Hello again!
And Happy Halloween!
It’s been quite a few weeks since the last newsletter! I’ve been trying to send one out every month and usually, I get it out within the first few weeks.
But this month, I found out I’ll be having surgery mid-November and I’ve been scrambling behind the scenes to get ahead for my awesome clients so the newsletter and blog posts have taken a backseat for the time being. (More about my surgery on my Instagram)
If you’ve followed me on Instagram and my personal blog, Emily: Out Loud, for a while, you’ve probably have heard me talk about Adenomyosis, a painful and uncomfortable uterine condition I’ve essentially built my life around for years.
As nervous as I am about surgery, my hope is this surgery is a big step to relieving a lot of that ongoing pain and discomfort! Any and all well wishes are welcome!
I’ll be continuing to put out my monthly newsletter and blog posts for creative independent podcasters to the best of my ability while recovering, but I’ve officially closed my Strategy Session calendar for the remainder of 2023. I also plan on restructuring E Podcast Productions and changing up how I do my Strategy Sessions in 2024 so stay tuned!
But about a week before I got my surgery date and went into whirlwind-editing mode, I had the idea for a PDF printable that I knew could be helpful for podcasters with interview shows.
Hope you enjoy this month's tip — and the free PDF printable!
This Month’s Podcasting Tip
Do you like podcasting but get uncomfortable when hosting interviews?
Do you want your podcast interviews to flow better?
Do you find yourself interviewing people on your podcast and stumbling to get to the next question?
Despite what outsiders might think or say, podcasters are just people asking questions. Hopefully, if you do an interview podcast or a podcast that has guests on, you do your research and you’re asking questions your audience would ask.
Most podcasters who have guests on their show will tell you having a list of questions prepared ahead of time is key for staying on topic.
Think about your favorite podcast that has guests on. Is the host just asking questions during the interview?
Or is more like:
HOST ASKS QUESTION
GUEST ANSWERS
HOST ACKNOWLEDGES ANSWER
HOST ASKS ANOTHER QUESTION
GUEST ANSWERS
HOST ACKNOWLEDGES ANSWER
HOST ASKS ANOTHER QUESTION
(the cycle continues)
There is a place for the quick question-answer formats — think quiz shows or lightning rounds some podcasters like to add to the end of their interviews. But for many, podcast interviews tend to lean more toward conversations and casual chats.
Why do I bring this up?
Because as a podcast editor, a lot of what I take out of podcasts is what happens IN BETWEEN acknowledging the previous answer and asking another question. I hear first-hand the struggle so many hosts have when going from one topic of conversation to the next.
If you were to listen to the raw audio, many times it sounds more like:
HOST ASKS QUESTION
GUEST ANSWERS
Host acknowledges the answer, and struggles to transition to a new question or topic. As their editor, I can tell when it feels awkward and uncomfortable, and hosts don’t want to make it feel like they’re rushing or ambushing their guests.
HOST (finally) ASKS ANOTHER QUESTION
The struggle is real and not as talked about in podcasting spaces as much as I think it should be.
Interviewing is a SKILL. Anyone with a microphone and dream can podcast, but hosting an interview that keeps listeners engaged, showcases your guest brilliantly, while still bringing your best self as the host doesn’t come naturally to most.
So I’ve made you a ** FREE ** Podcast Interview Cheat Sheet printable to help you get through those rocky transitions between acknowledging your guest and asking the next question! 🙂
These phrases can help maintain a smooth interview flow and help transition between questions and topics while keeping the conversation friendly and not sounding like a robot giving an oral exam.
Be sure to practice these transitions so they sound natural and so it doesn’t sound too much like you’re reading off a cheat sheet you got from your friendly neighborhood podcast editor 😉
Note: When interviewing or talking with someone who is sharing deep, personal, sensitive, or traumatic stories and information, it's important to make sure you're listening and responding accordingly. This is not the time for automation of emotional reactivity.
Podcasting Horror Stories
.Last month, I asked for your podcasting horror stories, and many of you were quick to think of theirs!
If you’re a longtime podcaster, you probably have one or two, yourself. In fact, the only people I know who don’t have stories about their podcasting mistakes are … non-podcasters! 😂
Some of you shared them with me, but aren’t quite comfortable yet sharing them with others (totally get it!) If I ever make a podcast about podcasting, this might be the premise — podcasting horror stories!
Here are two of my favorites:
“My podcast faux pax was when I finally was able to schedule my guests, two daughters of a nurse. The interview was great UNTIL I started editing and found horrible audio, lots of skipping, etc. I have no idea what happened but instead of asking them for a second interview ( it was so hard to get the first), I published the substandard version. I still regret it! It's happened one additional time with another guest and I asked for a redo, which was even better than the first!”
— Michelle Harris
Host, The Conversing Nurse podcast
“I was using Zencastr back in 2018. It already had its issues, especially with audio drift. And not just small drifts... ones that would make you pull your hair out. So, I recorded an episode. Great episode. With Zencastr, you see the wave forms as you're talking. You're seeing it record. Since I record ahead of time, I downloaded the files and moved on.
“When it came time to edit them a few weeks later..... loaded them up. Nothing. It recorded nothing. Nearly 60 minutes of just blank audio. The file sizes were what they should be, the time was there. The episode just wasn't there. Nothing to do to try and recover it…
“And of course, my arch nemesis - time zones... especially when it's either in Arizona which doesn't have daylight savings time, or when a state is 90% in one timezone and then 10% in the other... and you have to make sure you're looking at the city instead of the state to figure it out. So wackadoodle”
— David Ginsburg
Host, Tales from the Fandom
Thanks to everyone for telling me your podcasting horror stories and maybe one day we’ll get together and record a podcast about them. Can you imagine? I can already picture the intro!
Something like “Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Editing Society …” lol!
Check Out the Latest Blog Posts + Appearances
E Podcast Productions — Podcasting Blog
Starting Your Podcasting Journey: 10 Tips for Your First Episode
Podcasting Collabs, Recording Tips, and Ramping Up for Fall! — September 2023 Newsletter
Emily: Out Loud — ADHD/Creative Lifestyle Blog
Until next time, Happy Podcasting!
♥ Emily Prokop
Like What I Do?
Enjoying this newsletter and my content? You can find additional tips over at BuyMeACoffee.com/emilyprokop where you can support me and my work by buying me a cup of coffee to say thanks 🙂 And look for a shout-out over on my Instagram Stories AND NOW THREADS!
Thanks for the coffee! ☕
About Me
In case you’re new to me and my newsletter, I’m Emily Prokop, a podcaster, editor, author, and podcasting consultant and mentor. I created & hosted the Webby-nominated podcast, The Story Behind, among a number of other podcasts I’ve been a part of since starting my podcasting journey in 2015, and I wrote a book based on it in 2018 (and another is on the way!). As the owner of E Podcast Productions, a podcast editing and consulting business, I’ve been helping podcasters plan, improve, and grow their shows since 2017.
I’m also an introverted, neurodivergent married mom of 2. When I’m not wearing a pair of headphones to record or edit a podcast, you can find me singing in choir, wandering in the woods, roller skating around my living room, or talking about a new hobby or ADHD hyperfixation over onInstagram and Threads! Find out more over at EmilyProkop.com.
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