The Free Marketing Channel Most Children’s Book Authors Are Missing
The KidLit Creator’s Chronicle #53
Hi!
When children’s book authors think about marketing, they usually think about social media, Amazon ads, or building an email list. And those are all valid strategies. But there’s one channel that doesn’t get enough attention in the children’s book world, and it’s a powerful one.
Podcasts.
Going on podcasts as a guest gives you access to an engaged audience that trusts the host who invited you. You’re being introduced as a guest worth listening to, and that changes a lot about how the audience receives you and your book.
And it’s free. Which, when you’re weighing up marketing options as a self-published author, matters a lot.
Let me walk you through how to make it work.
Why Podcasts Work So Well for Children’s Book Authors
Think about who listens to podcasts. Parents on school runs. Teachers and librarians during their commute. These are exactly the people who buy children’s books. And when you show up on a podcast they already love and trust, you’re reaching them when they’ve chosen to tune in, which means they’re already in the right headspace to hear what you have to say.
Because of the long-form format, you have time to build a connection. This helps with building your author brand and driving people back to your website where they can join your email list. One good podcast appearance can send a steady trickle of new readers your way for months after it airs.
Finding the Right Podcasts
The first step is research, and it’s worth doing properly.
Start by making a list of keywords related to your book and your target audience. Think about your book’s subject, theme, and message, and who the buyer is. Then use those keywords to search for podcasts that your ideal reader would actually listen to.
When you find a podcast that looks promising, check four things before you add it to your list:
Does it have enough followers to make the effort worthwhile?
Is it consistent? Are new episodes posted regularly?
Is it stable? Does it have at least 50 previous episodes?
Does it feature guests, or is it a solo show? If they don’t bring guests on, pitching yourself as one is a waste of your time.
Once you’ve built your list, listen to a few episodes. Get a feel for the host’s style and what their audience cares about. Note the topics they’ve covered recently so you don’t pitch something they’ve already done. This research is what separates a pitch that gets ignored from one that gets a yes.
What to Pitch
Before you start reaching out, make a list of the topics you could speak about as a guest. You have more material than you probably realise. You could talk about your Why–the reason you wrote your book and what it means to you. You could talk about your writing process, what it’s like to self-publish a children’s book, or what you’ve learned along the way. You could speak about the subject matter of your book itself, especially if it touches on something the podcast’s audience cares about.
For each podcast, think about which of those topics would connect most naturally with their specific audience. A parenting podcast and a teacher’s podcast might both be a great fit for your book, but the angle you’d pitch to each one would be quite different.
How to Pitch
Once you’re ready to reach out, here’s how to approach it.
Create a simple system to track who you’ve contacted and who’s responded. A spreadsheet works perfectly. Find the host’s name and email address.
Write a personalised pitch for each podcast, not a template you’ve sent to twenty others. Hosts can tell the difference.
Your subject line should be your pitch headline and should be simple, clear, and specific about the topic you’re proposing.
In the email itself, open with an honest mention of something about their podcast that you appreciated. Keep it brief, but make it real. Then introduce yourself as a children’s book author and attach a digital copy of your book. Pitch yourself as a guest by explaining what value you can bring to their listeners, and connect your book’s message directly to what their show is about. List out a few specific points you could cover. This reassures the host that you have enough material to fill an episode. Also include a couple of suggested episode titles if you can.
If you haven’t heard back after seven days, send a short, friendly follow-up. If there’s still no response after that, move on. Keep pitching. Not every host will be the right fit, and that’s fine.
Being Ready When They Say Yes
When a podcast invites you on, you want to be prepared. A few things to have in place:
Good audio makes a bigger difference than most people expect. A decent quality microphone and headphones are worth investing in if you’re going to do this regularly. Poor audio is distracting and it reflects on your professionalism. Find a quiet space to record in, and have a glass of water nearby. Have notes in front of you, but don’t read from a script.
You’ll also want to put together a media kit to send the host before your recording date. This gives them everything they need to prepare and to promote the episode. Include a couple of headshots in different orientations, short and long versions of your bio, photographs of your book, your book description, some sample interview questions they can use, and any relevant links, like your website, your Amazon page, your social media.
A good media kit makes you easy to work with, and hosts remember that.
Getting Started
Realistically, you probably won’t land a major podcast on your first pitch, and that’s completely fine. Most authors start with smaller shows, build up some experience, and work their way from there. Having even one or two appearances behind you also helps when you pitch the next podcast, because hosts like to know you’ve done it before.
Going on podcasts doesn’t cost you anything, and the experience alone is worth it. The more you do it, the more comfortable you get, and the better you get at telling your story in a way that people relate to. Pitch consistently, and keep going. Every single appearance puts your book in front of people who would never have found it otherwise.
You Don’t Need a Big Platform to Get Started
Many people assume they need to already be well-known, have hundreds of reviews, or have been on other shows before any podcast host will consider them. But that’s not how it works.
Podcast hosts are constantly looking for interesting guests, and what they care about most is whether you have something useful or interesting to say to their audience. A well-researched, personalised pitch that clearly connects your story and your book to their listeners will get you much further than you’d expect. You don’t need to be famous. You just need to be relevant, prepared, and willing to reach out.
Over to You!
This week, I’d love you to do one thing: make a list of five podcasts your ideal reader might listen to. You don’t have to pitch yet. Just start the research and see what’s out there. Then comment below and tell me one podcast you found that surprised you, or one topic you think you could speak to really well as a guest. I read every comment and I’d love to hear what comes up for you.
In case you missed it, the KidLit Creator’s Chronicle is now on YouTube as well, if you’d like to watch any of the issues in video format. The first 11 editions are already up there, covering topics like how to structure a picture book plot, the truth about AI-generated children’s books, and how to hire an illustrator without getting burned. The link is youtube.com/@childrensbookmastery1234.
Podcasts are one of those marketing strategies that feel a little intimidating at first but are so worth it. You’re telling your story, talking about a book you love, and reaching people who are already interested in what you have to say.
That’s a pretty wonderful way to market a book.
