Pitching Podcasts for Interviews by Maria Dismondy

Podcasts! They’re all the rage and for good reason.

If you haven’t started listening to podcasts for your own entertainment or professional development, it’s time to get started.

Podcasts really took off in 2015 and are now noted as a high converting marketing channel. They get messages out into the world and then some.

When you hear a person tell their story, rather than read about it, it takes the personal connection to a whole new level. Being interviewed on several podcasts also expands your network by connecting you to the host who is interviewing other experts weekly. It’s a form of online networking achieved with just one interview!

One of the greatest benefits of being interviewed on a podcast is the fact that you don’t have to travel, get dressed up or invest any money in the interview.

This is what I call grassroots marketing – it is free or a low cost to the business.

Now the big question: How do you get on a podcast?

Here are three ways you can pitch to be interviewed on a podcast this year.

1.   Listen to podcasts regularly. In order to understand whether or not you are a good fit for a show, you need to listen to it! Listen on the go, in the car, on a walk, while cooking dinner or folding laundry. Wherever you have your phone, you have access to a free podcast episode.

•   Pro Tip: Look for new and noteworthy podcasts on iTunes. A new show will be looking for guests to interview. They are also putting a lot of time and energy into their own marketing efforts, considering they are just launching their program.

2.   Contact the host or take a look on the website for submission guidelines. When emailing your pitch, be sure to include:

a.  One to two sentences describing your background and qualifications. Tell them why you would be a great guest on their show.

b.  A few bullet points on topics you are comfortable speaking about. Do the work for the podcast host by giving them these talking points. What kind of value can YOU deliver to this podcast audience?

c.  Something personal about what you like about the show. Prove to the host or team that you have listened to an episode, showing an understanding of why you think you are a good fit. Spend time on these first few sentences so that the person you are pitching continues reading.

3.  Follow up in a few weeks. The follow up is so important! I’ve learned this first hand with pitching local news. The anchors and producers are always so busy, they may have either missed your email or just forgot to respond.

Podcasts are a good way to market your book and its message. The benefits are truly endless when you start listing them out.

The interviews will live on in digital world forever, which means they will also add to your SEO.

Start exploring a number of shows and consider which are a fit for you.

Then, start creating your pitch!

Good luck!

Award-winning author and founder of the publishing company, Cardinal Rule Press, Maria Dismondy inspires and educates others in the book industry. Her background in early education and research enables her to touch lives the world over while touring as a public speaker in schools, community forums, and at national conferences. When Maria isn’t working, she can be found embarking on adventures throughout southeast Michigan and beyond, where she lives with her husband and three book-loving children. Find out more about Maria’s coaching services: maria@mariadismondy.com









How do you find podcasts about children's writing and publishing? Start here:

1. The Children's Book Podcast

2. All The Wonders

3. Brain Burps About Books or Writing for Children by Katie Davis

4. The YARN by Colby Sharp and Travis Jonker

5.  From Brightly: Press Play: 8 of the Best Kids'Lit Podcasts (And a Few for Grown-Ups Too!) 

Plus, SCBWI has its own podcast, and there was a Kidlit Podcasts Roundup in the SCBWI Spring 2018 Bulletin.

SCBWI-MI member Jack Cheng created a podcast with 15 episodes detailing the publication process of his middle grade novel, SEE YOU IN THE COSMOS. Find it here.

Please share your favorite podcasts about children's writing, illustrating, and publishing in the comments below.

Coming up on the Mitten Blog: How to know if your art is ready, a recap of our SCBWI-MI spring conference, and another Writer Spotlight - it could be you!