By John Bond

Podcasting is fifteen plus years old.  Whether you have been in it from the start, or it is new to you, listen up.  It is a valuable medium for published authors, aspiring writers, academics, and interesting people.

If you are not a devotee, you likely have a friend or colleague that says frequently, “I was listening to a podcast recently about…” Or they say, “Do you listen to XYZ podcast? You really should.”  I admit to being that guy.

Podcasts now cover archaeology, the Royal Family, ice hockey, the Tudors, Indian cooking, and everything in between.  I’d be interested in any topic that isn’t being covered in podcasts.

If you are new or newish to podcasting for entertainment or research but want to know more, read on. There is something here for everyone, and I have my top tip at the end!

The Basics (skip this section if you are familiar with them)

• Podcasting is an episodic program made available in digital format for download over the Internet
• Podcasts are like TV shows or radio shows and have an established host(s), specific frequency, and dedicated focus.
• They are free.  Although some have ads, and some ask you to be a premium member for specific benefits (ala PBS).
• You “subscribe” to a podcast which simply means all future episodes will be downloaded for your consideration. There is no fee.
• You can subscribe to one podcast or a 100 there is no limitation.
• Podcasts are split up into episodes. Whether they be weekly, biweekly, monthly, or other, the new episodes will come to you. A new episode not of interest? Just delete, like an email.
• Some podcasts have been going on for years with no end in sight. Some ran their course for a period of time and then ended. These remain available despite them not being active. If you have a smartphone (and who doesn’t) you very likely have a podcast player on your phone. For instance, iPhone includes the podcast player Apple Podcasts. There are other podcast players. You do not need to be confined to Apple’s player. Others include Stitcher and Spotify.
• Open up the player and then search for a topic or person or podcast that you’re interested in. Then click and download an episode. You’re now an expert.

Writing and Research

• Aspiring writers will find a wealth of material on authoring and writing topics.
• Once again, use the search feature and look for podcasts on your focus.
• As for research, there are some heavyweight podcasts on some esoteric topics. Do not assume that this is a lightweight medium, and there is nothing of substance. Before you dismiss it, search to see what is there and listen to a few episodes.

Book Promotion and Publicity

• As many of you know I’m a proponent of having an Author Promotional Platform. These are ways that authors connect with their audience to discuss topics they love and inform them about books they’ve written. More and more they’ve become key elements that publishers consider when deciding to move forward with a book or not.
• Many authors will complain that they do not have the opportunities to promote their book that they wish. What is required is a bit of ingenuity and elbow grease.
• Offering to be a guest on the podcast can be a powerful experience and a great promotional tool for a book. But how does this happen?
• Again, use the search tool on your podcast player and look for podcasts that compliment your book topic. Be broad in your searches and do not look for something hyper specific. Look towards allied fields and topics.
• Most important is to listen to a few episodes and understand the format before you approach the host for the podcast. Picture yourself participating as a guest and how you would approach the conversation.
• Of perhaps greater importance is what you offer the host of the podcast. Please, please do not send an email that says, “I have a new book out and I’d like to promote it on your show.” Podcasts and their audiences are interested in topics not in blatant promotion. Take a slice of what your book is about and suggest a focused topic that you’d like to speak about on the podcast. Of course, let the host know you also wrote a book which has just been released. (I would hope it would be mentioned on the podcast after your conversation.) Audiences are smart. If they like a guest and what they’re saying, they will search out what they’ve written.
• When you’re contacting the host (which may require a little Googling), approach the email as what you can do for them; not what they can do for you.

Hot Tip

• I’m a big fan of the New Books Network or NBN. They are a podcast aggregator. If you think of podcasts as a TV show, podcast aggregators are networks like CBS or ABC.
• NBN covers “100+ subjects, disciplines, and genres, (they) publish 70 to 100 episodes every week (and reach) about half a million people every month.”
• The topics they cover are very high level and academic. No angry sports fans here or discussions about social media influencers here. Topics covered include arts and literature, science and technology, politics and history, religion and philosophy, and much more. I have appeared on the scholarly communications podcast on the NBN network three times and have found it to be a great experience.
• If you take nothing else from this column, seek out NBN and start to listen to podcasts in your field of specialty. You may even become a guest one day.

If you are new to podcasts, please take the dive and look around. Happy listening.

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John Bond is a publishing consultant at Riverwinds Consulting. His new book is: The Little Guide to Getting Your Book Published: Simple Steps to Success. He is also the host of the YouTube channel “Publishing Defined.” Contact him at jbond@riverwindsconsulting.com.