What a Podcast Host Wishes You Knew, Part 1: What Hosts Do
By G.P. Gottlieb
As host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network, I’ve interviewed over 275 authors and have over 20 interviews scheduled for this year. Every month, dozens of pitches from publishers, publicists, and authors show up in my inbox.
The network was created in 2007 by Russian History professor Marshall Poe. He imagined an audio encyclopedia for academics, researchers, and anyone who was interested in fascinating new books in fields ranging from particle physics to music history to landscape architecture. When I first met Marshall in 2017, it turned out that although there were hosts for New Books in Historical Fiction and Science Fiction, I was the first host for New Books in Literary Fiction.
It took months to master the system; how to prepare interviews, record on the app we used before Zoom, submit files, and splash the finished podcast over multiple platforms. These days, when a podcast interview goes live, I post it on Bookbub, Substack, Blue Sky, X, my Facebook author page, several Facebook groups, Instagram, my website, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.
The podcasts get hundreds of downloads in the week after they go live and exist indefinitely in what is arguably the largest library of book-related podcasts in the world. As of today, they’ve posted nearly 30,000 podcasts; every week you can listen to another 80 or so interviews with scholars on every academic subject you can imagine.
I love reading, talking about books, and helping authors find readers, but I do these podcasts out of love, not as a marketing service. If I choose you as a guest, please don’t assume I want to receive your promotional emails. And don’t be like the author who lectured me on the importance of Amazon reviews. As an author, I’m well-aware of Amazon’s power, but I don’t post podcasts in places that don’t allow a link to NBN.
Each interview requires reading the book, preparing questions for the author, recording, posting, and sharing the podcast far and wide. I thought I was a prolific host, but there’s another host who submits hundreds of podcasts each year. I can’t imagine how she manages so many interviews, but it’s possible that her goal is to spread the word about as many books as possible, and she doesn’t read them cover to cover. My goal is to do two or three interviews each month.
I’ve made a few mistakes in choosing a novel that isn’t as beautifully written as it should be, or a fast-paced mystery that’s short on character development. But most of us literature hosts are always on the lookout for wonderful writing, gripping plots, and fabulous characters.
Although thrillers, suspense, and short story collections aren’t my favorite, I don’t immediately decline them. I will decline a book if the first few pages don’t grab me, if the characters seem superficial and not real, or if there is immediate, gratuitous violence. And if a book isn’t well-edited, I might not make it through the first few pages.
If you’ve written an excellent novel that’s recently launched, or about to launch (Congratulations!), and you’re trying to find more readers, why not pitch me (along with every other book podcaster in your genre)? You don’t need to list awards you won or fill the page with blurbs about your book; just tell me what it’s about, what genre it’s in, and mention a previous NBN podcast you listened to that made you think I might enjoy reading your new novel.
I’m happy to read your first chapter, and who knows, I might be intrigued enough to finish the entire book in a day (it’s happened). I’ll tell you if your book isn’t right for me, and your response should be along the lines of, “Thanks anyway,” or “Thanks for taking a look at it.” If you argue with me (as some have done), I’ll know I’ve made the right call.
You can submit your novel through the NBN portal, or reach me on my website, gpgottlieb.com. In Part 2, I’ll suggest what you need to know before your interview.
G.P. Gottlieb is the author of Charred: A Whipped and Sipped Mystery (Anamcara Press 2026), book #3 in her Chicago-based, culinary mystery series. Pounded, Book #4 will launch in October. She is on the Sisters in Crime Chicagoland board, a member of Blackbird Writers, and has interviewed over 275 authors as host for New Books in Literature, a podcast channel on the New Books Network.