Podcasting for Writers and Authors

PODCASTING FOR WRITERS AND AUTHORS

Writers want to write. Between query letters and proposals, research, one or more manuscripts in various degrees of completion, critique groups – we keep pretty busy. Then we learn that as writers, published or not, we should have our own website. And of course, if we are published, we need to do marketing. And whether published or not, we need to be working on building our platform. Building your platform can take many forms: websites, blogs, speaking, article writing, events – and more. For years, blogs were seen as the “must have” for writers. Then along came podcasting. Statistics from 2014 revealed that for every 1,700 bloggers, there was one podcaster. It’s a very small, wide-open arena for those wanting to build an even larger platform.

Podcasting in simple terms is often called on-demand radio – generally without the advertisements. A more detailed definition of a podcast is a digital medium consisting of an episodic series of audio files subscribed to and downloaded through web syndication or streamed online to a computer or mobile device. It allows anyone to become a radio announcer, talk show host and a recording artist in just a snap. The majority of podcasts are listened to on mobile devices, with Apple’s iPhone leading Android phones by a five to one margin. Podcasts can be listened to anywhere and anytime: commuting, cooking, gardening, exercising, and walking – anywhere you have time to fill. I listen while I ride my bike and run. Apple’s iPhone has a built-in podcast app. Android phones can download podcasts through the Stitcher radio app. Shows can be listened to on the podcast host’s website, online in iTunes or Stitcher, or better yet, subscribe to the podcast and you’ll automatically get each episode downloaded directly to your smartphone or tablet. Podcast can be listened to at 1.5 speed, allowing you to hear more in less time. I find listening at 2x or higher makes it hard to understand the content.

Anyone can start a podcast and it can be incorporated into any WordPress website. Podcasting can be done with relatively inexpensive equipment – your computer, earbuds from your smartphone, and a website. There are podcasts about podcasting, teaching listeners about equipment, interview and hosting techniques, editing, where to host your podcast, software and WordPress plug-ins, publicity and marketing, and more. In addition, there are websites offering the same information through free and paid courses about starting a podcast.

There are many options in podcasting. You can do a solo show or find one or more people to co-host with you. There are different formats: monologue, interview, back and forth banter with a co-host, and questions and answers are the most common. You determine the frequency of releasing new shows. Most podcasts are weekly, but some are twice a week. Shows can be any length. My shows are interview style. I edit my own shows and create a blog post page for each show.

Writers and authors can host a podcast about whatever interests them and they think will interest others. Fiction authors can do shows about their writing, how they do research, character and plot development, dialogue, and more. Non-fiction authors can record shows about their writing topics, research, style and structure, sections within their books, choosing topics, and more. Both of these, and poets and devotional writers, can read selections from their writing and dissect the content. Talk about motivation, writing skills and techniques that help you, finding time to write, and more. Give it a unique slant and title, determine your audience, decide on the format, practice recording, and then get set to go live.

In addition to my podcast, Writers & Authors on Fire, there are other faculty members at the conference who have podcasts. Kathi Lipp’s podcast is You’ve Got This with Kathi Lipp, Erin Taylor and Karen Ball co-host their Write From the Deep podcast, and Angela Breidenbach hosts Grace Under Pressure Radio. I know any of us would be willing to answer your podcasting questions. Kathi is also teaching a workshop on podcasting. I’m in the manuscript retrieval center during the conference and would be happy to share resources and help you brainstorm about whether podcasting could help build your platform, and possible topics.

I encourage you to listen to a few of the shows of the above podcasts before the conference. They are available through iTunes and Stitcher Radio, or your favorite podcasting app. You’ll be surprised at the variety of show topics and what you’ll learn.

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Come meet John Vonhof at the 47th annual Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, March 18-22, 2016.

If you’re interested in learning more about podcasting, plan to attend Kathi Lipp’s afternoon workshop, Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting.

Click here to Register Now!