Tag: Podcast

2022 In the Books

~ Erica Welch ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a few trying years here. These years have included starting a fabulous podcast (that’s been on hiatus forever), a new, beautifully designed website (that’s currently down but will hopefully be back up soon), changing jobs (then changing jobs), getting married (and staying married–thank you Lord!), and growing By Her Shelf into an actual business that sells things (more on that later).

This is my favorite time of the year. I love looking back on the books I’ve managed to read despite the chaos of life. I especially love sharing the best of the best with fellow readers and hearing how their reading lives have grown and changed over the past 12 months. I get excited to choose new goals and reading challenges or comb through my saved posts for books I “missed” but still want to read.

This year is completely different and exactly the same in that regard. I can’t wait to exchange stories about the best things we’ve read this year, but I’m feeling a bit nostalgic. I find myself missing the podcast and the mission behind it: to get to know readers by the books they love, hearing about books worth reading and people worth following.

So I’m bringing it back, in a slightly different way. Instead of the 12 Books of Christmas, you’ll hear 2022 In the Books, an end of the year retrospective of my favorite reads this year (and maybe the favorites of a guest or two).

Maybe no one is interested in By Her Shelf anymore. Maybe I won’t be able to book guests. Maybe I won’t be able to find the right balance with the topics I want to talk about. But I’m excited to see what can happen if I commit to my dreams again.

For the TL;DR crowd: By Her Shelf Podcast is back, starting with episodes of my year end wrap up, retitled 2022 in the Books, next week. This week, the blog is back, with a couple posts I’ve been waiting to write for a very long time. 🙂

XOXO,

Erica

P.S. I’d LOVE to get to know YOU by your shelves! Fill out the contact form on the podcast page if you’re interested in being a guest on the By Her Shelf Podcast.

BHS Episode 4: Pockets of Lovely with Abigail Rudibaugh

~ Erica Welch ~ Leave a comment

Today, we’re getting to know Abigail Rudibaugh By Her Shelf:

Abigail Rudibaugh

Abigail calls Cincinnati, Ohio home alongside her husband and two young daughters. As a graduate from Miami University of Ohio in Integrated Language Arts, she spent nine years teaching, but is now taking time to nourish her writer’s soul. Abigail believes that in a prescriptive and productive world, poetry has become the umbrella in which she can finally find some shade. Find her on Instagram & Twitter @pocketsoflovely or at pocketsoflovely.com

In this episode, Abby and I discuss:

-The “lovely” story behind the name Pockets of Lovely

-How being a writer has changed the way she reads

-The late Mary Oliver, one of Abby’s favorite poets

-Embarrassing book habits

-FOMO on pop lit conversations

And so much more.

Whether or not you consider yourself to be a poetry lover, I guarantee you’ll connect with some part of this interview with Abby.

The books (These are affiliate links. I receive a small commission if you buy through one of these links):

The first book Abby remembers loving (Kindle)

The assigned reading that surprised her (in a good way) (Kindle)

This classic was disliked twice in five interviews! (Kindle)

A Thousand Mornings Kindle Version

Ariel by Sylvia Plath (Kindle)

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (Kindle)

Abby’s Surprising Book (Kindle)

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Kindle)

Liane Moriarty

John Steinbeck

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Kindle)

Abby’s current read (Kindle)

Up next for Abby (Kindle)

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (Kindle)

The Links:

I’m Nobody! Who are you? by Emily Dickinson

Abby’s site: Pockets of Lovely

Poet Mary Oliver

“A Thousand Mornings”

Poet Wendell Berry

Recordings of Sylvia Plath reading poems from Ariel

Newsletter subscribers will receive two special emails this week: A list of diverse books if Madeleine’s episode inspired you and a list of can’t miss poetry collections if Abby’s episode sparked your poetry reading fancy. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

Next week’s episode is actually the first episode I recorded for the podcast. My guest is an entrepreneur and content creator focused on empowering women to be confident and cultivate self-esteem. You don’t want to miss getting to know this powerhouse By Her Shelf. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t!

If you’re loving the show, I would really appreciate it if you left a rating/review on iTunes. It helps others find the show…and maybe their next favorite book.

BHS Episode 2: Cooking Up Drama with Agatha Marshall

~ Erica Welch ~ Leave a comment

Welcome to the very first set of show notes for By Her Shelf with Erica D. Hearns!

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Today I have the absolute pleasure of introducing you to Agatha Marshall.

come eat with aggie

Agatha is a mom, the author of the cookbook Come Eat with Aggie*, an entrepreneur, and a publishing consultant with Lincross Publishing, an independent publisher assisting authors who want to publish their passion professionally while keeping their rights and royalties. We discuss Agatha’s work with Lincross, her cookbook “sheroes,” and the of-assigned play she dislikes so much she can barely utter its name. If you’re an aspiring author, or aspiring to put down the takeout menu and learn to cook fabulous meals on a less glamorous budget, you need to get to know Agatha by her shelf today.

Quotable:

“You have a part to play in the kingdom, and that’s my part.”

“It’s one of the jobs you don’t get tired of doing.”

“Anyone can write a book…but Lincross is about publishing purpose.”

The books (these are affiliate links. I get a small commission if you purchase books using these links. The title link is the print version):

The book that reignited Agatha’s love of reading (Kindle)

No Disrespect

The publisher Agatha works for, Lincross Publishing

Agatha’s cookbook, Come Eat with Aggie (Kindle)

Cookbooks Agatha loves:

-A Perfect Recipe (Kindle)

-Ayesha Curry’s book (Kindle)

-Chrissy Teigen’s book (Kindle)

-Pat and Gina Neely’s Holiday Book (Kindle)

Agatha’s New Auto-buy author (Kindle)

Most Underrated Book/Author (Kindle)

Agatha’s favorite assigned reading (Kindle)

Agatha’s least favorite assigned reading (Kindle)

Surprising book on her shelf (Author’s other popular book)

I have one more episode of the podcast debuting this week, so be on the lookout for episode three. After this week, new interviews will debut Mondays.

*Agatha is gluten free, mostly vegetarian/pescatarian, but her recipes range to include all types of dishes, with substitutions and modifications you can make to suit your diet.

5 Ways to Reach Your Reading Goals in 2019

~ Erica Welch ~ Leave a comment

Tis the season to talk about goals–how to set and achieve them. If you have one or two (or ten) goals focused on reading this year, here are five of my best tips, tricks, and tools to make the most out of your reading life in 2019.

  1. Utilize free or inexpensive sources for obtaining books. This is my favorite tip for readers because it removes the restrictions a lack of money places on readers. Utilizing your local public library, little free libraries, and low cost book buying options like Friends of the Library allows you to make more daring choices, get more books at once, and browse without fear of busting your budget. There are also free and low priced eBooks available on Amazon and through Wal-Mart’s eBook distributor, Kobo.
  2. Challenge yourself with reading challenges. Whether you want to read more, wider, in community, or what you already own (and STILL haven’t read *sigh*), a reading challenge might help you reach your goal this year. There are several reading challenges out there to choose from, including #theunreadshelfproject2019 Challenge, the Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenge, the Pop Sugar Reading Challenge, and a numbers-based challenge like the Goodreads. You can also join a subscription service like OwlCrate (YA books) or Book of the Month, or an online book club like Well Read Black Girl
  3. Develop a group of trusted review sources. A list of reviewers you trust will help you determine whether a book is for you right now. This will reduce the number of books you slog through or set aside. Find readers with similar tastes and search their feeds for book reviews or where they get their recommendations. Follow people with great taste wherever they post about books they love–Goodreads, Instagram, Pinterest, their website, etc. “Official” reviewers like Publisher’s Weekly and Kirkus Reviews or lists in Entertainment Weekly, Essence, or other publications are also good resources.
  4. Create a habit or routine around your goal.  Schedule reading time. Take books with you to take advantage of wait times. Leave your current read on your nightstand or wherever you read. Participate in #readawholebooksunday. Do something to make reading a part of your routine, and you’ll be more likely to show up and READ.
  5. Get better book recommendations. The best way to reach your reading goals is to read better books. If you don’t choose books you want to read, no schedule, challenge, or price is going to help you. One way you can find good book recommendations is through sites like By Her Shelf. By Her Shelf showcases romance, YA, historical, literary fiction, memoir, poetry, thriller, horror, magical realism, suspense, self-help, contemporary fiction, non-fiction, and Christian non-fiction books. You can also find great recommendations on Modern Mrs. Darcy or genre specific sites. Another great resource for book recommendations is podcasts. Here at By Her Shelf, we’re big fans of What Should I Read Next, First Draft, DIY MFA, and The Librarian is In, along with podcasts that interview authors like The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey and That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT!: I’m pleased to announce By Her Shelf with Erica D. Hearns is LIVE on Apple Podcasts and Messy.fm! BHS will be on other apps/sites soon. When I posted about buying a microphone in early November, I never imagined I would have recorded 16 interviews and launched with 3 live episodes less than three months later. For show notes, upcoming guests, featured books, and other exclusive content, subscribe to our weekly Shelf Talk newsletter here. Show notes can also be found by searching the podcast category of the blog.

I’m still scheduling future guests. If you’d like to discuss the books you read, write, or help produce, I’d love to host you! Simply fill out the form here.

Your Turn: What are you reading goals for 2019? How can By Her Shelf help you reach those goals?

Another Small Step and Giant Leap: Podcast Update

~ Erica Welch ~ Leave a comment

Happy Hump Day, Shelfies! Tomorrow, I’ll return to books I discovered during the Miami Book Fair, this time with a Young Adult (YA) selection from a panel. Today, I wanted to update everyone on the By Her Shelf Podcast. So much has happened since I announced my idea to start a podcast 40ish days ago. If you’re interested in how the podcast sausage is made, keep reading. 

On November 2, 2018, I announced I had taken the first step to creating and launching the By Her Shelf Podcast (read all about it here). What happened after I bought the microphone? SO. MANY. THINGS! If you’re thinking of starting your own podcast, here’s what I’ve done to move toward my goal, and what I have left to do.

  • I emailed people I know/have worked with to be potential guests first. Starting with people I knew who were very likely to say yes was a great confidence booster and guaranteed I had at least a few guests. I also made sure to email one person who was a target guest, someone I knew online and occasionally interact with, but who wasn’t guaranteed a yes from. I’ll try a reach guest (or dream guest) once I have more episodes under my belt. I can share more about the content of this email with those who want to know.
  • I signed up for Zoom. I needed to find a good platform to record interviews with people who aren’t in my area. Some people suggested Skype, but through research I found Zoom was easy for me and guests to use and free for what I need it for.
  • I scheduled interviews with those who agreed to be on the show. 
  • I emailed the scheduled guest a Guest Prep Email. I emailed my guest an email before their scheduled show with a brief summary of the show’s premise, preliminary questions (things I like to know about guests before I interview them), questions they might want to think about and prepare an answer for in advance, and a list of things I need from them for promo (bio, picture, etc.). I can also share more about this if anyone is interested.
  • I tested my software, equipment, and “show flow.” Fellow BHS contributor Christina and I recorded a test episode to get rid of some of the butterflies and plan for some worst case scenarios (my enneagram 6 is showing, lol).
  • I researched and found possible theme music. 
  • I researched my guest. I checked her social media, website, books, and etc.
  • I prepared a one page cliff note for the interview. This page included the guest’s bio, questions to ask, and useful bits of information that I can use to follow a line of discussion.
  • I spoke with my guest for a few minutes before hitting record. Although I follow her on social media, I had never spoken to my guest before. I used the first couple minutes to get the jitters out and connect with her a little bit before we started recording.
  • I remembered to press record!
  • I spent a couple minutes after the interview thanking my guest and letting her know my favorite thing we were able to talk about. 
  • I realized I forgot to have her share where listeners can connect with her. Ugh. You live and try and learn to do better the next time.

Here’s what I have left to do with this episode:

  • Write show notes, including all relevant links.
  • Name the episode.
  • Create episode graphic.
  • Prep the newsletter for the episode.
  • edit and upload the episode.
  • Add theme music.
  • Work on preparing show for iTunes.

There are several things here I can elaborate on, and more to tell, but this is the basic gist of what’s going on with the podcast. I have another interview scheduled for Friday, more to schedule, and more emails to send. I want to be able to release a few episodes when the podcast launches, which will be early next year.

Your Turn: What reading/book related podcasts do you listen to? What would you like to hear on a book related podcast? What should I avoid?

Want to be a guest? Fill out the guest form here, email byhershelf@gmail.com, or leave a comment and I’ll get back to you!