Talk is Expensive - A Beginner's Guide to Podcasting in 2026 (+ Budget Calculator & Glossary)

Hey, I'm Panos, and I live in a small town somewhere in Northern Greece. I'm a web developer and writer with over 17+ years of experience, having 10+ years of podcast and audio editing knowledge & skills.

This 15-chapter guide shows you how to start, grow, and actually make money from your podcast in 2026.

You don't need perfect equipment, a massive audience, or years of experience to make money podcasting. You need the right strategy.

What You're Getting

Complete System From "I have an idea" to "I just got my first sponsor," every step is covered. Recording, editing, publishing, growing, monetizing, and troubleshooting.

📕 62-page comprehensive guide (15 chapters).

🛠️ Tool recommendations at every price point (free to professional).

📋 52-Week launch plan (day-by-day action steps).

✅ The Podcaster's Checklist (pre-recording essentials).

🎯 The Blue Ocean Strategy framework (make competition irrelevant).

💰 4 monetization models explained in detail.

🔧 Complete troubleshooting guide (every common problem solved).

Inside "Talk is Expensive" you'll learn:

• The Blue Ocean Strategy - How to make competition irrelevant by being #1 for 1,000 people instead of #10,000 for "everyone."
• The $0 to $5K Roadmap - Realistic monetization timelines and strategies (affiliate marketing, sponsorships, your own products, memberships).
• Equipment That Actually Matters - From smartphone recording to professional setups, with specific recommendations at every budget.
• Growth Hacking Without the Hype - Guest strategies, SEO for podcasts, the content pyramid, clip-to-reel pipelines that actually work.
• The 52-Week Mindset - Why most podcasts fail before episode 10, and how to be in the top 10% who make it to episode 52.

Who This Is For:

• First-time podcasters who are tired of vague advice and want step-by-step instructions.
• Stalled podcasters who have 10-20 episodes but can't break through to growth.
• Content creators looking to add podcasting to their revenue streams.
• Business owners who want to use podcasting to generate leads and clients.
• Anyone who's been "planning" their podcast for months and needs a kick in the ass to actually start.

Who This ISN'T For:

• People looking for get-rich-quick schemes.
• Those expecting millions of downloads in month one.
• Anyone unwilling to publish consistently for at least 52 weeks.
• Podcasters who already have 10,000+ downloads per episode (you're past this).

What Makes This Different

Just Experience: I made my first $2,000 from podcasting with terrible audio quality and a decade-old laptop. Then I figured out what actually matters (and it's not your microphone).

Real Timelines:

• Month 1-3: $0.
• Month 4-6: $100-500.
• Month 7-12: $500-2,000.
• Year 2+: $2,000-10,000+.

These aren't made up. This is the realistic path.

Chapter Breakdown

1. The Blue Ocean Strategy (Make Competition Irrelevant).
2. Understanding the Basics (RSS Feeds, Hosting, Equipment).
3. Equipment Guide (Smartphones to Professional Setups).
4. Recording Your First Episode (Solo, Interviews, Co-hosts).
5. Editing Your Podcast (Audacity & Adobe Audition).
6. Creating Your Artwork & Branding.
7. Publishing Your Podcast (Spotify, Apple, YouTube).
8. Growing Your Audience (What Actually Works).
9. Monetization (4 Models from Easiest to Hardest).
10. Video Podcasts (Should You Do It?).
11. Consistency is Everything (The 52-Week Mindset).
12. Advanced Tactics (SEO, Clips, Email Lists).
13. Legal & Copyright Basics (Stay Protected).
14. Troubleshooting Common Issues (Audio Problems Solved).
15. Your Action Plan (30-Day Launch Roadmap).

The Tools: Budget Calculator & Podcaster's Glossary

I've built both tools by myself (I'm a web developer, after all). They work both on smartphones and PCs, and I'll keep updating them with new features (based on your feedback).

You can find the links to access the tools, or just double-click to open the .html files, and choose to open them with your preferred browser. And that's it, you can use them without an internet connection!

Screenshots from the tools:

The Bottom Line

Every successful podcaster started with the same doubts you have right now. The difference? They hit record anyway.

Your first episode will be rough. But you can't get to your 50th episode (which will be great) without publishing your 1st episode first.

One year from now, you'll either have 52 episodes and an audience that cares about what you have to say, or you'll still be planning the "perfect" podcast that never launched.

Your move.

A massive shout-out to my little sister!

She spent hours helping me cross the finish line, catching every typo and design glitch I missed. This book is significantly better because of her great ideas and tireless effort. You’re the best, little one!

An important note: If you buy this book and you find something that you don't like, such as not including specific information, grammar mistakes, or anything else, before leaving a negative review, I'd much appriciate if you could contact me first, let me know your issues, and give me a few hours to get back to you either with a final answer (or a new update to the e-book or the tools).

Please let me aware that this is my first e-book. I've never written an e-book before.

Thanks in advance to everyone who was kind enough to get my e-book, try my tools, give me their valuable feedback, and review my product.

If you have any pre-sale questions, I'd love to hear them out!