For guests
How to Plan a Podcast Book Tour
A podcast book tour is a run of interviews timed so the episodes come out around your publication date. The hard part is not the talking. It is that most shows record weeks or months before they publish, so the tour is won or lost in the pitches you send long before launch. Here is the plan, the pitch to copy, and what to do on air.
8 min read
Podcasts are one of the few places an author gets a long, uninterrupted conversation with exactly the readers a book is written for. A listener who spends forty minutes with you already knows how you think, which is most of what a book cover is trying to tell them.
The trap is timing. Authors usually start booking podcasts when the finished copies arrive, and by then many of the episodes they land will not air until the launch has passed. A tour that starts early can cluster episodes around publication week; one that starts late becomes a trickle.
This page is a plan you can follow from about six months out. None of it needs a publicist, although a publicist can run the same plan for you.
What is a podcast book tour?
It is a set of podcast interviews, usually somewhere between a handful and a few dozen, planned so that most of the episodes are published in the weeks around a book's release. Each interview is about the ideas in the book, with the book itself mentioned as the place to go further. Unlike a bookstore tour, it costs nothing to attend, reaches listeners anywhere, and the episodes keep being found for years after launch week.
Most of the work is done before a single interview: choosing the shows, pitching them early enough, and giving hosts everything they need to say yes.
When to start booking podcasts for a book launch
Start pitching three to five months before publication. Hosts book ahead, and many shows record several weeks before an episode goes out, so a pitch that lands a month before launch often produces an episode that airs a month after it. The timeline below is a planning guide, not a rule: shows vary widely, so ask each host when they expect to publish.
Months are counted back from your publication date. If you are starting later, compress the first two rows into one week and pitch the shows most likely to publish quickly.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| 6 months out | Build a list of shows whose listeners would buy the book, and confirm each has put out an episode recently | The list takes longer than the pitches, and it sets the ceiling on the whole tour |
| 5 to 4 months out | Prepare your one-sheet, a short bio, three episode angles and a sample chapter or advance copy | Hosts decide quickly. Everything they need should exist before the first pitch goes out |
| 4 to 3 months out | Pitch your top shows, a few each week, and follow up once after a week | Shows with long lead times need the pitch now to publish near launch |
| 3 to 1 month out | Record the early bookings; keep pitching shows that publish faster | Recording early leaves the host time to edit and schedule for launch week |
| Launch month | Share each episode the day it airs and thank every host | Clustered episodes are what make a launch feel like it is everywhere |
| After launch | Keep pitching on the ideas, not the release date | A book is a reason to be interviewed for as long as its argument is useful |
For how many shows it takes to fill a tour, and why the answer depends more on fit than on volume, read how many podcasts should you pitch.
Which podcasts to pitch for a book tour
Pitch the shows your future readers already listen to, not the biggest shows that interview authors. A mid-sized show about exactly your subject will usually sell more copies than a large general interest show, because every listener is already in the market for your argument.
- Topic first. The show should cover the problem your book solves, not books in general. A book on burnout belongs on shows about work, leadership and mental health.
- Guests, recently. Check the last five episode titles for named guests. A show that has not had a guest in months is not booking one for your launch.
- Still publishing. A show whose last episode is older than its usual gap may have stopped. Pitching it costs you a slot in your tour.
- Similar authors. If the host has interviewed an author in your category, your pitch has a precedent to point to.
- A mix of sizes. A few ambitious pitches are fine, but most of the list should be shows where a yes is realistic.
Before a show goes on the list, run the checks in is this podcast still active. It takes a minute and saves a pitch.
To build the list faster, the free podcast finder ranks shows by how well they fit your topic and shows whether each one books guests.
A podcast pitch template for authors
Pitch the conversation, not the book. A host is deciding whether you will make a good episode for their listeners; the book is your credential, and the reason the episode is timely. Lead with the idea, name a recent episode so the host knows you listened, and make saying yes easy.
Subject: [A specific episode idea in under 10 words] for [Show Name] Hi [Host's first name], I enjoyed your episode with [recent guest] on [topic], especially [one specific point]. It is close to the argument in my book, [Book Title], out [publication date] from [publisher]. An episode idea for your listeners: [the idea in one sentence, framed as what the listener will learn or change]. Three angles we could take: 1. [A surprising claim from the book, in one line] 2. [A practical takeaway listeners can use this week] 3. [A story from the book your listeners would recognize] About me: [one line on why you are the person to talk about this]. I can send an advance copy or a chapter, and I can record any time in [the next few weeks / month]. Here is my one-sheet with a bio and past interviews: [link] Thanks for considering it, [Your name] [Website]
Keep it under 200 words. If the host wants more, the one-sheet link has it.
For more pitch variations, including cold, warm and follow-up versions, see the podcast guest pitch template.
The follow-up and the advance copy
Most yeses come from the follow-up, not the first email. Send one follow-up about a week later, add something new rather than asking whether they saw the first one, and then stop.
Subject: Re: [original subject] Hi [Host's first name], One more idea in case it fits better: [a different angle from the book, in one sentence]. The book is out [publication date], and I would be glad to send an advance copy or the chapter this comes from so you can see whether it fits the show. Either way, thanks for [Show Name]. [Your name]
Offer the book, do not send it unasked. Some hosts read every guest's book; many do not have time, and a parcel they did not ask for is a small obligation. A chapter or a one-page summary of the argument is often more useful to a host preparing questions than the whole book.
What to send once a host says yes
Hosts prepare from what you give them. The easier it is to introduce you and ask good questions, the better the episode, and the better the episode, the more copies it sells.
- A short bio, written to be read aloud, in two or three sentences.
- The book's title, publication date, and the one link you want listeners to use.
- Five or six questions you are good at answering, based on the book.
- A headshot and the cover image, for the episode art and show notes.
- How to pronounce your name.
The free guest one-sheet builder puts all of this on one page you can link in every pitch.
How to talk about your book on a podcast
The interviews that sell books are the ones where the listener gets something useful without buying anything. Give away the best idea in the book. People buy the book to get the rest of your thinking, not the idea they have already heard.
- Tell stories from the book, not summaries of it. A summary sounds like a pitch; a story sounds like a conversation.
- Mention the book when it is natural, once or twice, not in every answer.
- Give one place to go. A single short web address you can say out loud beats a list of retailers.
- Offer something for the show's listeners, such as a free chapter or a worksheet from the book, so the call to action is a gift rather than a sale.
- Answer the host's question first. Bending every answer back to the book is the fastest way to lose a listener.
After the launch
Each episode keeps working after it airs, but only if people hear about it. Share every episode the day it comes out, tag the host and the show, and thank the host with a short note that names a moment from the conversation you enjoyed.
Then keep going. Launch week is a deadline you set; the ideas in the book are useful long after it. Many authors get their best interviews in the months after publication, when they can point to readers' reactions and the conversation is about the argument, not the release.
For what to do with each episode once it airs, read how to promote your podcast guest appearance.
Six podcast book tour mistakes
- Starting when the finished copies arrive. By then many of the episodes you book will air after launch week.
- Pitching the book instead of an episode. Hosts are booking a conversation for their listeners, not reviewing a product.
- Choosing shows by size. A smaller show about your exact subject usually beats a large one about everything.
- Sending the same pitch to every show. Name a recent episode and tailor the angle, or expect silence.
- Saying the title in every answer. Listeners notice, and it makes the whole interview sound like an advert.
- Stopping after launch week. The book is a reason to be interviewed for as long as its argument is useful.
Frequently asked questions
What is a podcast book tour?+
A set of podcast interviews an author plans so that most of the episodes come out in the weeks around the book's publication. Each interview is about the ideas in the book, with the book mentioned as the place to go further, and the episodes keep reaching new listeners after launch.
How far in advance should an author pitch podcasts?+
Start pitching three to five months before publication, and build your list of shows before that. Many podcasts record weeks or months before they publish, so pitches sent a month before launch often produce episodes that air after it. Ask each host when they expect the episode to go out.
How many podcasts should you do for a book launch?+
Enough to cluster several episodes around launch week, which for most authors means pitching a few dozen well-chosen shows to land a smaller number of interviews. Fit matters more than volume: a few shows whose listeners are exactly your readers will do more than many that are not.
Do you have to pay to go on a podcast book tour?+
No. Most podcast interviews are free for the guest, and you can pitch shows yourself. Some authors pay a publicist or a booking agency to run the pitching for them, and some shows charge for guest spots; whether that is worth it depends on your time and your budget.
Should you send the host a copy of your book?+
Offer it rather than sending it unasked. Some hosts read every guest's book and many do not have time. A chapter or a one-page summary of the book's argument is often more useful to a host preparing questions than the whole book.
How do you promote a book on a podcast without sounding salesy?+
Give away the best idea in the book, tell stories rather than summarizing chapters, mention the title once or twice when it fits, and give listeners one simple place to go, ideally with something free for them such as a chapter or a worksheet.
More on pitching
Let hosts find your book
Create a free guest profile with your book, your topics and the conversations you can lead, and pitch shows that fit from one place.