What are the best podcasts for writers and authors?

50 billion podcast episodes!

If you’re not already listening to podcasts—or producing your own—just think for a moment about the scale of the podcast impact on our culture.

50 billion is the number of Apple podcast episodes downloaded or streamed across its popular services, including iTunes. And, of course, there’s an ocean of other podcasts beyond the Apple realm—so the total scale of this form of media is even larger than that.

Need background?

Wikipedia defines podcast as an episodic series of digital audio or video files which a user can download and listen to. Apple’s podcasts debuted in 2005, the same year that the Oxford English Dictionary named podcast its word of the year. That also was the era when companies launched expensive legal campaigns to trademark or copyright podcast or related terms—efforts that ultimately failed because the courts ruled that the term already was too common to let any company own it. Over the past decade, podcasting has continued to grow as the communication devices we carry in our pockets have gotten smaller and stronger.

Why should you care?

The biggest names in the book business have already jumped on the bandwagon. Bestselling horror/psychological fiction writer, Stephen King, is extremely prevalent throughout the podcast world. There are individual podcasts dedicated to reviewing and dissecting Stephen King’s work, and the author himself appears in podcasts. This episode of The Write Channel with Nicola Valentine, an interview with Stephen King, has been viewed over 319,000 times since it was first posted in January of 2015. You will find King is very generous about sharing tips on his writing style and techniques.

Where can you find podcasts?

The king is Apple’s iTunes, but you also can find podcasts at Castbox, Pocket Casts, Overcast, Stitcher Radio, Google Play Music or directly from podcasters’ websites. Whichever you choose, podcasting will help you pass hours in rush-hour traffic, drown out background noise, fight a writer’s block, or keep you company as you walk the dog.

The number of podcasts related to the writing genre grows each and every day. Hunt around for your favorites. Here are …

My 5 best podcasts for writers

1. Writers on Writing, a weekly radio program on the art and business of writing, is hosted by Barbara DeMarco-Barrett and guest hosted by Marrie Stone and Nicole Nelson. They broadcast each Wednesday at 9 a.m. Pacific. Writers, poets and literary agents join Barbara and/or Marrie and/or Nicole. The show is broadcast from the studios of KUCI-FM; on your radio in Orange County, CA, at 88.9 and simulcast worldwide at kuci.org.
2. Writing Excuses is currently in its 13th season. The tag line is: Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart. Writing Excuses is a fast-paced, educational podcast for writers—by writers. It airs weekly, with new episodes appearing each Sunday evening at around 6 p.m. Eastern Time. Episodes vary in length from 15–25 minutes, but are usually less than 20 minutes long. The goal is to help listeners become better writers. Whether you write for fun or for profit, whether you’re new to the domain or an old hand, Writing Excuses has something to offer. P.S. Don’t think about soliciting them for an interview—they already have a very long list. They do their interviews live, usually at a book convention.
3. Reading and Writing Podcast is hosted by interviewer Jeff Rutherford, a public relations and marketer by trade. Jeff owns his own public relations consulting company so he has some great advice for marketing your book. He’s also a quilter, which makes him a unique man. His podcast library contains over 225 podcasts, so there is lots of content to choose from.
4. Writing Class Radio is for people who love stories and who get inspired by hearing other people tell their stories and who want to learn a little bit about how to write their own stories. This podcast is hosted by Alison Langer and Andrea Askowitz who are based in Miami, Florida. Both women are writers and instructors and devoted to making you a better writer. You’ll hear from their students as we follow them outside of class and into their real lives. There’s no better way to understand ourselves and each other than by writing and telling our stories. Everyone has a story.
5. Start Writing is hosted by Jay Washburn and Joseph Bendoski. Start Writing is a craft-focused podcast dealing with art of telling stories, Jay and Joseph look at the structure of plots, scenes, word choices and all the details that go into writing great fiction.