The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional - Softcover

Two of the pioneers in podcasting have joined forces to co-author The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional, which focuses on the business aspects of producing audio programs for the Web. The book is also available for instant download on the Amazon Kindle. The authors are Donna Papacosta of Trafalgar Communications, host of the popular "Trafcom News Podcast" and an internationally known trainer and seminar leader; and Steve "@PodcastSteve" Lubetkin, founder of Professional Podcasts, one of the first podcast production companies and now a division of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC, an award-winning producer of business and organizational podcasts, with more than three quarters of a million downloads. Unlike other podcasting books that delve into the mechanics of creating a podcast, The Business of Podcasting describes the business side of podcasting: how to position clients' expertise through podcasting, the best business models, how to find clients, contracts, legal reviews, and much more. Here are some comments from some of our early readers: “Reading The Business of Podcasting was a pleasure ... The book is a great blend of practical business and technical advice about the value, pitfalls and practical realities of producing a podcast series for money, not love (well, okay a bit of love is okay). For seasoned podcasters who have the chops to tell great stories with strong audio, the book will give you insights into turning your passion into at least a part-time paycheque. Professional communicators will find the text a great starting point to enter the podcast business, from a technical point of view. Anyone with an interest in the now re-emerging podcast market will find the book a concise, readable and practical guide to a medium that has been around for over a decade and feels brand new to a market ready (finally) for the pleasures of anywhere audio. Donna and Steve have been doing this since the early days of podcasting, and and it shows in their nicely chosen case studies.” - Wayne MacPhail, president, w8nc inc . “I have to say I love the book. Too often business books fall into one of two piles. Dry reads with lots of boring information or smarmy tactic books. This book is a fun read with very useful information. This isn’t a get rich-quick scheme; this is how to put in the work and make podcasting work for you. I love it! Doing things the right way is always hard work, but it doesn’t have to be boring. Seriously good read.” - Paul RJ Muller, host, the Caffination Podcast “Donna and Steve represent a perfect mix of knowledge - and experience - radio production, corporate communication and podcasting. Reading and using this book is a must whether you come from a professional background in communications or from a non-professional background as a podcaster offering your services to businesses. The book completely lacks ‘snake oil’ talk about podcasting. What a relief. The book is not an attempt to oversell the benefits of audio podcasting. If you know the medium, you already know the pros and cons. The book is, however, the perfect way to guide the person who is going to offer her services and expertise to companies in a professional, safe and convincing manner.” - Karin Høgh, owner, PodConsult

Donna Papacosta, principal of Trafalgar Communications, is a writer, speaker, consultant and podcaster who helps people and organizations to share their stories. In September 2005 she launched one of the first business podcasts in Canada, Trafcom News. (Ask her about how to name a podcast; learn from her mistake!) Since then she has produced countless podcast episodes for her own business and for clients, and has taught many people how to use audio, multimedia and social media effectively. Donna runs webinars and workshops, and speaks on communications topics at conferences in North America and Europe. She also teaches at Sheridan College and the University of Toronto. A member of Silicon Halton, the Halton-Peel Communications Association and the International Association of Business Communicators, Donna is a native New Yorker who now lives in the Greater Toronto Area. ________________________________________ Steve Lubetkin is the managing partner of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC, Steve is widely recognized as a seasoned technology futurist. In February 2012, The Philadelphia Business Journal named him one of its “Social Media Stars” for his work in podcasting. Steve has been using technology for decades. As a music reviewer for the Asbury Park Press, he was one of the first journalists to use portable computer technology to cover a Grateful Dead rock concert -- in 1977. An award-winning multimedia journalist, since 1996 Steve has also been the author of "CompuSchmooze," a monthly column about technology (frequently with a Jewish focus), in the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey, a biweekly publication of the Jewish Federation of Southern New Jersey, and recently helped the Voice launch Jewish Community Voice TV on the newspaper’s website. Steve is a Senior Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research, a global nonprofit think tank dedicated to the advanced study of new communications tools, technologies and emerging modes of communication, and their effect on traditional media, professional communications, business, culture and society. He is also a member of the Society’s advisory board. He is Accredited in Public Relations by the Public Relations Society of America and is a member of the PRSA College of Fellows. He has more than 3,500 followers on Twitter (@PodcastSteve) and is a charter member of the organizing committee for PodCamp Philly, the Philadelphia based podcasting conference.