The 10 Best Writing Podcasts for Storytellers and Aspiring Authors
Ready for a list of the ten best writing podcasts? Writing is often such a solitary endeavor. It’s you and the blank page or the white screen and…nobody else. This feels especially true when you’re unpublished (me raising my own hand and waving it around wildly). Writing podcasts offer so many helpful tips, bits of important information, and insight into both writing and publishing as professions.
They can also make you feel less alone on your writing journey.
After I graduated from my MFA program, I turned to podcasts to stay connected to the writing community. I’ve learned so many things from listening to these hosts and their many, many guests. From what a revise and resubmit means to advice about how to get unstuck when writer’s block hits. And really, the most important thing I’ve learned is that there is no one way to be a writer. Literally everyone’s pathway through the writing life has looked different. Through queries, rejections from editors, and countless new drafts, I’ve returned to podcasts when I feel alone or unmotivated. They’ve also inspired me when my writing is going well.
From interview shows to read-alongs to publishing advice, there is a best writing podcast that fits every stage of the writing process. Get creative! Feel inspired! And start listening to the writing podcast of your choice!
First Draft with Sarah Enni
This began in 2014, when host Sarah Enni took a cross country road trip to interview her favorite YA writers. Since then, it’s expanded to interviews with writers in lots of mediums, genres, and categories. Sarah’s interviews go back to writers’ childhoods and cover every part of her guests’ creative and publishing journeys. As a writer herself, Sarah brings a lot of insight into how different everyone’s writing path can be. Her break off miniseries, Track Changes, is a must listen for writers looking to publish. It goes through all the nitty gritty details of the traditional publication process. She’s got it all covered, from agents to contracts and advances to marketing and publicity.
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
If you love getting into the small details of writing or are looking to brush up on your grammar rules, this is the writing podcast for you. Episodes are usually short in the 10–20 minute zone and cover subjects ranging from semicolons to eliminating adverbs to the grammar of pirate lingo. Some episodes also feature short interviews with authors. And with over 700 episodes, this backlist will keep your ears busy for a long time.
Writer’s Routine
Get inspired by learning about the daily routines of working writers! Dan Simpson hosts this interview show, where he asks published authors to describe how they structure their daily routines to maximize their creativity. One thing that comes across is how different authors can be in terms of how often they write, what times, and many other factors. This writing podcast truly shows there is no one recipe for success. Instead, it’s about finding out what process works best for you as a writer.
#AmWriting
Hosts Jessica Lahey, KJ Dell’Antonia and Sarina Bowen all have amazing writing advice for writers and journalists. This podcast is a mix of interviews and advice episodes, with topics ranging from craft tips to publishing advice to discussions of how to build a writing community. They also explore a wide variety of writing categories instead of staying in just one lane. From memoir to fiction to food journalism to so many other types of writing. There is so much to learn from this writing podcast.
Deadline City
Authors Dhonielle Clayton and Zoraida Córdova talk about writing, editing, publishing, and many different aspects of the writing life. They often bring on their friends and colleagues to discuss everything from the future of publishing to burnout to professional jealousy. Between them they have 40 books published or under contract, so these are two experienced authors that all writers should listen to!
DIY MFA Radio
Gabriela Pereira wants to make the MFA experience more accessible through her weekly writing interview podcast. Her interviews with authors, agents, editors, and other publishing industry professionals are crafted to mirror an MFA speaking series. This podcast mixes discussions about writing as a craft with talk about publishing as a business, with some really impressive guests like Emma Straub, Sarah Dessen, and Jojo Moyes.
The Self Publishing Show
Mark Dawson is a best-selling self published author. He’s created successful marketing, publicity, and sales strategies for his books that have let him quit his 9 to 5 job. Mark hosts this podcast with James Blatch, a newer author who represents the debut writing experience. With over six years, and 300 episodes, of tips and advice, this is one of the best writing podcasts to listen to for writers interested in self publishing.
Fated Mates
Romance writers should definitely check out the Fated Mates podcast. It is hosted by romance author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. Their first season they did a read-along of Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series. Since then they’ve covered pretty much everything in the romance world, from read-alongs on their favorite romance novels, book trope recommendations, and discussions of trends in romance publishing. As an added plus, Sarah and Jen are hilarious, fiercely feminist, and so much fun to listen to every week!
88 Cups of Tea
This is one of my favorite writing podcasts. Host Yin Chang interviews creative storytellers in each episode. While the show began with a high concentration of YA authors as guests, the focus expanded to include authors from many categories along with screenwriters, filmmakers, poets, copy writers, literary agents, and more. Yin Chang is such an authentic host that it leads to really deep and nuanced conversations. The podcast is currently on a hiatus, while Yin Chang combats food insecurity among Asian American elders in NYC through Heart of Dinner. However, there are over 100 episodes in the podcast’s backlog to listen to while waiting for 88 Cups of Tea to return.
Book Riot: The Podcast
Stay up to date with publishing trends and news with this weekly talkshow hosted by the editors of Book Riot. From pandemic reading habits to publishing house merges to changing sales numbers, this is a really good podcast for writers who want to stay in the know. For more information on weekly new book releases check out All the Books. Or if want to keep yourself up to date on specific genres, listen to Hey YA for young adult info, Read or Dead for mysteries and thrillers, When in Romance for romance writers, and finally SFF Yeah! for information about science fiction and fantasy.
I predict you will find a new favorite among this list of the best podcasts for writers. But if you are looking for more, I suggest perusing this list of bookish podcasts for more literary listening fun!
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