Publishing podcasts: an analysis of the innovation component of the Ukrainian market

Abstract

The article is devoted to identifying the podcast activity of Ukrainian publishers as an important innovation component of their marketing activities. The objective of the article is to study the level of podcast activity of Ukrainian publishing houses and to analyze the thematic diversity of domestic publishing podcasts as an aspect of the innovative component of the publishing business. The 130 Ukrainian publishing houses were analyzed to determine their podcasting activity by formal and content features. It has been found that only 8 publishers create their own podcasts (mostly 1–2 podcasts from the publishing house; a total of 14 podcasts, 163 episodes). The methodological basis of the study is content analysis, methods of generalization, comparison, analysis, and synthesis. The study found that publishers are the most active: Laboratory (podcasts such as «Laboratory of Senses» that includes 22 episodes; «Laboratory of Nonfiction» – 26 episodes); Astrolabe (podcast of Radio «Astrolabe» with 32 episodes); Dukh i Litera (podcast «Laboratory: 1000» including 4 episodes; «Dukh i Litera: Podcast» – 20 episodes). The overwhelming majority of the analyzed episodes in all podcasts (58%) by category are devoted to discussing books published by publishing houses, in particular in the form of conversations with translators, publicists, and editors; 27% of them are episodes that do not deal with book publishing. Literary and literary-related topics are devoted to 8% of podcasts; authors’ creative paths, genres, etc. are covered in 7% of podcasts.