© 2025 Linda Goldfarb
Many authors make a common mistake when pitching podcast interviews—they focus too narrowly on their book. You’re not just the author of one manuscript; you’re an expert with knowledge that reaches multiple audiences and uses.Step One: Think Series, Not Single
Your book isn’t just an isolated idea—it’s the start of a conversation. If you wrote about communication in marriage, your expertise also applies to families, workplace relationships, and church communities. Each audience has unique needs that your core message can address.Start by listing three different audiences that benefit from your content. Don’t just focus on the obvious readers. For example, a parenting book benefits not only parents but also grandparents, teachers, and youth pastors. Write these audiences down and avoid the temptation to narrow your focus too early.
Step Two: Extract the Promise
For each audience, identify the specific need your content fulfills and how it addresses that need. This isn’t about rephrasing the same information—it’s about understanding how your expertise resolves different issues.
I write about personality differences and can speak to how they can help families communicate more effectively, leaders build effective teams, or churches resolve conflicts. I use the same core content while fulfilling three distinct promises. You can do the same with your content. Your interview topics should reflect these varied applications.
Step Three: Craft Promise-Based Topics
Create three interview topics that directly address the listener’s needs rather than focusing on your author journey. Use headline analyzers [here is one for example] to test your titles for engagement. “Three Ways Families Can Talk Things Out” offers practical value. Whereas “My Journey Writing About Communication” centers on you rather than the listener.
For each topic, create three to five talking points that fulfill your promise. Remember, podcast hosts prioritize their audience’s needs. When you make their job easier by providing clear, actionable content, you become the guest they recommend to others.
Your single book contains multiple conversations waiting to happen. Extract them strategically, and you’ll never run short of interview opportunities.
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Linda Goldfarb is the award-winning author of Creating Dynamic Podcasts & Audiobooks, an audiobook narrator, and the award-winning podcast host of Your Best Writing Life. |
