What to Do If You Need an Episode and Don’t Have one Prepped

Quick Fixes to Maintain Your Podcast Schedule

This month, one of my podcast partners is re-releasing an episode. It’s a great strategy when the recording calendar has been feeling too tight, and it’s a perfect time for this re-release because there’s synchronicity with the content of the episode that lines up well with the calendar year.

When you need an episode and do not have time for your normal episode style, here are a few options to keep your cadence without cramming your calendar too full.

Re-release an Episode

• I always record a very quick intro for these to say that it is an encore episode + why I’m rereleasing it. I didn’t do that in the beginning, and I had a listener say, “I think I’ve heard this before?” After that, I always made sure to announce it so there would be no confusion.

  
  

• I do count this as a NEW episode; I upload a new audio and video version with new links, and I create new graphics and blog posts (if applicable) for it.

  
  

• These can be called a re-release, an encore episode, or something else, but it’s helpful to make sure any graphics and titles indicate that it is a repeat.

  
  

Record a Quick Solo Episode

• Solo episodes can come in the form of a “Get to Know the Host,” a Q&A episode with listener questions, a Hot Takes kind of episode, a Behind-the-Scenes episode, or many other options.

  
  

• These solo episodes can be a real life saver when it comes to sustainability. If you’d rather not be alone on an episode, you could have a friend or easy-to-book guest who joins you for that kind of episode. As a producer, I sometimes join my podcast hosts on their shows to facilitate this kind of episode. Even if you don’t have a producer, you could have someone fill that role for you (a friend or family member is totally fine!), but solo episodes featuring just you as the host are also great!

  
  

• These can be short and fun. They do not have to be the normal style or length of your standard episodes.

  
  

Release an Announcement

• Record and release an announcement to let listeners know what is going on. Sometimes I mark these as a “bonus” so that they won’t count in my episode numbers, and sometimes I take them down later because of the way bonus episodes hang out on your episode feed.

  
  

• With announcements, I usually do NOT count this as an episode, and I do not do a blog post or other bonus content.

  
  

Take a Break

• Remember that it is always okay to take a break. If you need to pause, just let your audience know what is going on if and when you can, and then take a break when needed. Life happens, and the more your podcast works with your life, the more you’ll be able to sustain it.

  
  

• I often remind myself that we set our own clocks when it comes to our podcast schedule, and the truth is that no one is paying more attention to that clock than we are as the creators. Consistency is an essential part of having a successful podcast, but it’s also okay if things need to change.

  
  

Most importantly, remember that your podcast only exists because of you, and doing what you need to do to take care of yourself and your loved ones wins over producing content no matter what. But these tips can help you navigate the bumps in your release schedule to ensure as much continuity as possible while also honoring what you need beyond the podcast.

[This post was originally published on Substack. Feel free to subscribe there.]