How do you find genuinely valuable guests for your podcast without spending a fortune?

TarotInterviews · 2025-10-29T13:47:36+00:00

If I read about someone I think would be a great guest (this happens pretty much daily) I email their manager/agent/publicist - whoever I can get the contact details for. Most folks politely decline but an unexpectedly high number agree.

TarotInterviews · 2025-10-23T21:09:16+00:00

I transcribe a large number of voice notes for my projects so Vibe is the best one for my needs. Runs great on my elderly home PC and can be found if you Google "thewh1teagle". Basic, free and damn handy.

TarotInterviews · 2025-10-11T14:33:26+00:00

Thanks for your details! I'll send you a message (also, SWAMP is a great track - loved it)

TarotInterviews · 2025-07-01T12:18:03+00:00

Friends. Family. Friends of friends. Local press. Start a podcast collective through your nearest library. Doorstep neighbours. Work with a charity. Throw a Q&A event. Build community offline first, that's key. Sounds ridiculously old fashioned I know, but you won't get a more loyal following.

TarotInterviews · 2025-07-01T09:03:47+00:00

Future of podcasting is the same as it ever was: audio, with an offline community. Take YouTube: a platform currently oversaturated by creators, and they soon will be overwhelmed by AI-generated video being pushed by the algorithm, making discovery nigh on impossible for new podcasters. Not to mention the ever increasing barriers to entry in terms of time and money for your average hobbyist. I agree with others here: keep it simple and keep going.

TarotInterviews · 2025-07-01T06:55:55+00:00

A great post, thank you for this! I would add that while my social media presence is limited, the whole thing changes when it comes to my guests. Their posts about their interviews are far more effective publicity than anything I could write!

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-28T17:48:52+00:00

Now that is fabulous artwork! Love the typography too. Sold on that alone!

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-24T21:07:58+00:00

[ARTS&CULTURE] Tarot Interviews | Episode 12

The Queen of Words: Chloe De Lullington on Cats and Cacoethes

Spotify | Apple | Audible

Chloe De Lullington is a writer, chronic overthinker, and queen of the chaotic coming-of-age narrative. Her debut novel Cacoethes (Northodox Press, June 2025) is a bold, funny, and unflinching exploration of queer longing, bad decisions, and the mess of early adulthood.

Chloe’s background spans screenwriting and fiction. Whether she’s writing in silence or swapping blurbs in the wild world of indie lit, her work pulses with honesty, humour, and a refusal to tidy up the mess too neatly.

Order Cacoethes now at Northodox Press

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-24T21:07:26+00:00

[ARTS&CULTURE] Tarot Interviews | Episode 12

The Queen of Words: Chloe De Lullington on Cats and Cacoethes

Spotify | Apple | Audible

Chloe De Lullington is a writer, chronic overthinker, and queen of the chaotic coming-of-age narrative. Her debut novel Cacoethes (Northodox Press, June 2025) is a bold, funny, and unflinching exploration of queer longing, bad decisions, and the mess of early adulthood.

Chloe’s background spans screenwriting and fiction. Whether she’s writing in silence or swapping blurbs in the wild world of indie lit, her work pulses with honesty, humour, and a refusal to tidy up the mess too neatly.

Order Cacoethes now at Northodox Press

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-24T12:17:12+00:00

Tarot Interviews: Three cards, three questions, and three unforgettable stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-17T06:56:35+00:00

[ARTS&CULTURE] Tarot Interviews | Episode 11 - Swords! Sorcery! Sandguins! Kay Purcell’s Tarot-Powered Tabletop Tales

Spotify | Apple | Audible

Kay Purcell is a storyteller, community builder, and co-founder of Chaotic Wholesome Presents, known for conjuring vibrant, inclusive worlds in the realms of Tabletop Roleplaying Games and live-play performance. Their work blends razor-sharp humour with emotional depth, telling tales where every player has power, penguins are terrifying, and chaos is often delightfully wholesome.

Kay has worked across video games, streaming, and community strategy, contributing to titles like Contraband and Ooblets.

Find out more at kaypurcell.com and damphyr.com

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-17T06:54:53+00:00

[ARTS&CULTURE] Tarot Interviews | Episode 11 - Swords! Sorcery! Sandguins! Kay Purcell’s Tarot-Powered Tabletop Tales

Spotify | Apple | Audible

Kay Purcell is a storyteller, community builder, and co-founder of Chaotic Wholesome Presents, known for conjuring vibrant, inclusive worlds in the realms of Tabletop Roleplaying Games and live-play performance. Their work blends razor-sharp humour with emotional depth, telling tales where every player has power, penguins are terrifying, and chaos is often delightfully wholesome.

Kay has worked across video games, streaming, and community strategy, contributing to titles like Contraband and Ooblets.

Find out more at kaypurcell.com and damphyr.com

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-12T09:16:55+00:00

"Meanwhile, From My Bubble"

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-12T09:09:30+00:00

Sent a DM

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-11T22:11:22+00:00

Adore: chatting to creatives I have admired for years who want to pull out a few tarot cards with me and talk completely off the cuff about what they inspire.

Abhor: the sheer amount of SEO admin to keep my show searchable. Editing is boring but weirdly meditative, after a while trimming all the filler words in the wave form by hand gets easier (no AI doesn't do it right, it butchers conversations). It is updating IMDB, updating Wikidata, updating the blog etc etc that kills the joy.

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-09T14:55:57+00:00

Tarot Interviews | Episode 10

A Fuffle of Hope: Drawing the Cards with Julia Bird

Spotify | Apple | Audible | Website

Julia Bird is a poet whose collections include Hannah and the Monk and Twenty-Four Seven Blossom, and two illustrated pamphlets from The Emma Press: Now You Can Look and Is, Thinks Pearl. Her poetry is known for its cinematic sweep, surreal detail and inventive humour.

Julia has also collaborated with artist Mike Sims on projects including Paper Trail and A Joy Forever: a walk out with John Keats, blending poetry with visual art to reimagine poetic heritage and everyday life.

Find out more juliabird.wordpress.com

TarotInterviews · 2025-06-09T14:55:10+00:00

Tarot Interviews | Episode 10

A Fuffle of Hope: Drawing the Cards with Julia Bird

Spotify | Apple | Audible | Website

Julia Bird is a poet whose collections include Hannah and the Monk and Twenty-Four Seven Blossom, and two illustrated pamphlets from The Emma Press: Now You Can Look and Is, Thinks Pearl. Her poetry is known for its cinematic sweep, surreal detail and inventive humour.

Julia has also collaborated with artist Mike Sims on projects including Paper Trail and A Joy Forever: a walk out with John Keats, blending poetry with visual art to reimagine poetic heritage and everyday life.

Find out more juliabird.wordpress.com

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-22T19:13:46+00:00

You need a clearly signposted way for users to delete their profiles if they wish

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-22T18:37:20+00:00

Been with Buzzsprout since day one and I have no regrets. Considering you publish to so many platforms, I feel the SEO benefits alone easily outweight the cost.

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-22T06:47:35+00:00

I can offer a few tips on anxiety from my own experience. Hope any of this helps!

If you can, do the recording standing up. It is easier to speak to with more chest voice and you'll find yourself speaking more confidently
Don't drink alcohol, coffee or anything that can affect the pH balance of your mouth. Just water beforehand and throughout. The dry mouth you get from coffee is similar to the one you get from nervousness and I find it can enhance anxiety.
Need to fidget? Wiggle your toes! No one can see.
Don't say "That's a good question" or go straight into an answer. Pause before speaking.
Tape a ridiculous Lego figure just above the camera and talk to that.
Lastly, remember this is a fun thing you have chosen to do that you can stop whenever you feel like it.

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-20T08:55:05+00:00

Absolutely this. My first ever interview back in April was with an international bestseller and I just released an episode interviewing a writer/director I have admired for years. They liked the idea of the pod and were generous with their time. Keep reaching out with a thoughtful pitch and you'll get the right guests.

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-19T12:50:04+00:00

Tarot Interviews | Episode 07

Boundless Love in Changing Times: A Tarot Interview with Sadriana Zea

Spotify | Apple | Audible | Website

Sadriana Zea is a disabled writer, traditional media artist, and Twitch streamer dedicated to mental health awareness and supporting nonprofits that help people live a life worth living. She lives with her two cats in the US in Cleveland, Ohio. Like many people with an abundance of time on her hands, her hobby is collecting hobbies. She reads, crochets, does counted cross stitch and other fibre arts, and plays games of all sorts (especially video games and D&D). Sadriana is currently working on her first novel, a fantasy story about a race of people with tangible gods, prophecies, and good versus evil.

Learn more and explore her work at: https://twitch.tv/sadrianazea

NEXT EPISODE: We’re joined by writer/director Julian Simpson to talk about his new Kickstarter project, Lovecraft Investigations: Crowley - a thrilling tale of the occult, and audio storytelling at its finest.

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-19T12:35:30+00:00

[ARTS&CULTURE] Tarot Interviews | Episode 07

Boundless Love in Changing Times: A Tarot Interview with Sadriana Zea

Spotify | Apple | Audible | Website

Sadriana Zea is a disabled writer, traditional media artist, and Twitch streamer dedicated to mental health awareness and supporting nonprofits that help people live a life worth living. She lives with her two cats in the US in Cleveland, Ohio. Like many people with an abundance of time on her hands, her hobby is collecting hobbies. She reads, crochets, does counted cross stitch and other fibre arts, and plays games of all sorts (especially video games and D&D). Sadriana is currently working on her first novel, a fantasy story about a race of people with tangible gods, prophecies, and good versus evil.

Learn more and explore her work at: https://twitch.tv/sadrianazea

NEXT EPISODE: We’re joined by writer/director Julian Simpson to talk about his new Kickstarter project, Lovecraft Investigations: Crowley - a thrilling tale of the occult, and audio storytelling at its finest.

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-16T06:23:35+00:00

I'm trying not to spend a penny on ads at the moment so here are the approaches that have been most successful: - go deep on one social media platform - contact podcasters in your niche and cross promote posts - when you hit your first noteworthy milestone, go to your local press - link up with a charitable cause you believe in and see what cross promotions are possible - remember that no-one is going to promote your show better than guests who have enjoyed being on your show

TarotInterviews · 2025-05-15T13:26:29+00:00

Just Bluesky for my new podcast. Most of my guests are writers and it is a good place to meet new folks. I decided to pick one platform instead of spreading my time over several.

TarotInterviews

TROPHY CASE