When I mention that I've started a "podcast," I usually get some blank stares.

My husband ventured, "What does the 'pod' part mean?"

Good question!

According to Wikipedia, "pod" stands for "Portable on Demand." The "cast" part refers to how these "portable on demand" digital media files are distributed: over the Internet, often using syndication feeds.

The term podcast, like "broadcast", can refer either to the series of content itself or to the method by which it is syndicated; the latter is also termed podcasting. The host or author of a podcast is often called a podcaster. (That's me now!)

Podcasting expert Paul Colligan says points out several unique things about a podcast:

• It can be automated. (That's the syndication part. Once you set it up so that you're listed in the directories, people can find you and download your content automatically.)
• It's time-shifted: People can listen to your content whenever they want to.
• It's portable: People can listen where they want to. They're not bound by either time or place, in terms of listening to you.
• You can deliver content in more than one medium. We usually think of a podcast as an audio, but it can be video or even a print file in a PDF format.

So why would an author want to consider starting a podcast of his or her own?

Five Good Reasons to Podcast

1. It's free and easy. You can set up a podcast on mypodcast.com. (They insert ads for you, though.)

Another place to podcast, almost for free is the Yaktivate network. (There's only a one-time setup fee, which you will assuredly get back through sponsor income.) What's great about Yaktivate is that they get tremendous traffic (averaging 3 million downloads per month), you get at least 30 percent of your sponsor income (70 percent if you get the sponsor yourself), there is good cross-promotion among the channels, and as a podcaster, you have the opportunity for other podcasters to use you as their sponsor. There is also a program whereby if you get other podcasters to sign up, you get a commission.

2. It's a great way to expose people to your book's content—whether you've written it yet or not.

If you have a book already, you have content you can draw from for your podcast postings. Simply talk about a piece of your book. Mention that this comes from your book, and tell people where they can go to find out more about your book (including how to order). You can send them to your sales page or, if you don't have one set up yet, to your listing on amazon.

If you don’t yet have your book written, podcasting is a way to test your material. Talk about what you want to write about. Come up with creative titles for your podcasts. Make a note of which ones seem most popular.

This is a very powerful way to test your material ahead of time.

3. A podcast gives you another "presence" on the Web, which means you will get higher ranking in the search engines. Higher ranking means people will find you—and read your book, buy your products, etc.

4. A podcast can be "repurposed" into an article, which you can post on ezine directories. This will also expose your message to more people, allow people to find you, give you higher ranking in the search engines, and allow you to test the interest in your content. (At ezinearticles.com, for instance, you can check how many people view and comment on your articles.)

5. A podcast can create a stream of income for you in a number of ways.

First, of course, if you have a product to sell (such as your book), you can sell it on your podcast. It's as easy as saying something like, "This is just one of the ideas I cover in my book, [title], which you can find at www.yourwebsite.com or at amazon.com."

You can also get sponsors for your podcast. When you do it the right way, as a recommendation much like Paul Harvey does on his show, sponsors will happily pay to sponsor you—especially if you can prove your podcast gets downloaded a lot, as with the Yaktivate podcasts. (For examples of how to incorporate sponsors into your content, listen to my Books 'n' Such podcasts at www.reviewyak.com.)

These are just a couple of ideas on how you can monetize your podcast. If this has piqued your interest, I urge you to take the Next Step recommended below.

Your Next Step ...

I highly recommend you sign up for the Podcast Secrets Preview call. Though it already took place, you can still listen to the replay at your convenience.

In a 2-hour call, podcasting experts Paul Colligan and Alex Mandossian show you not only how to launch a podcast, but all the ways you can make money from them.

Specifically, they cover:

• Reasons for creating a podcast
• Ways to make money from your podcast
• How to produce podcast content quickly and easily
• Where to find the time to podcast
• How to get your podcast promoted by Apple
• How to get others to listen to your podcast
• How to find out who your audience is, so you can better serve them
• How to tell if your podcast is worth your effort
• How to get your podcast listeners to take the action you desire (sign up for your list, buy your book, etc.)
• What makes a podcast listener buy?
• ,,, and more (Alex is famous for overdelivering)

I believe this will be well worth your small investment of time and money. I secured you a special $79 discount. Use the code  PC916 when you get to the web page, so that you only pay $20 instead of the $99. (Though I think what you'll learn will be worth $99. I know--I took it!)

Yes, this is a Preview call for the Podcast Secrets course--which has already begun. I myself am taking it. Why? Because one, I learned so much from last year's Preview Call alone, that I want to go deeper. And two, every dime I have invested in any training with Alex Mandossian has returned me my original investment many times over, very quickly. If you implement even some of what you'll learn, I believe you will experience the same.

My experience with these Preview calls is that you can do a lot with the information given, even if you don't sign up for the entire course. I hope you will sign up and listen to how podcasting can be a fun yet very profitable way for you to get your message out in this "new era of publishing."

Sign me up now to listen to the replay»