WWJCD? #1: How to promote your podiobook (or podcast)
April 24, 2008
WWJCD? is a blog series in which J.C. offers advice on whatever the hell’s on his mind. If you have a question for J.C., email him. He may offer sage words of wisdom about your issue (whatever it may be, sweet Christmas) in a future WWJCD?.
I distribute my fiction at Podiobooks.com, and receive a daily email digest of discussions from other Podiobooks.com authors. This digest is a lively, eclectic mix of opinions, insights and gripes. Recently, an author asked for some ideas on promoting his podiobook. I obliged with the reply, found below. While the advice is specific to podiobooks, much of it can easily be applied to traditional podcasting, blogging or other creative endeavors.
So, What Would J.C. Do? Read on to find out….
Here are a few suggestions on how podcast novelists can promote their works. This is based solely on my personal experience.
Promoting to mainstream media is out: Don’t ping them if you’re a newcomer to podcasting, or don’t have many listeners. They don’t get the niche market of podcasting, and they certainly won’t get the nano-niche of podcast fiction. I’ve found that even if you do have large mainstream media outlets covering your work, it rarely translates into more listeners. (I believe this has to do more with the audience of newspapers than the quality/circulation of the publication.)
Promoting to large blogs is out: Unless you’re doing something truly different in the space, save your email clicks. We’re at a point where podcasting and podiobooks are on bloggers’ radars, but announcing the existence of your content isn’t enough. Are you doing something interesting with your audience? Promoting the work in an unusual way? These timely angles are what you need to get coverage. Sadly, just having a podiobook isn’t enough.
Promoting to podcasters is in: This is the only sure-fire way to get new listeners. There is a mighty network of new media entertainers out there, many of them with successful podcasts (and large audience sizes). They got there by promoting their work, and playing promos on their podcasts. If you’re a fan of podcasting, you’re probably familiar with ‘casters who play promos. Reach out to them. If you’re using podcasting to distribute your novel but *don’t* listen to podcasts, get on the frickin’ stick and do so. Make the time to learn the space, the influencers, and who might help you.
Send personalized emails to those who might help: Podcasters pour their passion into their projects, and are rarely paid for their efforts. A form email with no personal touch (i.e., making reference to their work, stroking their egos, etc.) gets deleted every time. Be sincere in your praise, and direct in your proposal.
Release your work on your personal site: Podiobooks.com wisely asks authors to not include podcast promos or “intro chatter” in their episodes. Why? Because that timely information gets dated, fast. If you’re hungry to go beyond the PB.com website with your exposure, release your episodes on your personal site. (Use Libsyn hosting and the WordPress “PodPress” plugin, or equivalent, to do this. Google this stuff; information is widely available.) Promote your content as being available at both your site and PB.com. The episodes streaming from your site can include bonus material, author chatter and more. This engages the audience. This makes you an entertainer. This creates a connection between you and them, and that’s important because….
You must ask your audience to help promote your work: You’re one author. There are only so many hours in the day. By creating a product that engages your listeners beyond the story, you can encourage them to assist you with evangelism. Have them vote up your book at Podcast Alley. Ask them to review your novel in iTunes. Have them burn CDs of the book for friends. Ask them to email pals about your great podiobook. Request that they blog about your work, or post a link on their MySpace/Facebook page. Whatever it is, you’ll be empowering them to help define the success of your work — and you’ll be building a community of engaged fans.
As your podiobook grows in size and success, consider:
- Soliciting fan-created artwork, music, videos, etc. inspired by your story. Post them on your website and thank them by name in your podcast.
- Concocting an online “street team,” where you provide evangelical missions for your audience, and provide public recognition (and swag, if budget permits) for their hard work.
- Creating forums or a Ning community for your audience, so their involvement with your work transcends the podcast.
- Conceive non-traditional ways to promote your podcast that go beyond the “promo play” model.
- Creating a “media kit” with noteworthy milestones, a plot synopses, etc.
Shoot passivity in the head. If you want your work to be heard by more people, waiting for them to show up will get you nowhere. Get proactive, don’t sit still, and shake your ass. Yeah, I know: You don’t have any marketing experience. So what? Nearly all successful podcasters and authors don’t, either. The only way to start … is to start.
Again: Don’t count on listeners “finding” you. Create content — and promotions — so compelling, that they can’t *not* listen to you.
I’m certain that other podcasters and new media entertainers have even more suggestions. Care to share?
Comments
9 Responses to “WWJCD? #1: How to promote your podiobook (or podcast)”
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Awesome! This was a perfect first read. I’m polishing up a few projects and am about ready to start thinkin’ about the whole “putting it out there” thing, and this was exactly the kind of guidance I’ve been hoping to find.
Thanks for doing this, Mr. Hutchins!
Nicholas
FLippantMoniker
about the only thing that I would add to this:
Don’t be afraid to do cross promotional stuff with other podcasts.
Interviews, skits, bumpers. Not that I am as successful as you are almighty one
I think it all comes down to building a community of engaged listeners and having an active friendship, and inspiring loyalty. I think J.C. and 7th Son are a textbook example of this and what a resource it can be. It’s not necessarily about promoting, it’s about developing followers who believe in your work and are loyal to you, and *they* will go promote it, tell their friends, some even random strangers. Allow these people to be your marketing team and to help you promote your work. Looking at fans as simply a statistic is a grave mistake.
Great advice JC, thanks for taking the time to lay it down.
This is very timely for me as I’m about to kick off book two of my Podiobook. I had learned some lessons mentioned above from J.C. for a previous book. When I forwarded my Promo sent my promo out to people this time I started with the podcasts I listen to. I looked up the contact emails and then composed an email for that podcast with details about current event. I then offer to play a promo or otherwise promote something for them (something I learned from JC).
If anyone is interested in a promo exchange please let me know.
This would apply more to a podcast than a podiobook, but you never know.
I would add three things.
1) Participate in the podcasting community. If there is a podcasting event local to you, get to know your fellow podcasters. If you can make fans of other podcasters, they will evangelize your work for you. If they are in a different genre, or speaking to a different audience, you could expand your base audience, or at the very least your audience awareness.
2) Participate in communities that interest you but that might not necessarily have anything to do with your podcast/podiobook. I joined the forum of a gaming podcast just because I met the guys who were running it. A couple of thousand posts later, I’m considered one of the ‘old timers’ there and am free to pimp any of my podcasts, books or other ventures without fear of being banned. It’s important though that you are actively contributing to the community, and not just shilling your podcast. Also beware of the potential for time-sink.
3) Post content to your site. An easy way for your site to get listed higher on the search engines is to fill it up with juicy new content. For example, on our movie podcast http://www.fanboysmackdown.com, we post movie reviews. We have two writers who post reviews for us once or twice a week. This keeps people coming back to the site and it keeps the search engines happy with us. On my weight loss podcast, I post recipes, gadgets, articles and exercise info. If you find that you aren’t posting episodes often, you’ll still get traffic to your site by keeping the blog rolling along.
Community is IT, man. The days of being anonymous online are over! I’m not saying you need to put out your REAL name, necessarily, for privacy concerns if you’re paranoid, but you have to BE somebody.
You have to be a personality people can connect with. You can’t just be some shmo. Well, you might be a shmo (like me), but be a shmo people can connect with.
You also can’t just make empty platitudes to the podcasters you like (as J.C. said up there about form emails). You must be sincere. This is not all about you. It’s not all about Hutchins, it’s not all about Sigler. It’s all about EVERYONE. It’s not a “scratch my back I’ll scratch yours” tit-for-tat machivellian power play, though some have made it that.
This is about real community. It’s life, lived open-source (you can’t have that, I made it up. But J.C. can use it all he wants). We’re here to do something useful, not just blather at ourselves out of self-importance.
After all, right now it’s just some hobby. Do something meaningful with it.
Hey JC - what a timely post this is. As I sit here reading this entry, my purpose to coming to this site was to look up your contact details so that I could fire of some questions and flattery, but you have answered all my questions in this blog entry, so thanks a lot for that!!
Loving your work! Keep blazing a trail, and watch out for that dastardly FDO
Awesome advice JC. I’ve been paying attention to this very sort of advice and experience tells me you’re spot on. I too am releasing my novel via podcast and the community of ‘casters has been very open and welcoming.