There are more than 30 million episodes of podcasts available to listen to right now. Just press a few buttons on your phone and they’re all there: literally millions of hours of content about every subject imaginable.
Your book could be one of those subjects.
You might be saying, “I’m not a podcast person.” And that’s fair. But more than half of all Americans over the age of 12 are podcast people. That’s the percentage that listens to podcasts, many on their phones, inviting the hosts into their homes (and cars and work cubicles) week after week.
You might also be saying, “My book isn’t even done!” I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t matter. If you’re in the process of writing, you’re already an expert on the most important thing: your book. (And in fact, getting started SUPER early is one of the best strategies you can take – more on that later!)
What every author needs to know about podcasts:
- They’re a free way to market your book – the only “cost” is the time it takes to find them, write your pitch and do the actual recording.
- If you find the right podcasts, it will be a PERFECT opportunity to sell your book – literally juice your bottom line – because the right podcast’s audience is extremely similar to your ideal reader’s profile.
- Podcasts are great at every stage in your writing life – while you’re still writing, around your launch period, during a book tour, and years into the future to energize sales and establish yourself as an expert.
- Podcasts give you a way to get around the limiting elements of social media.
Let’s dive into that last part — why are podcasts any different? What makes a podcast different from the other social media time vampires? We all know the noise level on social media and in ALL digital spaces, for that matter, is getting overwhelming.
But podcast appearances are a smart strategy because they’re self-selecting audiences – no one downloads a podcast on a topic they’re not at least a bit interested in. They’ve found the episode you’re appearing in. They’re already coming in warmed up – and it’s not a big jump to click “buy” after they’ve heard from you.
Additionally, podcasts don’t rely just on social sharing to find their audience. While social sharing is great, of course, most podcasts email folks to let them know about a new episode, and they have other audience engagement strategies they can calibrate personally to their audience.
You have plenty to say.
Back when podcasts were brand new, someone suggested that I pitch a few as a guest. I couldn’t imagine what I would have to say. Maybe you’re thinking the same thing.
But I guarantee you, you have plenty to say! You’re writing a book!
Podcasts for Authors
If you’re a nonfiction author…this one’s easy.
You have a subject about which you’re such an expert that you can literally “write the book”! Whether you write about the history of the British monarchy or how animals see color or your life as a researcher at the North Pole, there is almost certainly a podcast that’s perfect for that. Probably more than one. And you won’t be “giving anything away” when you talk about your research process, why you love the subject matter, other writers on the topic whose work influenced you, and SO much more. In fact, you’ll have so much to say that you should make notes to make sure you’re staying on topic!
If you’re a fiction author…this one’s also easy, I think. Why?
- Your book still might be a fit for a specific topic podcast like the ones above. If your novel is set in the court of Queen Victoria, the history podcast might still be a great fit, because you are doing the same kind of research a nonfiction author would. This applies to any novel that sets itself in a particular world – if your protagonist is a biologist, some podcasts that usually focus on science stuff might love talking about how you took that world and fictionalized it, and how you represented a woman working in the field.
- If you’re ready to talk about the craft of writing, your creative process and the whole wider world of publishing, there are a ton of fantastic podcasts on that topic! I’m a guest on these kinds of podcasts all the time, and I, of course, also host one myself! I love hearing pitches from working writers with something to share about how they got their career moving and found the publishing path that is right for them.
How do you get on the podcast of your dreams?
For the answer, I hope you’ll join me for a 90 minute workshop with my friends Kim Eley and Nakita Rowell-Stevens of the Sociable Scribes podcast on Podcast Pitching for Authors.
Register here now to join me for this hands-on 90 minute workshop!
We’ll dig into how to…
- Research the right podcasts & audience
- Craft a pitch that stands out
- Create a media sheet that makes you shine (using the template Kim & Nakita give you!)
- How to be a standout guest so people share (and you get invited on more podcasts!)
- Secrets to leveraging the podcasts to sell more books!
We’ll take questions at the end, and you’ll get a recording sent your way after the event, so you can rewatch it for more tips.
PLUS, you’ll get two great bonuses with this workshop…
- My Pitching Podcasts course, a $47 value, to supplement and add to everything you learned at the workshop
- A template to create your own media sheet that will help you stand out from the pitch pile from Kim and Nakia, a $25 value
Don’t miss this workshop on August 10 – grab your seat here!
Hope you can join us for this one – I can’t wait to dig into it. And maybe once you’re done, you’ll decide you want to pitch ME on your appearance on my podcast!
