(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.

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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.

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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.

(Common Publishing Terms for Writers.)

For writers who podcast, these terms are helpful to understand as you get going.

Audio and Recording Terms for Writers

• Clipping. Clipping is when the volume exceeds that peak, causing distortion—essentially, your audio is “breaking.”
• DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). A DAW is software used to record, edit, and mix audio. Popular DAWs for new podcasters include GarageBand, LogicPro and Reaper. Professional standard DAWs include Adobe Audition (or Premier for video), and ProTools. DAWS are essentially an audio editing studio on a screen.
• Double-Ender. A double-ender is a recording method where each podcast participant records their own audio locally (also called a “native recording”). Later, the separate files are synced in post-production for high-quality results. This method is especially helpful for remote interviews when internet service fluctuations can create problems. The idea is that the final recording quality is not internet dependent, so even if communication gets bumpy, the audio and video files will be glitch-free.
• Dynamic Range. The dynamic range of recording is the difference between the quietest and loudest parts of your audio. Producers use compression to reduce this range—making quiet parts louder and loud parts softer—then raise the overall loudness to meet industry standards. This helps ensure a consistent, professional sound.
• Gain. Gain is the strength of the audio signal, which can be adjusted via the gain knob on your microphone or recording interface. Adjusting the gain increases or decreases your levels.
• Levels. In audio recording, levels refer to the volume.
• MP3 files and WAV files. MP3 and WAV files are the most common audio file formats you’ll work with in podcasting, but they serve different purposes: WAV files are uncompressed and high-quality, ideal for editing and mastering. MP3 files are compressed and smaller, making them the standard for podcast distribution and streaming. Record in WAV, and export the final episode as an MP3.
• Normalized Audio. Normalized audio has been compressed to reduce the dynamic range and has a consistent loudness throughout. This creates a good experience for the listener who won’t need to adjust their volume while enjoying the episode.
• Peaking. Peaking happens when audio is too loud, nearing the maximum (or peak) level a system can handle. Think of peaking as a yellow flag meaning you should turn down your gain.
• Room Tone. Room tone is the ambient sound of a recording space when no one is speaking. Capturing a few seconds of room tone, usually at the start of a recording, helps editors create undetectable edits and remove background noise without making the audio feel unnatural or overly silent.

Click to continue.

Creative Element Terms for Writers

• Episode Chapters. Just like a book, podcast episodes can have chapters. If you’re uploading to Youtube this is a simple, supported feature. Not every audio platform supports chapters but some, like Spotify, do. Chapters help with audience engagement and retention by giving listeners the option to skip forward if they are bored or looking for a certain part of the episode. Skipping over expositional banter is one of the most common reasons listeners look for chapters. Even pasting chapter timestamps into your episode show notes can help support listenership.
• Music Bed. A music bed is background music layered under dialogue or transitions. It enhances mood and pacing without overpowering the voice track. Podcasters often use royalty-free music libraries (like Artlist, Epidemic Sound, or Free Music Archive) or music licensed under Creative Commons. When using Creative Commons-licensed music or sound effects, be sure to check the terms. Some require attribution, while others do not and some may restrict commercial use.
• Show Notes. Show notes are the written summaries accompanying each episode. They include episode highlights, guest bios, links, and any resources mentioned. Show notes improve SEO, accessibility, and give listeners more context.

Distribution Terms for Writers

• Analytics. Podcast analytics track listener behavior—downloads, geographic location, devices used, listener retention, and more. Hosting platforms (like Libsyn, Podbean, or Audioboom) provide this data so creators can understand and grow their audience. When choosing a hosting platform (which is usually where your RSS feed lives), one thing to look into is whether you like the analytics the platform provides, as they are a bit different platform to platform.
• ID3 Tags (Metadata). ID3 tags are embedded in your MP3 files and include information like the episode title, podcast name, artwork, and genre. These tags display on media players and help organize your episodes for listeners or collaborators.
• RSS Feed (Really Simple Syndication). An RSS feed is the digital pipeline that delivers your podcast episodes to directories like Apple Podcasts and Spotify. It contains all your show’s metadata—title, description, episode list—and updates automatically when you publish new content (kind of like it’s…really simple syndication). So, when you upload new podcasts episodes, you only upload them to your RSS feed, which broadcasts your content to all platforms.

Advertising Terms for Writers

• Baked-In Ads. These are advertisements recorded directly into your episode and are part of the permanent audio. They don’t change over time and feel more organic, like host-read endorsements.
• Dynamic Insert Ads (DIA). These ads are dropped into episodes after publishing using ad placement technology. They can be targeted based on listener location, behavior, or time of download, and swapped out over time—useful for keeping content fresh or monetizing your back catalog.
• Faked-In Ads. Faked-in ads are a cross between baked-in and direct insert ads. They are host-read, but rather than being permanently included in the episode audio, they are dropped into episodes with DIA technology. This allows host-read ads to change over time, or be dropped into other podcasts with overlapping demographics.

The post 20 Podcasting Terms Every Writer Should Know 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.

(7 Interviewing Tips for Podcasters.)

Audiences are now more open to unique formats. Hosting or producing a great podcast can help writers reach their professional goals in a number of different ways—which I will talk more about in the future. There are innumerable podcasts by writers that have done just this, but these are seven of my favorite examples (and a handful of honorable mentions).

Pod Save America

Pod Save America describes itself as ‘a no-bullshit conversation about politics hosted by former Obama aides Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer, and Tommy Vietor.’ John Lovett is a career journalist, TV writer and producer who served as Barack Obama’s speech writer before co-creating Pod Save America and co-founding Crooked Media. His background in politics paired with speech writing skills and natural humor were a perfect fit for podcasting. Lovett shares his vast political knowledge in a way that is digestible, succinct, and entertaining. Fun fact: Jon Lovett was also a contestant on a recent season of Survivor.

The Read

The Read is a multi-award winning podcast hosted by Kid Fury and Crissle West. Kid Fury is a comedian, YouTuber, and television writer (Rap Sh!t). Crissle West’s essays have been featured in various magazines, and she recounted the tales of Harriet Tubman and Marsha P. Johnson for the series Drunk History. Both hosts are excellent comedic improvisers, which I would argue is a writing-adjacent skill. The Read is a part of the Loud Speakers Network, which was created by Reginald Joseph Ossé (known professionally as Combat Jack). Ossé, who began his career as a high profile hip-hop attorney, is an author, journalist, editor, podcaster, and executive. He also served as the managing editor of The Source before transitioning to podcasting. What they have created together is a hilarious, informative, and touching podcast that dissects pop culture and what it means to be black and queer in the world.

You’re Wrong About

You’re Wrong About was created by co-hosts Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbs. Hobbs, a former writer for the Huffington Post, reached out to Marshall in 2018 to ask if she was interested in collaborating on a misunderstood history podcast project. Hobbs felt they were a good match after reading a piece by Marshall in Time magazine that positioned Tonya Harding as a potentially misunderstood figure. Their collaboration, You’re Wrong About, was a fusion of Marshall’s love for the underdog, Hobbs’s meticulous research, and their shared ability to give greater context to events in history, while also keeping things (mostly) fun. The two worked together on You’re Wrong About from 2018 to 2021 when Hobbs left the show, amicably, to pursue other journalistic endeavors as well as a new anti-diet culture podcast, Maintenance Phase. Marshall continued You’re Wrong About and launched another podcast with fellow writer Alex Steed called You Are Good which describes itself as ‘a feelings podcast about movies.’

Maintenance Phase

After leaving You’re Wrong About, master fact-checker Michael Hobbs joined forces with nonfiction author and journalist Aubrey Gordon to create Maintenance Phase. The podcast has a similar flavor to You’re Wrong About, but is solely focused on exposing hucksterism and societal failings in the diet and wellness industries. Before creating the podcast, Aubrey Gordon authored two books, What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat, and, “You Just Need to Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People—the latter of which was a New York Times and Indie bestseller. The extensive research Gordon had done while writing these books gave her an enormous knowledge base to work from when creating episodes of Maintenance Phase.

Noble Blood

Noble Blood is a podcast created by author, TV writer, and Twitter champion Dana Schwartz. Schwartz first gained attention from publishers through her parody Twitter accounts @GuyInYourMFA and @DystopianYA which parodied the work of young, pretentious, underdeveloped writers. In 2019, after working as a writer for The New York Observer and publishing three novels, Schwartz launched the podcast Noble Blood. In Noble Blood, she explores the history of tyrannical rulers, bloody royal courts, and lesser known stories of mishaps and tragedies in royal families. Unlike the previously mentioned podcasts, Noble Blood is mostly scripted and has very limited banter.

Cautionary Tales

Economic journalist Tim Harford hosts Cautionary Tales, an educational podcast that examines failures and difficult times throughout history, identifying patterns that are applicable to the present day. Fans of the podcast have described it as ‘book quality,’ and ‘better than Harford’s (still excellent) written work.’ Like Noble Blood, Cautionary Tales is mostly scripted and provides a listening experience similar to that of an audiobook.

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Nocturnal

Bestselling science fiction and horror writer Scott Seigler is the author of two series, two trilogies, three stand alone novels, seven novellas, and many, many short stories. In 2004, Seigler’s novel Earthcore was performing well as a promotional ebook and was slated to be published in print until economic constraints caused the publisher to drop the book. Rather than press on through traditional publishing avenues, Seigler decided to promote his writing as a podcast. He was one of the earliest adopters of podcasting as a career tool and in 2005 Seigler launched the world’s first ever podcast novel. The EARTHCORE podcast was essentially an audiobook with each chapter released as one episode. By 2006, the EARTHCORE podcast was extremely popular and became a paid iTunes download. After the success of EARTHCORE, he went on to release five more novels as podcasts. After a few years, Seigler was able to leverage his podcast success, social media following, ebook and pdf download stats to gain footing with major publishers. Even after having his work published as physical books, adapted into a graphic novel and being courted by Rogue Pictures and Random House films, Seigler is still releasing his work in podcast form. His novel Nocturnal, released in 2022, is available as a free podcast. Based on his own comments on the subject of podcasting and publishing, it seems he has no plans to stop using podcasts as a megaphone for his written work.

Honorable mentions

While they live in more of a ‘personal brand’ space than the aforementioned podcasters, inspirational writers and speakers such as Glennon Doyle, Brene Brown, and Mel Robbins are some of the most well-known podcasters in the world, especially among female audiences over 30.

This list is far from exhaustive, and I would feel a little guilty if I didn’t mention some excellent podcasts by comedy writers: Las Culturistas created by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers, B**** Sesh created by Danielle Shneider and Casey Wilson, Lady to Lady created by Babs Gray, Brandie Posey, and Tess Barker, Y’all Gay created by Ali Clayton and Ever Mainard, and countless other podcasts.

As this list demonstrates, podcasting can be part of a writer’s career at any stage. Some of these podcasts were created as a mid or late step in the professional lives of their creators. Others, like Scott Seigler’s podcasts, were a route around roadblocks in traditional publishing.

Whatever your writing goals are, there is a good chance that podcasting could be a stepping stone in your path to achieving them. More on that next month!

The post 7 Great Examples of Podcasts by Writers 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.

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

The simplicity of this format meant that early creators had maximum time and brain space left over for researching and writing great episodes. Podcasters I work with have mentioned that they miss the ‘authenticity’ of the early days of podcasting, before they had to worry so much about production and social media. In recent years, podcasting has gone mainstream and audiences now expect higher production value as a standard. Currently, most top creators (but not all) have added video to their podcasts, and new podcasts in 2024 typically launched with video.

Podcasting and social media platforms have begun promoting and favoring video over audio-only formats, putting immense pressure on podcasters to adapt. This new pressure lands on top of existing pressures and learning curves that writers experience when adapting from written word to podcasting. Despite insistence from platforms, networks, and advertisers, I feel strongly that video is not a good fit for every podcast. It can be an incredible tool for some but can end up being an awkward, cumbersome, and non-additive choice for others.

When is video a helpful addition?

Including Extra Media:

Many podcasts could greatly benefit from launching a YouTube channel that complements their audio content with documentary-style images and infographics. This approach provides listeners with context and depth, making complex subjects more digestible. 

For example, History Hit seamlessly combines expert commentary and interviews with visuals that include historical sites and relevant diagrams. This enriches the storytelling experience and caters to diverse learning preferences. 

Many audio-only podcasts prompt listeners to visit their social media accounts to see images or diagrams referenced in the episodes, but not every listener is going to take the time to search Instagram. By adding photos or clips directly into the episode, podcasters can create a more seamless experience.

Para-social Connection:

Whether it’s our favorite book characters, TV characters, or the podcasters we listen to every week, we tend to get the feeling that we know these people or characters. We become so familiar with their personalities and lives that it can almost feel like they are our friends even though we have never met. 

In other words, we develop a para-social connection. Para-social connections foster deep loyalty in the listener and often create a desire to share beloved podcasts with our real life friends. Para-social connections are certainly created in audio-only podcasts, but adding visuals can amplify the effect. 

The space you record in, clothing or costumes, facial expressions and gestures all provide the audience with subtle but important information, giving them a greater feeling of knowing the hosts and guests. Celebrity interviews, for example, thrive on this format. The same can also be true of non-celebrity podcasters because to a dedicated audience, a small-time podcaster can feel like a celebrity.

Understanding how the target audience best connects with content they enjoy can help podcasters determine if video is a good choice for them.

Secondary Skills:

Some podcasters combine storytelling with a secondary, sometimes unrelated, skill that adds visual interest. Bailey Sarian’s Murder Mystery & Makeup is a great example. 

Sarian starts her episodes with a fresh face, and as she tells a murder mystery story, she applies her makeup so that by the end she has a completed, trendy makeup look. Viewers are drawn not only by the intriguing narratives but also by the makeup artistry. This format allows Sarian to engage a broader audience – those looking for mystery stories and those interested in makeup videos. 

Not all writers would want to apply makeup on camera while telling a story, but the concept of performing a secondary skill is an interesting (albeit risky) strategy decision. For those who are seeking Sarian’s storytelling but not the makeup looks, she also releases a podcast called Dark History in both video and audio-only formats.

When is video an unnecessary hassle?

If one or some combination of the above applies to your podcast, then video may be a good choice for you. It’s important to remember that adding video is adding another layer of storytelling to the podcast. If video does not enhance the storytelling or further engage the audience then I don’t feel it is necessary or a good idea. 

To bring it back to the literary world, not every novel should be adapted into a film, and not every novel needs to have pictures, maps or family trees included. I advise my podcasting clients to carefully weigh the pros and cons of adding video partly to avoid unnecessary expenses but also to prevent burnout that can come from working in a medium that doesn’t serve your work well. Here are a few things to consider:

Multi-tasking Listeners:

Visual content requires more of your audience’s attention, which can sometimes be a turnoff. Many people still prefer to listen while doing other things like commuting, working out, or household chores. This is especially true for audiences over the age of 30. 

For this reason, I feel it’s important that podcasters who choose to add video also provide listeners with an audio-only version, and that the audio makes sense without video or images.

Authenticity and Imagination:

Some listeners appreciate the lower production nature of audio-only podcasts, and find that high production podcasts can feel less authentic. Writers who podcast may find that their storytelling shines through more effectively in an audio format where they are free from concerns about how they appear on camera. 

There is also greater potential to engage the imaginations of your listeners when there are no visual elements. I think we’ve all had a movie depiction of a book character replace what we’d imagined on our own while reading.

Simplified Production:

Producing a podcast solely in audio can significantly streamline the publishing process. Without the need for video editing or camera setups, creators can concentrate on researching and writing high-quality episodes and maintaining a consistent release schedule. This approach allows podcasters to prioritize their content quality and strategy, and engage with their audience more frequently without getting weighed down by complex production requirements.

After working on podcasts with a broad range of creators and writers, I feel that there is one key advantage to adding video to your podcast. If you record a video of your podcast, then you have the ability to release clips on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms. Social clips have been the number one way that my clients have launched themselves out of obscurity without the help of a major network. In order to drive audience growth, it’s important for listeners to be able to share podcast clips with their own social media network, many of whom will likely be interested in the same kinds of content.

If video isn’t for you, there is a fairly easy workaround to this issue. Some of my clients have opted to record their podcast as both video and audio, but they only use the video for social clips. These podcasts are released as audio-only, but in order to have a social media presence these creators film their recording and choose key moments to turn into social clips. In these cases, social clips are the only video that exist from the podcast. This takes the pressure off of performing for the camera the entire episode and also reduces the time and cost of production as there is no full-length video that needs to be edited, just a few 30- to 90-second clips.

The post Does My Podcast Need Video? 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.

(5 Reasons Why Writers Should Consider Podcasting.)

With that being said, let’s dive into some examples of different kinds of podcasts. These podcast types could be any genre and most of them could be combined or altered to create a new unique style or format. It’s a rapidly evolving space that maintains a lot of freedom for individual creators, so don’t be afraid to try something out of the box!

Interview Podcasts

Interview podcasts are what first come to mind for a lot of people who are newer to exploring podcasts. Some of the most popular podcasts in the world follow this format—Armchair Expert, Call Her Daddy, WTF with Marc Maron—as it is easily digestible, keeps each episode fresh, and I think largely because it is reminiscent of formats we are accustomed to on network television and radio.

Typically the host or hosts are already somewhat famous to draw an audience, unless the interview podcast is all about a niche topic, which can draw a medium-sized audience without needing celebrity support. Interview podcasts can be very labor and administratively intensive, but often have the most momentum after launch of any podcast style.

This success often comes from podcast guests sharing the show on their own social media and pulling their audience to you. Interviewing guests from time to time on a podcast that isn’t exclusively interview based can be a great way to gain additional exposure and to network.

Round Table Podcasts

Similar to an interview-style podcast, there are also round table podcasts like the BBC’s In Our Time, NPR’s The Roundtable, and This Week in Tech. These shows use a round table format to achieve an expert driven conversation without the lecture hall feel of a heavy research style history or sociology podcast.

(Best Live Streams, Podcasts, and YouTube Channels for Writers.)

Typically one or two moderators lead the discussion and host the show each week with a different group of participants. Round table podcasts are nearly as popular among listeners as interview podcasts and have the same advantage when it comes to participants sharing episodes with their own social media followings.

Storytelling Podcasts

Storytelling podcasts are some of my personal favorites and are very popular with people who listen while working or who like audiobooks. Podcasts like The Moth (RIP), Beautiful Anonymous, and Normal Gossip give listeners episodes with plot, character, and an emotional arc.

Those three examples are all nonfiction podcasts that share the stories of anonymous everyday people, but there are also wonderful fictional podcast series. Additionally, a large portion of comedy, true crime, and history podcasts use a mostly storytelling style. Popular shows like Two Girls One Ghost and Last Podcast on the Left use a mix of lightly scripted storytelling and comedy to deliver both horror and history. ‘Edu-tainment,’ if you will.

Journalistic Podcasts

News, documentary, and investigative podcasts all fall into this category. Writers with a background in journalism, but a disdain for the schedule one must keep when working in news, can find a happy medium in journalistic podcasting. This is probably the podcast style that requires the most pre-production work (sometimes a literal investigation), but when done well a journalistic podcast can have a huge impact.

(5 Different Forms of Journalism.)

Serial is the most obvious example and was the podcast that created the surge of podcast listenership in America and gave us our appetite for investigative podcasts. Since Serial, we have seen many other podcasts and television series replicate this model—a podcast that investigates and solves crimes in the real world (Up and Vanished, The Trojan Horse Affair, Teacher’s Pet).

We even have multiple fictional TV shows about investigative podcasts that solve crimes. That doesn’t mean every journalistic podcaster needs to be a daring detective—but it is these flashy incidents that have given journalistic podcasting an incredible amount of attention in the last decade.

Recap and Review Podcasts

I know many people (myself included) who listen to recap podcasts instead of watching whatever content is being recapped. Sometimes I want to know what happened in a crime documentary or an episode of Real Housewives, but I don’t want to watch the episode for one reason or another.

Enter recap and review podcasts such as Everyone’s Business but Mine, Reality Gays, Surviving Sisterwives, and Bye Pumkin. Clearly I have an affinity for podcasts about reality TV, but there are plenty of recap and review podcasts about books, movies, documentaries, and serious television shows.

These podcasts have the advantage of tapping into a ready-made audience, since they are essentially piggybacking on other content. That is not a criticism, and hosting a recap or review show is challenging in different ways than other styles of podcasts. These podcasts require hosts with great personalities, a good sense of humor, and a lot of interesting opinions.

These are just examples, so don’t let this list limit your podcast ideas! Think about what content you’d like to deliver, what subjects and format you’d have consistent energy for, and find a podcasting style that works for you and your audience. 

The post 5 Different Types of Podcasts for Writers to Try 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.

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