Why You Should Podcast to Promote Your Book

Writing a book is hard work – you need to do research, outline, map out everything, then write, edit, write more, and have it reviewed. That doesn’t even include graphics, auxiliary content, or promoting the book. In fact, if you’re anything like me, you’re so burnt out by the end of the process that promoting is the last thing on your mind. But it must be done, and podcasting is a great way to do it. Here’s why.

I remember the days where I would walk into a book store and mindlessly browse the shelves looking for something that caught my eye. And pre-pandemic, I would still do that pretty regularly…though a lot of my book purchasing still happens on Amazon¹.

Competition is Stiff

Competition is stiff in the book world. You’re not just competing with other titles anymore. You’re competing with blog content, memberships, and video courses. If you’re in fiction, you’re competing with YouTube, podcasts, and the golden age of TV.

Competition is stiff in the book world. A podcast could make you stand out. Click To Tweet

You’re also likely seeing less foot traffic in bookstores, especially now. So fewer people will “stumble upon” your book. To get people to buy it, you need to rely on word of mouth, good reviews, and recommendations. It can be hard.

You need a way to differentiate yourself, and podcasting is it.

People Want to Know You’re Qualified

Admittedly, it might seem like I’m talking to non-fiction writers like myself here. And that is what I know best. In fact, I’d say I know nothing about being a fiction author.

But if you’ve written a book designed to teach, explain, or help the reader, that’s the kind of stuff that fits perfectly with a podcast. A podcast helps you establish authority in a particular field. So if you have a book about flipping houses, a podcast where you talk about home repairs helps you establish your expertise. You’re showing people you know enough about home repairs to flip houses, while also giving them discrete, helpful advice.

If you have a book on breaking bad habits, a show where people can submit questions and you offer help allows you to connect with listeners who will then want to learn more.

A podcast helps show you're an expert before people buy your book. Click To Tweet

In both cases (as with your show), you provide helpful advice, establish yourself as an expert, and then make your call to action a way to build your mailing list and promote your book.

But that’s not the only reason.

Behind the Scenes Content is Always Popular

People love getting a peek behind the curtain, especially when it’s a process like writing a book. In theory, “anyone” can write a book…but you and I know that’s not really the case. A lot of work goes into writing a book.

Aside from establishing yourself as an expert on the specific subject you cover in your book, you can also flex your authorship bona-fides. Get into things like your writing process, how you came up with the idea, and how you started. Starting is always the hardest part for me!

People love behind the scenes stories. Many want to write a book but don't know where to start. Click To Tweet

You can get into if you self-published or found a publisher, and how you did it! Lots of people want to write books. Should them how you managed to do it.

You Don’t Need to Constantly Promote Your Book

Here’s the other thing about your podcast — you don’t need to constantly promote your book. Definitely mention it, have a link in the show notes, etc. But the hard sell isn’t necessary. I would recommend you use your Call to Action to build your mailing list.

This will allow you to more permanently capture listeners (especially if you don’t sell your book directly), tell them about the book, and provide even more value to them. Think of the sale as a short-term solution and the list as a long-term one.

Bonus: Going on Podcasts

As an added bonus, going on other people’s podcast is a great way to promote your book, and podcasters love hosting other podcasters. Those who know what they’re doing, are comfortable behind a mic, and can keep a conversation going makes the host’s job easier.

If you have your own podcast, you might have an easier time getting on other podcasts.

So what do you think? Are you going to start a podcast? Do you already have one? Let me know in the comments!

1. And small book stores when we come across them. My wife and I have a deal that if the book store price is reasonable (with $10 of the Amazon price) we buy it there.

Turn Listeners into a Loyal Community

When you publish a book, the relationship with readers can feel one-sided for a long time. They buy the book, maybe leave a review, and then disappear into the void. A podcast changes that dynamic. Your listeners hear your voice every week, learn your quirks, and start to feel like they know you. That familiarity breeds loyalty. They’re not just buying a book from a stranger anymore — they’re supporting a person they’ve been following for months. Before they even crack open chapter one, they’re already rooting for you.

This kind of engagement also gives you something most authors never get: immediate feedback. When you mention a chapter topic or a character’s struggle on air, listeners write in. They ask questions, share their own stories, and tell you what resonates. That feedback can shape how you talk about your book, which themes you emphasize in interviews, and even how you position future titles. You’re not promoting in a vacuum. You’re building a community that’s invested in the work, and that community becomes your street team — ready to pre-order, leave reviews, and recommend the book to friends without you having to beg.

Create a Content Library That Works for You Long-Term

One of the biggest frustrations with book promotion is that most tactics are fleeting. A social media post disappears in hours, a paid ad stops the moment you stop paying, and a launch event is over in a single evening. Podcast episodes don’t work that way. Once you publish an episode, it sits on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and dozens of other directories indefinitely. People find your show months or even years later, binge the back catalog, and then click over to your book. That means your promotional effort keeps compounding long after you hit “publish.”

You can also make that library even more powerful by repurposing each episode. A single thirty-minute conversation can become a transcript for your blog, a few audiograms for Instagram, a pull quote for your newsletter, and a downloadable PDF lead magnet. Each piece points back to the episode, which points back to your book. Over time, you end up with a web of content that’s all working toward the same goal — without you having to constantly create new promotional material from scratch. It’s one of the few forms of book marketing that actually gets easier the longer you do it.

Open Doors to Speaking and Collaboration Opportunities

There’s a weird psychology in the author world: people want to collaborate with authors who already have a platform. When you host your own podcast, you’re no longer just “the person who wrote a book.” You’re “the person with a show.” That tiny shift changes how event organizers, conference coordinators, and other authors perceive you. Suddenly you’re a peer, not a supplicant. They start reaching out to you instead of the other way around.

Your podcast also acts as a portfolio. If you want to land speaking gigs at libraries, festivals, or online summits, you can point to dozens of episodes where you’ve already articulated your ideas clearly. That’s far more convincing than a one-page bio. And because every conversation you have on your own show is practice, you get better at interviews, panel discussions, and live readings. You become the kind of author who gets invited back — because you’re easy to talk to and you already have an audience who will show up.

Develop a Repeatable Promotion System That Reduces Burnout

I mentioned earlier how burnt out authors get by the time the book is finished. The last thing you want is to add a frantic, last-minute promotional sprint on top of that exhaustion. Podcasting solves this by giving you a repeatable system. You don’t have to dream up a new marketing campaign every week. You just sit down, record an episode, and publish it. The structure is already there. The topics can come from your book’s chapters, the questions you get from readers, or the behind-the-scenes stories you already want to tell.

Because the format is consistent, you can batch episodes. Record three or four in a single afternoon when you have energy, then schedule them to release over the next month. That frees you up to actually recover from the writing process — or to start the next book — without feeling like you’re neglecting the one you just published. And when you do have a launch, a new release, or a sale, you don’t have to create a separate promotional blitz. You simply mention it on the next episode. The infrastructure is already in place, and that alone takes a huge weight off your shoulders.