https://www.wsj.com/articles/podcast...hp_featst_pos1
I noticed his picture and thought Hey, that looks like Kevin Allison.
Here's the story:
Kevin Allison has an unusual strategy to turn his new book “Risk!” into a best seller.
People who preorder it can hear him sing their names off-key at the end of his storytelling podcast by the same name. One listener even snagged a birthday shoutout for her mom.
The book coming out Tuesday, whose stories range from kinky sex to kidnapping, is an extension of a nearly decade-old podcast in which ordinary people share secrets about their lives. Mr. Allison, a 48-year-old Ohioan turned New Yorker, is about to find out whether his roughly 1 million free downloads a month will translate into book sales.
“Risk!” is the latest book built on a podcast, a growing industry niche as publishers seize on the audio medium known for eclectic voices, relatively low production costs and fervent fans. After years of making YouTubers and social-media stars into authors, publishers are now doing the same for podcasters.