Independent Podcaster Resources

This book is for anyone who is producing a podcast already or is planning on using one of the podcast-creation services (Odeo, AudioBlogs.com, Podblaze) to create one. This book is not intended to teach you how to create an RSS feed or how to hook up your recording equipment. Although we will discuss some technical issues, the main focus of this book is on improving the content of your podcast, promoting your podcast, and, if you desire, monetizing that podcast. Our advice is based on conversations with many of the "Masters of Podcasting" as well as our own trials and errors. If you are looking for technical help on creating an RSS feed or other technical issues regarding podcasting, you can find plenty of good tutorials on the Net. Start by going to http://www.podcast411.com/page5.html for a list of some of the best free tutorials on podcasting. If you are looking for a book focused on the technical issues with podcasting, such as Que's Absolute Beginner's Guide to Podcasting, shown in Figure 1.1, we suggest the following:

• Absolute Beginner's Guide to Podcasting

  Publisher: Que Publishing

  Page Count: 240 pages

  Authors: George Colombo and Curtis Franklin

  Authors' podcast: Ultimate Podcasting

• Podcasting for Dummies

  Publisher: Wiley

  Page Count: 340 pages

  Authors: Tee Morris and Evo Terra

  Authors' podcasts: Morevi: The Podcast and The Survivor's Guide to Writing Fantasy, The Dragon Page

Figure 1.1. Que's Absolute Beginner's Guide to Podcasting provides a detailed introduction to the world of podcasting.

Here are some additional books on podcasting for beginners:

• Podcasting Solutions

  Publisher: Apress

  Page Count: 240 pages

  Authors: Michael Geoghegan and Dan Klass

  Authors' Podcasts: Reel Reviews, Disneyland Resort Podcast; The Bitterest Pill, Old Wave Radio

• Secrets of Podcasting

  Publisher: Peachpit Press

  Page Count: 212 pages

  Author: Bart Farkas

  Author's Podcasts: Unknown

This is by no means a complete list of all the books on podcastingthere are many others. With all these other books on podcasting, you may be wondering why you will need this one. The short answer is, where the other books are great at getting you up and running, this is the first one to concentrate on the content and promotion of your podcast. The vast majority of podcasters have fewer than 250 subscribers. According to Feedburner, over 42,000 podcasts are published using its service, but less than 40 of those podcasts have more than 1,500 subscribers. Less than 80 have more than 750 subscribers.

The reason for this lack of subscribers comes down to two issues: content and promotion. You need good ideas on improving both if you want to grow your listener base, and that is what this book is here to help you with.