Tag: podcast tour

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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for August Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints presented by the co-hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Writers Chat or Serious Writer, Inc..

AI: What’s the Use? With Brandy Brow

AI. The word elicits strong reactions. Visions of ChatGPT, Midjourney or DALL-E, evoke fears of abuse with creative works used to feed their machines. In this episode of Writers Chat, co-host Brandy Brow will lead a healthy discussion about generative and corrective AI, what they do and what possibilities they pose for the future.

Watch the July 30th replay.

Brandy Brow, Writers Chat co-host who freelance edits and writes flash fiction and short stories for the general market, plus articles and devotions. Her fiction explores the highs and lows of human nature and ranges from normal to strange. She loves to help writers improve their craft.

The Strategic Author

Jonathan Shuerger, CEO of The Strategic Author, indie author, and a Marine veteran, knows that most writers love to write and hate to market. As he says, writers want to “write words, not keywords.” In this episode, Jonathan talks about how his experience with NSA targeting and analysis in the Marine Corps against ISIS targets informs his marketing strategies and how his approach benefits authors struggling to be seen in a saturated digital market.

Watch the August 6th replay.

https://youtu.be/qg-xZwSPqak?si=3eppgeiEOG7Ywt9x

Jonathan Shuerger is the author of the Shades of Black series, The Exorcism of Frosty the Snowman, and the upcoming MilSF novel Semper Die. He is the CEO of The Strategic Author, a service that conducts strategic level analysis that helps authors succeed in their business. He also runs a podcast of stories for his kids, Stories With A Marine Corps Dad, and a podcast for book marketers called The Strategic Author. He is a United States Marine Corps veteran, 3rd-degree black sash in Temple Chinese Boxing, dad of (currently) 4 little girls, and husband to a very loving, very patient wife.

Is Podcasting God’s Next Best Step for You? with Linda Goldfarb

Audio is the future of every writer, and knowing our options clarifies our next step. Yet, not every opportunity to share our gifts and talents is God’s open door. In this episode of Writers Chat, international speaker, award-winning author, and podcaster, Linda Goldfarb, shares insight into the world of podcasting to help you discern what element of podcasting is God’s next best step for you. It’s all about God’s will, God’s way, and God’s timing.

Watch the August 13th replay.

Linda Goldfarb is an international speaker, award-winning author, and podcaster. As a board-certified Christian life coach, Linda helps women move from being stuck or splattered to discovering God’s next best step in their personal and professional lives. Linda is recognized for having a voice that makes you feel welcome, safe, and seen. When she shares her energy, experiences, and expertise during interviews and from the stage, screen, or in her writing, you lean in—not wanting to miss a single word. Linda says, “My life is far from perfect, and that’s where Yeshua met me, loved me, and saved me. For Him, I’m eternally grateful.”

Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET
on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133

Categories
Career

You Should Start a Podcast

I heard it every conference. “Build your platform!” Along with the dreaded social media, writers in sessions kept telling us to be consistent with a blog.

But I didn’t read blogs anymore. No one I knew kept up with an RSS blog feed. What did the younger generation do? Looking around at my friends, they listened to podcasts.

As a musician and songwriter, I had the recording equipment and the tech knowhow in GarageBand. So I began to brainstorm and research.

What could I do on a podcast that supported and supplemented my writing career?

An author friend also got excited about the podcast, and so we began Brew & Ink, a story podcast where we wrote a chapter and gave the audience choices which influenced the next chapter. It was fun, and we also generated eBooks we could give away for email addresses.

I also started a ministry podcast, Kingdom Over Coffee.

Over time, these podcasts have been great tools for networking and platform building, many in ways I didn’t expect. A side note: Kingdom Over Coffee has grown far more the past couple years. Brew & Ink is on hold for a while (my friend has had to step away for personal reasons), although we have almost 3,000 on our email list from that podcast alone.

If you’re an author, you should podcast.

Yes, there are a ton of them, but the market continues to grow, especially internationally as more and more people get access to internet and smart phones. You don’t need a huge audience, anyway, just enough to connect with others on a shared interest.

Things I experienced from podcasting (and why you should, too):

  1. Be a better speaker. Listening to my own voice was awful. I said “um” way too much. In a world where we have to be more comfortable speaking in front of a camera, even as authors, this is a valuable skill.
  2. More networking. At first, I had friends on my podcast. I interviewed other authors or pastors I knew, depending on the podcast. Once I was consistent, guests started suggesting people outside of my circle. I’ve interviewed directors of Christian films, persecuted missionaries, and authors on the NYT bestsellers list.
  3. A way to be generous. I picked a topic (or topics) I loved to talk about and gave away information about it in conversation form. It’s free to listen to a podcast, and I can help promote my guests and their current projects.
  4. People get to hear my voice. Writing can and should have personality. We should write with our voice. But much of communication is nonverbal, so I can relate more of my personality, quirks, and meaning (and sarcasm!) through my voice, even more through sound and video, if your podcast is also on YouTube.
  5. A reason to email my lists. Got a new podcast coming out? Now I have a free thing to share with my email list. Those emails can also have other information about me as an author, but an interesting podcast episode is a great reason to contact your email list.

You can get started way easier than you think.

If you have a computer or a decent phone, you can start quickly. Good equipment is cheaper and more accessible than ever. Come up with a topic you’re fascinated by that is also broad enough to have numerous conversations and guests. Or perhaps you’ll have a partner or friend on the podcast every week and continue to have discussions on that topic.

Find a couple podcasts you enjoy listening to and explore what you like about them. Come up with a title for your own, have fun, and start engaging with people and guests about interesting and impactful subjects. Podcasting is a great way to build an audience by being kind and generous. Start today!

Britt Mooney loves to live and tell great stories with God. A pastor, podcaster, and author, Britt lives in Suwanee GA on adventure with his amazing wife, Becca, their three creative kids, and a dog. 

For his Podcasting 101 class go to Serious Writer Academy

Follow him on FB @KingdomOverCoffee, IG @authormbmooney, and YouTube @greatstorieschangetheworld 

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for December, Part 1

Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!

“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”

How to Create a Podcast Tour with Susan Neal

In this episode Lori shares with us the benefits of creating a podcast tour instead for marketing a book instead of starting a podcast. She shares tips on ways to find suitable podcasts, querying the podcast host, tracking queries and so much more. If you’re looking for a fresh marketing idea, check this week’s episode.

Watch the December 1st replay.

Publishing Through KDP with Gina Burgess

Gina joins Writers Chat today to share with us how to publish books using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). If you’ve thought of self-publishing, this episode is for you. Gina takes us to the KDP website and walks us through their process of formatting a book with plenty of tips along the way. Be sure to check out this week’s replay.

Susan Neal is an award-winning author with an Amazon best-seller, and a certified AWSA Writer Coach, desires to help others publish and sell their God-given message. She also won the 2020 Christian Author Network Crown Award for Outstanding Broadcast Media for her book marketing campaign. Susan is a trusted advisor for authors and helps many sell more book and is the new director of Christian Indie Publishing Association. You can connect with her on social media and at www.susanuneal.com.

Watch the December 8th replay.

Gina Burgess, is the author of a weekly column on LiveAslf.org and reviews books at uponReflectionBlog.blogspot.com. She desires to encourage Christians through her writing, as well as reflect God’s glory in dark times. Gina served as COO and President of Common Sense Marketing Strategies, LLC where she helped authors attain their writing and publishing goals. You can connect with Gina on social media and at www.ginaburgessediting.com.

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Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. Here’s the permanent Zoom room link. 

Participants mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.

Additionally, you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook Group.