The Indy Author's Guide to Podcasting for Authors

Book excerpt: If you are an author who is thinking of launching a podcast … if you are an author who has started a podcast and is struggling to keep it afloat … if you are an author on the brink of “podfading” and losing the hard-won benefits you can gain from this popular and intimate format -- then this book is for you. Matty Dalrymple, The Indy Author, shares her learnings from her years hosting and producing The Indy Author Podcast. Tapping nautical metaphors to explore the stages of creating a podcast, this book will guide you through determining your destination, preparing for your voyage, and setting sail. Matty discusses the benefits podcasting offers to authors specifically, and the specific challenges authors might need to overcome to succeed in this medium. Questions posed at the end of each chapter prompt insights to be captured in your own Captain's Log, enabling you to note progress, acknowledge mistakes, and celebrate successes on your voyage. This is not merely a manual of technical requirements, although those are covered at a high level in the book and in more detail at The Indy Author website. This is a foundational resource you can pick up again and again, one that will serve as your guide as you steer your podcast through its voyage and, when a course correction is needed, will provide the strategies and tactics you need to adjust your bearing. The Indy Author’s Guide to Podcasting for Authors covers: The Podcasting Voyage · Why Podcasting ... and Why for Authors? Determining Your Destination · Determining Your Destination - Introduction · Establishing Connections with Guests · Building Community with Listeners · Creating Direct Income with Your Podcast · Creating Indirect Income with Your Podcast Preparing for Your Voyage · Preparing for the Voyage - Introduction · Choosing Your Topic · Choosing Your Format · Choosing Your Mode, Medium, and Venue · Choosing Your Deliverables · Choosing Your Schedule · Choosing Your Episode Structure · Choosing Your Persona · Choosing Your Livery (a.k.a. Branding) · Choosing the Tech Setting Sail · Setting Sail - Introduction · Lining up Guests · Preparing for the Episode · Creating the Environment · Refining Your Audio and Video Presence · Creating the Episode · Making the Most of Your Content · Making It Interactive · Reducing Friction (Improving Your Production Process) · Being a Podcast Guest Embarking on the Voyage · Embarking of the Voyage - Last Thoughts · Resources