To be (on a podcast) or not to be . . .
That is the question facing a lot of authors these days.
Bouchercon 2024
This year, Bouchercon 2024 was held in Nashville, TN. For those who have never been, Bouchercon (more formally known as the Anthony Boucher Memorial World Mystery Convention) is an annual event for fans and creators of mystery and crime fiction. Each year, the event attracts over 1,500 readers, writers, agents, editors, publishers, and booksellers, who gather together to connect as a community and celebrate the genre.
I had the honor of participating in a panel discussion, intriguingly titled: Only Murders in the Building. The conversation focused on the benefits and downsides for authors of (1) making guest appearances on podcasts, and (2) hosting their own podcast.
My fellow panelists—Jeff Clark, N.B. Turner, Kirstyn Petras, Dan White, and Carter Wilson—are all accomplished podcasters producing content aimed, directly or indirectly, at authors who write in the mystery and crime fiction genre. However, most of us also interview authors from other genres, as well as other publishing industry professionals and experts in fields related to mystery and crime stories. If you have not checked out their podcasts, you really should. You’ll find more information about them below.
My fellow panelists and I unanimously agree that being a guest on a podcast can be highly beneficial. It’s a way to market yourself and your book to readers, practice discussing your book and writing journey, and network to expand your community of writing friends.
That being said, participating in a podcast interview becomes problematic in a few ways. For example, if you are unprepared—either due to faulty equipment or lack of research—you may end up with a poor-quality episode. Proper preparation includes ensuring your set up is as good as possible. This means having good lighting and background (if recording video), good audio (limiting background noise and using a microphone, a gaming headset, or something better than your laptop’s built-in mic), and being ready to chat (which includes researching the podcast to familiarize yourself with the interview format and thinking about what you want to say).
Your message—what your book is about, why you began writing, the experience you want your readers to have, how you aim to make the world a better place, etc.—is a crucial part of your interview. Give some thought to it. Don’t prepare a script or be rigid in what you will say. Instead, stay flexible and go with the flow of the conversation, but keep in mind the message you want listeners to take away from your interview. This could be, for example, your enthusiasm for a particular genre, your passion for exploring certain themes, or simply your love for writing. Whatever it is, think it through before your interviewer hits the record button. Not doing so is a missed opportunity.
Also, be aware that you run the risk of picking the wrong podcast. If you are not up for a lively debate or don’t like discussing your personal life, avoid podcasts where these types of discussions are part of the format. Making a poor choice will not only result in a bad experience for you and your interviewer, but it will also make for a poor episode—one which you won't have any control over once it is released.
If you are interested in hosting your own podcast, do your research. There is plenty of information available on how to do it well. One thing all of my fellow panelists agreed on is that hosting a podcast is a labor of love. We do it because we enjoy it, we like talking to and learning from our guests, and we are prepared to dedicate the time necessary to create a good product. It can be time consuming, and it is very unlikely to make you rich and famous. All that being said, it is definitely fun!
My Fellow Podcasters
It was an honor and privilege to participate in the podcast panel discussion at Bouchercon this year. My fellow panelists are all smart, talented, entertaining people who are passionate about stories and supporting their fellow authors. Please check out their podcasts, all of which are listed below:
And speaking of podcasts . . .
Be sure to visit my podcast, The Bookshop at the End of the Internet. Here are the authors and books featured in August and September.
Episode #216 Author Raymond Paul Johnson discusses his debut novel, Conspiracy Ignited. Ray’s main character is a former CIA combat pilot-turned-California litigator named Eric Ridge. As the book opens, an attempt is made on Ridge’s life, which sets off a twisty, suspense-filled game of cat and mouse that ultimately leads to his discovery of a powerful cabal vying for control of the US legal system. This fast-paced thriller also includes civil trial lawyers, CIA operatives, the world of aviation, and the post-combat experiences of military veterans.
Episode #217 Author Ben Gonshor discusses his new novel, The Book of Izzy, in which a man named Izzy finds himself at a dead end in his career, his romance, and his life in general. But Izzy has the opportunity to play the main character in The Dybbuk, a play that is considered Yiddish theater’s Romeo and Juliet, and the novel follows Izzy’s journey from going off his meds, to experiencing the world of amateur dramatics, to ultimately discovering the impact that Yiddish theater has on his identity and his search for meaning in his life.
Episode #218 Author Marcia Menter discusses her new book, That Voice: In Search of Ann Drummond-Grant, the Singer Who Shaped My Life. Part biography and part memoir, the book details the life of Scottish contralto, Ann Drummond-Grant (known as Drummie) who died during the prime of her career in 1959. Drummie sang lead roles for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company, a famous Gilbert and Sullivan troupe that toured Great Britain for over a hundred years. Years after Drummie’s death, Marcia was a young teen in upstate New York when she discovered Drummie’s legendary singing voice. That discovery impacted Marcia so profoundly that she spent years learning (or as she puts it, failing to learn) how to sing.Â
Episode #219 Author Steven Joseph discusses his new Snoodles series for young readers. Book One (Snoodles in Space: A Snoodle, The Zoodle Kidoodles, and One Happy Schmoodle) and Book Two (Snoodles in Space: The Zoodles Strike Back) are available now. Though the Snoodles series is for young readers, Steven has also written books for adults that focus on what he describes as the power of crankiness. In his CrankaTsuris books for adults, Steven encourages readers to embrace their crankiness through stories derived from his work as a lawyer and his life in general.
But, don’t forget to check out some of the previous episodes featuring other talented authors and their wonderful books. Here are a few of them (selected at random from the podcast’s 200+ episode backlist):
Episode #194 Author C.J. Milacci discusses the first two books in her Talionis series: Recruit of Talionis and Fugitive of Talionis. These YA sci fi dystopian novels feature main character Bria, a young woman haunted by personal tragedy, who is kidnapped to become a recruit in an army of secret soldiers and forced to fight in a war that she wants no part of. C.J. began with a question: What would happen if America fell like Rome did, while the rest of the world moved on and abandoned the survivors of America’s collapse? From C.J.’s answer to that question, the Talionis novels were born.
Episode #094 Award-winning author Kali White discusses her latest novel, The Monsters We Make, which is inspired by true crime events that took place close to where she grew up in Iowa. The Monsters We Make is a crime thriller/family drama set in the early 1980’s following the disappearances of two paperboys from a small Iowa town. The story is told through interwoven perspectives and explores the effects that one crime can have, not only on the people closely involved but on the wider community.
New Release!
I am happy to report that A PLACE FOR GOOD AND EVIL released on August 1st. It is the first book in my new adult series, the Old City Mysteries, set in St. Augustine, Florida.
In the Old City, the dead have stories to tell. And this is one of them!
The novel is available on Amazon. Please pick up a copy today. Hope you enjoy it!
The characters and mysteries in this book were so much fun to write that I’m keeping the series rolling. Currently, I am putting the final touches on Book #2, CITY OF INNOCENT MONSTERS, which is scheduled to release later this year. More about Book #2 in next month’s newsletter.
One more thing . . .
September was supposed to be a busy month for me. In addition to finalizing the second installment in the Old City Mysteries series, I was supposed to attend two other writing events.
As often happens in life, however, my plans got derailed. Despite taking what I thought were reasonable precautions at Bouchercon and another event immediately thereafter, I contracted Covid during my travels, which sidelined me for nearly three and a half weeks. As a result, I had to cancel my participation in both the Jax Book Fest in Jacksonville, FL and Sleuthfest in St. Petersburg, FL.
The Jax Book Fest is always a good event, and I’m sure this year’s festival was no exception. For those interested in attending next year, it is free to everyone and features authors writing in practically every genre and books for all ages. Learn more about the Jax Book Fest here.
As for Sleuthfest, this was supposed to be my first year attending and presenting at the event. My planned presentation would have focused on helping authors learn how to discuss their books effectively in order to captivate readers, cultivate a fan base, and sell books. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed that I had to cancel due to illness.
As it turns out, Sleuthfest was postponed due to Hurricane Helene and will now take place in May 2025. Learn more about Sleuthfest here.
Now that I am hale and hearty once again (or at least close to it), I will be focusing my time and energy for the remainder of the year on my writing and my podcast. There is a new book release coming soon (stay tuned!) and more podcast episodes with wonderful authors to be edited and released. At least, that is my current plan. But life is always unpredictable, isn’t it? Who knows what the next weeks and months will bring.