A Podcast is a digital media file, audio or video, but usually audio. These files are distributed via the Internet for others to listen to. As an author, podcasts can provide a new way for you to market you and your books.A podcast can provide a deeper look into some of your writings. It can be a teaser into one of the chapters of your new book coming out or a different way to lead people to works you may already have published. You can either read your work or have someone else record it. Like the old time radio shows, you can add sound effects to add that special something.Podcasts are also a great way to share your public relations activities. Think about sharing recordings of interviews you’ve given. If you haven’t yet given a formal interview have a trusted friend interview you and record that for the podcast. You can put these recordings on your own website or blog but you can also post them through services such as Blog Talk Radio, which allows you to have your interview stream live and then will archive the interview into a podcast which you can listen to later online or as a downloadable file. Other services allow you to upload your podcast so that you can allow anyone to hear it on a specific site.If you write non-fiction you can record podcasts that share information related to the topic(s) of your book. This increases your exposure and further establishes your expertise on the topic(s), potentially driving readers to your books. For fiction writers podcasts help people to know more about you and perhaps get a glimpse into why you write the way you do or maybe why they should read your other books.With podcasts, you as the author now have the chance to explore another way of marketing your work. More and more people carry devices that play audio files such as music files, audio books, or podcasts. You can use podcasts reach your current and potential audiences in a whole new way.