Podcasts to Inspire, Guide Authors

By Valerie Berrios 

podcasts for writers

Podcasts make for more than just great storytelling à la Serial. They can spark inspiration for your next book or help get the one you’ve just published in the hands of lots of readers. Whether you’re a podcast connoisseur or podcast virgin, you’ll want to give a few entertaining yet instructional ones a listen.

For example:

Description: Writing Excuses is one of the first and longest-running podcasts about writing. It launched in 2008 and is in its 10th season. Yet you can still power through the entire series in a relatively short time. Episodes are just long enough to give listeners solid information in an entertaining format. To get an idea of the voice, the podcast’s tongue-in-cheek tagline is: “Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart.”
Must-hear episode: Season 9, Episode 47: Conversation With a Bookseller. In this episode, guest Sara Glassman, a bookseller and reviewer, advises on query letters, book covers, book signings and how to make your first page stand out to retailers. This is an important listen for writers in need of ways to market their final product.
Excerpt: “For self-published authors, being able to engage with the customers [in a bookstore] and say, ‘Hi, would you like to take a look at my book’ or ‘How are you doing today?’ is great. But don’t say, ‘Do you want to buy my book?”

For more podcasts to check out, read: 5 Podcasts Every Writer Should Download.

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