In this week’s episode of Remarkable I speak with Mur Lafferty, an award winning podcaster who was inducted into the Academy of Podcasters Hall of Fame in 2015, and who started podcasting 11 years earlier, in December, 2004.
She has produced a number of her own podcasts, and has hosted other shows for the likes of Tor.com, the on-demand publisher Lulu, and Angry Robot Books.
She’s also a successful science fiction author and a 2013 recipient of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, which has also been awarded to authors such as George R. R. Martin and Cory Doctorow.
In this episode, she shares what it was like to start podcasting in the early days, how podcasting has impacted her writing career, and the benefits of being open and vulnerable with your audience.
She’s the author of The Shambling Guide to New York City and its sequel, Ghost Train to New Orleans. She’s co-host of the podcast Ditch Diggers, and host of the podcast, I Should Be Writing, which is one of the longest running podcasts in existence today.
In this episode, Mur and I discuss:
- Why you shouldn’t worry about download numbers
- Why she decided to quit having sponsors on the show
- How being vulnerable with your audience can build loyal fans
- How to use Patreon to generate revenue and connect with your audience
- Why Patreon.com may be a better choice than Kickstarter.com
- Why she doesn’t have a comment section or forum on her site
- Why it’s vital to have a core fanbase, and what that means for future projects
- How to create a structure that works for you and your audience
- Why producing an untraditional show with no rules just works
- Why consistency is one rule she suggests following, but why she doesn’t
- Why you should do work that matters, and let your followers choose you
Listen to my interview with Mur Lafferty below:
[player]
Links and Resources mentioned:
- Murverse
- Mur on Twitter
- I Should Be Writing with Mur Lafferty
- Ditch Diggers with Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace
- Mur’s Patreon Page
- The Secrets with Michael Stackpole
- Podcast Alley
- The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty
- Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty
- Pre-Order Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
- Libsyn
- Patreon
- Gary Lelands Podcast Pickle
- Evil Genius Chronicles with Dave Slusher
- Adam Curry
- Writing Excuses
- Manic Mondays with Tom Rockwell
Full Transcript:
Read or download the full transcript of this episode, Mur Lafferty on Being Vulnerable and Doing Work That Matters.
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