I was hanging out in a forum where a bunch of authors were talking about why they don‘t podcast. Here are some of the responses.
The Moderator Benjamin Clayborne stated, “‘I'm a writer so that I don't have to talk to people.” Unless you're born without a tongue, you're going to need to talk to people. Sure you can just write, but audio is more intimate than text, and video paints and even clearer picture. If you want to connect with an audience, use your most effective tool.
Then another moderator said, “I just figured out how to do this (podcasting). It's easier than I thought. ”
The question is which one are you? The person who thinks they can hide in a cave, put out their story, and the world will flock to it? Or are you the person who will put out their story, in whatever format is needed, meet people, network with people, and introduce them to your story.
The average author sells less than 200 copies of their book. Even if you have a publisher I've learned that its up to YOU to market your book. One of the least expensive forms of building your audience is a podcast (about $22 a month).
It seemed to work for Scott Sigler. He made it to #2 on the Amazon Charts.
You need to interact with your audience. This requires bi-directional communication (and typically Facebook and Twitter are one directional – you saying “Listen to my podcast” or “Read My Blog”).
While I can't read your blog on the way to work, I could listen to it…
