By Lory Widmer Hess
I’m a writer, not a speaker. When I was in high school, an oral report was the assignment most likely to cause me to call in sick; now, though I have gotten over that total-panic reaction and become more at ease with talking in public, I still feel more comfortable with words I can craft through writing, rather than with unscripted speaking.
However, when my first book was published, I decided I ought to make an effort to use the power of podcast interviews to help get the word out. This Authors Publish article gives a great overview of why you should consider doing a podcast tour and the basics of how to get started, from making your pitch to being a good guest. Such practical tips were helpful as I ventured into a new and slightly scary endeavor.
After I’d been a podcast guest a few times myself, the fear factor decreased and I became ever more grateful for the gifts I’d received through the experience. I count these not just in terms of higher sales numbers and new readers — though those are certainly appreciated — but in how I’ve been inwardly challenged and stretched through speaking about my book, in ways that actually helped me grow as a writer.
Here are some of the benefits I gleaned from taking the plunge into the world of podcast interviews, which might encourage you to do the same.
Be patient and persistent
My podcast tour was not the kind you might expect, a flurry of interviews around the publication date of my book, aiming for a burst of quick sales or pre-orders. I tried to arrange that sort of tour, but the queries I sent out were met with silence, and I became discouraged.
Many months later, I decided to try again. I’d gained confidence about the value of my book after a year of being a published author, and there seemed no reason not to reach out to show hosts who were open to all kinds of interesting stories, not just hot new publications. I tailored each query, listening to episodes that had similar themes to my book and referring to them in my initial e-mail, as well as picking suitable quotes from reviews I thought would have the most impact for various hosts. This was time-consuming, but it paid off. I started to get more positive responses.
I had to continue being persistent, though, as sometimes I would not hear from a host for several weeks, even after they’d expressed interest. I swallowed my self-deprecating assumption that silence meant “no,” and dared to reach out at least once more. More often than not, it turned out the lapse was due to illness, travel, or simply an overfull inbox, and communication was restored. My interview dates started to come together.
Listen carefully
My first stop was a challenge. I’d always hated being filmed while speaking, and here I was being interviewed for a YouTube channel. Afterwards, I wanted to forget it had ever happened. But I forced myself to watch the video, and to note what I could improve: looking at the camera rather than letting my eyes roam around the ceiling, for example.
I was surprised to notice how I tended not to respond to the interviewer’s actual words, causing a certain amount of disconnect in our conversation. For example, she asked me about how my book came to be published, but in response I talked about my years of writing block. I realized that nervousness drove me to fly off on thought trails of my own as soon as the interviewer started talking, and I had not even fully listened to her question. This led to some disjunctions that must have been frustrating to the host, though she gave no sign of it during our half-hour chat.
I coached myself to slow down, breathe, and listen before responding, and not to be afraid of pauses. As a podcast listener, I know a nonstop, hectic pace is exhausting and leads to my tuning out. While I spoke, I had to learn not to close off my listening ears.
Keep learning
That was my first major learning of the tour, but not the last. As I continued to talk about my book, my writing process, and other topics of interest to me, I found that hidden aspects and new facets continued to unfold in my own work. Though my book was finished, the editing and publishing process completed, it could still continue to offer me new insights, if I remained curious and open. I gained ideas for future projects, as well.
Talking to different hosts, each with their own set of interests, brought out these different facets of my own work, opening the way to more creativity. I ended up more excited than ever to embark again on the writing journey. Meanwhile, I knew continuing to practice patience and persistence, along with deep listening, would be invaluable in bringing any creative endeavor to fruition.
And so, with my first podcast tour behind me, I can look forward to the next one, whenever I’ve produced something worth talking about. I hope you, too, will consider branching out into speaking about your writing. I am sure that if you do, you will gather your own set of gifts.
Bio: Lory Widmer Hess is a writer and caregiver currently living with her husband and son in Switzerland, where she dreams of learning to play the accordion and tries not to eat too much cheese. Her book When Fragments Make a Whole: A Personal Journey Through Healing Stories in the Bible was published by Floris Books in 2024. She recently began offering free online gatherings, to explore reading as a sacred practice; learn more at enterenchanted.com/sacred-reading/.
