It’s official - I am obsessed with podcasts. Not quite sure how it happened, but I now find myself listening to podcasts ALL of the time. I realise I’m not alone, and it would be impossible not to have noticed the podcast explosion. Summed up by this tweet:
The breadth of topics covered in podcasts is extraordinary, and the relatively low cost to enter this market, means that there has been a democratisation of voices. To a certain extent, the gatekeepers are yet to control podcast voices.
That said, celebrity voices will always rise to the top - on the home page of Apple podcasts this week I spotted Blackout - a radio drama-style thriller with Rami Malek (and heavily sponsored & funded by Sonos). I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a gripping listen, and I highly recommend you give it a go.
From an author (& publisher) perspective, interesting to think how our books and stories could be adapted to this format, and importantly how money could be made out of them. The creative possibilities are endless.
By the way, Michael Connolly’s Murder Book podcast is excellent and shows an understanding of what people listen to (lots of true crime) and he manages to weave in snippets about his background and books. Really smart.
I also noticed that the British Podcast Awards happened this week and George The Poet won podcast of the year. I must admit that I hadn’t heard of George The Poet or his podcast, but this is next on my TBL (to be listened ;-)). Can I trademark that?
Described as ‘the mind-boggling new audio-series from George the Poet. This fusion of music and storytelling acts like a secret door into the mind, painting pictures that come to life behind closed eyelids.’
I am IN.
Podcasts offer authors all kinds of opportunities - there are MILLIONS of podcasts about books that you could try to hustle for an interview. (As with all media, they rely on great content). Lots of authors run their own podcasts - I’ve put a few on this post about collaborations - scroll down. That said, it would be a commitment and a challenge (no bad thing) to launch your own podcast. And if you are remotely contemplating it, read Podcast Marketing Strategy, which is incredibly comprehensive and goes through everything you should consider.
I’m working my way through this book at the moment. Not because I’m planning to launch my own podcast, I’m not, but I’m a nerd and like I said, obsessed with podcasts.
Hope you found this post interesting. Do comment with your recommendations and thoughts.
That’s me for now.
x
Really interesting boss. Will the podcast take over from audiobooks and be next years big thing..?