When you’re not writing, you can listen to some great podcasts by writers for writers and learn more about the craft of writing and the publishing business.
There are lots of podcasts about books, including Write Now with Scrivener, where I interview authors and discuss their books and how they use Scrivener. Among the many book-related podcasts are a number of podcasts hosted by writers that often discuss writing and the publishing industry. Here are 10 podcasts for writers by writers, including a couple hosted by literary agents, that can help you write better and get published.
Podcasts are a great way to learn about writing and get insights from published authors. With such a wide range of resources available, we’ve selected 10 podcasts by writers (and sometimes literary agents) for writers. These podcasts are a great way to keep up to date on literary trends, and to discover writing and publishing tips.
Some of these podcasts have been around for more than 15 years, and feature a wonderful archive of episodes covering every topic you can imagine.
- The Creative Penn Podcast. Joanna Penn, who was featured on Episode 24 of Write Now with Scrivener, is an author-entrepreneur. Her podcast, which started in March 2009, discusses writing and the business of writing, and has nearly 800 episodes published. Listening to this podcast is like taking a course in publishing.
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, hosted by author Bianca Marais, features interviews with authors, agents, and editors, and co-hosts, and literary agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra, read and critique query letters and opening pages from listeners, as well as answering questions about publishing.
The Honest Authors Podcast. Holly Seddon (who was featured on Episode 44 of Write Now with Scrivener) and Gillian McAllister present writing tips from these two best-selling thriller authors, and interviews with well-known writers. A number of episodes are How AUTHOR Writes a Novel, where an author discusses their writing process.
Wish I’d Known Then…, hosted by Sara Rosett and Jami Albright, focuses on interviews with indie authors about self-publishing, examining what they did right, and what they didn’t know when publishing their books. If you’re planning to self-publish, this podcast can save you a lot of grief as you try to understand the ins and outs of going it alone.
Writing Excuses is another podcast that has been around for a long time, this one since 2008. Episodes are only 15 minutes long, "because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart. Hosted by authors Mary Robinette Kowal (who was on Episode 31 of Write Now with Scrivener), Erin Roberts, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells, and agent DongWon Song, this podcast gives concise tips applicable to all types of writing.
Story Nerd. Writers and editors Valerie Francis and Melanie Hill focus on story theory and explain how storytelling works using films as examples. While writers of fiction may not think that analyzing films is helpful for writing fiction, they are a practical way to take a close look at how stories are constructed, since many of the films are ones that listeners have seen.
Six Figure Authors, hosted by Lindsay Buroker, Joseph R. Lallo, and Andrea Pearson, “authors who’ve been publishing since the beginning of the e-reader revolution,” look at self-publishing and marketing, though their own experiences and through interviews with other authors.
Print Run. Hosted by literary agents Laura Zats and Erik Hane, this podcast looks at the business side of publishing. Much of the publishing business can seem opaque to new authors, and this podcast tries to explain and demystify the process of getting a book from manuscript to bookstores.
In Writing with Hattie Crisell, is a podcast where a journalist interviews writers of all kinds, such as novelists, screenwriters, and journalists, to find out how they write. She asks authors where they write, the techniques they use when planning and writing, and they discuss the publishing process.
AmWriting is podcast hosted by Jessica Lahey, KJ Dell’Antonia, and Sarina Bowen, that looks closely at the process of writing and the business of publishing. From self-publishing to traditional publishing, from social media to Substack serials, this podcast gives a well rounded look at writing and publishing today.
So check out some of these podcasts and learn more about writing and the publishing industry.
Kirk McElhearn is a writer, podcaster, and photographer. He is the author of Take Control of Scrivener, and host of the podcast Write Now with Scrivener.