If you are like me, the publishing industry is a mystery. Podcasts to the rescue!
I love podcasts. They are entertaining and educational, and when I’m working away in my office, or going for a walk, or puttering around the house, I eagerly absorb everything from histories, to advice, to art, science, and various odds and ends. But, being a writer, my favorite podcasts are ones that help illuminate some aspect of the publishing world.
Lately, I’ve come across several that I found particularly useful. In no specific order:
Collaborcast
Hosts Jason Buchholz and Ben LeRoy discuss the publishing business, the being-a-human-in-a-crazy-world business, and the writing business. All while dispensing priceless wisdom and not a few laughs. Both have been in the publishing world for many years, and genuinely love stories and the people who write them. Do yourself a favor and listen!
Writers Ink Podcast
At the other end of the spectrum, hosts J.D. Barker, J. Thorn, and Zach Bohannon discuss publishing at the most stratospheric levels. Inspirational and aspirational, they interview top authors for insight into the business of writing.
On Publishing
A podcast by the Bindery Agency, this one seems to have hit a wall with the pandemic. However, each of their twelve existing episodes is useful, covering everything from author platforms to publicity and marketing.
The Business of Content
The podcast about how publishers create, distribute, and monetize digital content. This is geared more to publicity. It’s not going to explain how a publishing house works, but it might shed light on how your publicist chooses to showcase you. Or how you might do this for yourself.
Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
Host Mindy McGinnis interviews writers about craft, the agent hunt, query trenches, the publishing industry, and more. Not just an interview show, this podcasts aims to shed light on various aspects of the business.
Print Run Podcast
Hosted by literary agents Laura Zats and Erik Hane, this podcast covers the publishing industry from the inside. Definitely an interesting perspective.
Sell More Books Show
Targeted toward self-publishing, this show, focuses on helping new and experienced authors stay up-to-date with the latest self-publishing and indie news, tools and book selling/marketing strategies. It can’t hurt for the traditionally published to listen, either.
How about you? What are your favorite podcasts?
Emilya Naymark
Her short stories appear in the Bouchercon 2023 Anthology, A Stranger Comes to Town: edited by Michael Koryta, Secrets in the Water, After Midnight: Tales from the Graveyard Shift, River River Journal, Snowbound: Best New England Crime Stories 2017, and 1+30: THE BEST OF MYSTORY.
When not writing, Emilya works as a visual artist and reads massive quantities of psychological thrillers, suspense, and crime fiction. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her family.
Write-Off with Francesca Steele. She interviews authors who were rejected numerous times before getting published.