(Captivating Your Podcast Audience.)

Promotion can feel awkward and overwhelming, but growing a podcast doesn’t have to mean endless hours spent chasing algorithms. While social media is an important tool, it doesn’t work well for everyone and isn’t the only way to promote. These suggestions focus on methods of podcast promotion outside of social media that are more of an extension of your existing craft.

Leverage Writing Spaces

Your writing spaces are likely the easiest place to begin. Whether you publish through Substack, Medium, or your own author website, you already have readers who are invested in your voice. These readers are more likely to become listeners if you give them a reason beyond a simple link. Instead of saying “New episode out now,” draw them in with a story. Maybe share a short transcript excerpt, a guest quote that resonated, or a reflection on what inspired the episode. Treat it like a behind-the-scenes post rather than an announcement.

Engaging with the greater literary world outside of your own working spaces is important too. Literary magazines, writing websites, and newsletters are often eager for essays about the creative process. Write about what podcasting has taught you about storytelling, dialogue, or creative discipline and include a link to your show at the end. If you occasionally align your content with events like National Novel Writing Month or National Poetry Month, your podcast can become part of a larger literary conversation rather than an isolated project.

Distribute Functional Items With QR Codes

Your podcast ‘lives’ online, but it can be promoted in the physical world. One of my favorite promotional ideas is distributing free bookmarks that feature your podcast name, a catchy descriptor or quote and most importantly, a QR code that links directly to your podcast feed. You can give these to local bookstores, hand them out at writing events, or leave a stack at your public library or a coffee shop. Postcards, coasters, magnets, or any other hand held item that can be printed on will work, but free bookmarks are low cost, easy to distribute and likely to be kept for longer than a business card or flyer.

Make an Audio Trailer

This one may require help from a producer, but creating an audio trailer is one of the most helpful things you can do to market your podcast. Unlike social media content, you don’t need to be creating new trailers every week or for individual episodes. A good podcast trailer can be used for years. This is a simple 30-45 second audio piece that gives potential listeners a preview of your podcast. Use your strongest clips, a brief introduction, and maybe a touch of music that reflects your tone.

Share the trailer everywhere, online and off. Post it at the top of your podcast feed, on your website, and across social media. Some local radio stations feature home town podcasts ontheir websites or on air, and an audio trailer is the best thing to submit when looking to be featured. A trailer can also double as a trade ad: independent podcasters often swap trailers, running each other’s short promos at the beginning or end of an episode.

Engage Writing Communities

Online writing spaces like Reddit’s r/writing, Discord servers, or genre-specific forums remain some of the richest places for genuine connection online. Like most creative spaces, they value conversation over promotion.

If you share your podcast in these communities, do it in the same spirit you’d join a craft discussion. Ask a question or participate in a thread before mentioning your podcast. When you do mention it, be sure it connects well to the discussion taking place. Approaching the conversation as a participator rather than a promoter subtly directs people toward your show without it feeling like callous marketing.

Over time, these spaces can provide both audience growth and inspiration for future content. Questions from other writers and artists, shared struggles, and recurring topics can evolve into full episodes. Community discussion becomes a loop of creative exchange.

Feature Listener Submissions

Taking community exchange further, featuring listener submissions accelerates discoverability and development of listener loyalty. Inviting your listeners to share questions, short stories, or writing prompts gives them a voice within your show. Reading submissions aloud creates intimacy and signals that your podcast is a shared space rather than a one-way broadcast. Listeners are more inclined to share episodes with friends or post a link on their own social media if their submission was featured.

An additional bonus for some podcasters is that segments featuring listener submissions often take less time to prepare than interview or storytelling segments.

Collaborate With Other Writers

Collaboration drives discoverability. Partnering with fellow authors, editors, or podcasters who share your audience is an effective and enjoyable way to grow. Consider recording a crossover episode, guest-hosting a discussion, or partnering with other podcasting writers for book talks and in person events.

When done well, the exchange feels organic, not transactional, and builds credibility within your field. Even micro collaborations like trading shoutouts can strengthen your network and bring new readers into your orbit. These exchanges expand your reach and model the kind of literary community listeners love to see.

Podcast promotion doesn’t have to sit apart from your writing life, or rely solely on social media content. By weaving your show into the writing, publishing, and community work you’re already doing, you’ll attract listeners who connect with both your voice and your process. Listeners who find you that way are ones who’ll stay.

The post Easy Podcast Promotion for Writers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(12 Podcasting Dos & Don’ts for Writers.)

What was once a niche offshoot of radio now sits squarely at the intersection of storytelling, journalism, and entertainment. Understanding how the podcasting landscape has changed can help writers see where their craft fits into today’s world of multimedia storytelling.

The Early Days: DIY Roots and Intimacy

The first wave of podcasters were tinkerers and enthusiasts. Episodes were often rough around the edges with unpolished sound and uneven pacing, but that was part of the charm. Early shows embodied a spirit of experimentation, where creators spoke directly to listeners without filters, corporate sponsors, or broadcast standards.

The barriers to entry were low, and the intimacy of audio created an entirely new way to tell stories. In those early days, podcasting’s rawness was its strength. There were no gatekeepers, just voices and stories.

Early podcasts found small but deeply dedicated audiences. Without mainstream understanding of what podcasting was, how to listen, or platforms to easily distribute episodes, these shows were limited in their reach.

The Podcasting Boom: Professionalization, Reach, and Diversity of Content

Then came Serial. I almost don’t want to talk about Serial, because it’s discussed so frequently, but I have to acknowledge that it changed the industry forever. When the first season dropped in 2014, millions of listeners were suddenly tuning in weekly, sharing theories, and discussing audio storytelling with the same fervor once reserved for prestige TV. The success of Serial ignited an industry-wide boom. Production companies formed. Celebrities launched shows.

Networks began competing for exclusive content. Podcast industry executives like Max Cutler (founder of Parcast and PAVE) and Ashley Flowers (Audiochuck) cite Serial as the podcast that inspired them to create their podcasting networks.

This is the time when audio storytelling became more sophisticated, not only in production but in structure and tone. This was the era when minor podcasting networks were formed, just before media moguls controlled the landscape. This is the period that gave us The Moth, Beautiful Anonymous, WTF with Marc Maron, and Lore (among many others) as well as an explosion of docuseries that came with the formation of journalistically driven podcasting networks such as Gimlet and Wondery.

For writers, this shift meant that podcasting became a viable platform for publishing and discovery. Stories that might have languished in slush piles found new life as audio fiction. Essayists and novelists began appearing as guests on genre-specific shows, connecting with niche audiences that mirrored their readerships. People outside of tech and radio were now familiar with podcasting, and for those creatives willing to experiment, launching a podcast of their own became an opportunity to expand their creative voice while building a loyal following.

The Current Landscape: Saturation, Innovation, and Hybrid Models

Fast-forward to today, and podcasting is no longer the Wild West. There are now hundreds of thousands of active shows competing for listener attention. The challenge isn’t just creating a good podcast, it’s being discovered. With competition from YouTube, TikTok, and other video-first platforms, audience fatigue is a real issue.

Yet, even in this crowded landscape, innovation thrives and niche audiences continue to connect with new podcasts. Subscription models through various platforms allow creators to build sustainable income from dedicated listeners. Stories flow across media boundaries and podcasts become books (Limetown, Alice Isn’t Dead) or television series (Homecoming, Dirty John, Root of Evil).

For writers, the key to discovery is thinking strategically. What story, or aspect of your voice works best in sound? A writer doesn’t need to chase every trend; instead, the goal is to use the medium intentionally and authentically to connect with your specific audience.

The Future of Podcasting for Writers

Artificial intelligence and voice synthesis are beginning to shape the field, opening possibilities for accessibility and experimentation, while raising significant ethical concerns about ownership, authenticity, and sustainability. For writers, staying informed about these developments is a professional necessity.

The increasing use of AI and corporate involvement in podcasting has been troubling to creatives and caused tension in the industry. Many podcasters and listeners miss the early days of DIY podcasting before there were gatekeepers and higher and technical expectations. The constant changes can be tough to keep up with and can discourage podcasters from starting or continuing with their projects.

However, listeners will always care most about quality storytelling and they can spot (or hear) a lack of authenticity in a fraction of a second. My experience working in corporate podcasting showed me that no matter how much funding a podcast has, if it’s an inauthentic corporate creation that feels stilted or relies on AI writing, very few people will listen. Listeners want stories written by real people, they want to hear real friends laughing together, and they follow shows with creative authenticity and hosts that feel genuine. Very few corporate creations actually outrank homegrown podcasts of friends or colleagues sharing stories and displaying vulnerability, and a huge swath of top charting podcasts had very humble beginnings.

Practical Takeaways

Despite the industry changes, you still don’t need a studio or a staff to get started. Creating a podcast remains one of the most accessible media projects one can take on, but you don’t have to create your own to get started. Many writers begin by guesting on existing podcasts related to their genre or niche. It’s an easy way to reach new readers while getting comfortable with the audio format.

Collaboration is another path forward. Joining forces with an editor, voice actor, or fellow writer can turn a simple concept into something dynamic. Audiences are primed for more diverse and overlapping media styles, making it a great time to experiment with format and lean into a multi media approach to your work.

Podcasting also functions as a powerful tool within the world of writing and publishing. Writers can use it to connect with other writers, discuss craft, read work aloud, or share the creative process behind the scenes.

Regardless of industry updates, podcasting continues to be a great tool for both the craft and the business side of writing: sharpening your ear for language while expanding your professional reach.

The post Writers in the Ever Changing World of Podcasting appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(What Is World-Building?)

Here are 10 examples of how you can use sound effectively in your fiction (or perhaps nonfiction) podcast to deepen world-building and heighten storytelling.

1. Establish Setting Through Ambient Sound

Think of ambient sound as the aural equivalent of a setting paragraph. In prose, you might write: The bustling tavern smelled of smoke and spilled ale. In a podcast, you can build the same tavern with clinking glasses, murmured conversations, a lute playing softly in the corner, and the occasional burst of laughter.

A great example of this is The Magnus Archives, which often drops listeners into a location without explanation, simply using a faint hum of fluorescent lights or the drone of a tape recorder to situate listeners in an archival office.

2. Use Sound as Characterization

Characters don’t have to be introduced only with dialogue. Their sound signatures (the objects, rhythms, or textures that follow them) can give immediate recognition.

For instance, maybe a character’s arrival is always marked by the swish of warm-up pants or heavy footsteps with an irregular gate. A fantasy warrior might be defined by the clanking of armor, and maybe a futuristic smuggler always powers down a ship with a metallic sigh. These repeated cues become auditory shorthand.

3. Control Pacing With Silence

Writers know the power of white space. A sentence fragment on its own line can punch harder than a full paragraph. In audio, silence has the same effect.

A long pause before a confession can feel like holding your breath. A sudden drop into stillness after a loud scene can jar listeners into alertness. Even half a second of silence can sharpen a joke’s timing.

Think of silence not as empty, but as intentional space. The absence of sound is still a sound choice, and you want to be sure there are no unintentional silences.

4. Layer Sound for Emotional Resonance

Prose layers tone through metaphor, diction, and rhythm. Podcasts can do this with multiple layers of sound. Dialogue sits in the foreground, but what happens underneath can amplify emotion.

Example: A tender scene might include a faint piano or the distant chirp of crickets, lending warmth. A horror moment could include barely audible whispers under a monologue, or a low drone slowly increasing in volume, unsettling the listener without ever being directly acknowledged.

The trick is subtlety. Too many layers muddy the track. But the right two or three can make a scene unforgettable.

5. Build Tension With Repetition

Writers often use recurring images or motifs, and sound can do the same.

Consider the steady drip of water in a dungeon scene. If it returns across episodes, it builds anticipation: Why does it matter? Or a few distant, unexplained “monster roars” early on. Each recurrence adds dread until the beast finally appears.

Repetition tells listeners: Pay attention, this matters.

6. Use Perspective and Proximity

Audio production can mimic point of view. A voice whispering directly in one ear (using stereo panning) creates intimacy, an almost conspiratorial feel. A muffled argument heard through a wall distances the listener, making them an eavesdropper rather than a participant.

This is the audio equivalent of close third-person versus omniscient narration. Ask yourself: how “close” should the audience feel to this moment? Then adjust the sound perspective accordingly.

7. Contrast Soundscapes

Sometimes the most effective worldbuilding comes from playing the sound against the situation. A gruesome scene underscored by cheerful music, or a high-stakes conversation happening over chirping birds or children playing can disorient the listener in interesting ways and create dramatic tension.

8. Map Geography Through Sound Cues

Listeners can “see” a space through audio cues. Footsteps shifting from tile to gravel tell us a character is moving outdoors. A voice echoing differently in each room maps an environment in our heads. For even more immersion, consider stereo panning sound effects to the left or right, or even moving from one ear to the other to put the listener in the middle of a scene. Those footsteps can move from tile to gravel, and they can also move from the left ear to the right as though the character is walking by the listener.

9. Treat Sound Effects as Symbols

Sounds can function like symbols in prose. A tolling bell might signal both time passing and the inevitability of death. If you repeat sounds strategically, they accrue significance. They become thematic shorthand, much like recurring images and motifs in a novel.

10. Marry Soundscape and Dialogue

Finally, remember that sound is your setting, your imagery, even your punctuation. Pacing is heavily affected by the way the dialogue interacts with the sound environment.

A rapid-fire exchange over pounding rain creates urgency. Slow, deliberate dialogue against a hushed forest soundscape encourages reflection. Moments of soundscape without dialogue can create immersion, tension, reflection, or whatever mood you’re trying to build while also giving the listener a moment to digest what is happening in the story.

As you experiment, listen to how other audio dramas and films use sound. Notice when a silence unnerves you, when a sound effect feels over-the-top, when background noise deepens immersion. Don’t forget to have some fun with it, audio is an exciting medium for creative storytelling.

The post World-Building With Sound: 10 Audio Tips for Fiction Writers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(20 Podcasting Terms Every Writer Should Know.)

6 Podcasting Dos for Writers

Have an Outline:

You don’t need to have a script but you do need to have a clear structure and episode arc. If you have a guest, an outline will help you lead the conversation so that the guest can relax into their experience without being concerned about the interview sounding awkward or feeling like they have to lead.

Once you get into a conversational flow during recording, it’s very easy to accidentally record a 2+ hour episode that most listeners won’t finish, and maybe won’t even start after seeing the length. Pace yourself when recording. Having time markers in the outline and a stopwatch with you during recording is a good idea. That way you know how long you want to spend on each section, and can move things along when needed.

Stick to Your Niche:

It’s important to keep your podcast focused on one topic or a couple of topics that fall under one umbrella. For example, if you want to podcast your novels, creating different podcasts for different pieces of writing rather than releasing all of your work under one podcast name and feed can help with searchability and listener retention. Chances are slim that the audience for all of your work will be the same, and it can alienate listeners if you stray too far from what they expect from your show week to week. You can build out several podcasts over time that are interrelated and promote each other, but have separate titles and feeds for maximum searchability and listener loyalty.

Record With Wired Headphones:

Recording with headphones is the most crucial if you have a guest who is joining via phone or video chat. The guest’s voice needs to come through your headphones, NOT your computer speakers. If the guest is coming through your speakers, they will also be picked up by your microphone creating an echo that can’t be removed in post. If you don’t have a guest, it’s still a good idea to record with headphones, as this will allow you to hear your mic feed while recording and stop to adjust if you hear anything that sounds off.

Given the choice of wired or Bluetooth headphones, wired is always a superior choice. Bluetooth can sometimes unexpectedly override the computer’s mic settings in the middle of a recording, meaning your podcast audio is suddenly being recorded by your headphone microphone instead of your podcast microphone, resulting in tinny and irregular audio. Additionally, Bluetooth headphones run on a battery, are subject to interference, and can cause confusing tech problems.

Interact With Listeners:

Think of it as nurturing the relationship between your podcast and the listeners. Social media is probably the best way to promote and share episodes, answer listener questions and gain valuable feedback. You can also read listener emails on your podcast if they relate well to your episode, and let that listener know they’ll be featured in the episode to increase the chances they’ll share it with friends. You can also use social media to gauge audience interest in certain topics by posting polls asking listeners which episode subjects they are most interested in hearing about.

Listen Back, Critique, and Edit:

When listening back to edit, keep an ear out for overly long pauses, double digressions (an aside that leads to another aside), and any places where the energy dips. You want to win over new listeners who might not have as much patience for your content as you do, so keeping the pace tight while still allowing for a natural conversational feel is the sweet spot. Asking a few trusted friends and colleagues to listen and give constructively critical notes can help open your eyes to the way other people experience your podcast and editing style.

Batch Record:

Batch recording is when you record multiple episodes at once. This saves setup and breakdown time, helps reduce studio fees if you record in a rented space, and allows you to look at a handful of episodes at once to see how they fit together or how larger themes play out across episodes. The trick is having a handful of outlines prepped in advance.

Recording a bank of many episodes that are evergreen, meaning they aren’t especially related to current events and can be relevant at any time, is a great way to create a backlog of material and take the pressure off of last-minute recording and editing. Current event and time specific content (related to news, micro cultural moments, holidays, etc.) can be great for building listenership and getting boosted in social media algorithms that favor global trends. If you’ve got a backlog of evergreen episodes, then you can focus on creating those time-sensitive episodes when needed without being bogged down by other work.

6 Don’ts of Podcasting for Writers

Don’t Hack the Episodes Apart:

Over-editing can make an episode feel oddly disjointed, like it’s skipping around unnaturally or missing the emotional beats of a real conversation. It’s almost always better to leave the conversation in the order it was recorded in rather than re-structuring, and keeping in a little human texture helps build a relationship with your audience.

Aim to edit with a light touch. Remove distractions like loud background noises, long tangents, non-additive pauses and sections that don’t serve the episode’s focus, but let the conversation breathe.

Don’t Skip Release Dates:

The quickest way for a listener to forget about your podcast is releasing episodes irregularly. You might hook a listener with the first three episodes, but if they have to wait four weeks for the next one, chances are they’ve moved on and are spending their listening time on something else. Batch recording is immensely helpful when it comes to sticking to a release schedule.

Don’t Pursue Broad, General Topics

It might be tempting to create episodes about sweeping themes like “creativity” or “storytelling,” but general topics tend to attract general disinterest. The more specific and focused your topic, the more likely you are to connect with a specific audience, and that’s exactly what you want.

Instead of “Let’s talk about the writing process,” try “How I outline my second draft to fix pacing problems” or “What stream of consciousness writing taught me about editing.” That kind of specificity helps your episode show up in search results, makes it easier to promote, and gives audiences a concrete reason to listen.

Don’t Be Afraid to Go Off-Script

Even with an outline or a script, allow room to follow tangents (especially if they’re related to the topic), react naturally, and let your personality shine through. Listeners are tuning in for your voice, not just your content. Some of the best moments on a podcast are often unplanned: Sharing a spontaneous story, cracking a joke or reacting genuinely to a guest. You can always trim or tighten the edit if a tangent goes too long, but letting your humanity show makes the podcast more engaging.

Don’t Post or Send Rebuttals to Negative Feedback

Follow up graciously when listeners inevitably correct you over email or in the comments. Posting or emailing a rebuttal will never help. Maybe you misquoted something, used a problematic term without realizing it, or forgot to credit someone’s work. Thank the listener for letting you know, and express that you’ll be correcting your error going forward. Acknowledging feedback with humility and openness builds trust. Responding negatively (even when the critique seems a little over the top) can have a devastating effect on your listenership.

If you receive negative comments or emails about something you can’t change, like the sound of your voice, which is an extremely common complaint female and lgbtq+ podcasters receive, just ignore it. If you’re being authentic, you’re doing it right. No one needs to change the way they naturally speak.

Don’t Get Too Isolated

Writing can be a solitary pursuit, and podcasting can fall into the same trap, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Think of podcasting as an opportunity to build community, collaborate, and open up your creative process. Recording with a friend or colleague, even occasionally, can bring new energy into your episodes and your writing. It helps with chemistry, keeps the tone conversational, and allows for spontaneous insights you might not reach alone.

Even if you prefer to record solo, don’t isolate yourself entirely. Reach out to other podcasters, join forums or writer communities with a podcasting channel, or invite guests from your network. Treat your podcast as a bridge, not just a broadcast. That connection can be creatively energizing and a reminder that even in the quiet work of writing, you’re not alone.

The post 12 Podcasting Dos and Don’ts for Writers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(How to Start Podcasting: A Checklist for Writers.)

In order to create popular audio work, you need to ensure great storytelling and clear audio, but you’ll also need to do the promotional work that would typically be taken care of by a publisher. You’ll need to make thoughtful decisions about production and format, and without advertising support, the discoverability and reach of your podcast is in your hands.

Getting Started: Gather Your Intel

Before you begin adapting your work into audio, it’s a good idea to sample the work of other authors who podcast their books and stories. Take note of different production styles, format, teasers, use of music vs minimalism, and think about what style works best for your writing and intended listeners’ experience.

Sci-fi author Scott Seigler, who I discussed in my post, 7 Great Examples of Podcasts by Writers, is probably the most ‘successful’ and discussed author when it comes to using podcasting as DIY audio book production. He got his start through podcasting chapters of his book, which had been rejected by publishers and has gone on to have a 20+ year career as a bestselling author, thanks to the popularity of his DIY audio work. He was also one of the first authors to do this, so it’s good to note that the podcasting landscape has changed quite a bit since he launched his first series in the early 00s. However, perusing his body of work and career arc can still be helpful to writers looking to podcast their work today.

Podchaser has an extensive list of independent fiction podcasts here that can help you get started. These podcasts are a mix of work produced solo by the authors, with a very small team dedicated to great independent fiction, or occasionally in tandem with university programs. The works on this list are diverse in their genres as well as production and sound design and are all immensely popular. When deciding how you might like your own audio work to sound, sampling a mix of other literary podcasts is a great place to start.

Adapting for Audio

Podcasts in the aforementioned Podchaser list use a variety of audio production styles. There is no right way to produce your podcast, it just needs to support your writing and provide an easy listening experience. You don’t need music and sound effects (unless you want them and it’s additive). Clean audio with good pacing is the most important thing. Noise, long pauses, and noticeable cuts can distract from your story and lose listeners.

When using additional elements, choose music and sound design elements that complement your story rather than overwhelm it, and remember that less is often more. For fiction, subtle music beds can help create mood. For nonfiction, occasional cues or ambient sound can help with transitions or tone.

Discoverability

As a DIY audiobook creator, you won’t have the advertising support of a publishing company, so ensuring your work is discoverable is crucial. One of the most important ingredients of discoverability is SEO optimization. Use clear, SEO-optimized titles and descriptions so potential listeners can find your show when searching for topics, genres, or keywords. This can be tough and feel a little uninspired or corporate.

I’ve struggled many times with wanting to create fun and clever titles for podcast episodes, but unfortunately that method doesn’t help you with search engine ranking. Try to think about what your ideal listener is typing into a search bar and see if you can work a few of those keywords into your episode titles. You can get a little more creative in the show notes but keep the titles highly searchable.

TIP: Creating a podcast of your work means that it can be shared with a QR code. You can create business cards, bookmarks (for a slightly cheeky approach) or other print media with a QR code that takes listeners directly to your podcast. This allows you to promote your work in the real world (book shops, coffee shops, conferences), not just online. When using a QR code to send listeners to your podcast feed, it’s a good idea for it to link directly to a short (30- to 60-second) trailer of the work. Think of this like someone picking up your book and reading the summary on the jacket.

Click to continue.

Hook Listeners Early

Podcast listeners make decisions quickly. While readers might give your book 50 pages before moving on, podcasts get about 30 seconds. Start strong. Think of your episode open like the first line of a novel. It should intrigue, set the tone, and give listeners a reason to keep going.

One effective strategy is to drop two or three episodes at launch, so new listeners can immediately immerse themselves in your story without having to wait a week for more. The longer they stay with your show early on, the more likely they are to come back.

Also, consistency is key. Releasing episodes on a reliable schedule builds trust and makes it more likely that new listeners will stick around, and share the podcast with friends.

Gaining Wider Attention

My intention is to help writers understand how to sidestep publishers and take the reins on audiobook publishing, but it’s also important to acknowledge that this process can garner the attention of publishers that was initially difficult to obtain. It’s an unfortunate truth that media companies want to see numbers: downloads, followers, shares, all of that.

If you are a writer who self-publishes audiobooks and gains even a small following, media companies begin to show interest. With ever increasing emphasis on profit growth, companies want a sure thing, not a bet on something unknown. Showing that you already have an interested listener base that you’ve grown on your own is a bullseye. Additionally, any audiobooks or stories you create double as portfolio pieces that publishers may be interested in.

Admittedly, media companies have taken hold of large swaths of the podcasting landscape, but that doesn’t mean you have to have a network deal to produce a podcast (or audio literature). Turning written work into a podcast that lands for listeners is a mix of good writing, consistency, trial and error, and most of all an openness to learning.

The post Podcasting as DIY Audiobook Publishing appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Podcasting on a Budget.)

It’s easy to get lost in the editing process. Podcasters often struggle to find the sweet spot where they’re editing their episode well for pacing and content without over-editing, which can give the episode a stiff, sterilized feel.

Rather than focusing on perfecting every moment of your audio, it can be helpful to think of the edit more like editing a written story. Think about the arc of the episode and edit to shape the narrative, rhythm, pacing, and tone.

You don’t need to be especially tech savvy to do this well. Many podcasters are journalists and writers who edit the bulk of their episodes alone. There are even text-based editing tools like Descript and Adobe text edit that allow you to edit audio via a transcript—but more on that another time.

Thinking Like a Listener

When creating written work, you probably think of the reader on the other side of the page. The same mindset applies to podcasting. The big difference is that in audio, you’re shaping an experience for someone who can’t pause to re-read. They’re doing dishes, walking the dog, or commuting to work. Keeping their attention becomes paramount.

Approach your raw audio like a rough draft. What’s the throughline of the episode? What’s the emotional arc? The listener should feel like they’re going somewhere.

Ask yourself:

• Where does the energy dip?
• Are we repeating ourselves?
• What’s the “hook” that draws listeners in?
• Does the episode resolve in a satisfying way?

It can be helpful to think of editing not as fixing mistakes, but as refining the rhythm and clarity of your story. If a moment made you smile, laugh, or tear up on the first listen, it’ll probably do the same for your audience.

Determining What Stays and What Goes

When editing audio, you’re not just making things shorter, you’re making them sharper. Every minute of your podcast should be doing one of three things: informing, entertaining, or connecting with your listener. If a section isn’t pulling its weight, it’s probably best to cut it. (Entertaining moments that don’t fit well in the episode can be saved for bonus content).

Here are a few strategies for content editing:

• Trim the tangents. Casual sidebars can be charming, but if they derail the main point, cut or condense them. Keep the story on track.
• Watch for redundancy. If you or your guest makes the same point twice, pick the stronger version.
• Filler phrases such as “you know,” “like,” or “so anyway…” are fine in moderation, but if they pile up, the clarity suffers and some listeners become turned off.
• Cut down rambly anecdotes that start strong but meander. Is it still serving the episode’s focus?
• Highlight the gold. Sometimes a brilliant insight or funny moment is buried in a long-winded explanation. Trim around it so the best parts shine.

It’s okay to leave in the occasional stumble, laugh, or pause, especially if it adds to your authenticity. You’re editing for clarity, not perfection.

Pacing and Flow

If your episode drags, you will lose listeners. If it’s too rushed, they might miss the good stuff. The goal is to find a rhythm that feels natural, dynamic, and intentional.

Here’s how you can keep things moving:

• Cut the dead air. Unless it’s for dramatic effect, long pauses often feel awkward. A quick snip keeps the conversation lively.
• Watch your intros and outros. Get to the good stuff quickly and your audience is more likely to stick around. I usually suggest no more than two or three minutes for intros and outros, and anything non-additive must go. For listeners, a podcast intro can feel like waiting in line for an attraction.
• Vary your segments. Mix longer, in-depth discussions with shorter, punchier moments. This gives listeners room to breathe and keeps things feeling fresh.
• Use music or transitions thoughtfully. A music bed, sound cue, or moment of silence between sections can reset listener attention and guide the emotional tone.

When in doubt, listen back with fresh ears. Does the episode move with purpose? Are you bored anywhere? If your attention wanders, your listener’s will too.

Cutting Without Losing Personality

A common fear I hear from podcasters (especially those new to editing) is that too much cutting will flatten their voice or make them sound stiff. This was one of my biggest personal struggles at the beginning of my podcasting experience. Through feedback from more senior editors, I learned that editing doesn’t have to erase personality, it’s about spotlighting it.

When done well, trimming verbal clutter makes your voice shine brighter. Your jokes land more clearly. Your insights hit harder. Your pacing feels intentional.

Try this approach:

• Keep moments of genuine emotion. A laugh, a pause, a voice crack, all make you feel human and relatable.
• Trim waffling or over-explaining that buries a good point.
• Let your quirks live! Dry asides, nerdy tangents, and unusual metaphors are part of what makes your voice yours. Just remember that sometimes you have to cut around the fluff to make these moments shine.

Think of editing your podcast as removing the excess to reveal your ideas and personality more clearly.

Interview Editing: Respect the Guest, Respect the Listener

If your podcast includes interviews, you’ll need to balance respecting your guest and respecting your listeners. It’s important to let the guest’s unique voice shine without subjecting your listeners to overly long monologues or pacing that feels incongruent with other episodes.

Here’s how to balance both:

• Help your guest shine. Remove ums, stumbles, or false starts if they don’t add character. Smooth transitions when a thought gets tangled. If your guest rambles, gently trim while preserving their meaning.
• Keep the pace moving. Break up long monologues with a quick host interjection or transition. Even great content needs breathers.
• Inform your guest ahead of time that the episode will be edited for clarity. This usually helps guests relax during the recording and appreciate the final product even more.

Listening Back

After your first edit, take a break. Then listen back later as if you’re your own audience: distracted, multitasking, maybe listening at 1.5x speed. This can help you catch rough patches you might have missed while deep in the weeds.

Ask yourself:

• How quickly does the episode grab attention? Shoot for the first 30 seconds. (A teaser at the top of the episode can be helpful.)
• Does the structure feel purposeful?
• Are there any spots where your own mind wandered?

If possible, have a trusted friend or colleague give your episode a listen too. Ideally, this person will not be afraid to say, “This part dragged” or “I got a little lost here.” That kind of feedback is invaluable.

You’re Already Halfway There

As a writer, you’re familiar with shaping a narrative, choosing your words with care, and speaking directly to your audience’s imagination. Think of your editing process as another draft. The mic captures the raw material, and editing turns it into a story that listeners will stick around for.

Don’t stress over perfection. Trust your gut, follow the story, and always, always listen back.

The post Podcast Editing for Writers appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(5 Different Types of Podcasts for Writers to Try.)

It develops naturally over time as listeners hear candid stories, recognize familiar habits, and spend hours immersed in the host’s voice and worldview. A parasocial bond can feel like genuine friendship. Listeners might think of their favorite podcaster during their daily routines, turn to episodes for comfort during hard times, or celebrate milestones alongside them. Podcasters are building thriving communities and sustainable businesses by cultivating strong parasocial ties. Their audiences do more than just listen. They buy merch, interact online, attend the live shows, and share the podcast with others. Fostering that kind of emotional connection isn’t magic, it’s strategy.

How do you build that kind of bond with your listeners? I think it comes down to a blend of trust, excitement, and connection—three emotional pillars that keep people coming back and telling their friends about you.

Building Trust

Trust is the foundation of any strong relationship, parasocial or otherwise. For podcasters, it’s not just about being honest (although that helps). It’s about showing up consistently, delivering on promises, and letting listeners feel like they know the real you. These are a few key ways to build that foundation of trust.

Authentic Voice & Personality

Listeners can spot a phony a mile away. The best podcasters develop a hosting style that feels natural and unmistakably them. That means leaning into your quirks, your humor, your rhythms, and not trying to sound like someone else. Personal anecdotes, casual asides, and moments of genuine reaction all help build rapport. Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert shines here; his laid-back, self-deprecating style is a huge part of why listeners feel so comfortable with him.

Vulnerable Storytelling

Sharing personal highs and lows can be scary, but it’s one of the fastest ways to build real credibility with your audience. When hosts are willing to open up about creative struggles, life lessons, or funny mishaps listeners feel like they’re being invited behind the curtain. You also have the opportunity to help listeners feel less alone when they hear someone else discuss difficulties they too may face.

Well-Researched Content & Expert Guests

When you promise valuable information or interviews, delivering the goods is essential for maintaining trust. That means doing your homework, preparing thoughtful questions, and choosing guests who bring true expertise. Maintenance Phase and If Books Could Kill, for example, are known for their rigorous fact-checking and expert sourcing, giving listeners confidence that they’re getting solid, well-researched information every time they hit play.

Consistent Publishing Schedule

Few things erode trust faster than an unpredictable posting schedule. If listeners come to expect a new episode every Tuesday morning, stick to it. Even better? Tease what’s coming next to build anticipation. Podcasts become part of listeners’ weekly routines, and create a dependable rhythm that feels almost like a standing date with friends.

High-Quality Audio Production

Good audio isn’t just about sounding professional, it’s about respecting your listeners’ time and attention. Clean editing, consistent levels, and subtle use of room tone or music beds help create an experience that feels seamless and trustworthy. Think of it like good writing: When the mechanics are strong, the reader (or listener) can focus fully on the story. Many indie shows, like You’re Wrong About, strike this balance beautifully with crisp production that never feels overproduced.

Sparking Excitement

Trust might bring listeners back, but excitement is what keeps them counting down the days to your next episode. To build lasting loyalty, you want to create a sense of momentum. Here’s how to keep the energy high.

Compelling Storytelling Structure

Great storytelling is probably the most important thing when it comes to audience excitement. That means hooking listeners with a strong opening, building narrative arcs that make them care about what happens next, and delivering satisfying resolutions. This can be done effectively in every genre of podcast, not just fiction.

Effective Pacing & Episode Length

It’s very important to know when to linger and when to move things along. Balancing deep dives with concise segments helps maintain a dynamic, engaging flow. Short-form bonus episodes, minisodes, or “extras” can be sprinkled between longer feature episodes to keep things fresh.

Creative Segments & Formats

Shaking up your format can inject excitement into your show without alienating your audience. Recurring features—like a “Tip of the Week” or a quarterly Q&A—become something listeners look forward to. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Narrative storytelling, interviews, roundtables, and solo monologues each bring a different energy. Reply All famously alternated between investigative pieces and playful “Super Tech Support” episodes, keeping listeners engaged in a variety of ways.

Consistent Publishing Schedule (Again!)

Yes, consistency builds trust, but it also builds excitement. Knowing that new episodes reliably drop every Wednesday morning, for example, gives listeners something to anticipate.

Narrative Cliffhangers & Teasers

Few things fuel word-of-mouth buzz like a good cliffhanger. Ending an episode with a dangling thread or hinting at a big reveal next week gives listeners a reason to keep thinking about your podcast and to bring it up in conversations. Podcast titan Serial ended most episodes with an open question or cliffhanger and people could not stop talking about it.

Strengthening Connection

Connection is where a podcast stops being just another show and starts feeling like a companion. When listeners feel seen, heard, and part of something bigger, they’re far more likely to stick around and bring friends along, too. Here’s how to make your audience feel connected.

Direct Address & Inclusive Language

Speaking directly to your listeners (“you”) and using inclusive phrases like “we” or “our community” instantly makes the experience more personal. It shifts the tone from performance to conversation.

Listener Spotlights & Interactive Rituals

Highlighting listener stories, voice memos, or comments is a simple but powerful way to show that you’re paying attention. Listeners are much more likely to share episodes with friends that feature their own email or comments. You can also create fun rituals, like a signature greeting, a recurring inside joke, or a quirky sign-off that listeners can anticipate and participate in.

Exclusive Insider Access

Offering Patreon-only episodes, behind-the-scenes updates, or private chats invite your most loyal listeners even closer. These small gestures create a feeling of belonging, and turn casual listeners into superfans.

Community Building Beyond the Podcast

Building connection doesn’t stop at the mic. Promoting episodes through social media and collaborations with other podcasters or writers extends the conversation, and gives listeners more ways to stay involved with the podcast and each other.

Once trust, connection and excitement are present for a sustained period of time, listeners will begin to feel a sense of comfort from your podcast. They know what to expect, they understand who you are and they know how your podcast makes them feel. In hard times, we all want to reach for a sure-thing, and often that can be a favorite podcast.

The post Captivating Your Podcast Audience: The Parasocial Connection appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In my last post, I discussed examples of podcasts created by writers. These individuals were able to lean on their skills and experiences as writers to craft excellent, well-known podcasts that helped advance their careers.

For some, it was simply their skills that were a great fit for podcasting, others were able to adapt written work into audio episodes and some dug into heaps of previous research to create something new but adjacent to their written work. Each situation is unique but the opportunities are vast for writers looking to podcast.

Generating Buzz Around Your Upcoming Work

Podcasting is an excellent promotional tool for projects and for your personal brand as a writer or creator. A straightforward way to promote your written work on an existing podcast (yours or someone else’s) would be to feature a book teaser in the podcast feed if the book is relevant to the show.

I think the most valuable method is networking with podcasters to gain exposure to established audiences, whether you have your own podcast or not. Booking guest appearances on other podcasts is free promotion for you and your work. Find podcasts that align with your book’s theme or audience and pitch yourself as a guest. Their listeners are essentially a target audience for your work.

A step beyond guest appearances is cross promotion. If you have a podcast, have the host of a podcast you appeared on come onto your show. You can also create two-part crossover episodes with another podcast (half of the episode is on their podcast feed and the other half is on yours) to encourage new listeners to come to your feed in order to finish listening.

Another method of cross promotion is for podcasters to place advertisements or trailers for each other’s podcasts on their own episodes or feeds. Being willing to network and participate in interviews is one of the best ways to increase your exposure.

Creating a Companion Podcast for Your Written Work

Some writers (and publishers) create podcast series as companions to their books. These podcasts might include behind-the-scenes discussions about the writing process, character deep dives or lore expansions, reader Q&A episodes, thematic explorations related to the book’s subject matter, historical context, and more.

A companion podcast can enhance readers’ engagement, especially in sci-fi and fantasy genres where fandoms commonly develop. It also attracts new audiences who may only discover your book through an episode of the podcast.

Side-Stepping Traditional Publishing Routes

Some indie authors have turned to podcasting as an alternative distribution method for audiobooks. A self-publishing writer could release audiobook chapters as individual podcast episodes and then offer the full audiobook behind a paywall. How much to release for free varies by situation. Some authors release their entire book or series as a free podcast and still see enormous book sales.

Scott Sigler for example, who I mentioned in my last post, released his work as free audio content and became a New York Times bestseller. It wasn’t until after the success of his podcast that he was reconsidered by major publishers. His story is a prime example of how podcasting can help launch a writer’s career.

Content Repackaging

If you’re a writer, then there is a good chance you have archives of writings and research that could be reworked for podcasting. Blog posts, essays, short stories, and previously unfinished writings can be adapted into audio experiences.

You may also have stacks of research from an old project. If you’ve already conducted the research for written work, why not explore repurposing it? Podcasting provides a platform to discuss your findings, interview experts, and share insights that might not make it into your final written work.

Insight via Analytics

One of the challenges writers face is tracking progress and reader engagement. Podcasting platforms provide analytics that offer insights into listener demographics, episode performance, and audience retention. You can discover how many listeners finished an episode, and if there were places in the episode where listeners dropped off. Unlike traditional publishing, where engagement is harder to quantify, podcast metrics provide excellent feedback so that writers can adjust their strategy based on data.

Click to continue.

Accessing Non-Readers

You’ll likely find that the audience for your podcast work is a little different than the audience for your written work, as some people who enjoy your style may not be big readers, but love to listen. There are also plenty of people who would like to read, but are too busy.

If you release audio content, interested but busy people can listen while they go about their daily tasks. This makes your work accessible to a broader audience, which can grow exponentially as listeners are able to easily share the podcast with friends.

Breaking Through Writer’s Block

Working in a new media forces us to forge new neural pathways in our brains. It can feel difficult at first, but with repetition, the pathways grow deeper and our new ways of working begin to feel more natural. This mental expansion can help open us up creatively through the experience of learning, novelty, and increased brain connections.

A simple way to use podcasting as a block breaking exercise would be to look through some of your work or research and try to construct a 20-minute podcast episode from some of the material. You will probably find yourself reorganizing information and changing the narrative structure to fit the new format, which can help with breaking out of routine thinking.

Embracing podcasting can open doors to fresh storytelling possibilities and help put writers on track for the next chapter of their careers. However you approach podcasting, remember to make it your own. You don’t even have to create your own podcast—guest appearances can do wonders for exposure. To get started, consider digging through your old research or pitching yourself as a guest on a podcast!

The post 7 Ways Podcasting Can Help With Writing Goals appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Does My Podcast Need Video?)

Hospitality Mindset

Your guests should feel appreciated, respected, and taken care of during the entire process. Remember that the person you’re interviewing might be nervous, and a comfortable environment fosters vulnerability and easy conversation. You don’t want your guest to see behind the fourth wall. They don’t need to know about tech problems or scheduling issues or the hectic morning you’ve had. It’s crucial that you get your own stress under control, focus on the guest, and create (at least the illusion of) a smooth recording experience. Ideally, everyone involved is absorbed in the conversation and forgets about the microphones at some point.

Be ready to pick up the conversational slack. If you were hosting a dinner party instead of a podcast and there was an awkward lull in the conversation, you would likely feel obligated to steer the group discussion in a new and promising direction. Hosting a podcast is similar. The conversation may dip, but it’s the host’s responsibility to track the energy and keep things moving. Remember, you have the reins and you are guiding your guest through this experience.

You also need to be on the same page with your co-hosts or team. It’s extremely awkward and confusing when hosts or producers openly disagree with each other or display tension in front of the guest. No one can give a good interview if the people they’re talking to are fighting with each other. Before the interview, have a check-in with your team to be sure everyone has the same understanding of the setup, goals, who is asking which questions, and overall interview plan.

The recording environment is another big thing to consider when thinking about hospitality. A lot of in-person interview podcasts use a couch or two large armchairs in a living room style setup with lamps rather than recording in a sterile, dark studio. Make sure water or tea is available for the guest and that the room is a comfortable temperature.

Some podcasters will even make the effort to travel to guests’ homes to conduct interviews. This can of course help the guest relax, but it’s also a big draw for audiences even without video. For example, one of the most played podcast episodes of all time was Call Her Daddy’s audio-only interview with Miley Cyress in which Alex Cooper (host) traveled to Cyress’ home for the episode. In this instance, Cyress opening her home was a point of interest even though there were no visuals because it added a layer of intimacy.

Over Prepare

Wonderful, unexpected moments seem to occur more often when podcasters are well prepared. Research your guests, know their achievements and credentials, know what they are currently promoting, and read their bio online if possible. Find out if they have a hobby or recent life event.

If your guest used to be a clown or grows their own mushrooms or was in the background of a music video once—you could open the interview by asking about one of these things.

It’s also good to have more content prepared than you need. Organize your questions and topics into essential and non-essential beforehand for a smooth interview. You never know what’s going to happen during a recording. The guest could be less chatty than expected, be in a bad mood, get cagey about certain topics, or the conversational energy could be low. 

These situations are inevitable, but to avoid awkwardness or cutting the interview short—have extra questions, a couple of open-ended discussion topics, and maybe a relevant personal anecdote ready. Not every host and interviewee are going to have naturally good chemistry, so having extra notes to lean on when improvised conversation fails can make a huge difference.

Stay on Topic (But Also Don’t)

There are certainly podcasts that thrive on letting guests talk themselves into a crazed, embarrassing hole, but unless that’s your goal, gently nudge guests back to relevant conversation by asking a new question. There is a happy medium between hammering through questions on your outline and letting the interview go off the rails. Digressions are often my favorite part of interviews because they spring organically from something the interviewer and host are connecting over (or disagree about, though that can make for equally good content). 

Keep in mind that the excess digressions can be cut out in post production, and sometimes it’s better to let the guest keep talking because it gives you more interview material to choose from. For the most part, I suggest removing or avoiding ‘secondary digressions,’ which is when there is a digression within digression—only keep these if they’re gold.

Incorporate Larger Themes

Depending on the guest, you may be able to openly dive into larger themes and cultural analyses. Guests who are journalists, work in politics, or are literary authors can give this kind of interview. Other guests whose experience falls outside of these areas may need to be guided more subtly through the themes of an interview. Using a combination of open-ended and leading questions to guide the guest in the direction you want to go is a good method in these situations. 

For example, an interview I produced that featured some of Hugh Hefner’s former girlfriends was constructed in a way that allowed the women to share their experiences through natural conversation, but the questions and editing highlighted themes of coercive control and the infantilization of women.

Don’t Talk Too Much

Talking more than your guest is an interview faux pas. Beyond the awkward disrespect, it’s a disappointing experience for the listener who is expecting to hear from the guest and may have only come to your podcast feed because they follow said guest. 

You want the guest to do at least 60% of the talking, so make sure all discussion topics are in their wheelhouse and that the overall tone of the interview is a good fit for the guest.

Avoid Tech Freakouts

One way to make your guests really nervous is by having disorganized tech. Mics, recording equipment, computers, and video calls are notorious for making people nervous. It’s a piece of equipment that they’re not sure how to use but need to use while performing in a (sometimes high stakes) professional setting—pretty nerve wracking. 

If the interview is being recorded remotely over the internet, it’s essential to make time for a no-stress setup and sound check call. This could be with you, the host, if you are tech savvy or an audio engineer or producer. Explaining things slowly and assuring the guest that if tech issues arise there is help and it is not their fault does wonders for creating a relaxed environment.

Warm Up

I think a lot of people forget that podcasting is performing. Just like an athlete or actor, you need to be alert and in a flow state to conduct the best interview possible. 

I like to do vocal warmups and ecstatic dancing (an embarrassing activity that involves throwing your body around wildly to increase blood flow and endorphins) before recording a podcast. Some people go for a short walk, have a chat with a friend or coworker to get into conversation mode, or meditate. Find what makes you feel the most prepared and create your own warm up routine.

The post 7 Interviewing Tips for Podcasters appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In a past edition of this column, I explored the ways you can approach creating and sharing content to support your work as an author. But what about the nitty-gritty of video production and content creation?

This is where many people get stuck. You want your content to be a reflection of you and your writing: high-quality and reliable. You definitely don’t want people to second-guess your expertise because of the way you present yourself online. Luckily, there are lots of wonderful tools accessible to you—and I’ll clue you in on my go-tos.

Thinking like a producer means creating content in multiple ways and across multiple platforms, from pre-recorded videos to live video interviews. Producers also know how to leverage tech and on-camera skills for the best possible end result.

Here are my tips for creating content that boosts your profile and supports your goals as an author.

1. Consider your appearance.

Even though an at-home video recording or interview means the camera will only capture you from the waist or chest up, don’t wear sweatpants or pajamas! Get fully dressed, as if you were heading into an in-person meeting or interview. You want to fully embody your professional persona as an author, and the right clothes help you step into that role.

When getting dressed, think about what outfits will be the least distracting. Solid colors such as blue or green are ideal. If you’re using a microphone, don’t wear jewelry that could bump into it while you’re talking and make a distracting sound. If you wear makeup, test out a few different looks so you can see what comes across well on camera. You don’t need to transform into someone else—you just want to come across as your best self.

2. Slow down your speaking.

We all use “um” and “like” sometimes, but it’s time to work on cutting those out, at least on camera. Using filler words distracts from your message and it undermines your credibility. Record yourself and notice what filler words you tend to rely on. Then, try again and practice slowing down and removing them from your speech. My best suggestion is to get comfortable with a moment of silence—it’s always better than rambling.

3. Make eye contact.

Always look at the camera, not at yourself! I know that it feels more natural to look at yourself or at the person you’re speaking with when you’re doing an interview. But when you do that, people don’t get that sense of eye contact and connect with you. It’s much better to make eye contact with the camera. It feels less uncomfortable the more you do it! I have lots of tips and tricks like this in my course, Media-Ready Author.

4. Simplify your background.

When you’re creating content from home, you want to make sure your background is appropriate for video meetings or interviews. Try to have a simple background—you can always move your desk around for the occasion. Having lots of items behind you will draw your audience’s attention away from your message and towards your knick-knacks! If you can easily get your book behind you, do it. Ideally, you’ll have some depth behind you if you can, but if not, a solid color works too. As for virtual backgrounds or blurring effects, I suggest skipping them. You don’t want to look like you’re hiding a messy room behind you!

5. Keep the lighting natural.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy lighting. Use natural light whenever possible. Never put a window behind you, because it will make your space look dark and uninviting. The more light, the better quality your on-camera image. Remember keep the light on your face, not behind it.

6. Invest in a microphone.

Having a good microphone means you’ll be heard loud and clear during video calls and interviews. You don’t want someone to have to ask you to repeat yourself because your voice sounded too fuzzy.

I suggest the Stick Microphone for when you’re using your laptop, or the Lav Microphone when you’re using your phone. You should test out your new hardware prior to creating any content or using it for an interview—you want to make sure you know how it works before the big moment.

7. Check out noise-canceling software.

Creating content from home means you run the risk of background noise. No one expects that you’ll have a soundproof recording studio, but you should try your best to minimize sounds that distract from your voice. Krisp is an app that allows you to mute background noise during calls. It’s perfect for working from home, since you don’t have to worry about the sounds of your kids or pets interrupting an interview.

8. Make sure your camera is up to the task.

A low-quality camera can’t produce a good image, even with the best lighting. It’s important for your audience and your interviewers to be able to see you clearly. Many smartphones and computers have great cameras these days, but if you want to buy a separate camera, the Logitech 1080p is a great option.

9. Elevate your computer.

Having a computer stand is one of my best tips for elevating your on-camera appearance. Elevating your camera creates a more natural, and level video, as if you really were right in front of your audience. This is super important for creating connection and intimacy with the person you’re talking to. You can also try a standing desk! If you don’t have time to order a computer stand, you can always prop up your laptop with some books. Just make sure to do a quick test to make sure things look right.

10. Practice, practice, practice.

If you’re new to creating video content or doing media interviews, it’s a good idea to practice talking and answering questions before the real thing. Try recording yourself so that you can see how you’re doing. Then you can rewatch and take note of what you’re doing well and what you want to improve on. Try using my 10 Media Questions Every Author Needs to Answer as you practice.

Here’s some things to look out for: Are you looking at yourself or the camera? Are you using filler words? How is your posture? Is the background distracting?

Practicing will help you feel more confident in your presentation, and that will definitely come across in your content. The more content you create and the more interviews you do, the more comfortable you’ll feel.

Click to continue.

The post Think Like a Producer to Look and Sound Your Best appeared first on Writer's Digest.