Tips for Podcast Guests

Your Appearance on People and Their Poems and Woodbury Writes

It's so exciting that you will be appearing as a guest on People and Their Poems and/or Woodbury Writes. To help you get ready for your recording date, here are some tips that will help make your episode as good as it can be.

Good preparation is important.

  • Review the questions ahead of time, and prepare concise answers.

  • Tell good stories.

  • Know what you want to read ahead of time, and have the pages marked in your books. (The microphone picks up on the rustling of pages.)


Good conversation is important.

  • Be yourself. Have fun. Laugh.

  • Engage with Sandy in conversation.

  • It's OK to pause.

  • Silence is OK and can be edited out.


Good audio is important.

  • Silence your cell phone, and turn off any notifications you receive on your computer.

  • Don't flip through the pages of a book or shuffle papers while we're recording.

  • Don't tap on the desk (or table) or keyboard, or move around in a squeaky chair.

  • Don’t eat, chew gum, or drink from an ice-filled glass.

  • Avoid sitting where there will be extraneous noise from appliances, people, or pets.

  • Connect directly to your router if you know your Internet connection can be wonky.


Podcasts are taped live, but not broadcast live.

  • We prefer conversation to be natural and flow easily from beginning to end.

  • You don’t need to speak perfectly when in the spotlight.

  • If you think you really messed up, we're happy to edit when necessary. If you think you need a re-do, we can do that, too.