What Happens When Podcasters Publish Books

 Authors and podcasters have a long-running symbiotic relationship. Podcasters need authors when specific expertise on a subject is needed. The author is the ideal person to fit the bill. After all, authors are credentialed by virtue of their published works, and they can provide heft to the discussion brewing in any podcast.

For podcasts, authors provide legitimacy to any topic, and their insights – based on the wisdom mined from their book research – can make for an enlightening and lively discussion.

           "Of course, many authors want a podcast interview to lead to increased book sales," says marketing consultant Maggie Hammerstein. "But they also want to develop a brand and a media presence. Podcasts are an ideal way to accomplish both goals."

Surveys of podcast listeners have found that they tend to read more than the general population and listen to audiobooks at a much higher rate.

Hammerstein explains that podcasts enable authors to cherry-pick the exciting parts of their book and entice the podcast audience to buy the book or follow the author on social media, leading to a future sale.

Perhaps due to their close relationship with authors, podcasters in increasing numbers are now becoming authors. As podcasts have increased in popularity, cultural visibility, and listener loyalty, podcasters have begun writing and publishing books based on their podcasts.

          Take, for example, the Switched On Pop podcast. Developed by musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Charlie Sloan, the Vox podcast has amassed a large and loyal listener base. 

          Switched On Pop acts as a kind of hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy of music. It's a peripatetic podcast that dismisses boundaries on what a music podcast should cover and whisks the listener off on a magical mystery tour to everything from the music chosen by restaurants to the trend toward shorter songs due to streaming services. Episodes hold constant surprises with a dissection of the new National Public Radio (NPR) morning news musical theme to a re-invention of music genres with the Lil Nas X number one country hit "Old Town Road" from a black hip-hop artist.

“We wrote this book because we frequently get questions from listeners about how they can listen and think about music like Nate and I do,” says Charlie Harding. “Listeners often ask what class can I take.”

The book contains 17 songs released over the last 20 years, and each song pairs with musical concepts from beginner concepts to more complex concepts.

Harding goes on: “If you're a non-musician, you will get a sampling of everything from melody, timbre, and harmony, plus much more. For anyone who is musically curious, Nate And I think it will be fun and informative.”

Another example comes from Roman Mars, host of 99% Invisible, which transforms the podcast into an art form of exquisite elegance. All at once, sleek, thoughtful, insouciant, and devilishly clever, 99% invisible delves into the world of design and architecture, but expansively.

The book – 99% Invisible City -- was published in October 2020 and written by Mars and writer/editor/producer Kurt Kohlstedt. Sales have been brisk since the book was released.

Roman Mars talked about the book soon after publication. “In some sense, the story of this book dates back to, or even beyond, the origin of 99% Invisible.

“The concept of a field guide seemed like a fun and effective way to organize our thoughts. We began to compile compelling narratives and intriguing characters. We singled out individual stories that would captivate an audience but that would also fit together and flow, forming a whole that was more than the sum of its parts. This book would encourage readers to look at all different aspects of cities—from individual objects, buildings, blocks to entire neighborhoods—in an entirely new light. Through many smaller narratives, the book tells a larger story of how to be more observant and thoughtful citizens.”

 

A bookends podcast

The Hidden Brain podcast with Shankar Vedantam is an intriguing case and, if you'll excuse the pun, is bookended by books. In 2010, Vedantam published a book called  The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives.

What, exactly, is the "hidden brain"? It’s a term Vedantam created to describe a range of influences that manipulate us without our awareness. Some aspects of the hidden brain have to do with mental shortcuts or heuristics; others are related to errors in the way memory and attention work. Some deal with social dynamics and relationships.

 Vedantam and NPR then launched the podcast in 2015 from the 2010 book concept. In 2019, he launched Hidden Brain Media “to allow us to connect more deeply with our audience and to experiment with new ways of telling Hidden Brain stories across a range of different platforms.”

          Now, Vedantam has released a new book  -- Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain --  in March 2021

While self-deception does terrible harm to us, to our communities, why is it ubiquitous? In Useful Delusions, Shankar Vedantam and co-author Bill Mesler argue that, paradoxically, self-deception can also play a vital role in our success and well-being.

Filled with powerful personal stories and drawing on new insights in psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy, Useful Delusions offers a fascinating tour of what it really means to be human.

 

Murders and wars sell books

The Last Podcast On The Left is a podcast that began in 2010 and has barreled headlong into all things horror, as hosts Henry Zebrowski, Ben Kissel, and Marcus Parks cover subjects spanning Jeffrey Dahmer werewolves, Jonestown, and supernatural phenomena. Deeply researched but with a morbidly humorous bent, the podcast has earned a dedicated and aptly cultlike following for its unique take on all things macabre.

Their book of the same name was published in 2020 and is equal parts haunting and hilarious deep-dive review of history's most notorious and cold-blooded serial killers.  

Featuring newly developed content alongside updated fan favorites, each profile in the book is an exhaustive examination of the darker side of human existence.

Even Wondery's podcast Business Wars published a book in mid-April titled The Art of Business Wars. Battle-Tested Lessons for Leaders and Entrepreneurs from History's Greatest Rivalries.

 Using Chinese military genius Sun Tzu's strategies as a guide, podcast host, and now author David Brown examines why some companies triumph while others crumble.

Brown masterfully frames some of the biggest business rivalries in history and, with each rivalry, weaves a story of combined wits, strategies, and resources. Brown chronicles companies' rise as they vanquish rivals, formulate innovative plans, and adapt to keep up with shifting societal needs. The goal? Stay ahead of the competition and emerge victorious as an industry titan.

 

The Book – Podcast Synergy

A traditional method to monetize a podcast has been to sell merchandise," notes podcast consultant George Witt. "Shirts, mugs, tote bags certainly generate revenue for the podcast. However, the branding visibility is limited. You won't generate more listeners because someone spotted the branded coffee mug."

          When a podcast host/founder publishes a book that enhances the podcast's content, the branding benefits accrue quickly.

          "So a successful book launch not only attracts loyal listeners of the podcast," begins Witt, "but also finds readers who find the book attractive and then become podcast listeners.”

          "It’s truly a win-win for the podcasters and the listeners,” adds Witt.

          Another benefit of podcasters releasing books is that the book format enables them to add additional content not available on the podcast.

          For example, 99% invisible is ostensibly a podcast about design that you can hear about and not view. The book enabled listeners to finally attach visual images to the audio narrative on the podcast. The authors knowing this expectation designed the book to be drenched in images.

          Switched On Pop enabled Harding and Sloan to give depth to music concepts such as major and minor chords, the fundamental ingredients of rhythm and melody, and even how certain songs exploit modern streaming platforms' structure to be successful.

          “These podcasts have generated impressive book sales numbers,” Witt observes. “Now, if every podcast starts doing the same thing, the novelty may wear off quickly. Also, not every podcast has the type of show conducive to a book.”

         

The book to podcast transformation

So far, we’ve considered podcasts that have published books and concluded that it could be a successful business and branding strategy.

Now let's a quick look at the opposite transition –when books turn into podcasts.

          “Not everyone who writes a successful non-fiction book can start a podcast,” says George Witt.

          “The author must be articulate, have a voice that attracts listeners, and sustain the podcast through multiple episodes and seasons,” Witt adds.

For example, Wharton professor and organizational psychologist Adam Grant is the author of such best-selling books as  Originals, Give And Take, and Option B. He then became the creator and host of a popular podcast called Worklife, which takes listeners inside the minds of some of the world's most unusual professionals to explore the science of making work not suck. Produced by TED, the podcast's guests have included Daily Show host Trevor Noah, bestselling authors Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Michael Lewis, and Angela Duckworth.

In 2010, science reporter Sam Kean published the best-selling book The Disappearing Spoon, which spins incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table of elements. In late 2019, Kean started a podcast of the same name with stories like how Teflon is related to the atomic bombs dropped in 1945 and how American women sacrificed for Marie Curie’s radium.

Another example is Gretchen Rubin, who has taped a vein for our desire for happiness with three best-selling books, including Better Than Before. She then became the co-host of Happier with Gretchen Rubin–naturally, a podcast about achieving happiness.

One of the most popular books and podcasts in the last decade began as a book and made a gradual transition to a podcast.

Freakonomics was published and sold millions of copies. Its ability to explode firmly held beliefs and posit novel solutions to societal dilemmas captured the attention of millions. 

     After the book’s success, co-author Stephen Dubner spent a few years with guest spots on APM’s Marketplace podcast and radio show until Freakonomics began its own podcast several years later. Today, Freakonomics has a built an impressive stable of podcasts that includes People I (Mostly) Admire with Steven Levitt and No Stupid Questions with Dubner and Grit author Angela Duckworth, who has made a seamless transition from best-selling author to premier podcaster. Their just-released podcast, Sudhir Breaks the Internet, is hosted by Columbia sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh and offers an insider’s look at the problems and promises of our digital world.  

Perhaps the people from the Quick and Dirty Tips podcast network can be recognized for being one of the first podcasters to leverage their podcast popularity to release well-received books. For example, The Nutrition Diva host Monica Reinagel has published several best-selling books. Mignon Fogarty – aka Grammar Girl – has published numerous books throughout her long podcast run, ranging from grammar rules to creative writing tips.

        

The numbers don’t lie

“The sales numbers on these books released by podcasters look strong,” notes podcast consultant George Witt. “The Amazon reviews of these books are overwhelmingly positive.”

          Here’s a five-star review on Amazon about the Switched On Pop book that seems representative of these books by podcasters.

           “If you've heard their podcast, this book covers much of the same territory as previous episodes, but it digs in a little deeper in the scholarly sense. So this is a great read whether you're deep into music theory or just a casual fan. Everyone will walk away with something new.”

          Based on the recent success of book sales, should we expect many more books published by successful podcasts and podcasters?

          “Everybody copies success,” concludes George Witt. “As long as these books sell, you can expect more book releases, as long as the books offer more than just a print version of the podcast content. Readers and loyal listeners will want more.”

          Finally, podcasts – like most other media  – have discovered successful strategies to extend their brand by moving into different media formats. For example, the Wondery podcast Dirty John has birthed a TV show. The music podcast Song Exploder has generated rave reviews with its Netflix series. 

          Books, after all, enable podcasters to explore other media and extend their brand by sweat equity and without a substantial financial outlay. Ask any podcaster who has published a book if it’s hard work, and they will wholeheartedly agree it’s mind-bending work that takes Herculean willpower. That’s why podcasters often enlist a co-author.

          Ultimately, the value of books published by podcasters truly lies with the listening – and reading – audience. Based on the enthusiastic response – via sales data and reader reviews – these books offer more than a podcast can provide, either because the audio-only format has predictable restrictions or time constraints that restrain a more robust and fleshed-out explanation of the podcast's main topic of expertise.

          Podcasts we think could generate books that expand the format's reach include Gastropod, The Impact, Science Diction, Science Vs, and Twenty Thousand Hertz.

 

What podcasts do you think should publish a book? Let me know.