Podcasting Q&A: Starting a Podcast

—Go here for my recent free newsletter with TONS of writing links and resources: The Attitude You Need Before Publishing a Book

—Go here for the latest episodes of The Long Road to Publishing: 99 Books and Checking Every Box with Eliza Knight

—Go here for my Long Road to Publishing bookshop shop!

On July 3, 2025, I released the first episode of The Long Road to Publishing, and today I released the 34th episode with Eliza Knight! In exactly a week my baby podcast will be one year old! (July 3 also happens to be my birthday.*)

I am by no means an expert at podcasting. Just wait until my episode with Jerri Williams, coming soon. She’s been podcasting for TEN years and has been featured multiple times on Apple Podcasts. Compared to her, I’m a total rookie.

And yet, I’ve had several people reach out to me for advice on podcasting. So today I will share the questions people tend to ask and how I answer them.

Thinking about starting a podcast? Let this be your beginners guide. (Because, again, I’m still at the beginning of the journey myself, although I was co-host of This Mama is Lit! before starting my own show.)

*P.S. Want to get me a birthday present? I’d love more listeners for The Long Road to Publishing! Spread the word about the podcast online and in person— it’s the best gift!

Spoiler: I did NOT use AI.

The podcast cover is what appears when people find your podcast on Apple or Spotify. Mine looks like this:

I did NOT feel confident making it myself. I hired a real human through Fiverr. You can search for graphic designers who do podcast covers, and there’s a large range of prices. I believe I paid $100. I gave the designer some info and ideas, and he came back with a few options. Then we went back and forth a few times with tweaks. At first I didn’t think I’d use my face, but he recommended we try it, and it turned out to be my favorite design.

He also created a “social media kit” for me with helpful images ready to be personalized for each episode (see below). I then use Canva to create individualized posts for each episode (see below). I also chose a few “brand” colors based on the design that I try to use consistantly.