Killing It On Kobo: Leverage Insights To Optimize Publishing And Marketing Strategies, Grow Your Global Sales And Increase Revenue On Kobo By Author’s Name

First, try to ignore the irony that in reviewing a book about Kobo publishing on Amazon (I honestly love Kobo, I just don’t read Kobo ebooks for… Well, let’s call it technical reasons).

That said, if you’re just getting started as an indie publisher or just moving your books wide (or considering doing so), this is a great resource.

Yes, I already knew 85% of what’s here, having learned by trial and error over the last two years. But I can say without a doubt that a lot of that would have been much easier and less painful if I had read this book first.

There are a lot of useful tips, tricks, and strategies here that you won’t want to miss if you are (or are planning to be) published on Kobo.

An interesting read, certainly gives a lot of insight into the company, but any actual advice for increasing sales is sporadic at best. For example, the book mentions the importance of presales, how to set up presales and then gives very little insight into how to make them work.

Voulez vous publier vos livres sous kobo et tous ses paramètres ?

Écrit par un ancien de kobo, ce livre vous présente la plateforme mais bien plus encore. Il vous présente comment et pourquoi kobo a été construit de cette manière

Ce livre est une bible à avoir pour tout écrivain

Achetez le

I am a big fan of Mark. He’s a truly benevolent father of indie publishing, wise, visionary, and prone to saying really brilliant stuff when he appears as a guest on other people’s podcasts. (He has his own podcast: Stark Reflections, but he really needs a cohost he can banter visionary style with to really shine.)

I’d love to have given this book a higher star rating (for what the book is, it’s pretty good, so maybe I should) but the title (which I love) made me expect more than I got. And I guess as a fan of Mark, I just hoped for more from him.

I’ll give the book credit for having links to content it took me forever to find on my own (seriously; it was practically impossible) so the book is worth the price just for a link to the key pdf ref you really need to read, as well as his in detail look at how you sign up for an account (exactly what you need to fill in) as well as how to set up your books and exactly what details you need. It’s just plain convenient. (Though yes, you can pretty much find all this by getting a Kobo account (which is actually a Rakuten account and really over the top to do, but not actually hard to do.) But if you’re one of those people who’d like an overview before you get started, and maybe, like me, hates starting up an account before you’re sure you want it, you might like this book for the dipping in phase. I got the epub version and enjoyed highlighting all the important bits for quick digital ref.
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On the offshoot:

Getting started in self publishing is confusing.

FYI: You DO want to selfpublish to Kobo, yes you can go through a distro (for about a 15% cut) (I suggest Draft2Digital, though there are a few other greats out there as well: Smashwords, Streetlib, PubDrive (the later 2 are internationally focused markets and will serve you when you get serious about further expansion OR if you’re publishing from outside US you may prefer these sites.)

All that said: I think Kobo has the absolute best self publishing experience of them all, and even if you’re a newb, you’d be cheating yourself not to use them right from the start alongside a few others depending on how you want to do it. You will learn a lot simply by using Kobo.

There’s way too much to learn when you start out, and mistakes are too easy to make, and the backlash of unintended labor can be through the roof, so this is just my personal nudge in a can’t lose direction.

FYI: Tax paperwork is a big factor; if you’re not familiar, you may want to minimize your initial distro outlet choices (EX: Kobo and Draft2Digital. Wherever you selfpublish, look into how they handle your tax paperwork.

AND: Do NOT start self-selling (IE: your own bookstore or direct sales) until you understand international sales taxes inside and out; they’re a serious legal issue that can not only cause you tremendous headaches but also get you into tremendous legal trouble.

And it’ costs a lot more than you think to take these issues, and others, on; if you do the math you will eventually never complain about the cuts these stores take from you (it’s a relative bargain for all the work they’re doing for you.

I mention these points because they’re almost never discussed. Remember: If you choose to become a writer, you’re literally starting a business.
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Mark has a wonderful personal voice. I appreciated that I could tell he actually wrote this book, and not even an editor could cloud it. The book is a surprisingly relaxing read in a genre that can often by tense while still being quite informative.

I must say that I was extremely well informed coming into this book, so I’m biased by that. Even so, I do wish Mark would add more punch to the book (and it’s fine if the book ‘grows’). I don’t feel like I got enough tips and punch to live up to the fantastic title.

If I were a clueless noob, I’d probably give this book 4 or even 5 stars, and from a noob’s perspective it’d be a reasonable rating, in my view. But objectively, as a whale reader, on oh so many levels, I just can’t, despite my epic admiration of Mark whom I’m a huge fan of; he’s a guy who seems to have a great personality as well as being a trendsetting visionary in the land of indy publishing.

Thus, I did particularly enjoy his early chapter where he talks about his early accomplishments. I’d already known a bit but didn’t realize just how much he’s accomplished for us all. We really should be bowing down worshipping Mark and making offerings in gratitude of how much he’s moved the indie pub industry along.

I’m so sorry I can’t give your book a higher star rating Mark. I hope you can understand my reasons. But to everyone else, don’t be afraid to buy this book anyway.

If you want a convenient peek into getting started in indie publishing as well as an easy take on how to get started on a gorgeous, writer friendly, publishing platform, this book holds up well to that expectation.

As well as giving you a great chance to getting to know wonderful Mark in a wonderful light.

Over six years, the author, Mark Leslie Levebvre built Kobo Writing Life from the ground up. Killing it on Kobo is a must-read for any independent publisher. Mark Leslie Levebvre details the ins-and-outs of the Rakuten Kobo business, it’s culture and its reach into the world of books. It’s written in a clear conversational tone that makes it fascinating and easy to read. 

I highly recommend it and gave it a 5-star rating on Amazon.com, Bookbub, and Goodreads.

In a world of “How To” books that claim to have all the answers for writers anxious to be published, Mark Leslie Lefebvre’s Killing it on Kobo actually does have the answers, at least for those interested in publishing on the digital platform of Kobo. Written in a conversation style, and organized by topic, the book can be consumed cover to cover or by cherry-picking areas of interest. The author shares his own experiences (what worked and what didn’t, which is refreshing!) as well as those of other authors. Charts and graphs amplify explanations, and the last chapter includes links to blog posts and other resources. Easy to read, the book is chockful of useful information that I have already begun to implement, and I will definitely retain it in my resource library. I also appreciate the author’s encouragement that success often comes slowly, but to continue the journey to publication. Highly recommended.