(Podcasting on a Budget.)

It’s easy to get lost in the editing process. Podcasters often struggle to find the sweet spot where they’re editing their episode well for pacing and content without over-editing, which can give the episode a stiff, sterilized feel.

Rather than focusing on perfecting every moment of your audio, it can be helpful to think of the edit more like editing a written story. Think about the arc of the episode and edit to shape the narrative, rhythm, pacing, and tone.

You don’t need to be especially tech savvy to do this well. Many podcasters are journalists and writers who edit the bulk of their episodes alone. There are even text-based editing tools like Descript and Adobe text edit that allow you to edit audio via a transcript—but more on that another time.

Thinking Like a Listener

When creating written work, you probably think of the reader on the other side of the page. The same mindset applies to podcasting. The big difference is that in audio, you’re shaping an experience for someone who can’t pause to re-read. They’re doing dishes, walking the dog, or commuting to work. Keeping their attention becomes paramount.

Approach your raw audio like a rough draft. What’s the throughline of the episode? What’s the emotional arc? The listener should feel like they’re going somewhere.

Ask yourself:

• Where does the energy dip?
• Are we repeating ourselves?
• What’s the “hook” that draws listeners in?
• Does the episode resolve in a satisfying way?

It can be helpful to think of editing not as fixing mistakes, but as refining the rhythm and clarity of your story. If a moment made you smile, laugh, or tear up on the first listen, it’ll probably do the same for your audience.

Determining What Stays and What Goes

When editing audio, you’re not just making things shorter, you’re making them sharper. Every minute of your podcast should be doing one of three things: informing, entertaining, or connecting with your listener. If a section isn’t pulling its weight, it’s probably best to cut it. (Entertaining moments that don’t fit well in the episode can be saved for bonus content).

Here are a few strategies for content editing:

• Trim the tangents. Casual sidebars can be charming, but if they derail the main point, cut or condense them. Keep the story on track.
• Watch for redundancy. If you or your guest makes the same point twice, pick the stronger version.
• Filler phrases such as “you know,” “like,” or “so anyway…” are fine in moderation, but if they pile up, the clarity suffers and some listeners become turned off.
• Cut down rambly anecdotes that start strong but meander. Is it still serving the episode’s focus?
• Highlight the gold. Sometimes a brilliant insight or funny moment is buried in a long-winded explanation. Trim around it so the best parts shine.

It’s okay to leave in the occasional stumble, laugh, or pause, especially if it adds to your authenticity. You’re editing for clarity, not perfection.

Pacing and Flow

If your episode drags, you will lose listeners. If it’s too rushed, they might miss the good stuff. The goal is to find a rhythm that feels natural, dynamic, and intentional.

Here’s how you can keep things moving:

• Cut the dead air. Unless it’s for dramatic effect, long pauses often feel awkward. A quick snip keeps the conversation lively.
• Watch your intros and outros. Get to the good stuff quickly and your audience is more likely to stick around. I usually suggest no more than two or three minutes for intros and outros, and anything non-additive must go. For listeners, a podcast intro can feel like waiting in line for an attraction.
• Vary your segments. Mix longer, in-depth discussions with shorter, punchier moments. This gives listeners room to breathe and keeps things feeling fresh.
• Use music or transitions thoughtfully. A music bed, sound cue, or moment of silence between sections can reset listener attention and guide the emotional tone.

When in doubt, listen back with fresh ears. Does the episode move with purpose? Are you bored anywhere? If your attention wanders, your listener’s will too.

Cutting Without Losing Personality

A common fear I hear from podcasters (especially those new to editing) is that too much cutting will flatten their voice or make them sound stiff. This was one of my biggest personal struggles at the beginning of my podcasting experience. Through feedback from more senior editors, I learned that editing doesn’t have to erase personality, it’s about spotlighting it.

When done well, trimming verbal clutter makes your voice shine brighter. Your jokes land more clearly. Your insights hit harder. Your pacing feels intentional.

Try this approach:

• Keep moments of genuine emotion. A laugh, a pause, a voice crack, all make you feel human and relatable.
• Trim waffling or over-explaining that buries a good point.
• Let your quirks live! Dry asides, nerdy tangents, and unusual metaphors are part of what makes your voice yours. Just remember that sometimes you have to cut around the fluff to make these moments shine.

Think of editing your podcast as removing the excess to reveal your ideas and personality more clearly.

Click to continue.

Interview Editing: Respect the Guest, Respect the Listener

If your podcast includes interviews, you’ll need to balance respecting your guest and respecting your listeners. It’s important to let the guest’s unique voice shine without subjecting your listeners to overly long monologues or pacing that feels incongruent with other episodes.

Here’s how to balance both:

• Help your guest shine. Remove ums, stumbles, or false starts if they don’t add character. Smooth transitions when a thought gets tangled. If your guest rambles, gently trim while preserving their meaning.
• Keep the pace moving. Break up long monologues with a quick host interjection or transition. Even great content needs breathers.
• Inform your guest ahead of time that the episode will be edited for clarity. This usually helps guests relax during the recording and appreciate the final product even more.

Listening Back

After your first edit, take a break. Then listen back later as if you’re your own audience: distracted, multitasking, maybe listening at 1.5x speed. This can help you catch rough patches you might have missed while deep in the weeds.

Ask yourself:

• How quickly does the episode grab attention? Shoot for the first 30 seconds. (A teaser at the top of the episode can be helpful.)
• Does the structure feel purposeful?
• Are there any spots where your own mind wandered?

If possible, have a trusted friend or colleague give your episode a listen too. Ideally, this person will not be afraid to say, “This part dragged” or “I got a little lost here.” That kind of feedback is invaluable.

You’re Already Halfway There

As a writer, you’re familiar with shaping a narrative, choosing your words with care, and speaking directly to your audience’s imagination. Think of your editing process as another draft. The mic captures the raw material, and editing turns it into a story that listeners will stick around for.

Don’t stress over perfection. Trust your gut, follow the story, and always, always listen back.

The post Podcast Editing for Writers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(5 Different Types of Podcasts for Writers to Try.)

It develops naturally over time as listeners hear candid stories, recognize familiar habits, and spend hours immersed in the host’s voice and worldview. A parasocial bond can feel like genuine friendship. Listeners might think of their favorite podcaster during their daily routines, turn to episodes for comfort during hard times, or celebrate milestones alongside them. Podcasters are building thriving communities and sustainable businesses by cultivating strong parasocial ties. Their audiences do more than just listen. They buy merch, interact online, attend the live shows, and share the podcast with others. Fostering that kind of emotional connection isn’t magic, it’s strategy.

How do you build that kind of bond with your listeners? I think it comes down to a blend of trust, excitement, and connection—three emotional pillars that keep people coming back and telling their friends about you.

Building Trust

Trust is the foundation of any strong relationship, parasocial or otherwise. For podcasters, it’s not just about being honest (although that helps). It’s about showing up consistently, delivering on promises, and letting listeners feel like they know the real you. These are a few key ways to build that foundation of trust.

Authentic Voice & Personality

Listeners can spot a phony a mile away. The best podcasters develop a hosting style that feels natural and unmistakably them. That means leaning into your quirks, your humor, your rhythms, and not trying to sound like someone else. Personal anecdotes, casual asides, and moments of genuine reaction all help build rapport. Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert shines here; his laid-back, self-deprecating style is a huge part of why listeners feel so comfortable with him.

Vulnerable Storytelling

Sharing personal highs and lows can be scary, but it’s one of the fastest ways to build real credibility with your audience. When hosts are willing to open up about creative struggles, life lessons, or funny mishaps listeners feel like they’re being invited behind the curtain. You also have the opportunity to help listeners feel less alone when they hear someone else discuss difficulties they too may face.

Well-Researched Content & Expert Guests

When you promise valuable information or interviews, delivering the goods is essential for maintaining trust. That means doing your homework, preparing thoughtful questions, and choosing guests who bring true expertise. Maintenance Phase and If Books Could Kill, for example, are known for their rigorous fact-checking and expert sourcing, giving listeners confidence that they’re getting solid, well-researched information every time they hit play.

Consistent Publishing Schedule

Few things erode trust faster than an unpredictable posting schedule. If listeners come to expect a new episode every Tuesday morning, stick to it. Even better? Tease what’s coming next to build anticipation. Podcasts become part of listeners’ weekly routines, and create a dependable rhythm that feels almost like a standing date with friends.

High-Quality Audio Production

Good audio isn’t just about sounding professional, it’s about respecting your listeners’ time and attention. Clean editing, consistent levels, and subtle use of room tone or music beds help create an experience that feels seamless and trustworthy. Think of it like good writing: When the mechanics are strong, the reader (or listener) can focus fully on the story. Many indie shows, like You’re Wrong About, strike this balance beautifully with crisp production that never feels overproduced.

Click to continue.

Sparking Excitement

Trust might bring listeners back, but excitement is what keeps them counting down the days to your next episode. To build lasting loyalty, you want to create a sense of momentum. Here’s how to keep the energy high.

Compelling Storytelling Structure

Great storytelling is probably the most important thing when it comes to audience excitement. That means hooking listeners with a strong opening, building narrative arcs that make them care about what happens next, and delivering satisfying resolutions. This can be done effectively in every genre of podcast, not just fiction.

Effective Pacing & Episode Length

It’s very important to know when to linger and when to move things along. Balancing deep dives with concise segments helps maintain a dynamic, engaging flow. Short-form bonus episodes, minisodes, or “extras” can be sprinkled between longer feature episodes to keep things fresh.

Creative Segments & Formats

Shaking up your format can inject excitement into your show without alienating your audience. Recurring features—like a “Tip of the Week” or a quarterly Q&A—become something listeners look forward to. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Narrative storytelling, interviews, roundtables, and solo monologues each bring a different energy. Reply All famously alternated between investigative pieces and playful “Super Tech Support” episodes, keeping listeners engaged in a variety of ways.

Consistent Publishing Schedule (Again!)

Yes, consistency builds trust, but it also builds excitement. Knowing that new episodes reliably drop every Wednesday morning, for example, gives listeners something to anticipate.

Narrative Cliffhangers & Teasers

Few things fuel word-of-mouth buzz like a good cliffhanger. Ending an episode with a dangling thread or hinting at a big reveal next week gives listeners a reason to keep thinking about your podcast and to bring it up in conversations. Podcast titan Serial ended most episodes with an open question or cliffhanger and people could not stop talking about it.

Strengthening Connection

Connection is where a podcast stops being just another show and starts feeling like a companion. When listeners feel seen, heard, and part of something bigger, they’re far more likely to stick around and bring friends along, too. Here’s how to make your audience feel connected.

Direct Address & Inclusive Language

Speaking directly to your listeners (“you”) and using inclusive phrases like “we” or “our community” instantly makes the experience more personal. It shifts the tone from performance to conversation.

Listener Spotlights & Interactive Rituals

Highlighting listener stories, voice memos, or comments is a simple but powerful way to show that you’re paying attention. Listeners are much more likely to share episodes with friends that feature their own email or comments. You can also create fun rituals, like a signature greeting, a recurring inside joke, or a quirky sign-off that listeners can anticipate and participate in.

Exclusive Insider Access

Offering Patreon-only episodes, behind-the-scenes updates, or private chats invite your most loyal listeners even closer. These small gestures create a feeling of belonging, and turn casual listeners into superfans.

Community Building Beyond the Podcast

Building connection doesn’t stop at the mic. Promoting episodes through social media and collaborations with other podcasters or writers extends the conversation, and gives listeners more ways to stay involved with the podcast and each other.

Once trust, connection and excitement are present for a sustained period of time, listeners will begin to feel a sense of comfort from your podcast. They know what to expect, they understand who you are and they know how your podcast makes them feel. In hard times, we all want to reach for a sure-thing, and often that can be a favorite podcast.

The post Captivating Your Podcast Audience: The Parasocial Connection appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In my last post, I discussed examples of podcasts created by writers. These individuals were able to lean on their skills and experiences as writers to craft excellent, well-known podcasts that helped advance their careers.

For some, it was simply their skills that were a great fit for podcasting, others were able to adapt written work into audio episodes and some dug into heaps of previous research to create something new but adjacent to their written work. Each situation is unique but the opportunities are vast for writers looking to podcast.

Generating Buzz Around Your Upcoming Work

Podcasting is an excellent promotional tool for projects and for your personal brand as a writer or creator. A straightforward way to promote your written work on an existing podcast (yours or someone else’s) would be to feature a book teaser in the podcast feed if the book is relevant to the show.

I think the most valuable method is networking with podcasters to gain exposure to established audiences, whether you have your own podcast or not. Booking guest appearances on other podcasts is free promotion for you and your work. Find podcasts that align with your book’s theme or audience and pitch yourself as a guest. Their listeners are essentially a target audience for your work.

A step beyond guest appearances is cross promotion. If you have a podcast, have the host of a podcast you appeared on come onto your show. You can also create two-part crossover episodes with another podcast (half of the episode is on their podcast feed and the other half is on yours) to encourage new listeners to come to your feed in order to finish listening.

Another method of cross promotion is for podcasters to place advertisements or trailers for each other’s podcasts on their own episodes or feeds. Being willing to network and participate in interviews is one of the best ways to increase your exposure.

Creating a Companion Podcast for Your Written Work

Some writers (and publishers) create podcast series as companions to their books. These podcasts might include behind-the-scenes discussions about the writing process, character deep dives or lore expansions, reader Q&A episodes, thematic explorations related to the book’s subject matter, historical context, and more.

A companion podcast can enhance readers’ engagement, especially in sci-fi and fantasy genres where fandoms commonly develop. It also attracts new audiences who may only discover your book through an episode of the podcast.

Side-Stepping Traditional Publishing Routes

Some indie authors have turned to podcasting as an alternative distribution method for audiobooks. A self-publishing writer could release audiobook chapters as individual podcast episodes and then offer the full audiobook behind a paywall. How much to release for free varies by situation. Some authors release their entire book or series as a free podcast and still see enormous book sales.

Scott Sigler for example, who I mentioned in my last post, released his work as free audio content and became a New York Times bestseller. It wasn’t until after the success of his podcast that he was reconsidered by major publishers. His story is a prime example of how podcasting can help launch a writer’s career.

Content Repackaging

If you’re a writer, then there is a good chance you have archives of writings and research that could be reworked for podcasting. Blog posts, essays, short stories, and previously unfinished writings can be adapted into audio experiences.

You may also have stacks of research from an old project. If you’ve already conducted the research for written work, why not explore repurposing it? Podcasting provides a platform to discuss your findings, interview experts, and share insights that might not make it into your final written work.

Insight via Analytics

One of the challenges writers face is tracking progress and reader engagement. Podcasting platforms provide analytics that offer insights into listener demographics, episode performance, and audience retention. You can discover how many listeners finished an episode, and if there were places in the episode where listeners dropped off. Unlike traditional publishing, where engagement is harder to quantify, podcast metrics provide excellent feedback so that writers can adjust their strategy based on data.

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Accessing Non-Readers

You’ll likely find that the audience for your podcast work is a little different than the audience for your written work, as some people who enjoy your style may not be big readers, but love to listen. There are also plenty of people who would like to read, but are too busy.

If you release audio content, interested but busy people can listen while they go about their daily tasks. This makes your work accessible to a broader audience, which can grow exponentially as listeners are able to easily share the podcast with friends.

Breaking Through Writer’s Block

Working in a new media forces us to forge new neural pathways in our brains. It can feel difficult at first, but with repetition, the pathways grow deeper and our new ways of working begin to feel more natural. This mental expansion can help open us up creatively through the experience of learning, novelty, and increased brain connections.

A simple way to use podcasting as a block breaking exercise would be to look through some of your work or research and try to construct a 20-minute podcast episode from some of the material. You will probably find yourself reorganizing information and changing the narrative structure to fit the new format, which can help with breaking out of routine thinking.

Embracing podcasting can open doors to fresh storytelling possibilities and help put writers on track for the next chapter of their careers. However you approach podcasting, remember to make it your own. You don’t even have to create your own podcast—guest appearances can do wonders for exposure. To get started, consider digging through your old research or pitching yourself as a guest on a podcast!

The post 7 Ways Podcasting Can Help With Writing Goals appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Does My Podcast Need Video?)

Hospitality Mindset

Your guests should feel appreciated, respected, and taken care of during the entire process. Remember that the person you’re interviewing might be nervous, and a comfortable environment fosters vulnerability and easy conversation. You don’t want your guest to see behind the fourth wall. They don’t need to know about tech problems or scheduling issues or the hectic morning you’ve had. It’s crucial that you get your own stress under control, focus on the guest, and create (at least the illusion of) a smooth recording experience. Ideally, everyone involved is absorbed in the conversation and forgets about the microphones at some point.

Be ready to pick up the conversational slack. If you were hosting a dinner party instead of a podcast and there was an awkward lull in the conversation, you would likely feel obligated to steer the group discussion in a new and promising direction. Hosting a podcast is similar. The conversation may dip, but it’s the host’s responsibility to track the energy and keep things moving. Remember, you have the reins and you are guiding your guest through this experience.

You also need to be on the same page with your co-hosts or team. It’s extremely awkward and confusing when hosts or producers openly disagree with each other or display tension in front of the guest. No one can give a good interview if the people they’re talking to are fighting with each other. Before the interview, have a check-in with your team to be sure everyone has the same understanding of the setup, goals, who is asking which questions, and overall interview plan.

The recording environment is another big thing to consider when thinking about hospitality. A lot of in-person interview podcasts use a couch or two large armchairs in a living room style setup with lamps rather than recording in a sterile, dark studio. Make sure water or tea is available for the guest and that the room is a comfortable temperature.

Some podcasters will even make the effort to travel to guests’ homes to conduct interviews. This can of course help the guest relax, but it’s also a big draw for audiences even without video. For example, one of the most played podcast episodes of all time was Call Her Daddy’s audio-only interview with Miley Cyress in which Alex Cooper (host) traveled to Cyress’ home for the episode. In this instance, Cyress opening her home was a point of interest even though there were no visuals because it added a layer of intimacy.

Over Prepare

Wonderful, unexpected moments seem to occur more often when podcasters are well prepared. Research your guests, know their achievements and credentials, know what they are currently promoting, and read their bio online if possible. Find out if they have a hobby or recent life event.

If your guest used to be a clown or grows their own mushrooms or was in the background of a music video once—you could open the interview by asking about one of these things.

It’s also good to have more content prepared than you need. Organize your questions and topics into essential and non-essential beforehand for a smooth interview. You never know what’s going to happen during a recording. The guest could be less chatty than expected, be in a bad mood, get cagey about certain topics, or the conversational energy could be low. 

These situations are inevitable, but to avoid awkwardness or cutting the interview short—have extra questions, a couple of open-ended discussion topics, and maybe a relevant personal anecdote ready. Not every host and interviewee are going to have naturally good chemistry, so having extra notes to lean on when improvised conversation fails can make a huge difference.

Stay on Topic (But Also Don’t)

There are certainly podcasts that thrive on letting guests talk themselves into a crazed, embarrassing hole, but unless that’s your goal, gently nudge guests back to relevant conversation by asking a new question. There is a happy medium between hammering through questions on your outline and letting the interview go off the rails. Digressions are often my favorite part of interviews because they spring organically from something the interviewer and host are connecting over (or disagree about, though that can make for equally good content). 

Keep in mind that the excess digressions can be cut out in post production, and sometimes it’s better to let the guest keep talking because it gives you more interview material to choose from. For the most part, I suggest removing or avoiding ‘secondary digressions,’ which is when there is a digression within digression—only keep these if they’re gold.

Incorporate Larger Themes

Depending on the guest, you may be able to openly dive into larger themes and cultural analyses. Guests who are journalists, work in politics, or are literary authors can give this kind of interview. Other guests whose experience falls outside of these areas may need to be guided more subtly through the themes of an interview. Using a combination of open-ended and leading questions to guide the guest in the direction you want to go is a good method in these situations. 

For example, an interview I produced that featured some of Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends was constructed in a way that allowed the women to share their experiences through natural conversation, but the questions and editing highlighted themes of coercive control and the infantilization of women.

Don’t Talk Too Much

Talking more than your guest is an interview faux pas. Beyond the awkward disrespect, it’s a disappointing experience for the listener who is expecting to hear from the guest and may have only come to your podcast feed because they follow said guest. 

You want the guest to do at least 60% of the talking, so make sure all discussion topics are in their wheelhouse and that the overall tone of the interview is a good fit for the guest.

Avoid Tech Freakouts

One way to make your guests really nervous is by having disorganized tech. Mics, recording equipment, computers, and video calls are notorious for making people nervous. It’s a piece of equipment that they’re not sure how to use but need to use while performing in a (sometimes high stakes) professional setting—pretty nerve wracking. 

If the interview is being recorded remotely over the internet, it’s essential to make time for a no-stress setup and sound check call. This could be with you, the host, if you are tech savvy or an audio engineer or producer. Explaining things slowly and assuring the guest that if tech issues arise there is help and it is not their fault does wonders for creating a relaxed environment.

Warm Up

I think a lot of people forget that podcasting is performing. Just like an athlete or actor, you need to be alert and in a flow state to conduct the best interview possible. 

I like to do vocal warmups and ecstatic dancing (an embarrassing activity that involves throwing your body around wildly to increase blood flow and endorphins) before recording a podcast. Some people go for a short walk, have a chat with a friend or coworker to get into conversation mode, or meditate. Find what makes you feel the most prepared and create your own warm up routine.

The post 7 Interviewing Tips for Podcasters appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In a past edition of this column, I explored the ways you can approach creating and sharing content to support your work as an author. But what about the nitty-gritty of video production and content creation?

This is where many people get stuck. You want your content to be a reflection of you and your writing: high-quality and reliable. You definitely don’t want people to second-guess your expertise because of the way you present yourself online. Luckily, there are lots of wonderful tools accessible to you—and I’ll clue you in on my go-tos.

Thinking like a producer means creating content in multiple ways and across multiple platforms, from pre-recorded videos to live video interviews. Producers also know how to leverage tech and on-camera skills for the best possible end result.

Here are my tips for creating content that boosts your profile and supports your goals as an author.

1. Consider your appearance.

Even though an at-home video recording or interview means the camera will only capture you from the waist or chest up, don’t wear sweatpants or pajamas! Get fully dressed, as if you were heading into an in-person meeting or interview. You want to fully embody your professional persona as an author, and the right clothes help you step into that role.

When getting dressed, think about what outfits will be the least distracting. Solid colors such as blue or green are ideal. If you’re using a microphone, don’t wear jewelry that could bump into it while you’re talking and make a distracting sound. If you wear makeup, test out a few different looks so you can see what comes across well on camera. You don’t need to transform into someone else—you just want to come across as your best self.

2. Slow down your speaking.

We all use “um” and “like” sometimes, but it’s time to work on cutting those out, at least on camera. Using filler words distracts from your message and it undermines your credibility. Record yourself and notice what filler words you tend to rely on. Then, try again and practice slowing down and removing them from your speech. My best suggestion is to get comfortable with a moment of silence—it’s always better than rambling.

3. Make eye contact.

Always look at the camera, not at yourself! I know that it feels more natural to look at yourself or at the person you’re speaking with when you’re doing an interview. But when you do that, people don’t get that sense of eye contact and connect with you. It’s much better to make eye contact with the camera. It feels less uncomfortable the more you do it! I have lots of tips and tricks like this in my course, Media-Ready Author.

4. Simplify your background.

When you’re creating content from home, you want to make sure your background is appropriate for video meetings or interviews. Try to have a simple background—you can always move your desk around for the occasion. Having lots of items behind you will draw your audience’s attention away from your message and towards your knick-knacks! If you can easily get your book behind you, do it. Ideally, you’ll have some depth behind you if you can, but if not, a solid color works too. As for virtual backgrounds or blurring effects, I suggest skipping them. You don’t want to look like you’re hiding a messy room behind you!

5. Keep the lighting natural.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy lighting. Use natural light whenever possible. Never put a window behind you, because it will make your space look dark and uninviting. The more light, the better quality your on-camera image. Remember keep the light on your face, not behind it.

6. Invest in a microphone.

Having a good microphone means you’ll be heard loud and clear during video calls and interviews. You don’t want someone to have to ask you to repeat yourself because your voice sounded too fuzzy.

I suggest the Stick Microphone for when you’re using your laptop, or the Lav Microphone when you’re using your phone. You should test out your new hardware prior to creating any content or using it for an interview—you want to make sure you know how it works before the big moment.

7. Check out noise-canceling software.

Creating content from home means you run the risk of background noise. No one expects that you’ll have a soundproof recording studio, but you should try your best to minimize sounds that distract from your voice. Krisp is an app that allows you to mute background noise during calls. It’s perfect for working from home, since you don’t have to worry about the sounds of your kids or pets interrupting an interview.

8. Make sure your camera is up to the task.

A low-quality camera can’t produce a good image, even with the best lighting. It’s important for your audience and your interviewers to be able to see you clearly. Many smartphones and computers have great cameras these days, but if you want to buy a separate camera, the Logitech 1080p is a great option.

9. Elevate your computer.

Having a computer stand is one of my best tips for elevating your on-camera appearance. Elevating your camera creates a more natural, and level video, as if you really were right in front of your audience. This is super important for creating connection and intimacy with the person you’re talking to. You can also try a standing desk! If you don’t have time to order a computer stand, you can always prop up your laptop with some books. Just make sure to do a quick test to make sure things look right.

10. Practice, practice, practice.

If you’re new to creating video content or doing media interviews, it’s a good idea to practice talking and answering questions before the real thing. Try recording yourself so that you can see how you’re doing. Then you can rewatch and take note of what you’re doing well and what you want to improve on. Try using my 10 Media Questions Every Author Needs to Answer as you practice.

Here’s some things to look out for: Are you looking at yourself or the camera? Are you using filler words? How is your posture? Is the background distracting?

Practicing will help you feel more confident in your presentation, and that will definitely come across in your content. The more content you create and the more interviews you do, the more comfortable you’ll feel.

Click to continue.

The post Think Like a Producer to Look and Sound Your Best appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Podcasts that come from a place of authenticity and really deliver quality content can get away with a little background noise and lighter editing. Just be sure to avoid these five mistakes that make listeners turn off your podcast.

Once you get to the recording phase, the best thing you can do for yourself to keep costs down is practice. And practice and practice, and be prepared to fully scrap recordings and try again, especially at the beginning. It takes much longer and is far more costly to piece together a slow or error-filled episode in post production than it is to just try again for a cleaner take of the episode. Eventually you’ll get to the point where you don’t have to scrap recordings and hardly practice at all! 

Just like a stage actor, you can build your performance skills (even though there is no live audience) by trying to get the recording to be as close to a live performance as possible—meaning that you don’t lean on the idea of ‘fixing it in post.’ Of course a great deal of things can be fixed in post and a slow episode can be tightened and improved significantly, but know that this will take an editor (or you) a considerable amount of time. A few mistakes here and there are no big deal at all, but if you find that there is something every few minutes or more that you are unhappy with, it’s probably a good idea to re-record your episode.

I always advise the help of an audio engineer at the beginning of your podcast journey. You will need to pay them for their time, but an audio engineer will be able to guide you toward the right equipment for your needs and budget, and also help you set up your recording space and programs in a way that will make post production as simple as possible. 

A couple of hours with an audio engineer to plan your podcast and run sound checks for your space can save you a lot of time, money and headaches in post production. If you’re doing post production yourself, the engineer can help you get a great recording to make sure your final product sounds as good as possible, and your recordings are simple to work with.

For some podcasters, budgeting time is as important or more important than budgeting money. If time is your most precious resource, there are plenty of ways to outsource your podcasting work to the point where you are just hopping on to record the show, and maybe giving some notes to a producer before and after. There is a way to have a podcast with only a few hours of work per week, but it requires a team of people you trust with your brand and content.

Most podcasters find themselves somewhere in the middle, needing to budget both their time and money wisely. Often, as a podcast grows and becomes more lucrative, the workload increases due to ad deals, additional pattern content, marketing, and brand management. It’s usually at this point that podcasters reach out to producers, editors, social media managers, etc.

Regardless of your budget, the equipment needed to record a podcast well is not all that expensive. There are a lot of pricey podcasting kits and bundles on the market, but I have found that most of these kits include elaborate audio interface consoles that are complicated in an unnecessary way and offer functions that most podcasters neither need nor know how to use. This can make the equipment difficult to operate without an engineer. 

For example, if you’re recording a two-person podcast, you don’t need an audio interface with 10 mic lines, Bluetooth, line in, voice eq, sound effects bank, and required software updates. That’s overwhelming for most podcasters, even when they have help. I’ve spent many hours on calls with podcasters who are lost in the settings of these complicated recording interfaces and unable to, ‘get the thing to record!’

So what do you actually need? Every show is different but generally podcasts will need quality microphones, cables, probably mic stands, and an audio interface or handheld recorder that is compatible with your mic cable (usb or xlr). You’ll also need software (or producer) to edit the episode. If you’re able to capture good recordings with minimal noise, Garage Band has enough tools to do simple podcast editing. It also comes preloaded on Apple computers so you can avoid additional software costs.

The recording device or interface (the thing that converts your mic signal to something usable for the computer) is usually where things get complicated. This is not a brand endorsement, but my favorite recording tools for podcasting are super simple and between $80-$300. 

The first are Zoom Hn4 recorders which are highly portable, handheld size, and can be used with or without a computer as they have a memory card. Additionally Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (and similar models) are a great interface for those recording into a computer program. I’ve worked with podcasters who had the expensive podcasting big rig and switched to a Zoom or Scarlett because they are simpler to use and maintain professional quality.

For those trying to bring costs down as much as possible, USB mics can be a good option because most allow you to skip the audio interface altogether. You can usually plug the mic into a computer without any additional equipment. The downside to USB mics is that they are usually lower quality and have a slightly different sound than traditional microphones. If you do opt for a USB mic, just be sure to read the instructions to make sure you have it positioned correctly.

No matter the budget, getting a good quality recording that needs minimal editing keeps time and money spent at a minimum. The key to easy post production (aside from the practicing I mentioned earlier) is a good sounding recording. Recording in a space that is quiet and echo-free (a room with rugs or carpet and a couch, bed or other soft materials to dampen sound) will improve your recording tremendously and bring down your post production efforts or costs.

When deciding how to make your podcast, consider how much time and money you’re willing to invest and create a plan that works for your unique situation. Spending a little money for a consultation with an audio engineer during the setup phase of your project can make things smoother, faster, and more affordable going forward. Regardless of budget, reducing potential problems is important for every podcaster’s pocket and sanity.     

The post Podcasting on a Budget appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Warming Up

Have you ever noticed how sometimes at the beginning of a performance the hosts/actors don’t seem settled into their roles yet? Some of them deliver their lines too quietly and slowly, others rush through, tripping over words or accidentally using a booming voice. Once the actors are warmed up, the scenes and dialogue begin to feel more natural. This is true of any performance and certainly pertains to podcasting and reading aloud in general.

(How to Start Podcasting: A Checklist for Writers.)

Ideally, the audience isn’t present until you’re already warmed up and into a flow. In theater or bookstore readings this isn’t always possible, but with pre-recorded media we can capture the best window of the performance. For this reason, warming up your mouth physically with vocal warmup exercises, as well as warming up your brain are crucial to giving the best performance of the text that suits your audience.

Breath and Posture

Most people record in a home studio or a professional but relaxed environment. This comfortability is totally fine and encouraged but can lead to poor posture during recording. If you pay close attention when listening to audio, you can hear the way someone holds their body while speaking, just like how you can “hear a smile” in someone’s voice.

The way we hold our bodies affects our diaphragm and the amount of pressure behind our voice. Slouching forward for example can cause weak sounding delivery. Sitting upright with your body aligned and taking deep breaths into the belly before starting can help make the voice sound full and natural in pitch. Vocal pitch can be heavily affected by posture due to constriction in the chest or a change in the aperture of the throat. To keep your reading voice sounding natural and full, it’s important to sit upright but comfortably with your head, neck and torso aligned.

Pacing

I touched on this when discussing warming up, but it’s very common for people to read faster or more slowly during a recording than they had intended. It can be difficult to judge your own performance while performing. For this reason, it can be helpful to record yourself and listen back, make adjustments, and try again.

Even if you felt as though you were reading at a normal pace, you may listen back to find that you were rushing, failing to take breaths, or perhaps talking much too slowly for the listener to stay engaged.

Body Language and Eye Contact

If you are recording video, not just audio, body language becomes important beyond breath support and vocal tone. Just as you would do at any other in-person reading, make sure that your body language is welcoming and open, and that you glance periodically at the camera as though you were glancing at your audience. 

When people fail to have open body language, or do not look periodically at the camera, it can create a feeling of discomfort in the viewer.

Authenticity

Authenticity is one of the most sought-after host qualities for media consumers under the age of 45. Make sure you are being yourself during the reading. Nerves can obviously get in the way of this, but the warm-up that I mentioned up top is key to shaking this off and feeling comfortable in your own skin as you are recorded. If you are comfortable and authentic, the audience will also relax, fully enjoy, and become immersed in your reading.

Remember that just like a performer in an auditorium, you set the energy and the mood for your audience. If you are anxious, they are anxious. If you are at ease and yourself, they are at ease. Don’t worry about things like correcting for a regional accent, or speaking in a way other than how you normally speak (unless voicing characters, of course). Listeners connect with authentic voices, not newscasters.

Dry Mouth

It might not seem like a big deal, but a dry mouth next to a hot mic creates a lot of unappealing clicking and mouth sounds. Having some water before and nearby during a recording session will make an enormous difference for the listener. This is a complaint I see from listeners all the time on radio and podcast reviews.

These noises are so aggravating to some people that they refuse to listen to content they are interested in due to the dry mouth sounds. It’s such an easy fix, don’t let dry mouth noises chase away your listeners! This one applies to reading aloud in any situation but is especially important when recording professional audio.

Critique and Multiple Takes

Critiquing and doing multiple takes will help with every aspect of podcasting and reading aloud. This can be tough at first, especially if you haven’t heard yourself recorded before or aren’t used to critiques, but it’s very difficult to improve until you have a clear idea of your performance. When you are a little more confident, sharing your recording with a friend or colleague for honest feedback can help get an outside view on your work.

Taking a little time away from the recording process can also help clear your head in order to get a fresher perspective when you come back to review your work.

Lastly, don’t forget to check out other writers and podcasters online who are doing what you want to do! Look at their work critically as well—what do you like about their performance, what would you do differently? Just remember to stay authentic to who you are as a writer.

The post Reading Aloud: Tips for Captivating Your Audience for Podcasting and Video appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(How to Start Podcasting: A Checklist for Writers.)

When I work on unscripted podcasts, I generally aim for producing them more perfectly than a live stream, but less perfectly than an audiobook or audio drama.

1. Overuse of Words or Phrases

We’re all guilty of this from time to time in conversation, in our writing, and certainly on podcasts. Overusing words or phrases often has the effect of taking the listener ‘out’ of the podcast. They’re no longer listening to the content because they’ve switched to focusing more on how many times they hear your verbal habit.

The fix: Unlike real life non-recorded conversations, with podcasts we have the advantage of being able to listen back to what we’ve said. With a skilled editor, we can even remove some of the overused phrases after the fact. It can be challenging for our ego at first, but listening to yourself unedited, and with a critical ear is crucial. 

Ask yourself if there are any ‘crutch words’ you overuse when you aren’t sure what to say or as an exclamation. Two of the most notoriously overused phrases from podcast hosts are “you know” and “one hundred percent.” 

2. Echo or Unpleasant Sounds

New podcasters are often surprised by how hard it is to get a quality recording without the noise of traffic, helicopters, kids, air conditioning, echos of their own voice, mysterious electronic hum, and radio interference getting into their recordings and making a mess.

The fix: The most surefire fix for great sound (and most of the items on today’s list) is to hire a sound savvy producer or audio engineer to help you troubleshoot your recording setup and/or remove the noise from your episodes in post production.

There are also lots of simple ways to tweak your recording setup to minimize noise, echo, and interference. The most important is to record in a room that is as soft as possible—carpet (most important), rugs, couches, a bed with comforters and pillows, hanging blankets, or tapestries—all of these things will help deaden the sound in your recording space. 

Sound waves bounce off of surfaces like tile, glass, wood, and bare drywall creating unpleasant echoes and allowing outside noise into your recording. You don’t need to build a recording studio in your house, but choosing to record in a carpeted closet or a room with a lot of upholstered furniture or bedding will go a long way to improve your sound. And whatever you do, don’t record in your bathroom or kitchen.

3. Dead Air

Imagine you’re listening to an episode of your favorite podcast and all of a sudden, there are 4…5…7 seconds of silence. You would probably look at your phone or tablet to make sure you didn’t pause the show or exit the app. Not a huge deal, except—you’re not engaged in the content anymore. Checking to see if there was an issue on your end has now taken your mind out of the podcast, and when there are multiple dead air spots during a podcast, many listeners will become too distracted and move on to different content. 

Dead air usually happens when podcasters pause for a long time to think, or when speakers are extra mindful of not talking over one another. It can also happen if your music or sound effect cues are misaligned. All of these situations are easily corrected, but when left in the final release of a podcast, will lose listeners fast!

The fix: While it can be a good goal to work on the host’s performance to minimize dead air in the future, it is sometimes unavoidable. The best solution for fixing spots of dead air is simply to edit your podcast in post, which, I would say, is absolutely necessary regardless of the podcast. 

This is a task that can be outsourced, or depending on the complexity of the show, done by you or your current podcasting team. Most editing I would recommend hiring a producer/engineer for, but removing dead air is very simple and can be done in any industry standard audio editing software or a simple program like GarageBand.

4. Issues With Pacing or Energy

Pacing affects the energy and the energy affects the pacing. They are inextricably linked and cyclical, but it’s important to remember that they’re not exactly the same thing.

Pacing: Just like a good book or story, a great podcast moves the listener along in a way that keeps them engaged. Long-winded anecdotes or asides can be one of the biggest culprits when it comes to pacing problems.

The Fix: As with many of the issues I’m discussing today, listening to your raw recordings a day or two later can make a world of difference. Try to listen with a critical ear, like someone who doesn’t know you. Does anything feel too long? Too far off topic? A personal anecdote can go a long way to help the audience feel connected to a host or subject, but if the anecdotes are less than entertaining, too slowly delivered, or too long it will affect the quality of the podcast and listenership greatly.

Not everything you say will be interesting, and that’s totally okay! So much of podcasting is about trying things and tweaking them. The key is to remain flexible and try to keep your ego out of it. Hosting is performing, and it’s a hard skill to learn!

Energy: When it comes to the energy in the host’s voice, it’s important to match the energy to the content and audience, keeping engagement in mind. It’s also important to get any tenseness or nerves out of the voice. An anxious host can rush the content delivery, or even pass that anxious feeling onto the listener, who will likely turn off the podcast.

The fix: Again, listening critically to your raw audio after recording is key. It’s often difficult to accurately perceive our own energy completely correctly when performing or hosting. The nerves and excitement skew our reality, and sometimes we talk with much more or less pressure, volume, or enthusiasm than we thought. 

Listening to your recordings will help you gauge your energy, tweak it to be the best fit for your show, and have a more accurate perception of your performance as a host in real time. Vocal warmups, breathwork, and ecstatic dancing (shaking the whole body) can help relax and prepare our bodies and voices before recording.

5. Not Mastering

Have you ever turned on a podcast and parts of it blast out your ear drums while other parts are too quiet to hear? This is unmastered audio.

The fix: Unsurprisingly, the fix is to master your audio or hire a service or individual to master it for you. Mastering is the process by which an engineer normalizes the loudness of your audio to be more uniform, and therefore easier to listen to across all kinds of devices. Mastering also makes your podcast industry standard for loudness, meaning that it won’t sound comparatively quiet when played right after another show. 

If outsourcing your mastering is not in the budget for your podcast, there are simple ways to get a decently mastered podcast on your own, but more on that later in the series! 

The post 5 Mistakes That Make Listeners Turn Off Your Podcast: And How to Avoid Them appeared first on Writer's Digest.

1. Preliminary Planning

Before anything else, it’s important to understand the concept and purpose of your podcast. There are some questions we can ask ourselves when getting started, such as:

What is my podcast’s purpose? 

Some purposes could be societal contribution, growing an audience for written work, career advancement, financial, fun, etc. Knowing your purpose can help you make brand and content choices that get your podcast closer to your definition of success.

What kind of content will I produce?

Think about your genre, audience, desired length, subject matter, and where your content fits into the larger podcast space. Are there podcasts like yours? It can be helpful to look at what those podcasts are doing that you can learn from. You can also determine how to differentiate yourself from similar shows.

Who is my audience?

Target audience is important to consider when planning and strategizing a podcast. As I discussed in my last post, “Why Writers Should Consider Podcasting,” having a somewhat niche audience can be a big advantage in podcast visibility. No show that is ‘for everyone’ can cut through the search or suggested list algorithms without huge amounts of funding. For independent podcasters, a narrowed audience is usually the best way to cut through the noise and grow a following of dedicated listeners.

2. Create a List of Possible Episodes

A list of possible episodes can help us see the whole of what a podcast can be, which can inform decisions about content, format, keywords, and production.

If my podcast is ‘always on,’ (meaning the podcast is released regularly and indefinitely, possibly for years) then it’s good to have about 50 episode ideas before proceeding with the podcast. For limited series or podcasts with shorter seasons this number is obviously much lower.

Regardless of your planned release schedule, creating a list of possible episodes can be one of the most helpful and inspiring steps of creating a podcast.

3. Plan Format and Schedule

Think about the length, possible segments, intro and outro, interviews, how many hosts, etc. It can be helpful to create a first draft episode outline for one of the topics you plan to do when trying to determine show format. Plan in the draft how long each segment will be, and be prepared to adjust as you go.

You’ll also need to decide how many episodes you plan to release and how frequently. Keep in mind your audience demographics and how much time you have to dedicate to podcasting. Ask yourself, “Who will be listening and when?” Then adjust your format to best suit your time management needs and projected audience’s listening habits.

4. Create 3-5 Episode Outlines

Using the show format you’ve decided on, create a handful of episode outlines. Doing this before recording any episodes can help ensure the episodes are cohesive. It’s easy to accidentally create a pilot episode that ends up being very different from the content that follows.

5. Write Your Podcast Description

Now that you have a few episodes outlined, you can write an accurate show description. Be sure to include keywords that your intended audience will be searching.

6. Create a Production Plan

Production needs vary greatly from podcast to podcast. Keeping in mind your budget, you’ll need to consider the recording space, equipment, and post production.

Find a Recording Space

Some people prefer to rent space at a recording studio, and other people prefer to set up a recording space at home. The main difference (aside from studio rental cost) is that a recording space will typically have recording equipment, so you won’t have to find and buy your own. Recording studios are also soundproofed, meaning you won’t have any echo or background noise—things you either have to contend with in a home or office setup, or be prepared to remove in post.

That being said, it’s not terribly difficult to set up a podcasting space in your house or apartment. Closets full of clothes, rooms with rugs and couches or carpeted spaces are great for recording. It’s also possible to get all the equipment needed for podcasting (besides a computer) fairly inexpensively.

Equipment Needs

You’ll need a microphone, mic stand, XLR cable, and headphones for each person participating in the podcast in-studio (call-in guests can be recorded through third party platforms such as Zencastr). You’ll also need something to record into, such as a Zoom Handheld Recorder, or an interface that sends your mic feeds to a computer application such as Garageband or ProTools.

If you plan to purchase equipment for a home setup, I would recommend seeking the advice of an audio engineer or producer. There are lots of setup options, and an engineer can help you figure out what works best for you, your podcast, your space, and your budget.

Post Production

Your podcast most likely needs to be edited before it’s released into the wild, so think about what kind of post production you might need to outsource. For example: audio correction, dialogue edits, music or sound effects added, mixing and mastering. These are things you may be able to do yourself depending on skill level, or may need to pay an audio professional to do for you.

7. Record and Produce a Practice Episode for Feedback

Record, produce, and listen to an episode. Then if you’re ready, ask a few friends or colleagues to listen to your practice episode (you can call it a pilot) and give you feedback. Give yourself feedback as well. What’s working? Does anything feel slow? Is the sound quality professional? What needs to change going forward to make this more entertaining, informative, or successful for you.

8. Record and Produce the First Batch of Episodes

Making sure to apply the feedback you received on the practice episode, it’s now time to record, produce, and finalize the first few episodes.

9. Create or Outsource Artwork

This is a step many people undervalue, but having professional looking artwork and branding for your podcast is the equivalent of an attractive book cover. Should we choose podcasts based on the cover art? No, but we do. Amateur looking artwork (unless very intentionally) can suggest that a podcast will also have poor production and audio quality, which will deter people from listening.

10. Find Your Hosting Site and Create an Account

A hosting site is where your podcast lives on the internet. From there it is launched around the world to all the other apps. There are a handful of hosting sites, including Audioboom and Acast, that help negotiate payments from advertisers for podcasts that have over 1,000 listens per episode. After comparing the hosting sites you are interested in, simply create your account and profile, then you can upload your artwork, description, tags, and schedule episodes.

11. Announce a Launch Date

Announcing a launch date and creating anticipation on social media makes a big difference in the attention a podcast receives. Any sharing or reposts about your podcast are free advertisements.

12. Launch Your Podcast and Keep Going

You have a podcast now! After launching, just keep up the good work. Continue releasing your podcast on schedule and engaging with others on social media. Consistency is key for growing a podcast audience.

The post How to Start Podcasting: A Checklist for Writers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(5 Things I Learned From Co-hosting a Book Podcast.)

We are living in a time of large scale media changes, and it is a little anxiety inducing but it’s also exciting. Radio feels more antiquated all the time—overly mainstream even for mainstream cool—and podcasting has become an integral part of our academic and pop culture landscapes.

Many podcast listeners are trying to learn something or dig deep into a particular topic. Nonfiction writers can be great candidates for educational or society and culture podcasts because they are well versed on specific topics, and usually have a backlog of writings and research that can be converted into podcast series. 

There is also an enormous population of listeners who crave narrative style storytelling content, which is great for fiction writers. We have seen the emergence of radio theater style podcasts, fiction dramas with famous actors voicing the characters, audio book chapters released as podcast episodes, short story podcasts, and all kinds of fiction adapted for audio streaming.

Niche Advantage

It used to be that if I was deeply interested in vintage sewing machines (for example), I would have to travel to trade shows and scour my local library for whatever I could find. This left people with quirky interests (which I think is most of us) lonely and craving seemingly unpopular content.

Then, the internet created a hyper-personalized world for each of us. A quick keywords search and niche communities are able to connect without traveling to each other. Podcasters can reach all the little pockets of listeners spread across the globe without anyone leaving their home. 

Writers can reach more potential readers by creating a podcast or by appearing as a guest on a podcast with an overlapping target audience. If writers understand their audience demographics, they can tap into the mighty power of internet subcultures.

Audience Expansion

One of the greatest advantages of podcasting is that listening is passive—we can listen while we do other things. If I publish a story both as a written text and as a podcast, my audience will have significantly more opportunities to engage with my podcast simply because they will have more opportunities to listen than to read. 

There is a tier of listeners called ‘Super Listeners,’ which is a loose industry term meaning people who consume 10-15+ hours of podcast content per week. I am a Super Listener, as are many of my friends and we are definitely multitasking during the 10-15 hours of listening. I don’t usually sit down and read a book, but I listen to 3+ hours of podcasts each day.

Another advantage is that podcasts are quickly and easily shareable. Links to episodes can be copied to Instagram stories and reposted into infinity. For more anticipated work, writers can post a trailer of their upcoming podcast to be blasted out across the internet, and put the episode or series behind a paywall. 

Another approach is to release the first chapter or two of an audio book for free and release the rest as pay-to-download. This can be a good way to increase interest and revenue—especially if paired with a sharing campaign on social media to promote the free chapters when they drop.

Creating a podcast isn’t the only way for writers to take advantage of podcasting. They can also utilize existing podcasts to advertise their work. Writers are often booked as guests on established podcasts in order to promote an upcoming release, but they can also consider paying to run an ad for their upcoming work on a podcast with an overlapping audience. 

Let’s talk again about how listening is passive. Someone has to choose to read a book summary, but an audio ad just plays in their ears, exposing them to samples of beautiful prose without venturing into a bookstore or even intending to check out the work. Not to mention audio excerpts are far more engaging than a stagnant print or digital advertisement.

Supports Multiple Streams of Income

When it comes to direct income from a podcast, the primary cash flow comes through ad sales and Patreon accounts (where listeners can pay for additional content and make donations). There is no minimum listenership required to start a Patreon account, but podcasts need at least 1,000 downloads per episode to be considered for advertising. 

Podcast creators can work directly with businesses to sell ad space on their episodes, or monetize their podcast via their distributor (Audioboom, Acast, Anchor, others). Podcast backlogs can provide passive income for writers through ad sales and Patreon payments. Network deals are another way for writers with a large following to be paid for podcasting, but payment and terms differ greatly.

There is also indirect income to be made from podcasting because a podcast is not just a podcast, it’s also an advertisement for a writer’s other work. Releasing work in several types of media creates a flywheel where regardless of which media a user begins consuming, they are always directed to the other content. This converts listeners to readers and vice-versa, driving numbers up across all platforms. In this way, podcasting can be considered an investment in an overall brand.

Networking

Podcasting is an excellent way for communities of writers and creators to support one another. Sharing each other’s podcast links on social media doesn’t [have to] cost anything and is a great way to gain contacts, support other podcasters, and promote work to wider audiences.

Being a guest and having guests on a podcast is one of the best ways to organically network and grow an audience. ‘Guesting’ can also be good for writers looking to get their feet wet before diving into creating a podcast of their own, and there are a wide variety of ways for writers to be podcast guests. 

For example, if I’m an author who writes Medieval European Historical Fiction, I might reach out about being a guest on podcasts that cover medieval history or European lore. Maybe even something like the BBCs ‘In Our Time’ podcast which features historians and scholars discussing events throughout world history. While the topics covered on these podcasts are not exactly the same as Medieval European Historical Fiction (my pretend genre), the idea is to find podcasts where I can contribute to the conversation and gain access to established audiences that might be interested in my work because it is similar to what they are already consuming.

Accessibility

The last and perhaps most obvious reason that writers should consider podcasting is that podcasting can deliver all of the advantages discussed in this post with very low barriers to entry. Podcasts can usually be recorded at home with relatively inexpensive equipment and internet hosting fees are typically in the $0-$10 per month range. 

Lots of new podcasters over pay for expensive equipment and studio time, but with a little bit of intel writers can launch low-stress, professional grade podcasts and reap all the benefits of getting their work in people’s ears.

Next in this series, I’ll go over a checklist of specifics for writers who want to start podcasting.

The post 5 Reasons Why Writers Should Consider Podcasting appeared first on Writer's Digest.