"When I write fiction, I never try to deliver a message; I just want to tell a story. But I admit that I want the story to be memorable and the characters to touch the reader's heart.?" -- Isabel Allende
In a nutshell, the answer to Why Now? is because we can. Sure, microphones and book narrators have been around a long time. But...
If you have a podcast, you have some, well, power, authority, credibility. Just like if you have a book, you instantly have some leverage...
It's more than talking to your smartphone.