Not Every Creator Wants To Be On Camera
Why podcasting might be exactly the publishing format you've been looking for.
What if the reason you’ve been putting off starting a podcast isn’t because you don’t have enough to say...but because you’ve been picturing the wrong kind of podcast?
It sometimes feels like every creator is expected to turn on a camera.
Record a video.
Go live.
Post reels.
Show their face.
For a while, it seemed like if you wanted to grow an audience online, video wasn’t just an option—it was the expectation.
However, what if that’s not how you communicate best and what if your ideas come alive through your voice instead?
If the thought of being on camera has been the one thing holding you back from podcasting, I want you to know something.
You don’t have to be.
I know this from my own experience. I’ve had my NP Fellow Collective podcast on Spotify for almost a year now.
I have an entire library of recorded episodes of me reading my NP Fellow Become The CEO of Your Health articles.
There’s no intro with a jingle, no special guests, no cameras, no crazy podcast room, no microphones, and definitely no fancy equipment or lighting.
I use my phone to read the article out loud and I use my laptop to record. That’s it.
My podcast is literally just my voice. If I can do it, you certainly can too. 🙌
The Real Reason I Wrote This
After publishing my guide on How To Start A Podcast On Substack, I expected questions about microphones, recording software, and podcast hosting.
Instead, something else happened.
People started telling me why they hadn’t started a podcast in the first place.
One reader shared:
“I don’t like being on lives or doing videos, so a podcast will allow me to share what I want to without sharing my face.”
That comment stuck with me because it wasn’t really about podcasting.
It was about finally finding a publishing format that felt natural.
Sometimes we assume podcasting means interviews, video, expensive equipment, or a professional studio.
It doesn’t.
Sometimes it’s simply your voice. Just you, your recording device, and your piece of writing you’re reading out loud. That’s it.
Presence Without Performance
One of the biggest misconceptions about podcasting is that it has to feel like performing.
It doesn’t.
Podcasting gives you the chance to connect with people in a different way.
You don’t have to think about lighting.
You don’t have to worry about your background.
You don’t have to spend time editing videos.
You simply press record and share your ideas.
For many creators, that’s a much more comfortable way to communicate.
Your audience isn’t looking at your camera.
They’re listening to your thoughts and your perspective.
Your Voice Is Enough
One of my favorite things about podcasting is how flexible it can be.
You don’t have to interview guests, you don’t have to create elaborate productions, and you don’t even have to invent brand-new content.
If you’ve already been publishing articles on Substack, your next podcast episode could simply be you reading one of them aloud.
→ You’ve already done the hard part and you’ve already written the words.
→ Now you’re giving your readers another way to experience them.
Sometimes that’s exactly what they want.
Build The Podcast That Fits You
I think creators get into trouble when they try to copy someone else’s podcast.
They see polished interviews.
Multi-camera setups.
Professional intros.
Weekly guests.
And they assume that’s the standard.
It isn’t.
Your podcast should reflect the way you naturally communicate.
Maybe that’s reading your articles.
Maybe it’s sharing a five-minute lesson.
Maybe it’s having thoughtful conversations with other creators.
Maybe it’s a mix of all three.
There isn’t one right way to build a podcast.
There’s only the way you’ll still enjoy recording six months from now.
Start With Your Strengths
The goal isn’t to become a podcaster.
The goal is to become someone who publishes consistently.
→ If podcasting helps you do that, it’s worth exploring.
Not because everyone else has a podcast, but because it might be the publishing format you’ve been looking for all along.
Final Thoughts: If You’re Stuck Right Now
For a long time, it felt like creators only had one path.
Write.
Film.
Edit.
Repeat.
Today, we have more ways than ever to share our ideas.
If being on camera has kept you from starting a podcast, it doesn’t mean podcasting isn’t for you.
It might simply mean you’ve been imagining a version of podcasting that doesn’t fit the way you naturally create.
The best podcast isn’t the one with the most expensive equipment, the biggest audience, or the most polished production.
It’s the one you’ll actually keep publishing because consistency has never come from choosing the most popular format.
It comes from choosing the one that feels like home.
Thank you so much for being here. I truly appreciate you.
— Jessica
Move first. Refine second. Publish with structure.
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One of the comments on my podcast article stopped me in my tracks.
It became today's article.
Sometimes the best ideas don't come from brainstorming.
They come from listening.
The flexibility of podcasting allows for creativity without the stress of video. Focus on sharing your ideas in a way that feels right for you.