There are many different writing podcasts out there, and it can be hard to choose one. And if you’re not an avid podcast listener, it can be hard to know which ones are the best.
Let us help you out, and give you 20 of the best podcasts for writers, and where to find them. These are not in order of best to worst; they’re all great and help out in their own unique ways.
Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Released every Tuesday and Thursday, Grammar Girl does more than help with grammar. She dives into many topics such as speech, pacing, storytelling, and even AI. She invites a guest every Thursday. Her interactions with fans, and admission to mistakes makes it worth tuning in to learn something new, and have some fun along the way.
The Creative Penn Podcast For Authors
This podcast is released every Monday, and hosted by Joanna Penn. She talks publishing, drafting, marketing, and more. Penn always invites a guest to talk about the topic of that week's episode. You might even get lucky with a rare episode with Penn reading a couple chapters from her recent audiobook.
Released every Sunday and Friday, and hosted by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler, this podcast’s episodes are short, but impactful. Sitting at around 30 minutes, Writing Excuses’ hosts banter about all things writing and storytelling. With Q&As and interviews sprinkled throughout, these episodes fly by.
Often released bi-weekly on Wednesdays, and hosted by Gabriela Pereira, DIY MFA Radio is another short but informational podcast. She’s talked about writing craft, building your community, and given many more writing tips since she began in 2014.
She has been feeling a bit of burn out, so her most recent episode is from December 18, 2024, as she’s taking a break. But that only means we have time to catch up on missed episodes before she returns.
Released every Friday, and hosted by Dan Simpson, Writer’s Routine doesn’t hide a thing. Each episode, Simpson interviews a writer, wondering where and why they write, so he can find out how they’re so successful. Each guest gets honest about their writing process, and where they’ve come from. It’s a great way to learn the process of a writer, and maybe even adopt one for yourself.
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
Released every Friday, and hosted by Kelton Reid, this podcast has some similarities to Writer’s Routine. Reid interviews writers, wondering where and why they write, so he can find out how they’re so successful. It is the same format as our last entry, but The Writer Files does something different; they dive into the brains of their guests as well. Reid explores the neuroscience of his guests.
Released every Tuesday, Kobo Writing Life Podcast has new episodes and backlog episodes. Every other week, a new episode is released. Each episode involves a guest, and they and the hosts talk about different skills, such as writing in certain genres, dedication, emotion, and more. Between the new episodes, they release episodes that were never released or finished; this is called Kobo ReWriting Life. They have episodes back to 2016 and beyond with a similar format to new episodes.
Helping Writers Become Authors
Released most Mondays, and hosted by K.M. Weiland, this podcast is one of the longest-running on this list, having been started in 2009. Weiland helps writers build their skills, create characters, worldbuild, and so much more. The goal of this podcast is to teach writers how to become published authors; and if that is your goal too, this long running podcast can help you achieve it.
Released every other Saturday, and hosted by Terry Mixon, Paul E Cooley, and Veronica Giguerre, this podcast is authors talking about anything and everything. From life, to their audiobooks, writing topics, and publishing, each episode is a fun ride. There is swearing. But if you can forgive that, there are also occasional episodes on Mondays, and a live chat chiming in.
Hosted by Mur Lafferty, recent episodes have been released every Monday and Thursdays. I Should Be Writing is all about helping writers get out of writer’s block; Lafferty also shares tips and suggestions. With guest writer appearances thrown into the mix, this is a perfect podcast to get back into writing and gain confidence.
Hosted by David Naimon, Between The Covers is similar to other podcasts already listed; however, it still stands out. This is one of the longer podcasts on this list, often sitting around 2 hours long. Each episode shines a spotlight on a writer, their work, and their experiences throughout life. Naimon interviews authors from all over the world, with drastically different experiences, cultures, and writing styles.
Hosted by Sarah Werner, this podcast is all about helping you find a healthy work, life, and writing balance. Werner talks about a variety of topics such as tips, questions about publishing, and more. She shares her experiences as a writer, and her honest advice makes this a must-listen podcast.
First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing
Released every Monday, and hosted by Mitzi Rapkin, this podcast interviews fiction, non-fiction, essay, and poetry writers. Rapkin and the guest author discuss their work, themes, and more. Each conversation is fascinating, intriguing, and unique, and so is each author.
Released every other Saturday, and hosted by Julie Duffy, this podcast is all about encouragement. From monthly challenges, encouragement, and more, Duffy shares her creative insights and writing tips to help aspiring everyday writers write everyday.
Released every Friday, and hosted by Gilbert Cruz and New York Times editors, this podcast has nothing to hide. Each week, a top author is invited onto the show, and they review books. Each author shares their opinion on the book of that episode, and they give insight into what they’re currently working on. The biggest downside is that a New York Times subscription is required to watch every episode.
Released every Monday, and hosted by Brooke Warner and Grant Faulkner, this podcast sheds light on the writing life. Each episode, a writer, author, or publishing industry professional joins the podcast and talks about the industry, and their lives.
And, at the end of each episode, there’s a segment called Substackin’ where Warner and Faulkner talk about topics, ideas, trends, and writerly inspirations that they have tracked in their weekly Substacks.
Released every Tuesday, and hosted by J.D. Barker, this is another great podcast to listen to get a sneak peak behind the scenes. Barker is joined by guests and other experts in the industry. They talk about book news, the industry, and more. The conversation topic, the banter, and the insider knowledge make this podcast a must listen.
Released every other Friday, and hosted by Jenn Hanson-dePaula and her partner Marcus dePaula, this podcast is all about marketing. Marketing and publishing your book can be scary, but this podcast pulls back the curtains, and makes it sound easy. Toss in writing tips and advice, and this podcast is a writer’s dream.
High-Income Business Writing Podcast
Released every other Wednesday, and hosted by Ed Gandia, this podcast is a look into the business of writing. Gandia is a successful freelance writer, and he brings his bold and honest takes, tips, and tricks into creating a successful business. As the description of this podcast suggests, this podcast promises to, “propel your writing business to the six-figure level (or the part-time equivalent).” And who wouldn’t want to learn how to do that?
The Resilient Writers Radio Show
Released every Thursday, and hosted by Rhonda Douglas, we promise we’re not biased. With a new experienced writer to interview each week, every episode is jam-packed with tips, advice, conversation about various topics, and more.
Now that you know the 20 best podcasts for writers, it’s important to know where to access them so we can listen to them.
Apple Podcasts
If you own an Apple device, you can access podcasts through Apple Podcasts. If you have an Apple device, it likely has the app pre-installed. Look for the purple icon with the white microphone on the logo. You can also listen to podcasts through the iTunes app, following the same instructions listed below.
Tap the icon, and it will bring you into the app. At the bottom of the screen, there will be a search icon. Tap it to open the search bar, which will appear at the top of the screen. Type the name of the podcast you’re looking for.
When the podcast pops up, tap it. Then you’ll be able to read the description and select the episode you want to listen to. The newest episodes will be at the top of the screen, and you can scroll down to access earlier episodes, or the first if you want to start at the beginning. Tap the episode you want to listen to, and hit the play button.
Google Podcasts
If you have an Android Device, you’ll want to use Google Podcasts. Google Podcasts is available to download on the Google Play Store (it’s usually pre-installed on Android Devices).
In the search bar, type “Google Podcasts.” You’ll want to download the first result, Google Podcasts, by Google LLC. The logo is a set of coloured broken stripes.
You can also access Google Podcasts in your web browser! Type “Google Podcasts” into the search bar, and click on the first result with the same logo as above. Follow these steps on the Google Podcasts app to listen:
Once you’ve downloaded the app, open it. Tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen, and the search bar will appear at the top of the screen (in your web browser, the search bar will already be visible there). Type the name of the podcast you’re looking for into the search bar. When the podcast pops up, tap it.
Then you’ll be able to read the description and select the episode you want to listen to. Newest episodes will be at the top of the screen, and you can scroll down to access earlier episodes, or the first if you want to start at the beginning. Tap the episode you want to listen to, and hit the play button.
Spotify
You can use Spotify on any kind of device—Apple or Android. Spotify is an app, but you can also use it in your web browser. If you want to download the app, go into the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play Store (for Android devices). Type “Spotify” into the search bar, and download the app with the green and black logo.
If you want to access Spotify in your browser, just type “Spotify” into your search bar and select the first result, which should have the same logo as above. In Spotify, no matter which version you’re using, go into the search bar. In your browser, the “search” option will be located on the left-hand side. In the app, it will be along the bottom of the screen.
Type the name of the podcast you’re looking for into the search bar. When the podcast pops up, tap it. Then you’ll be able to read the description and select the episode you want to listen to. Newest episodes will be at the top of the screen, and you can scroll down to access earlier episodes, or the first, if you want to start at the beginning. Tap the episode you want to listen to, and hit the play button.
YouTube
Many of these podcasts do have a YouTube counterpart. You can access it through your phone, or computer. Many devices do not come with it pre-downloaded so you’ll have to go into the App Store (for Apple devices) or Google Play Store (for Android devices). Type “YouTube” into the search bar, and download; the logo is mainly white with a red box and white play button.
Once you have downloaded it onto your device, you can either sign in using your Google account, or continue signed out. Go into the search bar, type in the name of the podcast, select an episode, and enjoy watching.
You can also search on your computer using the web browser. Go to the search bar at the top of the screen and type, “www.youtube.com;” you can sign in if you want to. Go into the search bar, type in the name of the podcast, select an episode, and enjoy watching.
Now that you know the 20 best podcasts for writers and where to find them, you can start listening to them at your leisure. Don’t feel obligated to listen to them all at once; you can listen to a few at a time. Happy listening!
-- This blog post was updated in April 2025 by Matthew Sgabellone
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