Let me introduce you to some podcasts for writers. Driving the kids around town, cooking dinner, suffering from insomnia…these are all great moments to redeem the time by learning more about the craft and business of writing. Here are some of my favorites. (If you have some favorites, please add them to the comments.)
1. Brain Burps About Books
Brain Burps about Books by Katie Davis. I’ve probably been listening to Katie Davis the longest of any of these podcasts. I’ve learned so much from her and her guests–from the early days of just wanting to hear the experiences of published authors, to soaking in her more recent focus on marketing for authors. She’s got a facebook group for the podcast which isn’t super active, but every so often she’ll send out a link to some good info. She’s also got a ton of info on her websites. You’ll be busy for hours.
Last 10 podcasts:
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BBAB 246: Time to Celebrate Picture Book Month! | An Interview with Dianne de Las Casas | 11/6/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | BBAB 245 Stuff That Gets In the Way of Writing | Tips from Katie | 10/30/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | BBAB 244 – How to Get Author School Visits | Tips for getting author visits & what to do when you get there | 10/16/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | BBAB 243: 12 Things To Do After a Conference | How to get the most out of your next trip | 10/9/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | BBAB 242 : Picture Book Summit | An Interview with Julie Hedlund | 9/18/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | BBAB 241 : What’s So Great About the 500 Word Picture Book? | An Interview with Laura Backes | 9/9/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | BBAB 240 : Followers + Fear = Super Bad | This week’s guest is YOU! | 9/4/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | BBAB 239 : Idea Generator for Your YA Novel | An Interview with Anne Collier | 8/21/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | BBAB 238 : Dave Sanderson: Beyond the Miracle on the Hudson | An Interview with a Hero | 8/14/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | BBAB 237 : How Much Do You Edit Out? | An Interview with Author Lisa Schroeder | 8/7/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
2. The Narrative Breakdown
The Narrative Breakdown podcast is run by husband and wife duo James Monohan and Cheryl Klein (editor at Scholastic imprint Arthur A. Levine Books). This podcast combines screenwriting and fiction, with a heavy emphasis on craft. I took a webinar from Cheryl Klein a few years back, and learned things about revision that I’m still trying to wrap my brain around and apply. Whew!
Last 10 podcasts:
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Writing Dialogue with TV writer and Playwright Adam Gaines | TV writer and playwright Adam Gaines talks about writing good dialogue and more. | 12/31/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | TV Writer and Novelist Drew Chapman | For writers and fans quality story craft in fiction, TV, and movies. | 12/26/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | Strong Episodic Concepts | Matt Bird talks about how he measures the strength of a TV show’s basic concept. – Mentioned in the episode: – Matt’s Ultimate TV Pilot Checklist (using 24 as an example) – 24 Breaking Bad Chicago Fire Code Red Rescue Me Copper Homeland | 11/28/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Dark Subject Matter | Two thriller writers go deep into the dark subject matter of their genre. – Mentioned in the episode: – Alex Dolan’s THE EUTHANIST – Alex Dolan’s website – Jonathan Stone’s THE TELLER – Jonathan Stone’s website – ThrillerFest – Vertigo – | 8/30/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | Writing a Critical Review | Film and music critic Tim Grierson talks about the craft of writing reviews. – Tim’s review of BIRDMAN for Deadspin – Tim’s review of SPY for Screen Daily – Tim’s review of SPY Deadspin – Tim’s review of ALOHA for Deadspin – | 8/4/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | Writing a Gender Other Than Your Own | What should you consider when choosing the gender of your main character? Two exciting debut thriller authors, Alex Dolan and Gwendolyn Womack, join to discuss this topic and related issues. – Gwendolyn Womack’s website The Memory Painter | 7/31/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | Creative Non-Fiction | Veteran journalist Barry Newman talks about 43 years of writing literary non-fiction for The Wall Street Journal. Mr. Newman’s book, NEWS TO ME, features ruminations about the craft as well as many examples of his work. – | 5/19/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | Literary Agents | Literary agents! What do they do? Why do you need one? How do you get one? And when can we do lunch? Cheryl talks to Brianne Johnson of Writers House about these topics and announces her own new project. Links related to this episode: | 5/8/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | Dramaturgy | We discuss the scope of dramaturgy and how dramaturgs and literary managers collaborate with writers, featuring The Old Globe theater’s resident dramaturg, Danielle Mages Amato. – Danielle holds an MFA in Dramaturgy and a PhD in Drama and Theatre from… | 4/7/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | Intro to Playwriting | We talk to New York playwright Brenton Lengel about the art and business of writing for the theater. Mentioned in the episode: Brenton Lengel’s website Mariah McCarthy Playwright Marco Ramirez Miss Mayfield’s Fifth Grade Class Reunion | 3/7/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
3. Novel Marketing
The Novel Marketing podcast is run by Thomas Umstattd Jr. (marketing expert) & James L Rubart (author). So much of marketing advice given to authors is better applied to nonfiction, so I really appreciate a dedicated fiction marketing podcast. The podcast is part of a larger brand called Author Media which offers all kinds of marketing help to authors. I use their product called “My Book Progress” to put those progress bars on my sidebar to help me keep track of where I’m at with all my WIPs (works-in-progress), and my readers can see what I’m working on too.
Last 10 podcasts:
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 072 — How to Grow Your Email List from 0 to 10,000 | Listen to our other podcasts 065 – 7 Tips for Effective Email Newsletters 062 – 7 Ways to Avoid the Spam Filter 057 – What to include in an Author Newsletter – – Public Service Announcement: Avoid MeMail. | 12/16/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | 071 – How To Find a Good Editor | Talking Points: – Kinds of editors: Developmental editor (Successful authors) The macro edit Line edit editors Beta reader editors Copy editor (Grammar Nazi) Proofreaders (Details person) – Places to find an editor: – | 12/3/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | 070 — Q&A Lightning Round | Denica McCall, author of Flowers in the Darkness Question: While I do write novels, I have just put out a poetry book(my first published book). The book is partly being used to raise funds for a local organization fighting human trafficking. | 11/15/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | 069 – How to Stand Out When Your Name Fits In | Question from Samantha Johnson – Book Title The Beginner’s Guide to Vegetable Gardening How do you stand out when your name fits in? When your name is something super-common, it’s next to impossible to find unique domain addresses, | 11/1/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | 068 – Where to Spend Your Marketing Money | Today we are answering a listener question from – Name Erica Borgerson – Website http://www.LazyGirlGuides.com – Book Title The Lazy Girl Guide to Healthy Eating & The Lazy Girl Guide to Fitness – Question So, | 10/15/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | Bonus Episode: Special MyBookProgress Announcement | In this special bonus episode we talk about the launch of MyBookProgress. – MyBookProgress on Kickstarter | 10/7/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | 067 – How to Keep Your Inbox @ Zero And Have More Time to Write | A lot of authors are addicted to checking email. Poor email habits hold many authors back from success because it wastes time and zaps mental energy. If you can learn to do email better you will have more time to market your book and more mental energy… | 10/1/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | 066 – Can Writing Contests Be A Powerful Marketing Tool? | Some people say contests are a tremendous marketing tool, some say – they’re a waste of time … we’re going to explore the pros and cons of contests … let me ask – you, Thomas … – Talking Points: Pros if you’re unpublished Feedback | 9/16/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | 065 – 7 Tips for Effective Email Newsletters | Public Service Announcement: Respect Spam is in the eye of the beholder. Creepy / Charming (thin line in between) Permission – Tip 1 Provide consistent value. New Book Announcements News (Progress Updates) Ask for Feedback | 9/1/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | 064 – How to Market Yourself to Readers Who Don’t Like You | – Talking points Marketing ourselves in every moment/editors and agents and readers are watching, wear, dress, speak, what you say, don’t say … how open, how closed off … James’ writing conference story Thomas’ Courtship Story | 8/20/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
4. The Creative Penn
I’ve known about The Creative Penn for a long time. Joanna Penn is legendary in the indie-author world. I’ve been to her website several times, and I’ve watched a few of her youtube videos when she interviews authors I like. But recently I’ve been getting curious about indie authors and have been thinking about self-publishing. I’ve got an odd duck of a book that I’m not sure a traditional publisher would be interested in. I love the story, so I’m researching options. Listening to the podcast instead of watching the videos gives me more flexibility to go about my day while learning.
Last 10 podcasts:
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Self-Publishing 2015 Round Up. 2016 Predictions Plus My Creative Writing Process | I LOVE New Year! A crisp fresh blank sheet of paper for us all to write upon … happy times! – Instead of an interview today, I describe my own creative process. – In the introduction, I reflect on the publishing industry in 2015 (see ALLi’s rou… | 3 1 2016 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | Deciding What To Give Up. Pursuing A Life Of Writing With Kevin Tumlinson | You can achieve your writing goals … but you have to decide what you will give up in order to achieve them. – It may be a few hours sleep, TV time, another hobby or some of your social activities. Or it may be downsizing your life entirely to free u… | 27 12 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | 30 Books And Counting. Lindsay Buroker On Being A Full-Time Author | What’s changed in the last 3 years in the self-publishing world? What’s working right now? In today’s show, I talk to Lindsay Buroker, fantasy author and podcaster. – In the intro, I mention my new book, Successful Self-Publishing: How to self-publish… | 20 12 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Writing Fast And Tips For Successful Self-Publishing With Russell Blake | I’m thrilled to have one of the uber-indies on the show today! Russell Blake is one of the most prolific and successful indie authors and in this show he shares his thoughts on writing fast, maintaining a prolific schedule and staying healthy, | 13 12 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | Going Global. Self Publishing Tips From Dan Wood From Draft2Digital | The ebook market is mature in the US and getting there in the UK, Canada and Australia, but in most other countries worldwide, the ebook revolution is only just beginning. In today’s show, Dan Wood from Draft2Digital and I get excited about self-publis… | 6 12 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | Successful Blogging Tips, Authenticity And Longevity With Yaro Starak | Almost 7 years ago, in Dec 2008, I started this site with the aim of helping authors like me who were self-publishing. – But I discovered that you can put your words into the world and no one will notice unless you learn some marketing (sound familiar… | 29 11 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | CleanWhat Happens When An Author Dies. Estate Planning With Kathryn Goldman | Copyright in most countries is 50-70 years after the death of the author and your intellectual property assets can go on earning for your heirs and successors … but only if you make the right preparations in advance. In today’s interview, | 22 11 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | Motivation For Creative People With Mark McGuinness | We all want to write, but sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation. In this interview, Mark McGuinness explores what motivates us as creatives and what can keep us going for the long term. – In the intro, | 15 11 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | How To Co-Write A Book. Collaboration And Co-Creation With J Thorn | We all use a team when we self-publish – editors and cover designers, in particular. But co-writing a book is something quite different. – I’ve just co-written Risen Gods with J. Thorn and in today’s interview/discussion, | 9 11 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | How To Dictate Your Book With Monica Leonelle | One of my big goals for 2016 will be to move to dictation for first draft fiction and non-fiction. In this podcast, Monica Leonelle explains why dictation is so brilliant for writers and some technical tips on making it work for you. – | 1 11 2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
5. Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing
Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing is the latest podcast I’ve started listening to. They have a unique makeup of three indie authors: Lindsay Buroker, Joseph Lallo, and Jeffrey M. Poole who interview guests “in the round.” From what I’ve heard so far, they start with a topic and each host asks his or her questions before passing the mic on to the next host. Once that topic is exhausted, they start the process over. I’m really enjoying it. Note: They conduct the interviews over Google Hangouts so if you prefer video, you can watch instead.
Last 10 podcasts:
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SFFMP 62: Anthologies, New Covers, and Creating Boxed Sets to Increase Sales with C. Gockel | We had our first repeat guest on the show today, urban fantasy author Carolynn Gockel (writing as C. Gockel) from Episode 19, where we chatted about permafree books, getting started on fan fiction sites, using Tumblr to promote, and where to buy sponsorsh | 1/5/2016 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | SFFMP 61: Using Short Fiction for “Gatekeeper Cred” and Editing Tips with Mike Reeves-McMillian | Today we chatted with Mike Reeves-McMillian, former copy editor with a publishing house and current writer of short and novel-length speculative fiction. He shared some tips for self-editing and talked about how short story sales can still be useful and | 12/29/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | SFFMP 60: Rocking the Charts in YA Fantasy with New Author Elise Kova | We interviewed new YA fantasy author, Elise Kova, on the show today, and I think you guys will enjoy the listen. At the end of the summer, she launched her first book, Air Awakens, and it’s done great in sales and earned a lot of positives reviews. | 12/15/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 4 | SFFMP 59: Pricing Ebooks for Success (and sales!) | On today’s show, we discussed just about everything we could think of related to ebook pricing. What should the standard price for a novel be? Is it ever worth doing a 99-cent ebook launch? Should you ever price an ebook above $5? What’s the p | 12/8/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 5 | SFFMP 58: Marketing Stand Alone Novels and Different Types of Series | Today, we answered some reader questions/comments about bank accounts for your self-publishing business and making your author site mobile friendly, and then we jumped into discussing marketing strategies for stand alone novels, as well as several differe | 12/1/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 6 | SFFMP 57: Cover Design That Sells Books with Sylvia Frost | Today we chatted with our first cover designer, Sylvia Frost. Not only does she have some tips for authors in regard to getting the cover of their dreams, but she’s done some analysis of the Top 100s in paranormal romance/urban fantasy, science fict | 11/24/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 7 | SFFMP 56: Self-Pub vs. Small Press vs. Trad + Effective World Building with Liana Brooks and Amy Laurens | Today we chatted with Liana Brooks and Amy Laurens, sci-fi and fantasy authors who both got their start with short stories and have branched out into novellas, novels, and creating their own press: Inkprint Press. Here’s some of what we covered toda | 11/17/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 8 | SFFMP 55: Launch Strategies, Pitfalls of Being Prolific, and How to Know When a Book Is Ready | Tonight we were joined by a fan of the show and fellow podcaster, Edward Giordano. For a change, he interviewed us, asking questions he had as a new author. We hope our answers will be useful to some of you, as well! Here’s some of what we went over | 11/10/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 9 | SFFMP 54: Marketing Books on a Long Release Cycle with Moses Siregar III | We chatted with Moses Siregar III tonight, a busy epic fantasy author with two novels out. Like many folks in our audience, he has a lot on his plate, and it takes a while for him to write, edit, and publish new books. We talked about whether it’s b | 11/3/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
| 10 | SFFMP 53: Jill Nojack Dishes on Kindle Scout (why to consider it and how to win) | On today’s show, we chatted with Jill NoJack, fantasy author and Kindle Scout winner. The first book in her Bad Tom paranormal romantic comedy series, The Familiar, was selected for a publishing deal with Amazon. We asked her all about the Kindle Sc | 10/27/2015 | Free | View In iTunes |
6. The Other Side of the Story
The Other Side of the Story is a hit or miss podcast. Middle-grade author Matt Myklusch started it a few years ago…then took a break….came back…might be taking another break? LOL. Itunes only has the past three episodes up. Sorry, but you missed out on the earlier episodes, and there were some good ones…archived on my daughter’s hand-me-down ipod. Hopefully he’ll keep going.
Last 3 podcasts:
| Name | Description | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JOSH BERK & YA FEST JUNIOR | Josh Berk and I recorded this episode right after YA Fest Jr., a book festival that was held at the Bethlehem Public Library. Josh is an author, librarian, Edgar Award Finalist, and former rock star / high school hair champion. I meant to post this a long time ago, but life got a little crazy (as life […] | Free | View In iTunes |
| 2 | ILSA J. BICK & COMMUNITY | My guest for this episode is Ilsa J. Bick, critically acclaimed author of the ASHES Trilogy, the DARK PASSAGES series, and more. Ilsa is a fellow “Egmont Last Lister,” so we talked about her books, Lerner’s recent acquisition of Egmont USA, and the pros and cons of being part of a writer’s community. Ilsa’s new book is called THE DICKENS […] | Free | View In iTunes |
| 3 | BACK FOR MORE | I’m back! Three years after my last book came out (and six months since my last podcast episode), I’m back with a new book, a new website, and some not so great news from my publisher. But, I refuse to let it get me down. Really. I can take this hit and keep going. Listen to […] | Free | View In iTunes |
Wow! That’s a lot to listen to. Thanks, Shonna!
It seems like a lot, but you’d be surprised how quickly a podcast list dwindles as you are cooking supper every night 😉