When an Interview Isn’t Good Enough to Publish

Should You Publish a Bad Interview? (Even If It Hurts Their Feelings)

You just finished recording. The audio is clean, the guest showed up on time... and the conversation was completely forgettable. Do you publish it anyway, or do you tell your guest "no thanks" and risk an awkward, guilt-ridden conversation?

A Reddit question kicks off this episode: a new podcaster recorded an interview that just wasn't interesting, and now feels guilty about shelving it. I break down why that guilt is misplaced, how to spot the guests who never cared about your audience in the first place, and the exact line you can use to say no without burning a bridge.

In this episode, Dave covers:

• Why a "meh" episode is sometimes on you, not the guest — and the research questions to ask before you ever hit record
• How to spot a guest who wants to pitch himself to you instead of serving your listeners
• The pre-interview trick that saves you from wasting a full hour on a guest who isn't a fit
• The exact script to use when you have to tell someone their interview won't air
• Why setting the "I reserve the right not to publish" expectation up front makes the hard conversation so much easier
• The goalie mindset: why protecting your audience from mediocre content matters more than one guest's feelings

A line worth remembering: "Do I want one stranger mad at me, or my entire audience going, 'Is it time to swipe left and unsubscribe?'"

If you're building (or fixing) your podcast and want help with exactly this kind of decision, Dave's been coaching podcasters for over 20 years at School of Podcasting. Use coupon code LISTENER for a discount, backed by a 29-day money-back guarantee.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy