Podcasts: Using the Tools Available to You
by Tory Gates
The rise in podcasting over the past several years has its pitfalls, but also its advantages. I’ll be the first one to admit that after nearly 40 years behind the mic, or the control board in “real” broadcasting, I scoffed at it. I was not on board with the idea that anyone could just record something on their phone or cheap audio software, upload it to the internet, and suddenly they’re a podcaster.
To be honest, the last thing I wanted to do in this business was to host a talk show, ever. I’ve been part of them, and hosted public affairs shows, but they were never my interest. When I was approached a few years ago to host a podcast on Sunbury’s BookSpeak Network, I wondered if I could actually do it, and whether or not my skills could translate to the concept.
One thing I needed to do was figure out what kind of a show I wanted to present. I was not interested in being a talk show host who insists on doing most of the talking. So I looked back at news and music interviews I’ve done, and decided to make the show as much as I could about, 1) the author; 2) what they are writing; and 3) what about this business has brought us to it.
As my books are on the Brown Posey Press imprint, dedicated to fiction, I began with authors on the roster, and soon I began to notice an interesting problem: some of our authors did not want to be interviewed.
I thought, “This is how you sell books,” or at least one way to promote your books, your brand, yourself. Being in radio, when I had a new book out, I hit up my colleagues, past and present. I scoured the ‘net, looking for book bloggers, reviewers, anyone that might host one of these casts, to see if someone, anyone might be interested in what I had to offer.
Today there are podcasts for every subject imaginable, and most come and go. Hosts move on to other interests, switch to another way to get their message out, or stop doing them, either due to time consumption, lack of listenership, or not making any money. It’s a shame, because now and then some really interesting casts go by the way.
My favorite since discontinued cast was “Publisher’s Cluttered House,” by S.T. and Faryl Hoover. Authors of diverse fiction, I’d had them on my podcast, and got a huge kick out of their lo-fi, laid-back discussions about their writing, issues in the working world, and how “Stoover” lost one of his boots. The episodes are still up through Buzzsprout. One of my favorite episodes was, “We Live in Night Vale,” which is an entire radio drama-type series in itself! Worth checking out.
One thing that had to change for us was local control. Anyone who listened to or appeared on the early BookSpeak casts can tell things are not of top quality, as we were beholden to the almighty central computer. I knew from the start I could do these better; eventually, Lawrence invested in podcasting gear, and now I produce the casts.
A simple Google search will show you the BookSpeak Network. Lawrence hosts the Sunbury Press Books Show, which covers the main imprint, and delves into others. Mine handles the Brown Posey imprint, but I have since turned to other independent and self-published authors. Our good friends The Author Guys also host “Random Randomness,” which is a fun, and random cast about their writings, interspersed with haiku, and beer tastings. We shall also soon debut a new cast hosted by PJ Piccirillo, on the Writers of Northern Appalachia.
My show involves me doing the work beforehand. I do my best to read and research my subjects, so I’m prepared to talk to you. Not just scripted questions, but to find out more about my guest, and we can also take our time. Someone once described my podcast as a Charlie Rose type of show, where people take their time. I call it, “writers talking about their writing.”
What’s the point of this? We now have in-house control over the podcasts and especially their production values, which make the shows more professional sounding, but also more listenable. The better you sound, the more people will listen. This, for you, is free promotion of your work, something to share on your website, your social media pages and your newsletters. It is also good practice for you to be interviewed, because at times you will be faced with a host that has not read your work. The overworked, or lazy host will just do a shoot-style interview that might work out, or it might be a waste of your time. Still, it is practical experience you can use.
If you are on Brown Posey Press and we haven’t talked yet, we need to! If you write fiction under the Sunbury umbrella, on an indie press or self-published, hit me up. We’re here to help get your name, voice and especially your work out there.
You can view current and past podcasts here (https://www.blogtalkradio.com/bookspeak) and also view more of my work, books, productions and ideas at www.torygatesmedia.com
|