Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
Sarah WendellEach week on Smart Podcast, Trashy Books, Sarah Wendell interviews authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians about romance novels, which are among the most popular genres in fiction worldwide. Popular guests include: Ilona Andrews, Robin Bradford, NPR's Barrie Hardymon, Chuck Tingle, Sarah J. Maas, and Rachel Aaron. Amanda Diehl, co-pilot of the SS Sm... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 526 | Founded | 5 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BooksArtsFiction | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Katie Wilbert is a writer and performer, she moonlights as a disco ball, and she writes television romantic comedies, including A Vineyard Christmas.
So we are going behind the scenes to explore what makes a good Christmas rom com, and what her expe... more
Lea Vale is the author of Blue Sky Black, a dual-timeline recent history romance that takes place, in part, on 9/11/2001. We talk about writing recent history, especially recent traumatic history, into romance, we also discuss the power of the HEA, a... more
It’s time machine time! We’re going back to June 2007 to look at the Ads & Features in Romantic Times magazine. This one’s got some gawdawful letters to the editor and some equally heinous responses, and we are prepped for battle.
First, we talk abo... more
By listener request! My guest today is author and professor Jodi McAlister. You might remember Jodi from her appearance in episode 626 when we talked about her Marry Me Juliet trilogy, set within a fictional version of The Bachelor.
Now she’s in the... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Hosts
Reviews
- I don’t even read romance
And I don’t have any interest. But, I can’t stop listening to this podcast. It’s so interesting
Apple Podcasts5Sweet Hayley Grace
United States5 months ago - Addictive and intelligent
I have listened for years now and always enjoyed myself, smiled and learned new things. There’s a pleasure in hearing smart people enjoying things they are passionate about, particularly when the discussions are wide ranging but often circle back to writing and romance genre fiction. I also like the bad jokes the host likes to end each episode with.
Apple Podcasts5RhodePVDUnited Statesa year ago - Awesome show
What a great listen. You don’t even have to be the biggest fan of reading to enjoy this show. They do so a wonderful job, that it will make you a fan of reading. Keep up the great work!!!
Apple Podcasts5SkilletbrewUnited States2 years ago Love these seasonal episodes very much x
Podcast Addict52 years agojlkRecently got into the romance genre and this podcast has been a great way of finding out what's what. There have been some fascinating guests and the discussions touch on so many aspects of life that I'm ashamed to say I've been rather ignorant of. As a bog-standard middle-aged man it has been a massive eye opener, as well as being very entertaining. Thank you to the hosts for making this.
Podcast Addict52 years agoJambon
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #205 |  Norway/Arts/Books |
Apple Podcasts | #237 |  Brazil/Arts/Books |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast
What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?
A long-running, talk-focused show about romance fiction, publishing, and reader culture. Conversations frequently feature authors, editors, and publishing professionals, with episodes blending author interviews, industry analysis, and book recommendations. Founders and recurring co-hosts bring warmth, humor, and a deep affection for romance, often exploring how trends, branding, and community shape the genre. Notable for its candid discussions, scholarly perspectives, and regular return to retro publishing era topics, it's a good fit for listeners who love in-depth genre insights, author dynamics, and community-building in publishing. The show is also known for its approachable critique of industry practices, plus lively banter and strong g... more
Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does this podcast get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for this podcast?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?
To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?
These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:
1. Fated Mates - Romance Books for Novel People
2. Reading Smut
3. The Worst Bestsellers
4. Pop Culture Happy Hour
5. If Books Could Kill
How many episodes of this podcast are there?
this podcast launched 5 years ago and published 526 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact this podcast?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on this podcast?
Recent guests on this podcast include:
1. Katie Wilbert
2. Lea Vale
3. Jodi McAlister
4. Adib Khorram
5. Lucy Wilson-Tagoe
6. Dylan Allen
7. Jess Rothschild
8. Dylan MarcAurele
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.