distinct identity as a platform that is exclusively dedicated to READING
- How Kobo is the 2nd largest seller of eReading devices in the world
- Kobo releasing 1 to 2 devices a year and the importance of a distraction-free reading experience
- The Kobo Clara Colour and the Kobo Libra Colour devices
- The option of connecting your Google Drive and OverDrive (AKA Libby) library account to a Kobo device for seamless reading of your personal content and library books
- Being able to add different colours to your highlights when making notes on your Kobo
- Tara's advice for readers who've not yet attempted a "digital reading diet"
- The "forever reading" option that now exists within the Kobo reading experience
- The self-publishing platform Kobo Writing Life and how it's designed to making the publishing process as painless as possible
- What listeners can expect to hear on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast
- Kobo Writing Life's "worst-kept secret" of the marketing tab/tool
- A little bit about how Kobo Plus works for authors
- The growth in revenue of Kobo Plus around the world in the past few years (it's now available in 28 countries)
- Partnering with a publisher in Portugal to create a subscription service
- The importance for authors of always thinking about Kobo in a global sense
- The value that comes with being in front of the most engaged readers
- And more...
After the interview Mark reflects on numerous things about Kobo that authors should consider when thinking about marketing their books (as well as the amazing people who work there)
Links of Interest:
- Kobo
- Kobo Writing Life
- Manuscript Report (Mark's affiliate link - use MARK10 to save 10%)
- Buy Mark a Coffee
- Patreon for Stark Reflections
- Mark's YouTube channel
- ElevenLabs (AI Voice Generation - Affiliate link)
- Mark's Stark Reflections on Writing & Publishing Newsletter (Signup)
- An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries
- The Relaxed Author
- Publishing Pitfalls for Authors
- An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores
- Wide for the Win
- Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books
- 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
- I Think It's A Sign That The Pun Also Rises
Tara Cremin is the Director of Kobo Writing Life (KWL), Kobo's self-publishing platform. Combining her love for books with a decade of indie publishing expertise, she champions independent authors. Tara is focused on making KWL the most intuitive, author-friendly platform, helping authors reach readers globally. Leading a team of book enthusiasts, she also hosts live events featuring authors and industry experts, sparking engaging conversations and is a regular voice on the Kobo Writing Life Podcast.
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