Podcast Spotlight: M+K Talk Y.A.
It’s more than that though. Great podcasts come from passionate hosts discussing a topic they actually care about. Both Marissa and Katie, the M and K in M+K Talk Y.A. are not only passionate about the subject, they’re articulate, insightful, comedic, and have a tangible chemistry you need in a two-host podcast. So despite YA not necessarily being my genre of choice, the podcast works and converted even an old curmudgeon like me.
I was fortunate enough to talk to both Marissa and Katie about the podcast, including they’re passion for YA (even added some books to my queue), listener feedback, and how they continue creating a podcast with all the challenges they face. See below for our Q&A.
Listen: Apple Podcasts
Discover Pods: How’d you get into podcasting?
Marissa:
Katie and I became friends through a book club (no surprises there), and it was really exciting to meet someone who shared my obsession with YA fantasy. We eventually started reading YA series outside of book club and getting together to talk about them. Since we were already having long discussions about our favorite books, we thought why not turn it into a podcast?
Katie:
It’s true that books (and our love of Taylor Swift) has always been the thing that brought Marissa and I together, and I’m always looking for an excuse to add more of that to my life. I think it was Marissa who first suggested a podcast, although I don’t know how serious she was at the time. At first it was a “Ha ha wouldn’t that would be cool if we did that?” And then shortly after, it became a “But wait, that really WOULD be cool if we did that!” And then we started podcasting, and we were right, it WAS pretty cool.
DP: Why did you decided to focus on young adult entertainment?
Marissa:
YA is super trendy right now, and it’s a genre read by all ages. I’ve met so many 30+ year olds like me who unabashedly love YA! I also knew that if I was going to dedicate a large amount of time to a project, it would have to be something I was absolutely crazy about. YA literature (and reading in general) definitely makes my “top three reasons for living” list.
Katie:
Agreed! I’ve been a fan of YA since I was a young adult, and to be honest I still feel like a young adult (growing up is a choice right)? I read a variety of things in my spare time, but there is something about YA literature that has always appealed to me, and a significant percentage of my book time is spent on that. Marissa and I are both big readers, so we had to narrow it down somehow, and it helps that our book friendship has been largely YA based.
DP: What are some must read/watch YA series?
Marissa:
My favorite series we’ve read so far on our podcast is Marie Lu’s The Young Elites. I also really enjoyed the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo. Both of these women are hugely talented writers, and they do a great job creating unique worlds and interesting, diverse characters.
Katie:
To be honest, I don’t think there’s a series we’ve done yet that I didn’t enjoy. I love the variety and how each new world we explore helps me get over my book hangover (or heartbreak) from the series before. I’m a huge fan of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. I also think that the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer and the Red Rising trilogy by Pierce Brown are both great series (although I feel like they appeal to slightly different audiences based on feedback from friends and listeners).
DP: How has listener feedback been?
Marissa:
Katie and I really wanted to create a podcast that could be enjoyed by people who read the books along with us, and by people who don’t read at all. We always dedicate a portion of our podcast to researching topics in the books that we find interesting and sharing the strange, funny, and sometimes astounding facts we find. So far, we’ve learned about the history of dueling, medieval castle defense mechanisms, how to survive a shipwreck, and more! It’s always amazing to hear from listeners who are part of the YA fandom and love the books we read, but it’s also exciting when we hear from fans who just like following along for the research portion.
Katie:
Listener feedback is one of the best parts about the podcast! We get some great messages on social media from fans, but I’m really hoping this year we can up our interaction level. We’d love to get more opinions on what series to read, and we definitely need our fans to send us more dad jokes! In general, we just want to have a conversation about the books we love. My sister lives in Haiti, and she was intrigued by my microphone setup while visiting once, so I showed her how it worked and recorded a short segment where we talked about the book we were reading on the podcast. Marissa and I actually loved how that turned out, and we came up with the idea of starting Super Fan Sunday. In these episodes, we interview one of our fans to get their take on the books we read. I love talking to Marissa, but it has been so great to reach out to some listeners and hear their thoughts as well. They’ve become some of my favorite episodes because I just want to talk about YA fiction with everyone all the time!
DP: What’s the biggest challenge you face as an indie podcast?
Marissa:
There are so many incredible YA series out there that it can be tough to decide which books to read next. We have a to-be-read pile that never stops growing! We won’t read a series unless all the books are released, and we won’t read anything that has already been made into a movie. Even with those guidelines, the sheer number of YA books out there can be overwhelming. We spend a lot of time researching what’s on trend and keeping track of when new books are being released. We’re also trying to set aside time to travel more this year, so we can attend book signings and expos.
Katie:
Balancing life, a full-time job, and a podcast can be tricky. We dedicate two episodes to every book, and we release an episode every week. That means we have to find time to record, edit, take pictures for our Instagram, research relevant topics, and read half a book— every week. It’s a lot of work! Luckily, it’s also a ton of fun and once we get a time turner (Hermione style) it will be no problem at all.
DP: What are your five favorite podcasts?
Marissa:
I’m a huge fan of sci-fi and fantasy radio dramas, and right now I’m loving The Bright Sessions and Wolf 359. I also really enjoyed listening to We’re Alive, Wormwood, and the Leviathan Chronicles.
Katie:
To be honest, I need to do a better job of listening to other podcasts (this one takes up all of my time)! I really like Invisibilia and RadioLab. I also got into Serial when that first came out and have enjoyed listening to some other indie podcasts like Varmints! and Trends in Low Places.
DP: Anything else you’d like to add?
Marissa:
Thank you for helping to promote indie podcasts!
Katie:
We appreciate your support, but the rotation of the earth really makes my day. C’mon we have to end on a dad joke!
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