I am very happy to announce that I was recently a guest on You May Contribute A Verse Podcast. Brenna and Josh are the hosts of this podcast and are both children’s authors. Thus, the focus of their episodes revolves around children’s literature. The name of the episode is The Gertie Journey with Karen Nespoli. If you would like to listen to my episode you can by clicking here.
Sharing Gertie Saves the Day on a podcast has been on my list of things to do for a few months. Since this was my first podcast, I needed to do some homework.
Before the Podcast
Being a good guest was important to me. I began by listening to several episodes of their podcast. Some podcasts are scripted where the hosts send you some questions to answer in advance of the podcast; others are more conversational. I like the conversational approach it is relaxed and not rehearsed. Brenna and Josh are great at asking questions and moving the conversation along.
Before the podcast I thought about my journey as a picture book author and what listeners might want to know from me that would help them in their journey.
I logged on several days before to ensure I would be able to connect seamlessly on the morning of the podcast. As it turned out I needed to download Google Chrome before I could connect to their podcast host. It always pays to do your homework and to be sure that all technology is working properly.
Media Kit
As part of my preparation, I created a media kit. I first learned about a media kit from Miriam Laundry’s Publishing Mastermind. What is a media kit? A media kit is a package of information, assembled by the author, to provide basic information about the book and the author for reporters or in this case, for the podcasters. Some things to include are a photo of the cover of your book, link to your book, a headshot, contact information, summary of your book, short bio, link to your website and your social media information. This information will provide enough information for a reporter to write an article. There are a number of resources online to help you develop your own media kit. You may find that it is referred to as a Press Kit. Your media kit will also help when you are getting ready to launch your book.
During the Podcast
The morning of the podcast I logged on early and I was able to spend a few minutes with the Brenna and Josh. This gave me the opportunity to check my microphone and volume. I was surprisingly calm as everything was working and going according to plan. I kept a glass of water nearby in case it was needed.
As you will hear on the podcast, the conversation flowed seamlessly from topic to topic. I credit Brenna and Josh for their inquisitive nature. They did not bombard me with questions, rather guided me through the interview. Talking with fellow authors about a number of topics relating to writing, publishing and marketing children’s books helps all writers to learn and grow. I cannot thank them enough for having me as a guest. Maybe this will open the door for future opportunities to be a guest on other podcasts.
After the Podcast
If you know me, you know that I am big on thank you notes and emails. I followed up with Brenna and Josh with a thank you email. I also offered two copies of Gertie Saves the Day for their listeners. Brenna and Josh conducted the contest online and two lucky winners will receive a signed copy of my book. Once the episode was launched we used social media to promote the podcast. Twitter was a great way for us to share the podcast episode with their audience and a way for us to share it with new audiences.
Conclusion
I enjoyed being a part of You May Contribute A Verse Podcast. Would I do another podcast? Yes, I would love to share my experience with other podcasters and listeners. While writing tends to be a solitary activity we as writers can share our experiences and our writing journeys.
Requests …
I am so glad you’re here and so grateful that I can share this journey with you. I believe that the world needs to hear your story.
I’m looking forward to helping other authors. And speaking of helping — please leave a comment below and let me know what questions you have about picture book writing.
If you have read Gertie Saves the Day, I would appreciate a short book review on either Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews help teachers, parents, grandparents, librarians … decide if they want to purchase a book. You can support all new authors by leaving a short review.
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I am available for author visits and I am still offering author interviews.
Enjoy your day!