Author Hour, the podcast
Long conversations with nonfiction authors about their books, hosted by Eric Jorgenson, Scribe's Author in Residence. It is not a writing class. It is a large, free library of authors explaining what their book says and what it did for them, which is useful in a different way.
- What it is
- An interview podcast. Each episode features one author or a pair of co-authors.
- Format
- Audio and video. Every episode page on scribemedia.com also has a transcript.
- Length
- 1,515 episodes listed on the show page today. Recent episodes run roughly 30 to 50 minutes.
- What it asks
- Nothing. Listen on the site, Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
What it is good for
Most episodes are about the ideas in the guest's book: leadership, health, money, a personal story. You will not get a lesson on outlining. What you get is a pattern, repeated hundreds of times: a person with expertise explains, in plain speech, the core idea of their book, why they wrote it, and who it is for. Listening to a few is a good way to hear what a clear book idea sounds like out loud, and what a muddy one sounds like.
Some episodes go further and talk about what the book did after launch. These are the most useful ones for authors. For example, Ron Thurston's playbook for turning a book into a speaking business covers getting booked for keynotes and how he handles the money conversation.
Who it is for
- People deciding whether to write a book who want to hear from authors, not from a company.
- Authors in your field. If you search the episode list for your industry, you will likely find several guests who wrote for the same readers you want.
- Authors with a finished book looking for ideas on speaking, media and using the book in business.
What you come away with
- A feel for how authors describe their book in one or two minutes, which is a skill you will need on every podcast, stage and sales call.
- Examples of book ideas in your own field, and how they were framed.
- Practical stories about launch, speaking and client work from people who have done it.
How to get the most from it
- Do not start at the newest episode. Use the episode directory, an alphabetical list of all episodes, and search the page for your topic or industry.
- Read instead of listening when you are short on time. Each episode page has a transcript. Skim it for the part where the author explains why they wrote the book.
- Listen for the one-sentence pitch. Most guests sum up their book at some point in the conversation. Write down the ones that land. Then try to say yours as clearly.
- Pair an episode with a success story. Some guests also have a written success story. Hearing them talk and then reading the results gives a fuller picture.
Its honest limits
- It does not teach writing or publishing step by step. For that, use The Scribe Method.
- It is made by Scribe and many guests are Scribe authors, so it reflects one company and one way of making books.
- With more than 1,500 episodes, quality and relevance vary. The directory helps, but expect to skip around.
- The show is friendly by design. Guests talk about what went well more than what went wrong.
Related: Office Hours with Eric Jorgenson
Eric also runs free live Office Hours sessions with open questions on books, publishing and author impact. When we checked on October 20, 2026, no session was scheduled; the most recent one listed was in July 2026. If a date is posted, registration is free.
Before and after
Before: nothing needed. This is a good first resource if you are curious but not committed.
After: if an episode convinces you a book is worth it, read Part 2 of The Scribe Method and try the North Star tool. If you already have a book, go to the Speaking Playbook.