If you’re in Canada, you’ve probably heard that The Best Laid Plans, the debut novel by Terry Fallis, has won the Canada Reads 2011 competition sponsored by the CBC. This is a Big Deal, and those of us who know Terry are absolutely delighted for him, and gratified that even more people will read his hilarious and touching political satire, thanks to all the attendant publicity. (By the way, the book has also won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour).
What you might not know was that Terry, like most first-time novelists, had a hard time finding a publisher initially. One of the tactics he used during this period was a podcast in which he read a chapter of his book each week.
I was one of the readers drawn in by this. In fact, I started to listen because Terry is a friend, but the podcast itself – and the way Terry told the story – compelled me to buy the book. (I’m one of those who listens to many podcasts as well as non-fiction books on my iPod and iPhone, but prefer the old-fashioned dead-tree format for novels.)
When I speak with authors, I always share the example of Terry’s success and his use of podcasting. Of course the fact that he freely shared his book with the world is not the sole secret to his success, but it was one of the ways in which he generated buzz about The Best Laid Plans in the early days, before he was snagged by a mainstream publisher and started winning awards.
In this interview with me, Jennifer Tribe of Highspot Inc. asks about ways in which authors and other experts can use podcasts and various audio products as marketing tools. Over 60 minutes, we discuss whether audio products might be a good fit; the tools needed to record, edit and host audio files; how to use show notes to generate search engine juice, and much more.
You can download the file here or listen in the player below.
A PDF transcript of this interview is available here.
To learn more about Jennifer Tribe and Highspot, a company that helps business owners package, brand, and sell the intellectual capital related to their expertise, visit their website.
I would love to hear your comments about this interview!
I can't remember the last time I listened to a podcast for so long. But every single minute taught me something. You are a treasure.
Posted by: Barb Sawyers | February 10, 2011 at 03:35 PM
A treasure? Blush, blush. Glad you enjoyed it, Barb! As you know, I love talking about audio communications.
Posted by: Donna Papacosta | February 10, 2011 at 03:40 PM