Best Booklaunch Podcasts (2025)

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Empowering Authors and Communities: Julie Broad’s BookLaunchers Story 26:39

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22h ago26:39

26:39

Welcome back to Final Approach. In today’s special episode, I’m thrilled to interview Julie Broad, the dynamic CEO and founder of BookLaunchers. Julie and her talented team helped me produce my own book, Final Approach: A Test Pilot’s Story of Caring for Loved Ones, and I’m excited to dive deep into what makes their work so impactful for nonfiction…

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Tom Zoellner on Letting Go of the Hustle to Find Meaning in Writing Rather than Publishing 43:06

9d ago43:06

43:06

Tom Zoellner has no illusions about fame, sales or the myth of the “life-changing book.” A National Book Critics Circle Award winner and New York Times bestselling author, Zoellner has written nine acclaimed works of nonfiction including Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, which also became a finalist for the Bancro…

1
Dennis Hensley on Going from Landing a Book Deal to Working at Crate & Barrel (And Everything in Between) 42:42

23d ago42:42

42:42

Dennis Hensley was the very first real writer I ever knew—back when getting a book published felt like spotting a unicorn in 1990s LA. His debut novel Misadventures in the (213) came out in 1998, and I thought it was the coolest thing imaginable. Years later, we'd find ourselves sweating through Ben Allen's dance classes together, proving that crea…

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Navigating Caregiving Across Continents with Astronaut and Test Pilot Andy Edgell 50:24

29d ago50:24

50:24

Welcome back to Final Approach, the podcast where we explore the story of caring for loved ones from the cockpit and beyond. I’m Jonathan Knaul, your host and author of the book Final Approach: Test Pilot’s Story of Caring for Loved Ones. Today’s episode is one you don’t want to miss: I’m joined by my friend, fellow test pilot, astronaut, and famil…

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Navigating Caregiving and High-Paced Careers: Stories of Family, Resilience, and Love 36:47

29d ago36:47

36:47

Welcome to the very first episode of Final Approach: Human Stories From High-Stress Professions, a podcast dedicated to the untold stories behind caregiving, family, and high-paced careers. I’m Jonathan Knaul, your host, and for this debut episode, I’m joined by my incredible sister, Dr. Felicia Knaul, a world-renowned public health leader. Togethe…

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Heather Wood Rudulph on $0 Royalty Checks and Why the Dream Isn’t the Golden Ticket 40:38

1M ago40:38

40:38

Heather Wood Rudulph has done many things in the publishing world, including co-writing Sexy Feminism: A Girl's Guide to Love, Success and Style with Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (a title that very much captured a specific moment in feminist evolution but makes Rudulph give a tiny cringe now). We met back in the New York media heyday when things like…

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Final Approach: Human Stories from High-Stress Professions [Trailer] 2:38

1M ago2:38

2:38

What happens when a dedicated test pilot is suddenly grounded—not by mechanical failure, but by the unexpected call to become a caregiver? In Final Approach, host Jonathan Knaul—a former Canadian Armed Forces tactical helicopter and test pilot, aerospace industry leader, and current test pilot instructor—shares his deeply personal and vulnerable st…

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Jeanne Darst on Landing Every Author's Dream Deal (and What Happened Next) 42:44

2M ago42:44

42:44

Jeanne Darst's story is what happens when everything goes right—and then you realize "right" is more complicated than you thought. After years of doing plays for 200 people in Vermont, she hit the publishing lottery: a bidding war sparked by a “This American Life” appearance that had publishers hunting her down by the next morning. Riverhead Books …

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Hannah Sward on Whether or Not It's Worth It to Chase a Book Deal 34:20

2M ago34:20

34:20

Hannah Sward’s publishing journey reads like a masterclass in persistence meets divine intervention. After years of writing short stories for underground literary journals, she stumbled into a free writer’s group at a library—complete with homeless people sleeping on the sidelines. That’s where she met Jill Sherry Robinson, an 80-year-old bestselli…

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INTRODUCING: Behind the Book Cover 4:35

3M ago4:35

4:35

if you’re a subscriber, hi! It’s been a minute. And by a minute I mean it’s been almost a year. That’s because one of the main reasons I do a podcast is so that I can educate myself and after hundreds of interviews, I felt like I’d learned everything I could about how to build authority with a book. I even used many of those interviews in the book …

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Remaining Behind-the-Scenes with 16-Time NYT Bestselling Author Hilary Lifton 39:20

1y ago39:20

39:20

Hilary Lifton is not one to boast, and I write that with more understatement than you can imagine. I was introduced to her recently at a party by someone who said she was a big ghostwriter. When I asked her about her career, she mentioned working on a self-help book. It was only when I Googled her later that I learned she has written 16 New York Ti…

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Using Beta Readers Who Disagree with Your Premise with Arlina Allen 32:12

1y ago32:12

32:12

Arlina Allen is a force in the recovery movement. Sober for over 30 years, she's been releasing episodes of her top 1% podcast, ODAAT Chat, for over eight. She's also been working on a book for almost that long—and now it's finally here! The 12-Step Guide for Skeptics: Clearing Up Common Misconceptions of A path to Sobriety is out now and for it, s…

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How a Book is the Gift That Keeps on Giving with Dr. Doug Brackmann 35:10

1y ago35:10

35:10

Dr. Douglas Brackmann isn't like anyone else you meet. He's far more intense and brilliant—the kind of person you find yourself telling your deepest and darkest secrets to when you had just planned to ask him about the weather. The author of Driven: Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes, an…

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Why the Ex-CEO of a $550 Million Company Did a Book Now with Erika Badan Ayers 24:07

1y ago24:07

24:07

Erika Ayers Badan calls herself a “token CEO”, the rare female employee in the highest rank of a bro-roar sports and new media culture—specifically, at Barstool Sports, which she took from a rough-and-tumble sports and betting brand and turned it into a $550 million juggernaut with more than 5 billion monthly video views and 225 million followers. …

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Why People Lose Steam on Their Books with Jill Ishkanian 41:59

1y ago41:59

41:59

It’s truly a crime that there’s no TV series about Jill Ishkanian. The lone female tabloid reporter in a sea of men, Ishkanian has been raided by the FBI, exonerated Meghan Markle and been late to a lunch date with me because she thought she saw Kevin Costner driving. And those are just three of dozens of fascinating facts! Yet, despite the fact th…

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How Book Publishing Is Evolving with Agent Mark Gottlieb 36:12

1+ y ago36:12

36:12

While Mark Gottlieb has agenting in his blood—he’s a second generation lit agent—he’s not your typical agent. He doesn’t specialize in any particular genre but bounces between fiction and nonfiction, with some children's books and graphic novels in between. And though he works with the Big Five publishers, he’s open-minded when it comes to self-pub…

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Boost Your Business by Sharing Your Story (Solo Episode) 21:08

1+ y ago21:08

21:08

Here's a special release for you: the keynote I recently gave at a mastermind that encompasses so much of what I know to be true about coming up with your book idea. It's short but sweet. Enjoy! FOR MORE ABOUT THE PODCAST AND OTHER STUFF, GO TO WWW.ONGOODAUTHORITYPOD.COM.By Anna David

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How to Use Instagram Reels to Blow Up Your Book with Erin Lee 35:49

1+ y ago35:49

35:49

You know that kindergarten teacher we all wish we'd had? That's Erin Lee. But part of what makes us all wish she'd been our teacher is the fact that in addition to being a teacher, she's an award-winning children's book author. Still, as we discuss quite a bit around here, being an amazing author doesn't always guarantee book sales. But Erin HAS so…

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The State of Publishing Today with Kevin Anderson 24:39

1+ y ago24:39

24:39

Kevin Anderson never meant to get into the publishing business after growing up in a small town in Canada before getting his PhD and graduating summa cum laude from Harvard and starting a tutoring company. Nevertheless, that tutoring company transitioned into what is now a massive publishing company that employs 30 writers and editors that have col…

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How to Get Your Book Everywhere with Annabelle Gurwitch 42:06

2y ago42:06

42:06

Annabelle Gurwitch is an actress, activist, and the author of the New York Times bestseller and Thurber Prize finalist I See You Made an Effort. Her other books include: Wherever You Go, There They Are, and You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up (coauthored with Jeff Kahn). She was the co-host of Dinner & a Movie on TBS and has appeared on NPR, The Today Sh…

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Make Sure You Write the Right Book with Dave Chesson 46:07

2y ago46:07

46:07

Dave Chesson is the creator of Kindlepreneur.com, a website devoted to teaching advanced book marketing which even Amazon KDP acknowledges as one of the best by telling users to “Gain insight from Kindlepreneur on how you can optimize marketing for your books.” Having worked with such authors as Orson Scott Card, Ted Dekker and more, his tactics he…

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Get Your Book in Stores with Ashlea Hearn 31:43

2y ago31:43

31:43

Ashlea Hearn is not only a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Reserves but also the author of Genesis Mortalis, Book 1 of the Take It Trilogy. We met when she reached out to me about the upcoming release of that book. But here's what's relevant: by that point, I had noticed this lovely person named Ashlea Hearn reviewing me wherever she could—different boo…

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Make Sure Your Readers Can Afford You with Scott Duffy 33:42

2y ago33:42

33:42

Scott Duffy is an entrepreneur and business strategist who's listed as a “Top 10 Speaker” by Entrepreneur and has been named one of the “Top Influential People To Follow” by Yahoo! Finance. 'But that's not why I brought him on the pod. I brought him on because he's also the author of three different business books on three different topics, from th…

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What It's Like to Be Chosen by Oprah with Greg Behrendt 37:18

2y ago37:18

37:18

Greg Behrendt is the #1 New York Times best-selling co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You and It’s Called A Breakup Because It’s Broken. He's appeared on every TV show known to man, including Oprah, The Tonight Show and The Today Show, is a life long standup comedian and co-hosts the relationship podcast Don't Take Bullshit From Fuckers. He's al…

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Use Your Book to Build Your Brand with Katie DePaola 36:09

2y ago36:09

36:09

Katie DePaola is an author, speaker, entrepreneur and the founder of Inner Glow Circle, a company dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs find their glow and live purpose-driven lives. But most relevantly for our show, she is the author of At Least You Look Good: How to Glow Through What You Go Through, the latest release from Launch Pad Publishin…

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How to Set Up an Author Podcast Tour with Alex Sanfilippo 36:17

2y ago36:17

36:17

Alex Sanfilippo is the host of the top-rated podcast Podcasting Made Simple, the founder of PodPros.com, a software company focused specifically on the podcasting industry and the co-creator of PodMatch, a service that matches podcast guests and hosts together for interviews. That's not all! He also co-founded PodcastSOP, a project management tool …

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Raising Money for Your Book with Craig Stanland 33:08

2y ago33:08

33:08

Boy, does Craig Stanland have a story to tell. It starts with the FBI knocking on his door, followed by two years in prison. But that's not really what we delve into here. Instead we talk about the book he wrote on his experience—and the one major mistake he made. Now that he's at work on book number two (title TBD—we get into that in the conversat…