The biggest mistakes indie podcasters make

Welcome! I'm Simon Owens and this is my media newsletter. You can subscribe by clicking on this handy little button:

Yes, I know most of you have already checked out for the Thanksgiving holiday already, but I figured I’d slip in one last newsletter under the wire. Let’s jump into it…

Lessons learned from producing 100 podcast episodes

When it comes to production quality, too many podcasters settle for “good enough.” They look at a prestige show like This American Life and figure they’ll never achieve that kind of audio quality, so they aim for the bare minimum. [Simon Owens]

How Millennial YouTubers Make Up to $4 Million a Year Teaching Finance

A good overview of Personal Finance YouTube. I find these channels to be a little bit gimmicky, in that they drive a lot of growth through clickbait titles humble bragging about how much money they make. [Better Marketing]

Does the holiday spirit make you feel generous?

If so, consider becoming a paid subscriber to an independent journalist who spends every week scrambling to deliver you insights that will help you in your career. Paid subscribers get access to case study interviews I conducted with some of the most successful media entrepreneurs working today. Subscribe at the link below and get 10% off for your first year.

98 Million TikTok Followers Can’t Be Wrong

“I would compare it to a Hollywood studio. The only difference here is the influencers live in the studio.” [The Atlantic]

Trump bump: NYT and WaPo digital subscriptions tripled since 2016

Some interesting tidbits in here about how WashPo and NYT's strategies differ. NYT is focused on hiring big name stars, whereas WashPo is more focused on building out concentrated beats that readers find valuable. NYT is the Boston Red Sox while WashPo is the Oakland As playing moneyball. [Axios]

One last thing before you head off to cook your turkey

See these spikes in the below graph?

Those are all the times over the past month when one of my subscribers took a few moments of their time to recommend my newsletter on their social media accounts. Those recommendations are this newsletter’s lifeblood, in that they are the primary driver of its growth. Can you take a few seconds to do the same?

Here, I’ll even provide you some language you can copy and paste:

I've really been enjoying @simonowens' media newsletter. If you work in the industry and aren’t subscribed, then you’re missing out. 

https://simonowens.substack.com

Thank you in advance!