Producing a Podcast: the Debcast by Debbie Gonzales

When Deb Gonzales told me about her plans to create a podcast, I was super excited for her. When she asked to interview me for one of her episodes, I was super nervous. I'm a classic introvert: a slow thinker who expresses herself best in writing. Answering questions on the spot while being recorded? No, thank you! But having a conversation with my kind, thoughtful friend Debbie who is always warm and welcoming? Okay, let's do this! I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to the world of podcasting. Here's an interview with Deb to help you learn all about her new project.

Tell me about The Debcast. What’s it all about?

Thanks for asking. The Debcast is a podcast inspired by the premise of my debut picture book, GIRLS WITH GUTS: THE ROAD TO BREAKING BARRIERS AND BASHING RECORDS – the story of the tenacious spirit of the female athlete as demonstrated throughout history. I wanted to find some way to gather a collection of voices of female athletes of all ages, all sports, all walks of life. Voices that mirror those featured in my book. Podcasting seemed like the best way to do it.

Why did you decide to produce a podcast, rather than a blog?

I love podcasts. I love the medium. I can multi-task while listening to them. Cook. Clean. Walk.  Poke around on the web. I enjoy lots of different types of podcasts – educational ones, business and tech related, inspirational, and even those that hold beliefs that differ from mine. I find that, with podcasts that I really connect with, I’m eager to listen to each new episode. Hopefully, folks will respond to The Debcast in the same way.

Is it difficult to produce a podcast?

Not really, once you wrap your head around the tech involved and the content structure you want to employ. Podcasting is actually an affordable medium. Mics and pop filters are inexpensive. Software is fairly cheap. Truthfully though, I’m still knee-deep in my learning curve. There are a number of moving parts to wrangle. But I’m getting it. Each episode gets easier and easier to produce.

What do you hope to gain?

Oh, so many things. In fact, I already have gained so much from the episodes I’ve produced so far. I’ve met some amazing women who are doing remarkable things in the athletic arena. A rock climber. A barrel racer. A woman who has cycled all across our nation. Fascinating, I also desire to explore the effect sport has had on girls and women in their personal and professional lives. Are they more confident because they competed? Are they empowered by their struggles and successes? I’m finding that they are. Lastly, I want to make a connection between the experiences the individuals I interview have had and the premise of my book. I want to know what they think the phrase “play like a girl” means. Podcasting seems like a natural fit to do so.

Tell us about some of your upcoming interviews. What do have to look forward to?

Oh, I’d love to tell you about the upcoming episodes! Get ready for this. A “badass” ten-year-old karate star who has found meaning to her life through sport. A runner, whose legs were broken and was told she’d walk with a limp that, after one just year, has completed a marathon. A twelve-year-old softball player who is suffering a slump at the plate. Two Girl Scout troops. I’ve also interviewed a few authors who have written about female athletic protagonists, too. After I get about ten episodes produced, I going to reach out to the women celebrated in GIRLS WITH GUTS. That should be awesome!

How can we support your podcast endeavor? Tell us how to help get the word out.

Oh, thanks so much for asking. Please consider subscribing to The Debcast on iTunes and Stitcher. Also, if you’d share The Debcast posts on social media, that would be amazing. Also, please consider pre-ordering GIRLS WITH GUTS: THE ROAD TO BREAKING BARRIERS AND BASHING RECORDS on Amazon. Help me create a little buzz about the book. I really appreciate it.

Debbie Gonzales is a career educator, podcaster, curriculum consultant, former school administrator and adjunct professor, and once served as a SCBWI RA for the Austin Chapter. Deb currently devotes her time to writing middle grade novels, crafting teacher guides and various other freelance projects, and is currently serving the SCBWI-MI as the Author Liaison and SCBWI Representative as a board member for the Michigan Reading Association. She's the author of six “transitional” readers for New Zealand publisher, Giltedge, and the forthcoming non-fiction picture book GIRLS WITH GUTS: THE ROAD TO BREAKING BARRIERS AND BASHING RECORDS (Charlesbridge, 2019). Deb earned her MFA in writing for children and young adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. To find out more about Deb and her projects access www.debbiegonzales.com, www.guidesbydeb.com, or subscribe to The Debcast: Books, Buzz, and Girls with Guts.

Coming up on the Mitten Blog: A Picture Book Success Story, Painless Self-Promotion, Book Birthdays, a KidLit Advocate, and another Writer Spotlight. See you next Friday! Until then, check out the SCBWI Book Stop where you'll find hundreds of books published by SCBWI members in 2018.

https://www.scbwi.org/scbwibookstop/