This is the last installment of a series of guest posts from author/podcaster Emerian Rich.

Thanks, Emerian, for sharing all your podcasting knowledge with us!

4. How long is each pod cast?

Depends. Usually people are listening to you on a commute, or through their entire work day. 25-35 minutes is good to shoot for, that way they can take as little or as much as they like. Most professional, quality assurance run podcast sites (like Podiobooks.com) insist that you stay within a set time. If you choose 25 minutes, then stick to that every cast. For the authors out there, this might mean combining chapters or splitting them up. Podcast listeners don’t care. They want content. They aren’t going to check your paperback against the audio. Also, don’t confuse listeners with… “Episode 3, Chapter 3 &4” nonsense. These people are usually in cars, walking, riding the subway, or doing their jobs. Throwing a whole bunch of numbers at them is going to confuse them the next time they listen to you. Did they already listen to 3 or was it 4? A simple “Chapter 3” or “Episode 3” is fine. You are the one that will have to keep track of which chapters are in which episodes. For those of you looking to do a free form podcast that is more like a radio show, you will be more free to explore the time limits and push the limits on what type of show you do. The book listening public may not be your audience then. That is ok. Just know your audience and go for it 100%, and you will get a fan base. Underwater basket weaving is a common joke, but if you make a cast for it… they will come. Listeners are hungry for new, exciting, non-traditional, entertainment that pushes the boundaries or fits what they are interested in. So choose something you obsess about, and make it a show. (more…)

Last week I posted writer Emerian Rich’s first two tips on podcasting. Click here to check them out. Next week I will be posting an interview from Emerian, which will have a more in-depth look at podcasting.

Here are Emerian’s next tips on podcasting:

3. Join the Podiobooks.com Community: at http://community.podiobooks.com/  They have a mentoring group there that you can post a audio file and get feedback and critique on the audio performance before you put it out for listeners. This is only for novel podcasts, but it is a great learning tool just to go there and read the posts. You can even listen to the audios posted and then read the notes to learn what the common mistakes are. You also make friends there who may be your podcasting buddies of the future. Several of my very good podcasting buddies now are people I helped a few years ago.

4. Buy minimal equipment before you commit to your career as a podcaster: I’ve had several friends all gung-ho to make their own podcasts, go out and buy hundreds of dollars worth of equipment, only to find out they can’t stand all the hours of sound editing you have to do.

For beginning podcasters, you should not go out and buy an expensive mic. Work with what you have until you find that you’ve surpassed its usefulness. You don’t need mixers, expensive sound software, or voice changers unless you have money to throw away. They are nice, but not necessary.

5. Test out the waters with a mini-show: Having a tester, free form show, will help you work out the kinks and cause you to become comfortable behind the mic. Read old poems you wrote, talking about fly fishing… whatever you want, but produce the show and post it out on a site like Mevio.com. It’s free to upload shows there and they have a read-made audience to pull from. Also, they have the added bonus of being so big… that if you don’t promote the show, you won’t have many listeners, so you can test it out without feeling like you have to be perfect.

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Emerian Rich is an author, artist, and Horror Host. She has been podcasting since 2007, has made hundreds of guest appearances and hosts HorrorAddicts.net, which will begin its 7^th Season in 2012. Her vampire series, Night’s Knights, has amassed a million downloads. Writing under Emmy Z. Madrigal, she also has Sweet Dreams Musical Romance Series, which was the first romance novel series to be podcasted. There are now three novels up for listening pleasure, with a fourth on the way. To find out more about Emerian, go to: emzbox.com