Bestseller: A Self-Publishing Podcast

Reedsy's podcast launched in 2018 with an unusual format: rather than assembling tips-and-tricks interviews, it followed a single author through every stage of writing, editing, formatting, and launching a self-published book. Season 1 tracked debut novelist Shaz Kahng; Season 2 followed Bella Falls, bestselling author of the Southern Charms cozy mystery series. These documentary-style seasons remain among the most-cited audio resources for authors wanting to understand what the journey actually looks and feels like.

The show has since expanded into a weekly interview format — rebranded as "Reedsy Live: The Podcast" on major platforms — covering craft, career, and business topics with published authors and industry professionals. Both phases share the same RSS feed and Apple Podcasts page (rated 4.8/5 with 85+ ratings; episodes continue weekly into 2026).

What You Get#

• Documentary seasons: Seasons 1 and 2 each follow one real author from manuscript to launch — sequential, honest, and grounded in a single person's actual decisions and trade-offs
• Weekly interviews: Guest conversations with authors, editors, and publishing professionals on topics from story structure and memoir craft to Amazon strategy and platform-building
• Full publishing coverage: Back catalog spans writing craft, editing, cover design, formatting, distribution, and marketing — unusual breadth for a single podcast
• Production quality: Reedsy's team production elevates this above most independently produced author podcasts

Who It's For#

• Complete beginners: The narrative seasons are ideal for authors who want to understand the entire publishing journey before starting their own — abstract decisions become concrete when you watch someone else make them
• Craft-focused writers: Newer interview episodes cover story structure, genre conventions, character work, and writing technique
• Indie business builders: Episodes on Amazon optimization, keyword research, and platform-building address the commercial side of self-publishing

Pricing: Free. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Reedsy's own podcast page.

Strengths#

• Unique narrative format: No other self-publishing podcast follows one author's complete real journey end-to-end — the format makes publishing decisions relatable rather than theoretical
• Reedsy credibility: Produced by a platform serving over 1,000,000 authors; guest access and production standards are consistently high
• 4.8/5 Apple Podcasts rating: Strong listener scores (85+ ratings) across both the narrative and interview phases

Limitations#

• Format pivot: Listeners drawn by the documentary appeal of Seasons 1 and 2 may find the weekly interview format less distinctive — it's high quality, but that format is well-covered by competing podcasts
• Indie-adjacent, not indie-only: Post-rebrand episodes cover traditional publishing topics alongside self-publishing — authors wanting exclusively indie content may find the scope broader than needed

Alternatives#

Novel Marketing and Self-Publishing Formula cover similar interview-format territory with more consistent indie-first focus. For the narrative experience, Reedsy's original seasons remain singular — nothing comparable exists elsewhere in the self-publishing podcast space.