New authors quickly discover that writing their first book was the fun part. As soon as they put their book together and publish it, an uncomfortable realization comes over them: “I’m going to have to market this book for years to come.” Yep, and the marketplace is going to change and evolve constantly, and you’re starting the marketing process already behind the curve.
How do you get up to speed and keep up to speed with the best practices for marketing a book?
I turn to podcasts. I love podcasts because they’re a great way to hear other authors’ experiences and hear experts’ opinions as new advertising options roll out.
Here are my favorite podcasts for nonfiction authors:
- The Creative Penn Podcast: Joanna Penn’s podcast is a must-listen for all authors. She’s been podcasting since 2009, and she’s helped pioneer the self-publishing industry, so she knows all about the ins and outs of writing, publishing, and marketing. She covers fiction and nonfiction, so not every episode will be applicable to your market strategy, but Joanna gives solid gold advice, so make sure to subscribe to this one.
- Book Launch Show: This is Tim Grahl’s new podcast, but I’m predicting that it’ll be an instant classic. Tim Grahl focuses on book launches, and he’s helped some of the biggest author land spots on the New York Times bestseller’s list, so he knows what he’s talking about. Tim is one of my go-to launch gurus, so absolutely subscribe and then go back to listen to all of the archived episodes. They’re that good, and the early episodes give you a complete foundation for understanding how to effectively launch a book.
- Happy Self Publishing Podcast: Jyotsna Ramachandran brings on authors and publishing professionals to answer questions that writers might have about writing, publishing, and marketing. The answers are quick, insightful, and super helpful. I definitely recommend subscribing! (Bonus: Catch my answer to this question, “Is it necessary to hire an editor, if I have an excellent command of the English language?” I bet you know my answer. ;) )
- The Publishing Profits Podcast: Tom Corson-Knowles interviews authors to understand their writing, publishing, and marketing journey. If you’re interested in hearing authors’ journeys, where they started and how they got to where they are now, plus some extremely actionable advice, this is a great podcast to listen to.
- The Author Hangout: The episodes are often on the shorter side (20 minutes) and very practical, actionable, tactical suggestions from authors who’ve tested from the trenches. If you like to get a quick, new idea and implement it, this is the podcast for you. They take listener questions, too, and give a succinct answer that cuts right to the chase.
- Author MBA: This podcast focuses on the business of becoming an author. Interviews often focus on how to leverage a book to grow a customer/client base, become a speaker, or bring in revenue. If you’re looking for savvy people, talking about ninja ways to use a book for business, this is the podcast for you.
- Self Publishing Podcast Classics: Johnny, Sean, and Dave have been around the self-publishing world for…ever. They talk about all aspects of writing, editing, publishing, and marketing. They also write fiction, so some episodes are more geared toward fiction writers, but it’s definitely worth putting this one on your playlist to keep tabs on.
- Authority Self-Publishing: Steve Scott and Barrie Davenport focus on Amazon and building a business, primarily off the back of continuing to publish books. So, if you need to know all the tricks to making real money from your books, this podcast will give you invaluable advice.
- Writing Unblocked: If you’re still in the writing phase of your book and looking for motivation, this is definitely the podcast for you.