So just how does a fledging author use a podcast to promote his or her book and gain a wide readership and listenership?

By providing his or her viewers and fans “value” and “do the work that others aren’t willing to do,” said Bryan Cohen, co-host of the “Sell More Books” podcast series and Chicago Improv actor, Tuesday, July 10 during a IWOC workshop at the Gratz Center of the Fourth Presbyterian Church downtown.

Some of his advice:

• Cater to your target audience.
• Lock in your routine, no matter what.
• Partner smart and defend your roles.
• Use a formula but be willing to give listeners what they don’t have but want.

Cohen promoted and sold one million copies of his vampire novel and had 600,000 downloads of his book.

For Cohen, it all started in 2014 when he attended multi-author Facebook events. During the events, he said he connected with an influencer on Facebook who posted about podcasting.

Cohen explained that he learned “how to decide on a podcast format, how to know and connect” with his audience, how to share a podcast with a co-host and how to “enrich” his “show overtime.”

To choose subjects to discuss, Cohen said authors must “figure out” their “niche within a niche is,” do what other authors don’t want to do, keep track of staff and offer news about publishing or other relevant topics. 

“You want to be their routines,” he said of writers’ potential audiences.

An expert could be called upon to speak during his podcast show. Authors with questions and experts would speak individually.

The duo would also recap the top five news developments germane to authoring and publishing.

“I hunted down the news and compressed it myself,” Cohen said. “Others weren’t willing to spend” the time, money or resources needed to do so for their own podcasts. His show would last 25 minutes.

For software to enable production and promotion of the show, they would use Audacity recorder, a Skype account, Instagram and Zoom.

Cohen said “the show has never taken a week off.” Since “about episode 75, the show has always come out at the exact same time” he added, a practice he advised for IWOC-ers considering creating a podcast.

He also recommended freelancers to “partner with somebody who has something you don’t.”

For example, Cohen said of himself and his teammate: “I do the work. He does the comments.”

When asked by an IWOC-er about costs, Cohen said he and his co-host spend $12 to $15 a month to maintain the podcast. Taking on an IWOC-er’s question about making money, he replied that he generated revenue by writing book descriptions and posting them on the podcast’s website.

“You’re doing it right when listeners say ‘Thank you for everything,’” Cohen said.

For more about Cohen, the podcast and the IWOC workshop, be sure to tune at iwoc.org, visit the show’s website at SellMoreBooksShow.com and e-mail him at bryan@sellingforauthors.com.

- Vladimire Herard

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