Recently, I was invited as a guest on an episode of The Merry Writer Podcast, a long-running, always-interesting, writing-related podcast run by Ari Meghlen and Rachel Poli.
Our topic was “How Do You Talk About Your Writing To People?” Those who know me know that it’s both a subject near and dear to my heart and something I struggle with on an almost daily basis.
While I acted in plays throughout high school, public speaking is something that has increasingly been a source of stress for me as I aged. And I’m using the definition of public very, very loosely. Phone calls, social media, any form of video, even heading out for drinks with strangers1… these are all activities that take a lot of energy. I have to work up to them, like a boxer psyching himself up before a fight2.
And yes… podcast interviews would definitely fall under that list. Thankfully, Ari and Rachel couldn’t have been sweeter, and I think we had a good and productive discussion on the topic. Because the truth is, the vast majority of authors have to know how to talk about our work, whether it’s during the writing, editing, release, or post-release promotion stages. Unless you’re a savant3 who can do everything yourself, getting alpha and beta feedback and even just being able to discuss your writing with other people will help improve that writing. And when it comes to selling a book… well, you’re going to need readers, and given the sheer breadth of books available, it’s incumbent upon each author to do what they can to spread the word.
If the subject sounds interesting… or if you just want to hear for yourself that my real voice is somehow both squeaky and sounds like the world has tinnitus, then please, check it out!
🎧 Listen on Podbean
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