Mark Leslie

Mark Leslie Lefebvre is a writer, a bookseller, a digital publishing advocate, an author ally, and, ultimately, a Book Nerd.

With more than twenty-five years of writing, publishing and bookselling experience, Mark, who is a past President of Canadian Booksellers Association, a previous board member of Book Net Canada, has worked in almost every type of brick and mortar and online bookstore and has published more than a dozen books via traditional and independent methods.

Hired in 2011 to be the Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations for Rakuten Kobo (www.kobo.com) a digital bookstore, Mark created Kobo Writing Life, a platform allowing authors from around the globe to publish their eBooks for free to Kobo’s catalog serving 190 countries. Titles from Kobo Writing Life grew to account for 1 in every 5 books sold on Kobo, when Mark decided he had accomplished his goals there and wanted to move on to focus more on his own writing and in continuing to help authors find their own paths to publishing success.

Episode Summary

Today is joined by Mark Leslie, who is enjoying (rather than panicking) finding out what the next stage of life will bring him.  Mark has worked in the book and publishing industry since he graduated college in 1992.  Dana asks Mark to explain his career and where he is at now in life.

Dana and Mark discuss whether luck or Mark played a bigger role in his career.  Mark shares openly about the end of his 20-year marriage, ice cream and Phil Collins before sharing he believes that they happened for a reason.  Dana applauds Mark’s ability to acknowledge the good or bad as well as his ability to move on.