STATUS: We have all the guests for our 2023 schedule. 

We are now currently accepting guest applications for 2024. 

Please see below:

Please read through this FAQ Page before sending us your query or applying to be a guest. If you want to ask us a question that hasn't been answered, then feel free to contact us. 

 

ARE YOU ACCEPTING NEW GUESTS ONTO THE PODCAST?

If you are interested in being a guest on the podcast, you MUST complete our guest application form.  IF we accept your application, you will be notified and we will work to schedule a recording date with you.  Please note we often record months in advance so your date might be later in the year.

Click to complete the Guest Application Form.

Please note we will not accept guest requests via our social media DMs or email.  All requests to be a guest need to go through the Google Form linked above.

 

DO I HAVE TO FILL OUT THE FORM IF I'VE ALREADY BEEN A GUEST?

Yes, please fill out the form again even if you’ve already been on The Merry Writer Podcast.  Information can change and we don’t keep it after your episode goes live.

 

IF I'VE ALREADY BEEN A GUEST, WHEN CAN I BE A GUEST AGAIN?

To give everyone as fair a shot as possible, we try not to book repeat guests within the same year.  You are free to fill out the form, however, if we've already had you as a guest in the year, you may not be scheduled until the next year. 

 

DO YOU RECORD THE EPISODES LIVE?

No, all our podcast episodes are pre-recorded and then scheduled for a specific date later in the future.

 

DO YOU USE A SCRIPT?

We do have a basic script that contains our intro and outro and the specific questions you will be asked.  If you are accepted to become a guest on the podcast, you will be given access to your episode’s script and have the ability to add any notes that can assist you during the recording.  Also, you can add in your bio details at the end to let the listeners know more about you.

Please note that depending on your answers to the questions we ask, we may have additional questions to pose that aren't on the script.

If you feel unable to answer additional off-the-cuff questions, please let us know and we will refrain from asking new questions. 

 

ARE THE PODCAST EPISODES EDITED?

Yes, we edit each episode.  This is done by us, to the best of our ability.  But don’t worry, if you make a mistake or have to amend or re-say your answer to our questions, we will tidy up the recording as much as possible.

 

HOW ARE THE EPISODES RECORDED?

We use Zoom to record our episodes.  Invite links to the Zoom meeting will be included at the top of the Guest Script you will be given access to, along with the date and time of your meeting, if your application is successful.

 

DO I HAVE TO BE ON VIDEO?

We do prefer to use the video option on Zoom when doing the podcast episodes as it really does help us to see people.  We can catch cues etc.  However, if you don’t think you can use the video option you can keep your camera off.

 

YOU RECORD ON ZOOM WITH VIDEO, DO YOU POST THE VIDEOS?

No, while we do use the Zoom video feature with our guests, this is just to make it easier when podcasting.  However, the videos are not shared anywhere - only the audio is.

 

WHAT EQUIPMENT DO I NEED?

You will need a microphone, headphones, webcam and a device you can open the FREE video software Zoom on.  Please make sure to check all your equipment is working correctly at least a day or two before the recording.  Any issues with this, let us know ASAP.

 

WHAT IF I NEED TO CANCEL MY RECORDING SESSION?

If you have been given a recording date and are suddenly unable to commit to that date, please let us know as soon as possible.  Depending on when your episode launch date is, we may need to get a new guest booked immediately.

While we understand things happen, if you do cancel but would still like to be a guest, we will add you back onto our list and will be in touch once we have arranged our other guests.  This means your recording date may be several months later or even the following year.

 

IS THERE ANYTHING I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING ON THE PODCAST?

Podcast Etiquette

Please arrive on time. You will be given the date, time and Zoom invite link in your script and you can join the meeting up to 10 minutes before the meeting starts.  (You will be in the 'waiting room' until closer to the recording time).

We will go through a few quick details with you before we start recording to make sure you are comfortable.

Please make sure you are in a quiet room with as little background noise and distractions as possible.  Where possible, please keep children and pets out of the room you are recording in.

Always make sure your phone is silent and any computer notifications are muted.

We do ask that you use headphones as this allows for better sound quality during the recording.

While we accept some cursing on our show, we don't want it to be too excessive so please keep that in mind.

Please allow us time to respond to your answers, if your answers are broken down into points, allow us the chance to maybe intercede with our own thoughts.

Please don't do a shout-out to advertise your book or website in the middle of the discussion. We do reserve a part at the end of the show, where you tell everyone more about yourself, your website and your books.

 

ARE THERE ANY GUEST EPISODES YOU RECOMMEND I LISTEN TO?

If you are new to our podcast, we highly recommend you take some time to listen to a few episodes to get familiar with the style of the podcast and the hosts.

Here are some guest episodes we recommend:

• Helen Scheuerer - https://youtu.be/ITPSxjBVmHA
  
• Julie Valerie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdvjqbtDTpk
• Wilmar Luna - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaYddlaVUe0

 

CAN I HAVE A CLIP OF THE AUDIO TO SHARE ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA/BLOG ETC?

Yes, we are happy to supply up to 1-minute of audio from your episode for you to use on your social media to promote the episode.  This will be supplied upon request.

 

CAN I HAVE A COPY OF THE FULL RECORDING?

No, we don’t give out copies of the full recordings.  However, we can offer a short 1-minute clip of the recording to be used in your social media.  Or you can simply share links of the episode from the different platforms we list on (such as Podbean Youtube Spotify etc.)

 

CAN I HAVE THE EPISODE LINK?

Yes, once the episode has been edited, uploaded and scheduled you will be sent the perma-links for both Podbean and YouTube.  You will also be given our Podlink which is a singular page by which you can direct listeners directly to the show on the podcast platform of their choice.

 

DO I NEED TO DO ANYTHING AFTER THE RECORDING?

After the recording, you will be supplied with links to the edited podcast episode closer to the upload date.  Once the episode goes live we would like you to share the podcast episode on at least one social media platform and/or your website/blog.  This helps to boost exposure to the podcast and to the episode itself.  We can supply some social media graphics that we have made, you can either use these or if you prefer create your own.

 

HAVE A QUESTION NOT ANSWERED ON THIS FAQ?

If you have a question that we have not answered here, please feel free to reach out to us via email at TheMerryWriterPodcastATgmail.com.  Replace the “at” with an @ symbol before sending. 

Please note, if you email us with a question that has been answered here.  We will simply refer you back to this page.