Metro Roundup: Local podcaster Knox McCoy releases 2nd book

Knox McCoy was working as a screen printer when he first heard about podcasts.

“It was seven hours of folding T-shirts, and I thought [listening to podcasts] would help me pass the time,” he said. “Then, I thought maybe I could do something like that.”

McCoy began podcasting in 2010 and currently has three podcasts: “The Popcast,” “The Bible Binge,” and “All Things Recapped.”

McCoy and his family moved from Chattanooga to Inverness two years ago. Both of McCoy’s podcast business partners were in Birmingham, and he said making the move made sense and has been super helpful, as being in the same office makes things more manageable. His three children attend Briarwood Christian School.

However, this isn’t his first experience in Alabama. McCoy attended Samford University for a year and loved it. He finished at Lee College with an English degree and knew he wanted to write. He is now the author of two published books.

His first book, “The Wondering Years: How Pop Culture Helped Me Answer Life’s Biggest Questions,” was published in November 2018. In it, he tried to reconcile growing up as an evangelical Christian but not having the same experiences that he felt others had.

“I could see them finding God, but that wasn’t my experience,” he said. “I loved movies, books and TV shows, and I wrote about how I was able to find God through pop culture.”

Because he had signed a two-book deal, he began working on his second one just three months after the first was published.

“I started in February 2019 and had five months to write the book,” McCoy said. “Over three months, I took three trips on Amtrak from Birmingham to New Orleans. I would write all the way there, get a hotel and write all the way back. It’s some of the most productive work I’ve done.”

His second book, “All Things Reconsidered,” was released June 2. In it, he uses everything from Bible stories, pop culture references and personal stories to show how asking tough questions and approaching life with a willingness to reconsider ideas can allow people to grow in their faith.

“The heart of the book is taking serious topics and silly topics and tearing them apart,” he said. “I’m not saying this is the truth of what everything is, but doing for myself. People can agree or disagree, but also be inspired by how I’m doing this with my own life.”

It was blogging that brought him and his business partner, Jamie Golden, together in 2013. They were part of a blogging platform that helped people learn how to be better writers. After they met at a blog conference in Nashville, McCoy said he knew she was someone he would want to work with.

“We came from the blogging world, so it was a natural transition [to podcasting],” he said.

The gig went from part-time to full-time in 2017. McCoy handles the editing and producing, and Golden does all the marketing and finances. Their schedule allows them to record three days per week, and the other days are spent editing, recording videos and in meetings at their office in Vestavia.

McCoy said he will probably start working on another book next year.

“It’s always been a dream for me, and no matter how difficult it is, I love it. It’s hard to complain. I get to watch TV shows and write books. Now, I just need some sports to comeback,” he said.