Podcasts Hit the Books

Publishers are seizing on the audio medium known for its eclectic voices and passionate fans; ‘the market for weirdness is untapped’

Kevin Allison has an unusual strategy to turn his new book “Risk!” into a best seller.

People who preorder it can hear him sing their names off-key at the end of his storytelling podcast by the same name. One listener even snagged a birthday shoutout for her mom.

The book coming out Tuesday, whose stories range from kinky sex to kidnapping,...