5 reasons why podcasters should publish

You may be familiar with a lot of great podcast-inspired books already. What you might not realise is that getting a book published isn’t as difficult as you may think. In fact, there are many reasons why podcasters make perfect authors. Creative publishing agency whitefox tells us more…

1.) You already have a head start

You won’t be starting from scratch like other debut authors. You will have existing content that can be adapted into a different format and an established platform from which to market your book. While you may still have a considerable amount of work to complete, you’ll have a good understanding of what your listeners want from you, which will help you to plan and write a book that you know will be of value to them. And it’s not necessarily a numbers game when it comes to audience size. Having dedicated fans who repeatedly engage and truly back your work gives you so much more selling power than mere likes and follows, and the podcasting format lends itself well to that.

2.) To create something with staying power

While podcasts most often feature content and commentary that is timely and topical, books sit proudly on bookshelves for years to come, where they are revisited, shared around and gifted. As with any form of content, not all books are created equal. Publishing a book that is timeless and of exceptional quality requires specialist support from the right editors and designers for your genre. But done correctly you will be creating something that’s here to stay. From Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People to Tara Westover’s memoir Educated and Yuval Noah Harari’s Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, books have the power to stand the test of time. The world may be developing into a mostly digital space, but nothing beats holding a book in your hands, especially if it’s your very own.

3.) To cement your authority & generate publicity

Launching a book gives you a fresh talking point that can open doors to more opportunities as you promote your work and build your profile as an author. Publishing garners respect and can cement your authority in your subject, presenting with it relevant media coverage, influencer engagement and speaking slots that may not have previously been accessible. Regardless of physical sales, a book can get your name and brand out into the world, giving audiences a reason to connect with you in the first place while offering them something they can take away.

4.) A physical product = additional revenue

As a tangible product, a book is the perfect complement to other ventures like a podcast, generating an additional stream of revenue that will last for years to come. Book revenues vary significantly depending on your chosen publishing route, the marketing commitment to the project, and, to put it bluntly, the quality of the work. But authors have never had more power than they do today when it comes to monetisation options, and ‘massive change’ isn’t nearly adequate enough to describe the seismic shifts in publishing and bookselling in the last two decades. Thanks to the digital revolution, an audience can be built and spoken to directly, and today’s authors no longer need to rely on the traditional route or bricks-and-mortar retailers for their books to attract sales. This opens up multiple viable options for those who have an existing platform.

5.) To strengthen your fanbase & reach new listeners

Sometimes it’s less about having something to sell than about having something to strengthen. A book can be a wonderful marketing tool. For your existing listener-base the aim may be to build a more powerful connection. A book, then, is a special object that they can own and use to explore your themes in greater detail. By making your content available in a format that can appear on additional platforms, such as Amazon or Waterstones, you are also making yourself discoverable to new audiences who may never have heard about your podcast otherwise. So not only are you giving back to your loyal listeners, you’ll be gaining a fair few too.

If you’re a podcaster with an idea for a great book but aren’t sure where to start, creative publishing agency whitefox have a FREE in-depth guide filled with expert tips, insightful interviews and all your possible publishing routes explained. Download it HERE now.

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