Amazon’s marketplace is being inundated with books almost entirely generated by AI. That’s why authors looking to make a splash with their upcoming book have no choice but to be prepared to launch into a market with more competition than ever before.
The good news is that a podcast guest tour can help you gain an advantage, stand out, and sell more books.
By featuring as a guest on podcasts leading up to your release, you can get in front of established audiences and build credibility with the right groups of people that will be interested in your book.
Let’s take a look at the five steps of carrying out a podcast guest tour that will help authors sell more books.
#1: Target podcasts that will genuinely help you sell books
If you are new to podcast guesting, it can be easy to be swept up in the excitement of being on podcasts for the first time. But remember that there are over five million podcasts globally, and you need to be selective.
This means instead of spreading yourself too thin and featuring on whatever podcast will have you, choose podcasts that have audiences who will have a need or desire for your book.
For example, if you’re launching a book on meditation for couples and families, consider podcasts for couples like Empowered and Unapologetic or podcasts related to parenting that have a penchant for these types of topics, such as The Balanced Parent Podcast.
#2: Don’t leave your outreach to the last minute
As an author with a launch ahead of you, you will no doubt have a million and one things on your mind. So it’s not uncommon for authors to become distracted by a long to-do list, leaving podcast guesting to the last minute.
Count back eight or nine months from the date of your release, and make this date the latest that you get started on your outreach to give yourself the best chance of this happening.
To understand why you don’t have the luxury of getting to it later, we need to break down the average timeline of how long it takes from sending the pitch to the podcast episode actually going live.
Sending the pitch and getting a response: Typically, the time between sending the pitch and receiving a response is 45 days. But this is an average and can vary dramatically.
Recording the interview: If the podcast host says yes to having you on, the average time between getting a response and having the actual interview takes roughly two months. To put that in context, if a podcast host sends you an interview invitation on May 1, your interview wouldn’t happen until July 1.
The interview going live: Finally, two months after the recording, you can expect the episode to go live, and that’s your cue to get busy sharing it across your social media channels, newsletter, website, and anywhere you want to flaunt it.
#3 Prepare a call to action that captures the audience
While your book launch might be the driving force behind why you want to conduct a podcast guest tour, it shouldn’t be the main call to action for the listeners.
Instead, you should offer them something valuable now, like a free ebook, cheat sheet, or checklist that can help them. This way, you can ensure that your new audience warms up to you first, preparing them for your big book launch.
#4 Request for the episode to be released around your book launch day
When an interview has wrapped up, always get into the habit of asking the host if they know when the episode is likely to be released. If they seem flexible regarding the release date, then politely enquire if it would be possible to release the episode close to or on the launch date of your book.
Obviously, this isn’t always possible, but as long as you are polite and reasonable when it comes to your request, it is worth asking.
#5 Send podcast hosts a copy of your book
Podcasting is a great way to build up your network. By having these conversations, you stand to create connections with individuals who are making a real impact on the world.
This is because many podcast hosts are not one-dimensional characters and often participate in live speaking gigs and large networking events and exert influence over huge social media followings.
Therefore, sending the host a copy of your book can be a win-win. Not only are you giving them the content of your book for free, but you are also getting it into the hands of someone who can successfully help you spread your message. Consider sending them a digital copy of the book if it is available when sending out pitches, and if they are interested, offer a free physical copy to be sent to them when the book goes live.
Find out more about how we can help by scheduling a call with us today, at no charge, and set your book launch up for success with a podcast guest tour.