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7 Steps to Turn Podcast Content into a Book

by | Oct 20, 2020 | Podcast

The Proffitt Podcast

WHAT’S THIS EPISODE ABOUT?

 

Let’s Talk About How to Turn Podcast Content into a Book

It’s official…”Start a Binge-Worthy Podcast” is out in the world! And to celebrate the journey of writing a book, I wanted to share with you the 7 steps I took to turn podcast content into a book.

First, let’s list out the 7 steps we’re covering today:

  1. You need enough relevant and tested content.

  2. Plan out the journey: start to finish.

  3. Add more personal touch and stories.

  4. Transcribe your audio and then edit.

  5. Piece it together.

  6. Launch it.

  7. Promote the book!

Now, let’s dive into what goes into each step along the way.

1. Need Enough Relevant & Tested Content

You must…I repeat, must have enough relevant and tested content before you even consider the idea to turn podcast content into a book. It will be a long, slow painful journey if you don’t have enough existing content before you start this process.

And that’s one of the reasons I didn’t publish a book on podcasting until I had more than 300+ podcast episodes, 100+ YouTube videos, and countless interactions with my audience. It was important to me that I actually knew more about podcasting than someone who’s just starting and that I was confident in my message.

2. Plan Out the Journey: Start to Finish

You have to know the journey you want your ideal reader to go on before you ever start writing the book. While you may have enough relevant and tested podcast content, now you have to create a journey for your reader to go. 

Here’s an example, I wanted my readers of “Start a Binge-Worthy Podcast” to walk away from the book knowing exactly how to start, launch and market a podcast. Not just the mechanics of recording a podcast. Not simply how to make money with a podcast. (If you don’t know how to create content, this step won’t matter anyway!) 

So the premise behind the book is to take readers on a journey with building blocks. The chapters of this book are laying bricks down to build one on top of the next.

“…in the first chapter, we start at the basics, right base level, and we build from there. And I wrote that intentionally because I wanted it to be building blocks, you are laying the foundation for how a podcast will be like when you get to chapter 15, you will know more than you did in chapter seven, and everything will build on top of the other…”

3. Add More Personal Touch & Stories

As far as nonfiction goes, most of these books – without stories – would be painfully boring. I mean, let’s look at one of my favorite business books, “Building a Story Brand” by Donald Miller. If he didn’t include his personal stories about his career, clients he’s worked with or mistakes other people made it would read like a textbook!

No thanks!

So make sure you’re infusing stories into the process as you turn podcast content into a book.

 

4. Transcribe Your Audio to Text

If you’re going the route of strictly using audio, then you’ll need to transcribe that audio to text in order to make this process easier. When I was creating my book, I knew I wanted to use my existing podcast content. In order to make that happen, I had to transcribe all of the audio I needed to text.

If you’re using blog content, then you’re done! The info you want is already in the correct format. But if you’re using podcast episodes or videos, then you’ll need to transcribe that info. 

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Turn Podcast Content into a Book

5. Piece It All Together (Edit, Review, Edit, Review)

This is the step where I spent most of my time. I was in the edit and review stage for a good portion of the last 12 months. Once the book was created and pieced together, the edit and review process took over.

Behind-the-scenes tip: I used my favorite project management tool, Asana, for the majority of the planning for this book. I planned out my ideal reader, the timeline for the launch, how I was going to promote, etc.

And while I know not everyone can afford this, hiring a professional book editor makes all the difference!

6. Launch It

If you’re already familiar with the processes I teach for launching a podcast, then this will sound similar. But basically, you have to pick a launch date for your book well before you’re ready to actually launch. Meaning as soon as you can, pick a date on the calendar and start talking about it.

“You actually got to do some work promoting it on the back end…before it’s actually out into the world. You have to do some pre-launch before the launch day actually comes…”

You can’t expect to hit publish on your book and it is a best seller if no one knows it exists. So make sure your launch plan is a top priority as you prepare to turn podcast content into a book.

7. Promote It

I’m not gonna lie, promoting and marketing a book is the most fun part of the entire process. But you have to get through steps 1-6 before you can celebrate!

Make sure that you’re taking your time to build a solid creation and launching plan so when you get to the promoting phase, most of the work is already done. You can’t turn podcast content into a book without the promotion and marketing stage.

RECAP: 7 Steps to Turn Podcast Content into a Book

  1. Need Relevant & Tested Content
  2. Plan Out the Journey
  3. Add More Personal Stories
  4. Transcribe Audio and Edit
  5. Piece It All Together (Review, Edit, Review, Edit)
  6. Launch It
  7. Promote It

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