Here's why you should start your own podcast as a writer
From someone who never believed it was possible.
➡️ Grab my FREE 7-day email course, Substack Launchpad - you’ll get one email a day for 7 days to help build your confidence, consistency, and traction on Substack. Get it here. 🚀
Let me hit you with two questions.
Question one: what’s your favourite podcast?
Mine’s Fake Doctors, Real Friends by actors Zach Braff and Donald Faison. I’m a huge Scrubs fan and I devour their pod.
It’s freakin’ hilarious. I listen to it at the gym (which I don’t visit as much as I should) and in the car. Highly recommended.
And now for question two: have you ever thought of starting your own podcast?
AD | Find out why Vellum is the most loved software for formatting your books.
Gorgeous print covers. Beautiful ebooks.
All at once. All on your schedule.
Want to advertise on How to Write for a Living? Just email hello@davidmcilroy.com.
I toyed with the idea for such a long time. For years, really.
The usual reservations held me back:
I talk way too fast and trip over my words, so I’d suck on a recording
I don’t have fancy gear like the pros I see on YouTube
I wouldn’t be able to persuade awesome guests to join me
How would I even distribute the thing if I did manage to record it?
Like I said, there were years and years of that rubbish.
Finally, just this summer, I decided to go for it. Screw my reservations. Screw the doubts and the fears. What’s the worst that can happen? No-one listens? Big whoop.
Fast forward to today, and guess what?
My podcast (incredibly cleverly titled the How to Write for a Living Podcast) has over 25,000 downloads from a mere 13 episodes, one of which is just a short introduction piece.
Twenty-five. Thousand. Downloads.
I couldn’t have imagined that would ever be the case for someone as introverted and ineloquent as me. And yet, here we are.
I think those same initial reservations of mine are pretty common, too. I asked my readers in our Chat if you’d ever start your own pod, and some of the exact same fears and concerns came up in the conversation:
“I really dislike the sound of my own voice.”
“I don't really have the space or equipment to do that right now.”
“[I’m] overwhelmed by the learning which is required.”
All totally legitimate. I was there not so long ago as well.
But I don’t want you to let those reservations hold you back. I surrendered to them for far too long. I should have started my podcast months (if not years) ago.
So I’ve put together a resource. It’s called Start Your Podcast on Substack (I’m so great with titles). It’s a multi-faceted course taking you from the initial planning stage through to choosing equipment, setting up your recording environment, finding guests, recording, distributing, and monetising your podcast.
If you’ve thought about getting your own pod off the ground but have never been sure where to start, it’s perfect for you.
I had a thousand and one reasons to put off starting my podcast. And now it’s right at the core of my content discovery system with five-figure download stats.
I honestly wish I’d started it ages ago.
But how, you might ask, can having a podcast help me as a writer?
Ok then, here we go.
1. Discoverability
This is the biggie, right from the off.
One of the main problems most writers have is getting discovered online.
The internet is a swirling cauldron of garbage, and unfortunately, the garbage is often what gets the most traction.
(Says me, who watches approximately 100 dog videos per day)
Podcasts are life preservers in the sea of AI slop. They’re discoverable on search engines. They can be linked automatically to YouTube channels. They’re real and authentic, and they’re evergreen.
As a writer, you can use podcasts to boost your online visibility and drive readers to your work. Talk about your books. Talk about books written by others. Discuss your craft. Whatever it takes to draw readers to your words.
We all want to turn the spotlight on our writing. Podcasts help with that in a big way.
2. Confidence
I touched on this in the above video (kinda by accident), but running your own podcast is a big confidence booster.
I’m an introvert who talks too fast. I have to fight to keep my speech under control and that often impacts how I feel about myself. My word-trippiness can be embarrassing sometimes.
But guess what? The more I practise, the better I become. Podcasts are a real shot in the arm in that regard.
And that bleeds through into my writing as well. I often write like I talk, so the more confident I am as a speaker, the more confident I sound as a writer.
That’s a nice little side effect I didn’t know about until I started podcasting.
3. Organisation
Having a podcast goes hand-in-hand with organisation.
You have to plan episodes well in advance, liaise with speakers, schedule posts.
If you aren’t a naturally-organised person, having to look after a podcast will sure as heck help you become one.
And again, that only helps your writing process. The more organised you are, the less stress you’ll experience. And the less stressed you are as a writer, the easier your words will flow.
4. Collaboration
Few things bring me greater joy right now than having guests on my podcast.
Most of my episodes are interviews with fellow writers, and I absolutely love those conversations. I always come away with some new morsel of information and I know my listeners do, too.
If you ever needed an excuse to actively collaborate with other writers on Substack and beyond, podcasts might be just what you’re looking for. Everyone likes to be invited on as a guest, and it feels equally great when someone invites you.
Podcasts are fantastic networking levers.
Those are just four of the many reasons why podcasts are super beneficial for writers. If I had more time, I’d share more.
You won’t truly get it until you start, either. That was the case for me. Once you record that first episode and it hits the “air” waves, you won’t want to stop.
Consider supporting How to Write for a Living!
Upgrade to our paid tier to unlock every benefit in our comprehensive membership package. Become a Sustaining Member for a bit extra and book up a 1-to-1 coaching call with me. Check it out. 👇
Ok, time for the all-important question, one you may (or may not) have been asking yourself this week: How do I actually make money with a podcast?
It’s a good question.
Let me give you a quick version of the answer. There are 3 main ways to make money from a podcast, as I see it.
Number one: paywall your episodes
I’m not 100% sure I’d recommend this, but it’s something you can definitely do.
If you have a podcast on Substack, you can make each of your episodes available to paid subscribers only. Free subscribers or followers won’t be able to listen to (or watch) them.
Pro: as long as your titles are appealing and your guests are interesting, you’ll likely pick up paid subs faster.
Con: your episodes will get far fewer listens.
Number two: brand sponsorships
If you’re an avid podcast-consumer yourself, you’ll know about the power of in-episode ads. And the bigger the podcast, the more recognisable the brand names will be.
Brand sponsors are great if you can get them. You can offer a set fee for a podcast shoutout, or even form a partnership with a brand and work together on a strategic basis.
Pro: potential for greater incomings and long-term sustainability.
Con: getting reliable, well-paying sponsors is hard.
And number three: sell yourself as a guest
If you get good at podcasting - I mean, really good - you can make yourself available as a guest on other podcasts. For a price.
Build this into a media kit. Make it easily accessible for listeners. Or send it to other creators and see who bites.
Personally, I haven’t tried this approach yet myself, but it’s definitely an option.
Pros: you can set your own appearance fee.
Cons: you’ll really have to deliver as a guest.
Podcasts are a potentially-lucrative venture. Joe Rogan, for instance, reportedly makes over $30million annually from his pod.
Of course, you don’t have to make money from your podcast, if you decide to set one up. They’re amazing evergreen discovery tools in their own right.
But if you want to add another income stream to your revenue river, having your own money-making podcast is a great addition. I go into each of the options mentioned here in more detail in Start Your Own Podcast on Substack.
What’re you waiting for?
Get that pod of yours off the ground and see where it takes you.
![Table of Contents [Start Here]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!HZw1!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff55bc14d-bcf7-4bc8-b217-8677a657fbda_1286x858.png)
What others are saying about How to Write for a Living:
📣 Want to support this publication + get more eyes on your brand? Become a How to Write for a Living sponsor. Just email hello@davidmcilroy.com for more info.
I had a podcast on my previous pub, Storyslinger. Now that I’ve consolidated to one pub, it’s time to revisit podcasting.
As a note, another way to monetize a podcast on Substack is to paywall the transcript, show notes, and comments while leaving the audio free.
Podcasting as a writer is so powerful. It connects you deeper to your reader.
I've done over 300 podcast Episodes. My new Mini Book Publishing Podcast coming soon!