As the Books & Such Podcast celebrates its first birthday this month(!), I thought it would be fun to reflect on what I’ve learned about podcasting over the last 12 months. Our desire is for this podcast to provide a much-needed resource for both beginning and seasoned writers, and we hope it’s been helpful to you, our readers and listeners. Here’s what I wish I knew when we began this adventure a year ago:
Some topics are nuanced enough to require a conversation
Few things in agenting and publishing are black and white. Every agent is different, and we all have various approaches to our work. This means that when we come together to record a podcast on a seemingly straight-forward topic, we are frequently surprised by how complex the conversation becomes. What I’ve learned is that there is always, always, an exception to every rule. This is why as agents, we recommend not comparing your writing journey to anyone else’s- because while they may have found their golden ticket to publishing- it’s very likely that yours will look different. There are simply too many variables involved to say that one way of doing things is the only way.
The medium impacts the message
Nearly every agent at Books & Such is a published writer. We value words, choose them wisely, and know their power. When we decided to serve the writing community with a podcast, we were very intentional about its purpose. Serve, educate, and inspire. We wanted it to be a delightful addition to this blog you’re reading now, in a format that felt new and fresh. What we found was that podcasting (and recording for YouTube, for those who want a visual format), gave us the freedom to expand not just our messaging about the topic at hand, but allowed us to share something else entirely: our personalities. Perhaps that’s what makes us the dynamic team we are both on and off-screen and mic, our ability to appreciate and enjoy one another. If you’ve ever wondered whether we really are as delighted by one another as we seem to be, I can confirm that before most episode recordings, we laugh so hard we have to work to pull ourselves together before we go live. It’s joy that we hope translates well, by the time you press “play.”
The listener and viewer support is motivation in itself
We hoped that those who tuned in each week would appreciate our hard work, but I never expected the comments and gratitude would become such an encouragement to us as we recorded. Every “Thank you for making this podcast” and “This has helped me so much on my publishing journey” encourages us to continue thinking of new topics and new ways to serve you through this podcast venture. Thank you, dear listeners, for coming along with us on this wild ride. Please continue to share with us what has been helpful, and what you would like to hear us discuss next!
What would you like us to talk about next?
Not sure where to find our podcast?
You can listen to the Books & Such podcast here.
You can watch and subscribe to our YouTube channel, here.
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