September 10, 2025

49. Should It Be a Book, Podcast, or Substack? A Practical Guide to Publishing

36 minutes

In this solo teaching, Kate gets real about finishing creative work—and whether your idea truly needs to become a book. She walks through practical next steps for authors and educators (hello, market comps and outlines), and widens the lens: podcasts, audio, YouTube, and Substack might serve your message—and your audience—better right now. If publishing is your path, you’ll hear where to start, how to think like a marketer (not just a writer), and why building audience before pitching changes everything.

What You’ll Learn

Should it be a book? A simple litmus test to decide if your idea requires long form—or if audio, video, or Substack serve you better.

Your first move (it’s not writing): Use publisher proposal prompts to clarify audience, comps, and the actual problem your book solves.

Market comps that matter: How to read the field, then let it go so you can write your book.

Outlines that flex: Why your outline is “meant to be broken” and how to rearrange chapters as your thinking matures.

Audience before agent: The honest reason publishers ask about reach (newsletter, socials, podcast downloads).

Self-publish vs. traditional: On-demand printing, hybrid routes, and why self-publishing now doesn’t preclude a future deal.

Teacher advantage: Turning lectures, sessions, and talks into manuscripts using transcripts + connective tissue.

Ayurvedic sensibility for creators: Right-sizing the project, steady rhythm over grind, and sustainable focus.

Key Takeaways

Format follows function. If your core message must be said in 20–40K words, book it. If not, consider audio, video, or Substack to share sooner and iterate.

Start with comps and audience. Proposals make you think like a publisher: Who is this for? What’s different? Why now?

Build your platform. Visibility isn’t vanity—it’s how your work is found, read, and sustained.

Resources Mentioned (as referenced in the conversation)

Publisher proposal pages (e.g., Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Shambhala Publications)

Substack for writing + audience building

YouTube & podcasts for sharing ideas in audio/video

Using AI tools to research keywords and audience questions (e.g., “what are people searching for right now?”)

Transcripts from lectures/teachings as manuscript seeds

👉 Want Kate to cover another behind-the-scenes topic? Email me at [email protected]

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By Kate O’Donnell

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