Once you have written about writing, spoken about writing and read about writing, there is only one thing left to do – listen about writing.
For those moments where you can no longer put pen to paper or for when its not possible for you to write, sometimes it is nice to listen to what others have to say about the topic in order to continue or start the swing of your own writing ‘mojo’ again.
Below I have listed my top 5 podcasts for writing,which have helped me either get out of a writing rut, just made me smile, gave some jolly good advice for making it as a self-published author or did all three! I know that there are quite a few self-publishing and writing podcasts out there and these are just a few of some of the really awesome ones I have come across so it was a tough decision to narrow it down to my top 5. However, feel free to let me know which self-publishing/writing podcasts which didn’t make the list you enjoy too! 🙂
TOP FIVE:
1. ‘Ask ALLi Self Publishing Advice Podcast’
These podcasts are the absolute go-to in regards to anything you could possibly think of for self-publishing a book. ALLi, for those who are unaware are the Alliance of Independent Authors, and is a non-profit professional association for authors who self-publish and aim for ethics and excellence in self-publishing. If there is one piece of advice I could give to those who were thinking about self-publishing it would be to join this association.
Right, back to actually talking about podcasts…Helpfully ALLi, splits their podcasts into several areas. On the 1st Tuesday of every month they release the ALLi’s Member Q&A which deals with any publishing queries ALLi members may have such as; ‘what do I do if I have hired a bad editor?’
On the 2nd Tuesday of the month is ALLi’s Indie Author fringe conference of which a presentation on a particular topic is given be an expert in that particular field. For example, Orna Ross recently did a presentation on ‘How to Sell Your Books without selling your soul’.
On the 3rd Tuesday of the month is the Beginner’s Self-Publishing Salon which assists those who are on the beginning of their self-publishing journey and deals with topics relating to the seven stages of self-publishing such as designing your own e-book cover.
And then finally on the 4th Tuesday, for those who feel confident with self-publishing and wish to push themselves a bit further in the self-publishing world, the ‘Advanced Salon’ offers advice and comment on issues such as the creative and business mindset.
As illustrated above, they cover a lot of ground but have made the information accessible and easy to dip in and out of no matter where you are on your self-publishing journal.
Website:Â https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org
2. ‘The Nick Spalding Podcast’
I am a big fan of Nick Spalding’s books as they are laugh out loud funny and very well written, so when he began podcasting, I knew I had to listen in and I can assure you, it is well worth a listen.
The format generally is that Nick reads through some of his book ‘Life With No Breaks’ providing commentary and self-critique along the way, which like the books is hilarious.
He has also done a couple of one-off podcasts which provide useful advice for future writers.
Nick hasn’t done a podcast for a while now but hopefully he will do some more in the future to provide some fun when heading on the daily commute or long car journeys.
Website:Â http://www.nickspalding.com
3. ‘The Creative Penn Podcast’
Created by Joanna Penn, who is one of the best and biggest names out there in self-publishing (you can sometimes catch her talking on some of the ALLi podcasts), the podcasts provides a wealth of information of how to self-publish and market your book as well as making a living with your writing.
Her cheery and clear tone makes the podcast really easy to listen to and is well worth listening to even if it is just to find out who the special guest/expert is on the podcast to provide you with helpful information.
Website:Â https://www.thecreativepenn.com/podcasts/
4. ‘So You Want to be a Writer’
From the Australian Writer’s Centre, Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait bring listeners the latest news and trends in the writing world. They do so in a humorous but also informative manner. Their encouraging tone makes it that much more appealing to head back to the keyboard and start writing again.
Website:Â https://www.writerscentre.com.au/category/podcasts/
5. ‘ SPA Girls Podcast’
This is another podcast from ‘Down Under’ as four lovely Kiwi ladies (Cheryl Phipps, Shar Barratt, Trudi Jaye and Wendy Vella) offer listeners each week, tips, resources and advice on being an indie author and self-publishing. Their friendly approach makes you feel as if you have known the ladies for years and you are just dropping by for a quick catch up. Best listened to with a cup of hot chocolate!
Website:Â http://www.selfpublishingauthorspodcast.com
As you can see there are some varied choices there, but all worth checking out and listening to.
Blog soon
Stephanie X