Podcast placements
Podcast placements that let your book talk.
Last updated: November 2026
Podcast placements put an author on shows whose listeners match the book’s readers, so the author can teach, tell stories, and point people to the book. Big Impact Books includes podcast placements in its book marketing services for business authors, drawing interview angles directly from the manuscript it helps develop.
The short answer
Do podcast interviews help sell a business book?
Yes, mostly by building trust. A 30 or 60 minute conversation lets listeners hear how you think, which is exactly what someone needs before buying a book from, or hiring, an author they have never met. Big Impact Books makes this point often: people do not buy from an author they cannot find any credibility for.
No honest service can promise a sales figure from an interview. Results depend on the show, the fit with its audience, and what you invite listeners to do next. For business authors, the larger return is often the clients, referrals, and speaking invitations that follow a strong episode.
Procedure
How a podcast guest pitch is built
Choose shows by audience, not size
A smaller show full of your ideal clients beats a large general one.Listen before pitching
Know the host’s format and recent topics so your angle adds something new.Pull a clear angle from the book
One problem, one framework, one story listeners will remember.Keep the pitch short and specific
Who you are, what listeners will learn, and why now.Prepare talking points and stories
Chapter topics and client results become ready-made answers.Share the episode when it airs
Each interview becomes content for your own channels and email list.
Material
Turn your chapters into talking points
Big Impact Books recommends reading your own book as a reader would, then pulling content from it: each chapter’s broad topic, client success stories, advance reviews, and practical tips. The same material that fuels blog posts and social media becomes a set of interview answers you can deliver with confidence.
Because Big Impact Books develops manuscripts through guided weekly interviews, authors have already practiced explaining their ideas out loud before the first podcast booking. Many find that interview format feels familiar once the book is done.
Compared
Guest spots, your own show, or press: which fits?
| Format | Reaches new people | Author time | How long it lasts | Who controls the message |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podcast guest spot | Yes, the host’s audience | Prep plus one recording | Episodes stay online | Shared with the host |
| Your own podcast | Slowly, as the show grows | Weekly and ongoing | Builds a library over time | You |
| Media article or quote | Yes, the outlet’s readers | Interview or written answers | Varies by outlet | The journalist |
On the mic
Podcasting at Big Impact Books
Melanie Herschorn hosts The Big Impact Playbook Podcast and Authority Marketing LIVE!, and appears as a guest on other shows. Her list of podcast appearances is on the main Big Impact Books website.
Podcasting sits alongside media coverage in the Big Impact Books approach. Return to the full overview of book marketing services.
How do podcast placements for authors work?
A podcast placement is a guest interview on a show whose listeners match the book’s readers. The work involves choosing fitting shows, pitching the author with a clear angle drawn from the book, and preparing talking points. Big Impact Books includes podcast placements in its promotional support for business authors. Ask on a call how shows are chosen for your topic.
Do podcast interviews actually sell business books?
Podcast interviews let listeners hear an author’s expertise at length, which builds the trust a buyer needs before ordering a book or hiring the author. Results vary by show, topic, and offer, and no honest service can promise a sales number. For business authors, the bigger payoff is often the clients, referrals, and speaking invitations that follow.
Can a book marketing agency guarantee podcast or media placements?
Treat any promise of guaranteed editorial coverage with care, because hosts and journalists decide what they run. What an agency can control is the strength of the angle, the fit of the outlets, and the consistency of outreach. Ask Big Impact Books directly how it approaches outreach for your book and what a realistic plan looks like.
Should an author start their own podcast?
An author’s own podcast can be strong thought-leader content, because it keeps the author’s ideas in front of an audience every week. Big Impact Books lists your own podcast as one form of thought-leader content, alongside blog posts, white papers, videos, and articles. Guest appearances usually reach new listeners faster, so many authors start there.
How can I turn my book into marketing content?
Read your book as a reader, then pull content from it: chapter topics, client success stories, advance reviews, tips, and how-tos. Big Impact Books recommends this because it creates thought-leader content that shows expertise instead of repeatedly asking people to buy. The same material becomes podcast talking points and media angles.
What if I hate promoting myself?
Many accomplished experts feel the same way. Big Impact Books suggests leading with value instead of constant selling: share insights from your book, tell client stories, and let interviews show your expertise. As a podcast guest or a source in an article, someone else introduces you, which often feels more natural than posting “buy my book.”
Ready to be the guest every host wants?
Talk with Big Impact Books about publishing and promoting a book that builds your authority. Not ready yet? Start with the free book planning checklist.