**First published by the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Bulletin.**

More and more authors are diving into the enormous iTunes market and having a whale of a time with their pods—podcasts, that is. Podcasts are a fantastic book marketing tool because they’re low in production costs, high in return, and hot with teens and kids. Within days, you can reach thousands—if not millions—of potential readers in a worldwide virtual book tour!

Podcast, Schmodcast. What is it?
In a nutshell, a podcast is like a radio or TV program, only instead of broadcasting over the airwaves, a podcast sends a multimedia file over the Internet. Listeners all over the globe tune in by downloading your file from iTunes (or another podcast directory) to their computers, iPods, or other MP3 players—in the same way they download music or audio books.

The average length of a podcast varies from three to thirty minutes—though on the Internet just about anything goes, so some are longer and others shorter. You can make a one-time podcast, or you can create a regular program where listeners tune in on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis to hear what you’ll come up with next.

Like a radio program, a podcast can be strictly audio. Or, similar to a TV show,  you can incorporate video—in which case it’s referred to as a vodcast, vidcast, or video podcast.

Say What? No, seriously. What do I say in my podcast?
Think of your podcast as a school or bookstore visit. Your goals are to Educate, Entertain, and Entice! For instance, you can present your podcast in the form of an author interview, in which someone else interviews you about your story. School Library Journal presents their “Under Cover Video Series” in this format. Alternatively, read one or two of the most delicious excerpts from your book. The Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver hosts a series of podcasts along this line. Novelist Jason Ellis does the same on his MySpace page, in what he calls “Bookcasts.” If your book is nonfiction, whet readers’ appetites by using your podcast to teach them something new—with the promise of learning more by reading your book.

Author Kirby Larson recently launched a video podcast to promote her new young adult novel, Hattie Big Sky, which you can view on iTunes or at www.hattiebigsky.com. This vodcast works well because it features the author talking about her book—sharing juicy details like where she got her ideas, research she conducted, and why she thinks teen readers relate to her main character. It’s warm and personal, reflecting her signature voice and style.

That’s the key to creating a successful podcast, really: whatever you include, in whatever way, make sure it reeks YOU. Just like you did to create your book, when you create your podcast, leverage your voice, your creativity, your unique way of interpreting the world.

I’m convinced! Now what?
Don’t worry—you don’t have to get a technical degree in order to produce your own podcast. There are loads of books, sites, and, of course, podcasts that provide detailed podcasting how-to instructions. Here are just a few:

• Podcasting for Dummies by Tee Morris and Evo Terra, Wiley Publishing, Inc. 2006.
• Podcasting for Dummies with Tee Morris (subscribe to free podcast on iTunes)
• The Real Beginners Guide to Podcasting, available on www.podcastfreeamerica.com
• Podcast Basics from the weekly podcast www.simplydigital.info

You will also need a few basic tools:

• Computer with a high-speed Internet connection
• Microphone that plugs into your computer (unless your computer has a built-in one)
• Sound and/or video editing program that allows you to save files in MP3 or MP4 format. Examples include:
  • GarageBand (comes with most new Macs)
  • Windows Movie Maker (comes with most new Windows computers)
  • Audacity (a free download from the web)
  • Free podcast editing and production tools come with many of the podcast directory sites, such as www.podomatic.com or www.clickcaster.com
• iTunes: download free from www.apple.com
• Digital video camera (for video podcasts): Preferably with tripod and microphone
• QuickTime Player: Also free, from www.apple.com

Many of the programs listed above are relatively straight forward, and after a little experimenting, you can easily figure them out.

Plaster that podcast all over the planet!
Once you’ve produced your podcast, it’s time to spread the word on the World Wide Web. Upload it to all the free podcast directories and sites you can find, such as:

• Podomatic.com (creates the initial RSS feed that you’ll need to provide to other podcast directories)
• iTunes
• Yahoo Podcasts
• Podcast.net
• ClickCaster
• The PodLounge

Most publishers and many bookstores are beginning to post author podcasts on their websites, providing extra legs—and fins—for your message. Make sure your publicist knows about your podcast, and be sure to drop your local bookseller a polite email to let them know about your podcast and ask if they’d be willing to include a link to it from their sites. It’s an easy sell, after all, as your podcast gives them fresh, enticing book-related information on their site … and you’ve done the bulk of the work!

Join the Pod!
Now that you’ve got a sense of the basics, what are you waiting for? It’s never been so easy to splash your book and your message out for all to see. Now’s the time to join up with the pod of authors who are podcasting!