Field Dispatch
Unlocking Success: The Secret Ingredients Behind Our 2025 Podcast Growth
Trail notes
The principal focus of this podcast episode is the successful completion of our ambitious goal to publish a weekly episode throughout the year 2025, culminating in a total of 52 episodes. We reflect upon the journey that commenced with our tentative steps into podcasting in 2024, during which we faced numerous challenges, including attracting engaging guests and establishing a dedicated audience. Our initial efforts, characterized by a modest output of ten episodes, laid the foundation for the remarkable growth we experienced in 2025, which was facilitated by the unexpected interest from accomplished children's book authors seeking to share their narratives. Furthermore, we are proud to announce that our podcast has garnered recognition as the Best Children's Literary Podcast by Millions Podcasts and has achieved a notable position among the top 100 Canadian Book Podcasts, an accolade that underscores our commitment to promoting the voices of children's authors. As we look ahead, we are excited to continue this endeavor into 2026, where we aim to further empower aspiring children's book authors through diverse content and the development of supplementary educational materials.
The principal focus of this podcast episode is the remarkable achievement of publishing a weekly episode throughout the year 2025, a goal that has been successfully realized. I reflect upon the inception of the Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors podcast, noting the initial uncertainties regarding audience engagement and guest acquisition. The episode further elucidates the significance of collaboration with published children's book authors, whose narratives and insights enrich the content we provide to our dedicated listeners. Moreover, I share the gratifying recognition our podcast has received, including accolades from independent tracking organizations, affirming our position as a noteworthy platform within the literary community. As we look forward to the forthcoming year, we remain committed to sustaining our output and enhancing the experience for aspiring authors and readers alike. The Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors podcast has triumphantly navigated the ever-evolving landscape of children's literature, culminating in a remarkable achievement in 2025. The host reflects on the ambitious goal set for the year—to release a weekly episode—an endeavor that has not only materialized but has also garnered unexpected enthusiasm from listeners and guests alike. This episode serves as a reflective piece, emphasizing the journey from inception to execution, illustrating the myriad challenges faced along the way, particularly in attracting engaging guests who are published authors. The discussion delves into the importance of community and networking within the niche realm of children's literature, underscoring how collaboration and shared experiences have been pivotal in the podcast's growth. Furthermore, the host shares insights into the metrics of podcasting, noting the discouraging statistics regarding the longevity of new podcasts. With approximately 90% of podcasts failing to surpass the third episode, this episode stands as a testament to perseverance and determination. The host's narrative is infused with personal anecdotes, reflecting on the initial fear of failure and the subsequent triumph of surpassing expectations, thus inspiring aspiring podcasters and authors alike. The episode concludes with a projection for the future, reinforcing the commitment to continue sharing insightful dialogues with authors, thereby enriching the literary world for both creators and readers. As the podcast reflects on its accomplishments in 2025, it also seeks to inspire a new generation of children's book authors and readers through shared stories and insights. The engaging dialogues with published authors not only illuminate the intricacies of the publishing process but also serve to empower listeners with the knowledge and confidence necessary to embark on their own literary journeys. The host emphasizes the transformative power of storytelling, which resonates deeply within the hearts of both authors and their audiences, creating a vibrant community dedicated to the celebration of children's literature.
Takeaways:
- In 2025, our podcast achieved the ambitious goal of publishing a weekly episode successfully.
- The podcast's focus is on interviews with published children's book authors sharing their stories.
- Engaging with our audience requires understanding their needs as both readers and aspiring authors.
- The journey of podcasting revealed that many podcasters quit before reaching substantial milestones.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- Captivate fm
- Millions Podcast
- Feedspot
Mentioned in this episode:
Bailey Introduction to Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:08</time>
<p>Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast 2025 Year End Review Our goal for Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast was to publish a weekly podcast in 2025.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:22</time>
<p>Mission accomplished.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:24</time>
<p>Who knew when we decided to develop a Children's Book Authors Podcast, there would be so much interest our podcast could be considered a niche subject.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:34</time>
<p>Our guests are published children's book authors and our listeners are children's book readers and aspiring children's book authors.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:43</time>
<p>Listeners are great metrics in terms of how you measure your engagement throughout the world.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:05:51</time>
<p>And like all podcast shows, when you embark on your podcasting journey, you are unsure whether you will find an audience.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:01</time>
<p>However, we needed guests and we had no idea how to attract engaging published children's book authors, what the interview process would entail, which questions to ask.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:13</time>
<p>Our goal was to interview doers publish children's book authors who not only wanted to share their children's book and attract more children's readers, but also to share their story with behind the Story to motivate aspiring children's book authors to take action.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:31</time>
<p>A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step is a Chinese proverb.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:37</time>
<p>We took our first step into podcasting in 2024 and decided to publish one episode per month for a total of 12.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:47</time>
<p>We came up two episodes short.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:06:51</time>
<p>According to Podcast News 2025 research, on average, 90% of podcasts do not make it past three episodes, and 90% of those don't continue past episode 20.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:07</time>
<p>Podcast News concluded that this indicates that many podcasters quit far too early in their journey.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:15</time>
<p>Late in 2024, we set our goal for 2025.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:20</time>
<p>We decided to publish one episode per week for 52 weeks straight.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:25</time>
<p>And as mentioned, by the time 2025 comes to an end, we all have accomplished this rewarding goal, totaling 52 episodes.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:36</time>
<p>How did we go from 10 episodes in 2024 to 52 episodes in 2025?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:43</time>
<p>What are the secret ingredients to this year's podcasting success?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:49</time>
<p>Drum roll please.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:51</time>
<p>Number one.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:53</time>
<p>Pure naivete.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:07:54</time>
<p>We didn't know how we were going to do it, but we felt we were building some confidence, experience, and something we had no idea was going to happen.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:03</time>
<p>The second secret ingredient is our guess.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:07</time>
<p>You might be saying, thanks, Captain Obvious, but how did you ever get enough guests to publish a weekly show?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:15</time>
<p>2025 has been a year in the making.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:18</time>
<p>If you listen to our first nine episodes, you will notice we used two techniques, one as a solo podcast and second, we had four episodes in which we interviewed our grandchildren who are co authors in our children's book series the Adventures of Caboose the Rocky Mountain Bear.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:40</time>
<p>Doing these nine episodes, as mentioned, gave us the experience and confidence to keep moving forward.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:08:46</time>
<p>However, the real confidence booster came when, out of the blue, I had two children's book authors and one author's public relations person reach out to ask could they be guests on our podcast show?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:02</time>
<p>If the average podcaster quits after three episodes, and here we were with three times that many in 2024, that would prove to be a way to attract more guests.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:16</time>
<p>It's like striking podcast gold and we had no idea we use an incredible podcasting platform service Captivate fm.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:26</time>
<p>They not only made it easy for us to create and publish podcast episodes, but they also provided the booking infrastructure to create a booking link and get started.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:37</time>
<p>And even though our podcast shows our audio only, we do tape the podcast interviews in Zoom video and through the magic of zoom, it separates the audio files for us.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:51</time>
<p>Will we ever use the video?</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:09:53</time>
<p>We've learned never to say never, but it is not a pursuit we are interested in at this point.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:00</time>
<p>If it weren't for our first three podcast guests, Tanya Questa, children's book author of Money Time, Lynn and Jonathan Greenberg, Robbie the Electric Taxi and the Airport Adventure and Terry Lenga, children's book author of Santa Simon, I'm not sure if we would have ever gone off the ground.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:21</time>
<p>It took a year to broadcast our first non family podcast episode.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:28</time>
<p>During that time, it gave us the confidence to keep going, build a listenership, and in turn spark guest interest in being on our podcast.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:38</time>
<p>Thanks to Tanya, Lynn, Jonathan and Terry for reaching out and asking us to be a guest on our podcast.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:46</time>
<p>Thanks to their warmth in sharing their stories and recommending us to others.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:10:51</time>
<p>The number of requests we receive each week has enabled us to host wonderful published children's book authors and we can see this happening for years to come.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:03</time>
<p>Hopefully you are still listening to this podcast episode because before we jump into the unknown, we want to share two pieces of great news that happened this year.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:14</time>
<p>First, midway through the year, we received an award from Millions Podcasts, an independent podcast tracking organization that named us Best Children's Literary Podcast.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:27</time>
<p>The second piece of great news, and we would never have found out about this if it weren't for AI Feedspot, an independent media tracking company named Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast in the category of 100 Canadian Best Book Podcast to Listen to in 2025.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:48</time>
<p>Currently we are in 50th position.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:51</time>
<p>Think about that for a moment because we are in a limited niche.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:11:55</time>
<p>Children's Books As AI moves into our everyday lives, we wanted to see what else it was sharing and saying about our podcast to the world.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:07</time>
<p>The following words are how AI describes us and we're not sure if a public relations company could say it any better.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:17</time>
<p>Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Author is an award winning podcast dedicated to empowering children's book authors and sharing stories and insights from published children's book authors about their publishing process.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:32</time>
<p>Our AI description goes on to provide a podcast overview in terms of themes, content including empowerment, inspiration, diverse voices, episode highlights and listening options.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:48</time>
<p>We've used the entire AI description in our podcast overview.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:12:56</time>
<p>It captures the essence of the Adventures in the Heart of Children's Book Authors Podcast our goal for 2026 is is to continue posting and publishing one new episode a week.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:09</time>
<p>The show format will stay much the same.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:12</time>
<p>If you were a loyal listener, you've heard us change the questions up a little to draw out and share great content that helps our listeners.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:22</time>
<p>In the back half of 2025, we started writing a book to serve as a platform for children's book authors to share their journeys while also inspiring and educating listeners about the art and business of children's book writing.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:39</time>
<p>Our goal is to have this book edited, going through all the stages of book development, creation and published in late summer 2026.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:13:48</time>
<p>Along with a workbook and video lessons, we feel we can help many more aspiring children's book authors by consolidating the content from our podcast episodes in a more concise format.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:02</time>
<p>More details to follow in late spring 2026.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:06</time>
<p>Happy holidays and all the best for you and your family.</p>
<cite>Speaker A</cite>
<time>00:14:10</time>
<p>And remember, adventure out.</p>
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