When Kemper Donovan contacted me for an interview I was thrilled because he’s such a big name in the Agatha Christie space. But I was also terrified. Because he’s such a big name in the Agatha Christie space!
So how did it go? Spoiler alert: The episode is now available, and I lived to tell the tale.
This opportunity came about thanks to Tony Medawar who, among other interesting roles, is a former director of the International Agatha Christie Festival. He provided the introduction to Kemper. I listened to many an episode of All About Agatha during COVID lockdown while I sorted through 30+ years of accumulation in my basement before our big move. If you are an Agatha Christie fan and haven’t yet listened to this podcast, start now! It’s funny, thought-provoking, and everything you want in a Christie discussion.
The guests that Kemper, and before she passed, Catherine, welcome to their podcast are smart people with loads of credentials and mountains of published work. Hence, my terror. Would I freeze up? Mispronounce something important? Give a wrong date? Would I sound like a complete idiot?
It’s not that I was unprepared. While I have never been on a podcast, I have been interviewed on a few radio shows. Those interviews, however, were mainly personal discussions about my writing life which no one was fact-checking.
The interview took place in May, but Kemper had several podcasts already lined up so my episode didn’t post until August. I didn’t talk about it much because I really wanted to hear it myself before inviting anybody else to listen.
Kemper did an excellent job editing the episode, which was important since we each had sound issues. I wound up going to a meeting room at my local library because they were taking a tree down outside my house and Kemper moved from one room to another midway through the interview because of work outside his window. He was very gracious throughout and tried to put me at ease but he did ask some challenging questions!
Both before and since the interview, I researched best practices for guests because podcasts can be a good marketing tool for authors. Finding the right podcast and pitching the host correctly is a skill, but it can be very worthwhile. My book sales are still enjoying the “Kemper Bump,” so I speak from experience!
I have to confess that I’m not much of a podcast listener because there’s no natural time to do it. I don’t commute and I have a companion for conversation when I exercise. I have, however, looked around for podcasts that might be a good fit for me. You probably won’t be surprised to learn that many podcasters start off great, lose momentum after a few episodes, and soon stop posting new content. Podcasting is not nearly as easy to do as people think.
I hope to connect with more podcasters in the future. I’m looking for folks who discuss cozy mysteries or writing or 1920s history. In the meantime, if you want to listen to my discussion with Kemper, it’s available now. Dip into Kemper and Catherine’s other episodes, too. There are five years’ worth of fabulous guests and fascinating conversations, All About Agatha!