GRAND Spring 2021 Vol. IV Ed. I

Media &
Technology
Rock the Podcast
How to create—and launch—an engaging
and entertaining podcast
Like other grandmothers everywhere, I grieved not being
able to be with my grandchildren over this last holiday season.
I needed a project to distract me, so I took the plunge
into podcasting—with not one podcast, but two. I figured if I
was going to take on such a daunting project, I might as well
make it worthwhile. And it has been worthwhile, providing me
with a limitless outlet for my creativity. I am my own producer
and publisher, and my stories and ideas can now travel the
world.
If you’re interested in podcasting yourself, be warned: the
learning curve is steep. But don’t be overwhelmed; if you take
it one step at a time and access the right resources, it is doable.
And it gets significantly easier with practice.
Rachel Dunstan Muller is a children’s
author, storyteller, podcaster, and
grandmother. You can find her two podcasts
Hintertales: Stories from the Margins
of History and Sticks and Stones
and Stories through her website at
racheldunstanmuller.com, or wherever
you normally get your podcasts.
1. Choose a theme.
What will your podcast be about?
Who is your target audience? My first
podcast, Hintertales: Stories from
the Margins of History, tells true stories
of ordinary people caught up in
extraordinary events, and is aimed
at adults who love good storytelling.
Sticks and Stones and Stories is more
personal, consisting of fun, original
tales told initially to my three young
grandchildren. Your podcast might be
about cooking, or poetry, or the interesting
places you’ve travelled. If you
aren’t already listening to podcasts in
your chosen genre, start listening now
for ideas and inspiration.
2. Give it a name.
A good title should capture the
theme of your podcast, be simple to
remember, and be easily searchable.
The word Hintertales was my own
invention and is therefore easy to find
via Google. In contrast, the combination
of words in my children’s title
proved to be too generic for good
search results.
3. Create podcast artwork.
You will need a square image to
accompany your podcast when it’s
uploaded to sites like Apple Podcasts.
I used the tools at Canva.com to create
my own artwork, but if that feels
daunting, you can hire someone affordably
at Fiverr.com or 99Designs.
com. The finished image should be
3000 x 3000 pixels, 72 dpi, and saved
as a PNG.
4. Decide on a format.
My episodes are scripted stories
(non-fiction and fiction respectively),
8 GRAND grandmag.ca