What a podcast taught me about writing, community, and staying the course
How a Small Idea Became Seven Years of Conversations
Nine days ago, my sister texted me: “Happy 7 year anniversary of your podcast!”
My reply: “I had no idea!”
Her Facebook feed surfaced a “Memory” of my November 26, 2018 post announcing the upcoming launch of my new podcast. The first episode of The Bookshop at the End of the Internet aired two days later.
There was no launch party. No fanfare. No hype. I posted twice before the launch—once on 11/20 and again on 11/26—and that was it. At the time, I cared far less about promotion than I did about actually following through on a project that struck me as equal parts terrifying and exciting.
Over the years, I’ve been honest about why I started the podcast:
- I hated posting on social media (still do), and podcasting felt like a way to put myself “out there.”
- I suspected interviewing authors might be something I could be good at—or at least learn to be good at.
- I thought a podcast might help readers discover new authors through candid conversations about the books they’ve written.
As it turns out, I was right on all three counts. . . .