Lean Publishing Tip of the Day: How to Be a Good Podcast Guest

We talked recently about how to invite yourself onto podcasts to talk about your book, but what should you do when you’re actually invited to appear on an episode?

Watch (or Listen to) a Recent Episode of the Podcast

If you haven’t already done so, the first thing you should do is watch a recent episode of the podcast (or just listen, if the podcast is audio-only).

Most podcasts follow a formula. For example, in the Leanpub Podcast, we have three parts: asking the author to talk about their background and career; asking them about their book; and asking them about their writing process.

Knowing the formula will help you get ready and reduce the possibility of any surprises.

Use a Familiar Audiovisual Setup

You don’t need to be precious with your background or setup: just use the same environment you do when you do Zoom calls or have video meetings.

Being in an environment you’re comfortable in, and where you know everything works, is important not just for a smooth technical experience, but also for knowing what to do if something goes wrong, like your mic stops working, or something like that.

Practice if You’re Nervous or New to Podcasting

If you’ve never done a podcast interview before, like with so many other skills, the best thing to do is just practice.

Put on the clothes you plan to wear during the interview and sit in front of your camera and microphone like you plan to do during the interview.

If you have Zoom, you can even start a meeting and record yourself!

Open up your book on your screen and just flip to some random pages and try spontaneously answering questions someone might ask you based on what happens to be on that page.

Relax

The most important thing you can do is: relax!

Most podcasts aren’t live. If your cat jumps on you or you need to take a breather, the host will understand. You can just start your answer over, or move on to the next question.