Hello again!

Thanks to those who read, shared and sent feedback about the 5 Types of Challenging Podcast Guests (and How to Handle Them) blog post from last month! I’ve really enjoyed hearing from those who’ve encountered a few (or all!) of these guests.

I wanted to share some feedback — an addition to the list from a podcaster who told me a story about how when they sent their guest a list of questions, the guest scripted their answers and read them verbatim. Some people can read from scripts and it sounds natural, but it takes practice, and also many people don’t write the way they speak so reading a script can sound awkward.

The podcaster went on to say that since that interview, the hosts began sending bullet points of talking points and topics to help make their guests feel more comfortable, but they no longer provide the exact questions. 🙂

Thanks again for the feedback and be sure to let me know any questions, comments, or suggestions for upcoming newsletter topics!

Quick Podcasting Tip

Want a quick recording tip that will make your editing later go a little quicker?

Let me tell you about the 3 Snaps Trick.

When you’re recording your podcast and you mess up what you intended to say, instead of stumbling through and trying to fix your sentence in the moment, do this instead:

Pause. Don’t stop the recording. Take a breath or sip of water, if needed. Snap 3 times. Begin your sentence or phrase over again.

As a podcast editor, I can tell you that 99% of the time, the 2nd take is going to be better than the first.

First of all, you’re more aware of what you’re saying. Secondly, sometimes mistakes or slips of the tongue are our mouth’s way of telling us we need a break or some water. And lastly, it takes less time in the editing room later to remove the bad takes and use the good take than it does to edit and splice together a poorly done take.

But why the 3 snaps?

This is a visual marker to help future-you or your editor see what needs to be edited even faster. On the waveform, the snaps will look something like this:

*If you received the email newsletter, I didn’t include a picture, I wrote it out like this: ----|–|–|----*

Sometimes you may need more than a second take to get a phrase right. If you’ve snapped before each take, it’s easy to look at the audio track to find those snap markers easily so you’re not listening through every single take or trying to edit together a full sentence from fragments.

One more tip: Remember to re-listen to your edits to make sure you got the correct take that sounds the most natural.

If you’re not a fan of snapping or your fingers get tired, you can also use a dog-training clicker, which can be found at pet stores like Petco or on Amazon.

Happy Snapping!

Professional vs. Amateur Podcasting + Ways to Monetize Your Podcast That AREN’T Sponsorship!

Excerpt from the latest blog post:

Here’s the answer I give most often when asked if a podcaster is ready to monetize: You’re ready to monetize when you feel confident you are providing your audience value that you feel OK (and not icky) taking money for. If you’re putting your time, knowledge, and energy, (and sometimes your own money) into making a podcast that helps people, it’s not a bad thing to put out a tip jar or let people know how they can support you in return.

And that doesn’t just mean sponsors.

A mistake new podcasters sometimes make is thinking that the only way to make money in podcasting is by getting sponsors. But loads of independent podcasters will tell you that sponsorship is only one way to monetize — and not even the most effective for many niche podcasts!

Click to Read: Professional vs. Amateur Podcasting + Ways to Monetize Your Podcast That AREN’T Sponsorship!

Check Out the Latest Blog Posts

E Podcast Productions — Podcasting Blog

Emily: Out Loud — ADHD/Creative Lifestyle Blog

Special shout-out to BCast for featuring me on their list of top podcast consultants and consulting companies 2023!

Until next time, Happy Podcasting!

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