How do you turn your podcast into a book?

Repurposing your content is important as a podcasters

How do you turn your podcast into a book?

Rosie Wilby, comedian and podcaster was published last year by Bloomsbury, no reason why you can’t self publish, but this session is about her experience of being published by a publisher.  Her interest in breakups came about when she was dumped by email.  This sparked creating a trilogy of shows which Rosie toured around the world, from which came her first book ‘Is monogamy dead?’, then the break up monologues podcast started where Rosie and her friends shared their stories and became part of a community.

The book published was a nonfiction book; some memoirs, some favourite stories and some facts and information.  When you submit the initial idea for a non fiction book it is just a proposal.  

Repurposing your content is important.  How do you make your book complementary to your podcast?  How do you make your book different, especially if you make your book and audiobook.

Rosie said she had assumed the primary audience was podcast listeners, but that isn’t the case as the book and podcast are 2 different markets and audiences and a lot of people have made the opposite journey.  Think about making sense of whoever is coming to it in whichever order as it might not be the way you expect.  Also books need to contain more timeless content that won’t date or be topical.  Publishers are slow, it will take about a year.

How do you pitch your idea?  Firstly look at agents of similar writers and then use your network.  The pitch doc is 20-30 pages with chapter summaries, bio and elevator pitch and marketing plan.

Marketing will involve getting a proof to send to journalists to read before the book is published and a way Rosie has found to market successfully has been to guest on other podcasts.