Podcasting for Authors E-Book

• Herausgeber: WS
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Serie: Short Publishing Guides for Indie Authors
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 70

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2021

Beschreibung

Do you want to understand podcasting as an indie author and thrive in this growing industry? We’re here to help.
Podcasting has never been easier, but with so many options and so much to learn, identifying what information is relevant for authors can be a challenge.
Enter Podcasting for Authors. Based on data and analytics from trusted sources, as well as anecdotal advice from authors who are already killing it with podcasting, this guide will not only teach you how to be a good podcast guest but also how to produce your own show and grow a following as a broadcasting author.
Reading this guide, you’ll learn:

- A breakdown of essential podcasting equipment

- Ways to use podcasting to benefit your author career

- Tips on finding an audience and creating your show

- Strategies for producing high-quality audio

- Practical distribution tactics to maximise your reach

- Effective marketing tactics for you launch and beyond

- And more, including a jargon-busting glossary and links to extra resources to help you keep learning and building on the information provided.

The advice in this book is best practice as honed by the experiences of our members and the thousands of authors – novelists, non-fiction writers and poets – who visit ALLi’s Self-Publishing Advice Centre each month.
We’re the only non-profit organization for self-published writers doing this kind of work.
If you’re ready to become a savvier author and grow your presence in the podcasting space, grab Podcasting for Authors, and let ALLi show you how to turn your imagination into income.

Leseprobe

Copyright © 2021 Alliance of Independent Authors

The authors’s moral rights have been asserted.

All rights reserved.

Font Publications is the publishing imprint for Orna Ross’s fiction and poetry and the Go Creative! books and planners and Alliance of Independent Authors publishing guides by Orna a. Ross.

All Enquiries: [email protected]

* * *

PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS

E-book: 978-1-913588-69-4

Paperback: 978-1-913588-70-0

Large Print: 978-1-913588-71-7

Hardback: 978-1-913588-72-4

Audiobook: 978-1-913588-73-1

Created with Vellum

PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS

SHORT PUBLISHING GUIDE FOR INDIE AUTHORS

BOOK 3

ALLIANCE OF INDEPENDENT AUTHORS

CONTENTS

1. Introduction to Podcasting for Authors

2. How to Read this Book

3. The AskALLi Self-Publishing Podcasts

4. Why Podcast?

5. Types of Podcasts for Authors

6. Getting Started

7. Designing Your Show

8. Following a Production Process

9. Using Equipment

10. Ensuring High-Quality Audio

11. Hosting

12. Free Launch Tactics

13. Keep Going

Your Next Step

Other Guides

ALLi Supports and Resources

Acknowledgments

Glossary

1

INTRODUCTION TO PODCASTING FOR AUTHORS

“Podcasting" is a term that has entered the mainstream only in the last decade. A podcast is a digital audio file that you can download to a computer or mobile device via the internet. It typically takes the form of serial, on-demand episodes and is similar to the format used by radio shows. Listeners subscribe to the podcast, then episodes download automatically to their device through podcast players like iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify and Overcast. If you’re reading this, you probably already know what a podcast is and are ready to explore the possibility of podcasting yourself. This guide will show you the way.

Podcasts are mainly speech-based: interviews, talk shows, lectures, panel discussions or quizzes, fiction, drama, poetry, comedy sketches—anything you might hear on speech radio. The unique selling point that distinguishes podcasts from radio shows is the ability to download the audio and listen any time you want. And just like self-publishing versus traditional publishing, podcasting has given rise to a far more diverse and multi-faceted range of content than traditional voice media.

A few years ago, listening to a podcast was a niche interest activity, but as mobile technology evolved, the cultural zeitgeist has shifted. Thanks to massive demand, access to technology, and the omnipresence of the internet, more people than ever are now recording and listening to podcasts on every possible topic. There are now an estimated two million unique shows, together encompassing 48 million episodes today, according to the Podcast Insightswebsite. Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, tells us that one in eight people in the UK now listen to at least one podcast episode each week, and the US stats show a similar picture.

Many authors have jumped into the space as listeners, guests, hosts and podcast creators. Learning from peers, authors are using this valuable platform to engage their community and draw attention to their brands and their books.

The idea of hosting, never mind producing a podcast, is daunting for most authors but there’s no need to fret. All those author- podcasters who seem so confident have also experienced doubts, imposter syndrome, and overwhelm at times. While podcasting requires skills you are unlikely to have developed yet, concerns diminish with exposure. You will feel some degree of anxiety when approaching such an unfamiliar topic—there’s no escaping that—but it’s okay to take your time. If you aren’t particularly technically savvy, or you experience doubt and anxiety over appearing on a podcast, that’s not a reason to forego podcasting.

Ultimately, you will need to figure out whether this medium is right for you and how deeply you want to get involved. This short guidebook will show you how to decide and explain exactly how get started and keep going, in the way that’s right for you.

No matter where you’re starting from, you can make inroads into podcasting in a way that enables you to build your following, sell more books, and feel more engrained in the lives of your readers and other authors in your niche.

2

HOW TO READ THIS BOOK

This guide is designed to be read chronologically, but we understand that authors’ lives are busy, and you may just want to dip into particular sections. So some contextual information has been repeated in multiple chapters. While reading the full guide for context first is advisable, do dive into the chapter you most need most right now, if that’s your way of working.

Everyone starts off in the same state of ignorance, but the information outlined within the following pages can be digested and practiced in manageable chunks at whatever speed you deem comfortable. Please note that we cite costs and payments in United States Dollars (USD), unless quoting a source, as it is the most universal currency for indie authors, and many of the dominant service providers are based in the US and operate in USD.

The podcasting industry contains a lot of jargon and this guide contains industry-specific terms and acronyms that you might not have heard of before. These terms can be confusing, even off-putting, at the beginning. While we’ve given the terms in this book as much context as possible, we’ve also provided a glossary at the end of the document for easy reference which we hope will prove useful.

Podcasting is an industry in its infancy, and its tools are constantly improving. While this book is up-to-date at the time of writing, some of the tools and processes may have changed by the time you read it.

Read on to learn about the particulars of the industry, what it takes to become a podcaster, and how to be an effective host, guest or producer.

3

THE ASKALLI SELF-PUBLISHING PODCASTS

Before we begin, as you are an indie author, you’re likely to be interested in the Alliance of Independent Author (ALLi)’s Self-Publishing Advice Podcast in which the ALLi team dives deep into publishing for authors, at different levels. There is also an interview stream, where members are interviewed about the inspirations behind their books, and a member Q&A in which ALLi member questions are answered.

Editing & Design with Matty Dalrymple

Discover how you can apply best practices in these first stages of the publishing process to ensure the excellence of your work and its ability to appeal to your target readership. Allianceindependentauthors.org/editing_design/

Production & Distribution with Anna Featherstone

This podcast stream focuses on guiding indie authors through the many pathways to create, publish, and distribute their work. Anna explores strategies, weighs the pros and cons of different models, and helps you find the best fit for your publishing journey. Allianceindependentauthors.org/production-distribution/

Branding, Marketing, & Promotion with Dale L Roberts

Join host Dale L. Roberts as he interviews the brightest minds, experts, and insiders in the writing and self-publishing business. Get actionable insights to help you level up your author brand and reach more readers. Allianceindependentauthors.org/branding-marketing-promotion/

Publishing for Profit with Joe Solari

Transform your passion into profit. This podcast helps you balance artistry and entrepreneurship, guiding you every step of the way. Allianceindependentauthors.org/publishing-for-profit-podcast/

Self-Publishing News with Dan Holloway

A breakdown of the week’s most significant self-publishing news, providing insights, implications, and in-depth analyses. Allianceindependentauthors.org/self-publishing-news-podcast/

Inspirational Indie Author Interview (podcast only)

Dive deep into personal stories of indie authors, understanding their pathways to success, challenges faced, and lessons learned. Allianceindependentauthors.org/inspirational

Member Q&A Podcast

Every 4 Weeks with Michael La Ronn and Sacha Black get answers to your most pressing self-publishing questions, find out how ALLi can help you, and engage in our new interactive format, which includes a quarterly Saturday livestream.

Creative Self-Publishing

A step-by-step guide to creative planning, setting inspiring intentions and realistic goals for writing and publishing, while keeping the creative juices flowing. Published quarterly with Orna Ross and Joanna Penn. Allianceindependentauthors.org/creative-self-publishing-podcast/

4

WHY PODCAST?

Authors have been involved in podcasting from the start, seeing it as an effective way to publicise their books and allow readers to get to know, like and trust them. Since Google Search announced it would be indexing podcast episodes (not just shows), and displaying them on the first page of results alongside video and text, many more authors have developed an interest.