Podcasts are digital audio files posted online that often are similar to radio shows. Listeners can follow them and download any episode to listen to on a device of their choosing, including smartphones. They are often led by well-known people and function like interviews and discussions. If you're planning how to market your book, podcast appearances should be included in your strategy. Podcasts are an excellent way to help a book's discoverability and grow in popularity every year. They offer the convenience of listening whenever you choose and are available on a wide range of topics.

A recent survey showed that nearly 20-percent of U.S. adults have listened to at least one podcast during the previous month. The statistic indicates a total audience of around four million. As a result, book publicists increasingly include podcasts in their publicity plans. Although many aspects of podcasts are similar to radio interviews, there are some differences. A notable one is the more freewheeling and conversational nature of the discussions, mostly because they aren't interrupted by other scheduled content like news breaks or commercials. The average podcast interview time is 30 to 40 minutes.

Conversations on niche topics are often excellent for sparking book sales because listeners have a particular interest in the subject. It's precisely the sort of small but highly interested audience that podcasts usually deliver. A surprising number of niche topics have podcasts and, in some cases, more than one. For books, there and podcasts that relate to virtually every genre, and the listeners are ripe to become fans of you as an author. Because the podcast is already focused on a genre, the discussions can be more specific because listeners arrive with some knowledge – which is different from general radio audiences.

In this day and age, when much of a book and author's promotion can occur from their own digital platforms (website, blog, social media), podcasts are excellent content. Links to them can be posted in all of your online channels, including your author website. Because they originate from third-party sources, podcasts carry some of the same reputation building authority as media coverage. Your appearance helps build credibility and support both book promotion and author branding. For example, fans who follow your social media will be interested to know about podcast appearances and may listen.