Podcasts: the Workhorse of Book Promotion
When you pictured yourself promoting your book, you may have daydreamed about signing copies at a bookstore, firing off social media videos and posts — maybe even having an animated chat with a TV interviewer. While these are all wonderful and often effective tactics, one of our biggest takeaways from the past few years at Press Shop PR is that the workhorse of modern book promotion is the podcast.
In this frenetic, whack-a-mole attention economy, the most effective coverage is the kind that doesn’t get buried as quickly by new content. Once a podcast interview is published, it remains accessible long-term on multiple platforms–Apple Podcasts, Spotify, ListenNotes, Podbean, iHeart Radio, and Youtube. It’s often weeks or months before that interview drops below a “see more episodes” divider. Plus, the episodic format of podcasts encourages the audience to listen to past segments long after they’re first aired, which means your interview has a long shelf-life. (The same can’t be said for a social media feed, event page, digital magazine, or even a major review outlet.)
So when an author asks us, “Is this podcast worth my time?”, our answer is usually an enthusiastic “YES!”
Here’s why podcasts are so effective for book promo:
There’s a moderator with a vested interest in creating an interesting and engaging conversation; they’re trying to grow their audience, too!
Even tiny shows usually attract a larger audience than an in-person bookstore event, especially over time. Listeners can hear your episode anytime, anywhere, and more than once—no RSVP required.
Podcasts can be pre-taped and held to go live later (critical for increasing buzz right around pub day).
You can record a professional-sounding interview from the comfort of your own home—no travel time or cost, and with your notes close at hand.
In the future, when someone discovers you or your work, they can instantly listen to past interviews when they search for you, giving them a chance to develop their relationship with your work.
Granted, there are some shows out there you don’t want to do. A few quick tips we use for vetting podcasts:
Listen to a portion of the most recent episode or two. Is the audio quality good (and the video quality, if applicable)? Is the host respectful or adversarial? Would you be proud to show it to your best friend, or to feature it on your website?
Have a look at the host’s and/or show’s social media to make sure they aren’t spouting off about something you don’t want to be associated with (and that they don’t have a following that’s broadly hostile to your viewpoint — unless you're ready to debate!)
Are they regularly posting new episodes? Were they active within the last month? If they haven’t posted in a while, listenership will be low.
Do they want you to pay a fee? That’s a bad sign!
Armed with these guidelines, we encourage you to podcast abundantly!