#i only noted what was a podcast and an audio/radio title for the podcast one

[bakanokiwami]

any chance you would do a chart race for the web series category?

I can work on one! :) Might take a week or two though. ...Or three.😂 But we'll see!

[specialagentartemis]

I see this in the tag from time to time: I listened to Wolf 359/(other podcasts), now I’m looking for new podcast recs!

Wolf 359 is truly one-of-a-kind, but I have fallen hard for audio drama podcasts since, so here are some that I’ve really liked that have similar feelings in different ways.

(50% are set in space.  50% have POC leads. 83%-100% are queer depending on whether you count on-screen or also word-of-god canonicity.  All are great.)

Plain text below the cut; links to all the shows mentioned are in the notes!

Title slide: Help!  I Listened To Wolf 359 And Don’t Know What To Listen To Next!  An(other) Audio Drama Recommendation Guide.

Slide 2: I want to listen to something else like Wolf 359…

Wolf 359 was truly one-of-a-kind, an amazing sci-fi podcast. And so many of us have felt the feeling “Now that I’ve listened to Wolf 359, what should I listen to next that will give me the same feeling?” This is the audio drama recommendation guide for you! But the fundamental question is…

… What are you looking for more of?

Slide 3: The Setting.  A space station or spaceship in deep space; what’s better than that?

Girl In Space by Sarah Rhea Warner

A scientist all alone on a space station overgrown with plants, orbiting a very strange star…

… or at least, all alone until the corporate ship that has owned the station all along shows up

Cinematic, fast-paced, like a YA novel in audio drama form

The Strange Case of Starship Iris by Jessica Best

Violet Liu, a shy scientist, when her research ship explodes under mysterious circumstances and hope seems lost, gets rescued…

… by a spaceship full of smugglers.

They uncover a conspiracy about the evil space government.

Ensemble cast, fighting space fascism, soft found family vibes.

There are of course tons more I haven’t listened to yet – We Fix Space Junk, The Orphans, StarTripper!!, Marsfall… But also, not podcasts but, if you liked Wolf 359 I highly recommend watching Babylon 5 and Star Trek: Deep Space 9.

Slide 4: The Premise

A small crew + AI on an isolated research base, linked to their commanding corporation by radio only, but Command is responding less and less and won’t explain what’s happening, and the secrets and dangers are rising and the crew has to deal with it alone…

Primordial Deep by Jordan Cobb

Small, handpicked, woefully unprepared crew sent to an underwater base to study the mysterious reappearance of prehistoric sea creatures

The deep-underwater base is called the “Tiamat” if that gives you any clue to how well it goes

Thriller-drama with horror elements, and gorgeous prose in monologues and descriptions

Think “Wolf 359 but underwater” and you get a good sense of the plot and tone

Micro-Cosmos by Lauren Tucker and Jesse Smith

A small crew of a terraforming unit are surveying a distant planet.  Things go wrong.  

Starts very funny and fun, with engaging characters and banter; gets steadily more serious and dramatic.

Slide 5: Communicating with an Alien Intelligence

Whether unfathomable reality-warping entities or natural alien intelligences, sometimes they are here to judge humanity and you need to go through the slow process of learning to communicate with them.

The Last Show by Danny Roa and Clay McDermott

Post-apocalyptic comedy about a college radio station broadcasting into the end of the world.

The funniest podcast I’ve ever listened to—perfect balance of comedy and plot, and never goes the Audio Drama Route of descending into heartbreak!  Stays upbeat and funny!

The Power Of Friendship, between human friends as well as otherworldly apocalyptic entity friends.

Tides by Jesse Schuschu and Ayla Taylor

Grouchy, stranded  biologist wanders an oceanic alien world, is in awe of the alien life there.

Scientific ethics!  Deep attention to alien biology!  Serious consideration of alien thought and communication!

Bonus: Diary of a Space Archivist by Beccy Stirrup does interesting things with this concept as well!

Slide 6: Aliens Stole My Identity

Can’t have shit in space

Janus Descending by Jordan Cobb

Tightly-plotted, deeply chilling, atmospheric space horror

Self-contained stand-alone mini-series

Lyrical and beautiful prose, ancient alien ruins, and a doomed relationship.

Get sniped by hearing a familiar voice actor.

The Pasithea Powder by Molly Olguín and Jackie Hedeman

Two long-time friends—one a war hero, one a war criminal—uncover government secrets after losing a space war

Hits you right off the bat with space war crimes and memory manipulation

The aliens are kind of a surprise admittedly

Some of the messiest, most engaging, most complex characters who are also bisexual disasters in a sweet but deeply emotionally messed up slow-burn romance.

Slide 7: The Long Story Short Productions Crew

Gabriel Urbina, Sarah Shachat, and Zach Valenti, along with Alan Rodi, Jared Paul, and a host of fabulous actor friends, have a distinctive writing, directing, and musical style.  Everything they have made is pure gold.  And you’ll definitely recognize many familiar voices.

Zero Hours

A seven-episode anthology series about the end of the world… or, seven ends of the world.

Gorgeous, deeply cathartic, sometimes funny but usually melancholy, really puts you through the emotional wringer.

From the past to the future, historical fiction to sci-fi, as eras, relationships, worldviews, and worlds end and begin again.  (I’m going to cry again as I write this)

Unseen

Their current ongoing project—an urban fantasy anthology series exploring “the Unseen World.”

Each episode is a dramatic monologue (due to COVID) but they work amazingly to reveal different facets of this cool, sometimes eerie, sometimes funny, always fascinating magical world.

Slide 8: Just, Really Good Podcasts

Expanding casts of complex, well-written and excellently-acted characters.  Edge-of-your-seat plotting.  Characters making really bad decisions.  Humor, heartbreak, and mystery.  These aren’t much like Wolf 359 in most ways except that they’re really, really good.

Arden by Emily VanDerWerff, Sara Ghaleb, and Christopher Dole

A fictional true crime podcast / murder mystery story (with some familiar voices!)

In the spirit of “Serial” and “S-Town,” thematically investigating just how True Crime Ruins Lives

FANTASTIC characters, twisty mysteries, humor, the mundane horror of what people will do to each other, high society and small towns both with their dark secrets, and messy sapphic protags.

When you get what’s going on you will go “OH,”

Greater Boston by Alexander Danner and Jeff Van Dreason

A magical realism/slipstream story, an ensemble cast and mosaic of stories about community.

Specifically, the community that is the Boston subway seceding to become its own city, with all the over-the-top political drama that ensues.  Do you like public transit? You’ll like this.

Also, ghosts, and crystal balls, and serious indictment of redlining and housing inequality.

(I have cried listening to this show more than once.)

All background images sourced from the public domain from NASA.

[talesfromyamysteries]

"Sadie” by Courtney Summers

Cover Credit: Amazon (don’t know copyright laws so hopefully I don’t get sued. Amazon, if you’re reading this, I’m a poor college student.)

Sadie by Courtney Summers available on Amazon

Book Summary (also credited to Amazon):

“A missing girl on a journey of revenge. A Serial―like podcast following the clues she's left behind. And an ending you won't be able to stop talking about.

Sadie hasn't had an easy life. Growing up on her own, she's been raising her sister Mattie in an isolated small town, trying her best to provide a normal life and keep their heads above water.

But when Mattie is found dead, Sadie's entire world crumbles. After a somewhat botched police investigation, Sadie is determined to bring her sister's killer to justice and hits the road following a few meager clues to find him.

When West McCray―a radio personality working on a segment about small, forgotten towns in America―overhears Sadie's story at a local gas station, he becomes obsessed with finding the missing girl. He starts his own podcast as he tracks Sadie's journey, trying to figure out what happened, hoping to find her before it's too late.

Courtney Summers has written the breakout book of her career. Sadie is propulsive and harrowing and will keep you riveted until the last page.”

My Thoughts

Trigger Warning: Contains Child Molestation 

First things first, I would highly recommend the audio version of this book. 

I would not usually do that because normally I’m completely adverse to the idea of audio-books. However, Macmillan Publishers did a phenomenal job with their version. I would highly recommend giving it a listen if you can. I borrowed the audio book from my library’s OverDrive website for eBooks and audio-books and listened to it during at eight hour drive.

If audio-books are not your thing, I would still give this book a chance.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I just might. If you keep reading, this is your only warning.

The story is written through two perspectives: the podcast of West McCray following the events that lead to Sadie disappearing and Sadie’s own perspective of the events being investigated.

I wasn’t sure about this format when I read the book for the first time last year, but I had to admit it had me intrigued. Author Courtney Summers executed the style well enough that I actually enjoyed it more than I initially thought it would. As mentioned above, the audio-book for this novel is exceptional. With a full voice cast, the story is told through the podcast and Sadie’s narration. 

Before any of the events within the book took place, West McCray was merely a producer for a podcast Always Out There and Sadie Hunter was just a girl with a dead sister. Courtney Summers took these characters and developed them into a story with depth and twists you can’t see from a mile away (cheesy, I know, but read or listen to the book and you’ll know).

The story begins in the fictional town of Cold Creek, Colorado. Sadie Hunter is a nineteen year old girl who was only trying to raise her thirteen year old sister Mattie Southern after their mother left. A sister bond is nothing like the bond between a mother and daughter which, unfortunately, Sadie only knows all too well.

Technically, that’s not where the story begins but background is important for this story. It really begins with the first episode of West Mccray’s podcast titled The Girls which is centered around the story of Mattie and Sadie. The title given to the podcast didn’t make sense to me at first, but is later explained in a podcast episode toward the end of the book. After you find out why, you realize no other title could’ve done as much justice for this faux podcast.

One of the many things I love about this book is that it feels so real. I don’t mean that in a positive light because this is a rather dark book, but books are even better when they feel real. I don’t really know how else to explain it, but I hope you understand what I’m getting at here.

Sadie lived a difficult life from the moment she was born. Her mother was an addict who didn’t love and nurture her the way she needed. Her maternal love came from her neighbor, May Beth Foster, but that kind of love only goes so far. Until Mattie came, it’s safe to say Sadie had almost nothing. Sadie loved her little sister Mattie more than anything else in the world. 

Although it was Sadie who spent most of her time raising Mattie, she made sure Mattie knew how much their mother loved her so Mattie wouldn’t have to grow up the way Sadie did. Unfortunately, Claire Southern really did love Mattie. The book mentions multiple times that Mattie was the spitting image of her mother. Sadie is described to look exactly how Claire’s mother did whom she lost while pregnant with Sadie.

After Mattie was born, Sadie had a purpose. The world had finally given her a reason for her existence in what was once a own lonely world. Unfortunately, the world is a very cruel place.

Mattie was murdered at thirteen years old. All the love and hope Sadie had for her sister was gone in an instant. Sadie felt purposeless until she found another one. Find Mattie’s murderer. 

As mentioned above, Courtney Summers tells the story of Sadie avenging her sister’s death through two perspectives.

Readers are given more information through Sadie’s own perspective as she is telling the events as they happen. They are also given a more unique story through the podcast’s investigation of the events because they tell the story through many people’s perspectives as they learn about what happened to Sadie during her search.

This would have been a story I would’ve read if it had been told only by Sadie, but Courtney Summers gave her audience a new way to interpret the story.

The podcast’s version of events is an investigative approach of Sadie and Mattie’s story as they piece together Mattie’s murder and Sadie’s disappearance. The story is told this way without Sadie’s emotions, but it includes the emotional toll their story took on everyone involved in the search for answers.

The story told by Sadie gives readers a very in-depth look inside of Sadie’s head. They learn why she makes the choices she does, but they also learn about what happened in her life and how it affected her. Sadie had a poor childhood with an unloving mother and traumatizing experiences, but she overcame that to become a tough, loving bad-ass heroine on a journey to find justice for the person she loved most in the world.

The story would not be the same without these intertwining perspectives as readers would never get the full story.

Unfortunately, events like these happen in real life. People never get both sides of the story no matter how badly they want them, but this story shows some details are better if maybe they’re not known.

All this aside, none of this stopped Courtney Summers from leaving the book without a questionable ending.

As West McCray wraps up the podcast with having found Mattie’s murderer but not finding Sadie herself, readers are left not actually knowing what happened to Sadie. Of course, through her perspective, we are given a very good idea of the fate Sadie meets but we are not given explicit what happens. The podcast leaves Sadie’s fate as a big question mark.

I believe Courtney Summers’ leaving what happened to Sadie as open-ended as she did gives readers a little peace. My heart is heavy for what I know probably happened, but I can have just as much hope.

Sadie deserved a lot better and so did Mattie, but with what she was given, Sadie made herself better for Mattie.

If you haven’t figured it out, I would obviously recommend reading this book. It is based on dark events that don’t really get better, but it is a very good read if you like suspense.

---

Side Note: okay, first book review is done. I wanted to get it out of the way. I read this book last year, but only just recently listened to the audio-book. The audio-book is fantastic and part of the reason I chose to review this book. Obviously, my reviews need help as do my summarizing skills. I will work on them as we go along, but as mentioned before I’m making this blog for my own sake. I want to help people find books to read as much as possible, but this is really all for myself.

Anyway, thank you. 

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly(/Monthly) Update #52: I’m Gonna Jumpsuit Out a Window (6/30/18)

When all the cryptic weirdness surrounding dmaorg.info sprung up nearly two months ago, everyone was extremely hyped. So much content! So many theories! It really felt like hiatus was over.

There was just one problem: there were no new songs licensed or registered under the band’s name, which meant nothing was coming out. Rabid music fans have known for years that there is truly no such thing as a “surprise” music release: for legal reasons, almost all song titles show up on online registries several days, if not weeks, before they are made available to the public. And, indeed, after the initial wave of teases wrapped up, the Clique returned to a quasi-hiatus state, punctuated only by the occasional addition to the Dema lore.

This Thursday, June 28, that all changed. Let’s talk about it. 

This Week’s TØPics:

Finally, Some Good F*cking Food: Two New Song Titles Registered

Dema Recap: Cheetahs and Trenches and Cryptic Nonsense, Oh My!

One Year Later: What Do We Really Know About This Hiatus?

Editorial: When the Discourse Gets Too Much (and When It’s Just What We Need)

Major News and Announcements:

In the biggest piece of real news that we’ve received since the hiatus, two new song titles have been registered on the PPL music licensing database: “Nico and the Niners” and “Jumpsuit”. This is a highly reputable source, and not even truly a “leak” as so many have called it. The pages are managed directly by labels’ legal teams to ensure that anyone who wishes to play music in their media, advertisements, or establishments knows what songs are licensed to which artists and what steps to take to legally license them. “Heathens” was first spotted here over two years ago, not to mention countless other songs from various other artists. The two songs were just removed from the day after they were found listing, but Reddit detectives have already discovered untitled tracks with the same registration codes listed under an unknown Warner artist (ya’ll ain’t slick).

The fact that this posting was accompanied by further activity from the band only confirms that there’s some real nonsense going on. Not only did we get new Dema content (which we’ll get to) but, perhaps even more wild, Tyler Robert Joseph liked something on Instagram. Dude’s alive.

In all seriousness, Tyler Joseph’s social media habits do little to help us understand just what the hell “Nico and the Niners” is. The bigger story (and the one I’ve been slacking on reporting the last two months, my bad) is the sporadic updates to dmaorg.info. Back in early May, we got our first bit of content after the initial reveal in the form of a new letter from Clancy. The letter itself is a pretty well-written YA protagonist internal monologue, with Clancy yearning to find a place that truly feels like home outside the walls of Dema. But, Tyler being Tyler, there’s more to it than that: the date attached to the paragraph matches that of the band’s last social media post, and missing letters from throughout the note together spell out the coded message “You are still sleeping.”

The second update, posted in late May, is this lovely gif of a cheetah running under letters moving in a quick sequence. After slowing it down, the letters spell out the message “U still don’t know his real name do u?” Again, there’s much more to the post when you take the time to dig in. The listed date matches Josh’s appearance at the APMAs, the first mention of Dema. The file name for the gif is “3lurr” meaning the “he” in the question may in fact be Blurryface. Most significantly, the spaces between this message’s words were filled with letters that, when taken out separately and placed in sequence, repeatedly spell out “Nico,” perhaps answering the gif’s own rhetorical question.

So who is Nico? Well, it matches the names of one of the nine bishops in the “Compass” picture from April, which would seem to make him one of the ‘niners” who rule Dema. It’s increasingly looking like this album is really going to double down on covering a weird and fleshed out concept rife with metaphors, and I. Am. Here for it (as long as the music’s, ya know, good).

The final (for now) Dema post was released just yesterday in the wake of all of the sudden new activity. It is the first photo that seems to be wholly original, with no one as yet having tracked down where it’s from. It’s a pretty badass image, with twenty-one (goddammit) figures standing at the edge of some cliff or pit. Some have speculated that this could be album artwork, and it would certainly make for a very good cover. But that’s just the surface.

The image’s jpg name is an assortment of letters that, when deciphered using a basic alphabet sequence code, translates into “Trench”- possibly another new song? BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE! Typing that jpg number sequence or “trench” into the “violation code” section of the dmaorg.info url reveals a heavily-distorted audio clip. Sound engineers on Twitter and Reddit have tried reversing and pitch correcting the snippet, but have not truly succeeded in deriving anything from it beyond that it seems to be Tyler singing “So did they obey/bury you?” But what he’s saying honestly doesn’t matter to me half as much as this fact: after over a year, we finally got to hear Tyler Joseph’s voice. That’s got me on Cloud Nine, baby. 

Pictured: The Clique (I know I used this joke last time, sue me)

So what does all of this cryptic nonsense and Reddit deciphering ultimately tell us? Frankly, it’ll be hard to say until we actually have our hands and ears on new music. The Clique has compiled so many different theories about what these little snippets of photos and garbled words mean that there’s no way they can all be true. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that there was an actual plan for this roll-out stretching back at least a year and that Tyler is not (as some salty fans have suggested) just throwing out a bunch of “fake deep trash.” Each piece of the Dema content has matched up in some way with the lyrics from the shutting eyes last year:

“You’ll have to come and find me.” -> The original discovery of the website.

“My pretty sleeper.” -> The “You are still sleeping” hidden message.

“Wouldn’t it be great if we could just lay down...” -> “...and wake up in Slowtown” (and slow down the cheetah gif).

“I will fear the night again...” -> “[I hope I’m] not my only friend.” (the caption for the cliff picture)

Beyond all of that, the revelation of “Nico and the Niners” being part of the actual album should be taken as a real source of validation for all of those Reddit warriors out there: At least some of this stuff means something. (Now wtf is “Jumpsuit” about...)

Other Shenanigans:

Potential leaks from radio stations and some common sense theories have pegged a single release for the band as coming in the next two weeks, either July 6th or 13th. With all that in mind, I thought we’d look back on the weird conspiracy chart I’ve been keeping in my closet and recap what exactly we know about the band’s activities over the last year. 

The short answer is: not much. After Josh’s performance at the APMAs, there have been no interviews, no public appearances, no social media posts. Josh has certainly been much more active than Tyler, which just makes sense for his much-less introverted personality. He contributed drums to Lights’ last album (though those recordings were done well before the hiatus). He apparently hopped into the studio with Drake Bell, (though I have no idea if any of that music has seen the light of day). He’s been fine taking group photos with Fueled by Ramen colleagues, other friends from the music industry, and, of course, Debby, who he almost definitely is back with. As for Tyler... well, beyond a few Jenna photos from a few months back and the odd fan encounter, there’s been nothing, which is why that eight second audio clip hit me like a Mack truck. 

There are a few other things the truly obsessed have been able to find that I don’t necessarily want to reward by reposting here- I really want to try to keep it about the art. But we can pretty safely guess from Jenna and Jordan’s social media that the duo have been in Columbus, LA, and New York together a few times the last few months, likely for studio sessions and label meetings. Perhaps we’ll find out more about what transpired during the “hiatus” in the weeks and months to come, perhaps not. One thing’s for sure: it’s finally, finally (almost) over. 

Editorial:

The last note I wanted to leave everyone on is something a little different for this blog, but still something I still think is worth talking about. Anyone who has been visiting the Twenty One Pilots tags on any site over the last several months can tell that the fanbase has not been taking the band’s absence well. And I’m not just talking the usual overblown crying for new music or young kids worshiping their idols a little too much. That’s always been there. This is different.

A whole host of the old crowd- the update accounts, the podcast hosts, the quasi-groupies who got barricade every night- have turned pretty hard from the band, particularly from Tyler. Some just have no interest in the music of Twenty One Pilots in the year 2018 AD; they’ve discovered other topics, other genres, other artists that speak more personally to where they are in life, and have just moved on. Others have expressed deeply personal distaste for the band itself for a whole host of political and social reasons that I’m not going to get into here- that’s a debate for another time, and probably for another account.

The point is, digging through social media to try to find updates and memes has been difficult when the most dependable sources also pepper in jab at whether Tyler’s learned to carry burdens yet every few posts. And while those folks are certainly more than entitled to their opinions and feelings (I even agree with many of them), it’s hard to deny that there are large swathes of the Twenty One Pilots’ fandom that just aren’t much fun to be in right now, just like there’s large swathes of the world in general where it feels like we’re not permitted to assume the best in people and just be happy with the things that used to make us happy. For a few weeks, I’ve honestly been wondering if I wanted to keep running this account in the next era. I just wanted to go back to the time before I had to share Twenty One Pilots with the world, when this was just my band, the one that made me feel understood and valid and worthy at a time where nothing else really did

Sasha Geffen’s insightful and deeply personal piece on the band’s music for AV Club, which focuses on how Tyler Joseph depicts and discusses suicidal depression, helped bring me back to that time. Music journalists have frequently gotten everything wrong about Tyler Joseph’s songwriting, to the point where I have often felt like they were listening to different music than me. But Geffen gets it. She sees that Tyler does not talk down to his audience about the problems they’re dealing with; he’s always been right there with us, and always offering concrete and practical ways of getting through depression one day at a time. He’s an insightful and compassionate dude, way more than people give him credit for, and it shows in his art. I had almost forgotten that. I needed that reminder right now, before everything ramps up again. I hope that article offers some comfort for any of you who also want to remember why this band is still so special, all these years later.

See you all (hopefully) next week. Power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[writing-in-the-tiny-house]

BookWise Publishing, with Karen Christoffersen

A special thanks to Karen Christoffersen!

www.bookwisepublishing.com

chrisbizzz@comcast.net

She does free 30 minute consultations!

  Become a patron to Writing in the Tiny House today.

patreon.com/writinginthetinyhouse

  The following is a transcript of this episode. The complete transcript can be found on the show’s website.

  Devin Davis:  If you are looking to do a book on your own, then you need to get to know Karen Christoffersen owner of Book-wise Publishing. She assisted me in doing my first two books and she is actually our guest today on Writing in the Tiny House.  Hello. Hello. Hello, and welcome to the show. Welcome back to Writing in the Tiny House.

[00:00:49] I am your host Devin Davis, and I am the guy living in the tiny house who is here to show you ways to get that novel written. Even if you are the busiest person in the whole world. And today we have a special guest. And before I do a really big introduction, let's go ahead and meet her. This is Karen Christoffersen. She is a producer and the owner of Book-wise Publishing.  

[00:01:18] Karen Christoffersen: Hi Devin. I'm so excited to be able to do this with the Writing in the Tiny House. I thought that the title of your podcast was delightful. And so the fact that you've invited me to be on it is, is an honor. 

[00:01:35]Devin Davis: I have known Karen for, forever, it seems. Her son and I are very good friends. And back in my early twenties, when I wrote my first book As Magic Shifts, it was Karen who did all of the heavy lifting to get it published and to produce it and to clean it up and to move all of the moving parts to form this cohesive picture we call a book. And the first book I wrote As Magic Shifts was published under CMS publishing, which at the time was owned by Karen Christoffersen, and then later she moved to Book-wise Publishing. And my second book, The Witch's Pupil was published under Book-wise.

[00:02:25] Karen Christoffersen: Book-wise publishing was started back in 2006 when there was a company called Book-wise and Company owned by Richard Paul Evans, number one New York times bestselling author, and several partners who decided they wanted to create a publishing arm. And they called it Book-wise Publishing and came to me and asked me, because I'm a producer, if I would produce a hundred books for a hundred new authors. As a producer, all we do is start a project and finish it. I was doing television commercials, radio commercials, motion pictures. I was doing all kinds of production as a producer, but I'd done two non-fiction books for Richard.  It's a piece of cake, you know, you start, you finish. And so I said, sure, I can do that. And of course, my dad taught me never to say no. He said, just go out and find out how to do it. And so I ended up surrounding myself with a lot of really talented people: editors and illustrators and designers and all kinds of people actively involved in the publishing industry locally and nationally.

[00:03:39] And they made me look very good. And I coordinated everything. And so I've been doing that since 2007, 'cause we started that the second year and after a year and a half, Richard decided that, and by the way, Richard was only doing endorsements. He wasn't doing anything. I was operating the business alone. And after a year and a half, he decided he really didn't want the liability anymore. I'm pretty sure that's why. And besides he had his irons in so many fires at the time, he was just going gangbusters, doing all kinds of things. And he sold it to me for a dollar. The branding alone for Book-wise Publishing was worth $20,000. Plus, you know, there were other parts to the company that had value. And so I said, sure, I'll do that. It did take me because there were a hundred authors and then they added another 50 when they added a program called Write-Wise. So I had 150 authors that I was responsible for producing their books.

[00:04:43]And out of the $5,000 they paid, I only got 1300 to work on their books. So it took me a couple of years to get the company in the black, but obviously not all of those hundred and 50 authors came back and finished your books. So I eventually just continued doing more and more and more until today.

[00:05:07]Devin Davis: Karen has been doing this for more than 14 years, and she has produced more than 500 books, anything from paper back ,to hard back, to board books, to tub books, to eBooks and audio books.She ha s a team of talent that can do it all and can do all of the things. And so she has become a very valuable resource for anybody who wishes to self publish. 

[00:05:38] Karen Christoffersen: My goal is to make my authors as happy as I possibly can. So when I put that book in their hands, it's like putting that baby in her mother's arms. It's a moment of just pure joy, and that's what I look for. 

[00:05:53]

[00:05:53] Devin Davis: So Karen estimates that the expense of producing a book is about $3,000. My personal estimation is closer to $5,000. And many authors get a book finished, they write it, they edit it and they go through the entire huge process of getting a manuscript ready. And now it's printed, or it is available to order in the ebook form or whatever, they have this finished product, but many of them just don't know what to do next.

[00:06:26]Karen Christoffersen:  If we can just get authors atuned to the fact that this is a small business.  The startup business is tough and you have to build and you have to stick with it. Well, a book is like that as well. You have to be on there every day. You know, write a blog, do a newsletter. You must have a website. Websites are very inexpensive to do now. The hard part is selling it. 

[00:06:54] So if people start off from the beginning, I remember Richard Evans told me, he said if I had started collecting email addresses when The Christmas Box first came out, he said, I've had millions of names, but he didn't start collecting addresses for like 10 years. And so that's one thing that I can't convince enough authors to do is to go out there and start building that list.

[00:07:21] Tell your friends to share. Tell your friends to send this to their friends and ask your friends if you can have their email address. 

[00:07:29]Devin Davis: So where to get started. The process of writing a book has so many steps and so many different professionals to bring in on board to the project that it is so easy to lose track of what you need to do. It is easy to lose your steam and it is easy to lose focus. So, what Karen has put together is called the Book-wise Publishing Boiler  Plate and she passed this document onto me.

[00:07:59] It is updated regularly. The one that I have  was current as of July 7th, 2021. And it goes through and outlines step by step, the different things that you need to do in the writing process to produce a book, to get to that finish line of having a book. And then we move on a little bit to marketing after that.

[00:08:27] So if you are interested in the Book-wise Publishing Boiler Plate document, go ahead and email me. My email is authordevindavis@gmail.com. And I will be able to send that to you so that you can see what Book-wise Publishing has put together. As far as that is concerned.  

[00:08:49] Karen Christoffersen: One thing I think is really important is that if you are a serious writer, if you're serious about completing a book, you need two books, you need your book, but you also need a journal. And write in your journal every day what you do, whether you write 10 pages, whether you call so-and-so who knows an editor or an agent or whatever is happening in your book life, keep a journal of it because you're going to want to refer back to that sometime. And you will have valuable information that you don't even know was valuable at the time you received it. So two books.

[00:09:29]Devin Davis: Sometimes as business owners and as people who are creative, we failed to see the importance of record keeping. So with different things like this  with having your manuscript that you are working on and then keeping track of the things that you did to progress that manuscript that can serve you in many different ways. It can show you, first of all, exactly how you did it so that you can do it again when you move on to your second manuscript. It can also serve as kind of a force to lift you up. If you are feeling down, if you are feeling unmotivated, you can look back to the specific days where you pushed through and did a lot and accomplished a lot, and had a really successful day, as far as production goes, and you can replicate what you did to get past that and to do it again. And so record keeping is very, very important in a small business, not only just the financial side, but also what you have done for production. 

[00:10:42] With me, I have my book, well, my two books. I now have two books, two manuscripts that I'm working on. I also have this podcast that I need to keep track of. With the podcast, I don't keep track of all of the notes that I have taken for each episode, but I definitely have a planner because this is a regular release schedule. And so I need to be organized and I need to think ahead.

[00:11:08] And if I ever want to have days off, it means that I need to get things done beforehand to earn those days off or to prepare for them. So with books, I have done the book writing before I know how to do that. And I know the people that I need to get ahold of for the next steps, because I've done that too. And I never did keep a second journal, but I also recommend doing that just as Karen pointed out.

[00:11:36]But also something, another thing that Karen does,  and this was surprising to me, Karen has an entire career built around producing and around marketing. And so Karen has spent her entire adult life writing the short stuff, saying impactful things in a very short amount of time, because in marketing, you don't have pages and pages to build or to develop.

[00:12:06] You get to hit them hard and you get to say the important things in a good, meaningful  way right away. And so Karen writes the short stuff. With my books, she wrote the blurbs on the back of the covers because she's good at that. And she knows how to do the small things well. And so when she moves on to share with me something else that you will hear here in a second, I was completely surprised and delighted by this little gift that she shares.

[00:12:44] Karen Christoffersen: I was going to read to you just a little thing. 'Cause I don't write books.

[00:12:48] I do a lot of writing, but I don't write books because I have too much work to do just editing. I decided to write as what I call a fictionalized narrative based on true events. And I bring other people in like, you know, the boy in my neighborhood who was my friend and his quote from his point of view, what he sees happening in my life.

[00:13:13] But I thought it might be fun just to read a tiny little excerpt.  So I would like your response to these four short paragraphs. You're ready for this? 

[00:13:25] Okay. Now I grew up in a trailer  in a tiny home and and I had a sister who played Elvis Presley all the time.

[00:13:34] And my big brother,  12 years older than me. He looked like Elvis Presley.  I thought Elvis was my brother.  And I liked big words. This is when I was five years old. But even when I was five years old, I liked big words. So this is four paragraphs for inspiration for you guys. 

[00:13:52]Butch was my friend. He was about 10 or 11, and I was five. Butch had a dog named Gunner. He was a big German shepherd, mostly black, but he had a lot of golden fur in his face and he was beautiful. He was bigger than me, probably twice my size, a happy dog, always looked like he was grinning, kind of like me. Dad called me a grinning idiot.

[00:14:15]Butch had to keep him on a long rope because we didn't have fences. So Gunner had to be leashed when we were at school. And I lived right on Route 66 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. So it was a nasty road. I remember riding the school bus home one day. And as we got to our stop right in front of our trailer park, there was a dark something in the middle of the road, a ways in front of the bus.

[00:14:37]I didn't think anything about it at the time, but when we walked to our trailers, I noticed Butch was looking around and couldn't find Gunner. He called him, and Gunner would always come when he heard Butch call  but not this time. And then I knew what that black thing in the middle of the road was.

[00:14:55] And I was sick at heart, sick to my stomach, and didn't know what to do. Butch and his dad dug a hole near the back of their trailer space I remember it was in the spring because the wild flowers were in bloom and I picked a bunch to put on his grave. Butch was pretty stoic. I liked that word.

[00:15:12] It meant strong and quiet-like I loved big words, even as a child. I knew he was hurting, but he didn't have to show it. I liked that. He could hurt inside, but he didn't have to show everybody and make a fuss. At my house, someone was always making a fuss. That kind of quiet strength really impressed me. I wanted to be like that, but I was a girl and girls, well, we're usually not the epitome of quiet strength.

[00:15:40] The role model I had at the time was just the opposite. I remember standing there as Butch's dad shoveled dirt into the hole, singing quietly to myself, "You ain't nothing but a hound dog crying all the time, nothing but a hound dog." It was my requiem for Gunner. He was a good dog, a loyal and loving one. Died on Route 66, just east of Albuquerque.

[00:16:06] And that is my tiny excerpt from my narrative. And I wanted to write it in such a way that my kids would actually read it. And so I bring this up because anybody out there who is thinking about writing the book and thinks they can't write a book. Well, I thought I couldn't write a book, but I I'm starting to think I might be able to, because I read a few of these pieces to my children and they liked them and ask for more.

[00:16:38]Devin Davis: So there you have it. Anyone can write a story. And a lot of us want to write some form of memoir, either for ourselves, for our lives or for a loved one. Like Caroline Nadine Helsing did in one of those previous episodes. And you should. And it is fun to bring focus to the idea of a fictional narrative based on real events and how that can be just fine and a beautiful way to do your own narrative or your own memoir or the memoir of a loved one.

[00:17:14] It can be fun. It can be entertaining. It can be more memorable that way. If you choose to incorporate those elements as well, just as Karen is choosing to do with her own personal memoirs. I know that I will, when I do my own stuff later on in life, I'm not interested in writing a memoir today. But if you are interested in reaching out to Book-wise Publishing, do their website at www.bookwisepublishing.com. And if you want to reach out to Karen Kristofferson herself,  her email is chrisbizzz@comcast.net. It has three Z's in a row. Uh, I will include that email address and a link to the website in the notes of the show.

[00:18:03] Also, again, referring back to the boiler plate document. If you want to get a hold of that, feel free to reach out to me. My email address is authordevindavis@gmail.com. And I would be able to send that over to you. 

[00:18:18]That's it for today. A big shout out to my patrons who help make this show what it is. If you wish to become a patron, you will get early access to this content, you could get an additional episode every month and you could spend quality time with me over some private chat features in Discord.

[00:18:35] Just go to patreon.com/writinginthetinyhouse to sign up to become a patron today. Also, be sure to follow me on social media. On Instagram I am @authordevindavis, on Twitter I am @authordevind. And thank you so much for listening. Be sure to be on the lookout for next week's episode, where we will be hearing from author AJ Mac, who wrote The Gem State Siege during NaNoWriMo last year. So that is coming up next week. Thank you so much, guys. Have fun writing.

Check out this episode!

[thatqueerpodcastfan]

The Adventure Zone

Title: The Adventure Zone

Persons Responsible: Griffin, Travis, Justin, Clint McElroy

Genre: Fiction, Adventure (obvs), Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Role-playing

Rating: 4.5/5, Yisss

How far did I get: Finished Balance arc, almost caught up in Amnesty arc

Warnings:  Mentions of death, vore jokes, general shenanigans and tomfoolery

Notes: The core premise of this podcast is that three brothers and their father play a game of Dungeons and Dragons (for the initial 69 episodes [nice], plus live shows and special episodes), and then branch out to different role-playing games, characters, and narrative arcs. The first arc (Balance) is a high fantasy game following Magnus the fighter, Taako the wizard, and Merle the cleric through a campaign centered around locating a number of impossibly powerful relics.

The McElroys are old hands and radio and podcasting, so there is no audio quality hump to get over in the beginning. There are cognizant of their listening audience (i.e. do not talk over each other, recognize when they are straying on a topic for too long, give heads ups for delays or schedule changes when possible) and are incredibly responsive and interact with their audience in very interesting ways. NPCs are named after people who mention The Aventure Zone on Twitter, they set aside entire episodes to answer questions, and as both creators and performers respond to complaints/critique in a thoughtful manner (e.g. thoughts on Taako and racial identity in the graphic novel).

However what really makes this podcast one of my favorites is the writing for the first arc. It very obviously started out as a creative project that wasn’t expected to go as far as it did, but by the end of the Rockport Limited story (episode 16) Griffin McElroy truly hits his stride as a writer. And it only gets better from there, the overarching plot is incredible and fits in with its humble beginnings, the music for the show (especially for the Crystal Kingdom) is Quality(tm), and by the end of the Balance arc you end up much more invested than you ever thought you would be.

Now for the characters. Griffin McElroy is a good DM and runs a well-constructed campaign, but the players (Clint, Justin, and Travis) bring the whole thing home. All three make fascinating characters with fulfilling progressions, come up with creative solutions to problems Griffin puts forward, and are all-around wonderful. In return, Griffin remains an adaptable game master and rolls with most of the shenanigans that they throw his way. It is clear that none of the players take this pursuit lightly (when they’re not being ridiculous) and are very mindful of their audience and character construction.

Also it’s hilarious. And periodically gay. Jiminy Christmas just listen to it please.

If you’re not ready to commit to such a long campaign, the McElroys have recently put out a few non-D&D miniature arcs as they plan their next large arc. These arcs are Commitment, Amnesty, and Dust which are superhero, cryptid, and supernatural Western themed respectively. These are also very good and funny but since they are a new system each arc they do set aside a considerable amount of time to explain the rules. This is a little startling given that the Balance arc played very fast and loose with rules and system explanations.

I was a little hesitant to review this podcast seeing how large its fandom is, but I hope that if anyone reading this was hesitant to start listening to it, they will take the plunge.

Score Breakdown

Quality: 1

Concept: 0.5

Execution: 1

Interaction: 1

Miscellaneous: 1

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[podcake]

Podcast Teatime: The Case of the Questioning Cheesecake

Hello and a happy August day to everyone. Welcome to a new Q&A to cap off the summer, starring the masterminds behind the adventures we’ve grown to love in The Penumbra Podcast.

As a loyal patron of the arts, I took it upon myself to do some of my own detective work for a change and see what’s going on in the heads of creators Kevin Vibert and Sophie Kaner .

(The following is a direct copy-and-paste from the email)

Question One: Let’s get the most pressing question out of the way first, at least for me: Is there any reason why you chose a hotel as a framing device for your stories? Was it always something you had planned?

Kevin: To start, Sophie and I were thinking that the Penumbra would be an anthology show, along the lines of The Twilight Zone or old radio drama anthologies like Suspense. The idea that the narrator would be a spooky, semi-omnipotent character voiced by the lead writer (hi) was Sophie’s, and is a very, very direct reference to Rod Serling’s narrator on The Twilight Zone. (“Shaken,” which is the one episode that remains mostly intact from this first view of the show, is full of Twilight Zone references — Louise’s surname “Serling” is not a nod to Rod Serling so much as a head-shake-so-hard-you-can-hear-our-necks-crack.)

As for the hotel itself: I have a real love of weird horror and descriptions of impossible places. House of Leaves, which is about ten billion things but one of them is a house that’s slightly bigger on the inside than the outside, was definitely bouncing around in my head as we were pitching ideas for the frame. So was The Shining, which is one of my favorite horror novels of all time, as well as Invisible Cities, which is a really bizarre collection of stories in which Marco Polo describes a bunch of cities that couldn’t possibly exist to Kublai Khan, saying they all lie somewhere in his empire. The description of the infinite hotel is definitely connected to that the most.

For season two we changed the game a bit, but I think even that has connections to this weird thing about places that are horrifying and impossible and kind of mundane — hotels and trolleys and things you see every day. I don’t know why I like making normal places scary. It is either a little bit of cruelty or a complete terror of everything around me, or both. Yeah, both.

Question Two: You have quite the talented cast to work with for your show. Did you have to look far and wide or was it a simple casting call? Or are these just close friends who happen to know how to act?

Sophie: Aren’t they great? It’s important to remember that the Penumbra Podcast was never intended to be a podcast in the first place; it was just going to be one radio play written for fun, except that one turned into two and then three and then we really let the whole thing get out of control. In any case, the first few people we brought on board (notably, the three actors at the core of the Juniverse: Joshua, Noah, and Kate) are old friends of mine from college, though I know them from a theater group, so it’s most accurate to say that I know them because they know how to act. We are always adding new actors, though! 

I perform a lot myself, so I ask a lot of the talented people I’ve worked with in the past to join the show, and I’ve also solicited auditions from friends of friends. (I don’t hold open auditions: we are still too small a production for me to feel safe doing that.) One exception: last year I went to see a play with a friend, and the lead actor was so incredible that I said “THAT. That’s who I need on my show.” So I found him on Facebook and asked him if he would be interested in joining the production, and luckily he had not only heard of the show but was totally on board! (If you’re wondering, the actor was Matthew Zahnzinger, who now plays Ramses O'Flaherty in the Juniverse and Sir Damien in Second Citadel.)

Question Three: What is it that inspired Juno Steel’s adventures? Do you ever see yourself paying homage to Sherlock Holmes and the like or are you more interested in other media to act as a muse?

Kevin: This answer will be relevant in, like, two seconds. I promise.

Sophie has a theory regarding directing actors towards new voices that I really love: she likes to get people to do impressions of people they sound nothing like and then shape the voice from there. Leslie Drescher, who plays Sir Caroline, Valles Vicky, Cassandra, and Cecil, has thus far gotten the brunt of this: for Vicky Sophie sent her videos of Robert DeNiro and Jabba the Hutt, and they shaped a character from there. Cassandra was Joan Jett, Cecil was a French aristocrat and Scott Disick, and so on.

Anyway: the reason this works for voice acting is that you’re relying on the natural chemistry of getting someone to do something they can’t actually do perfectly. When Leslie imitates Robert DeNiro, she does not sound like Robert DeNiro. But she can use that approximation as a starting place to figure out how to sound like a tough, brusque crime lord, and that’s what we needed Vicky to be. And better yet: the voice she does it not one Robert DeNiro could do, and it’s probably not one any of us would have thought she should do until we asked her to do something way outside what she was used to.

We treat inspiration and genre in our stories similarly. In the Juno stories, noir and scifi are always what we go back to… but usually we start by looking at another genre or story that doesn’t quite fit, but that we really love. Juno Steel and the Train From Nowhere happened because we really wanted to write a Bond movie, and then we decided it would be interesting and new if Juno was the “Bond girl” instead. The framing device in Angel of Brahma exists entirely the way it does because I’m obsessed with the first section of the novel Dracula, in which Jonathan Harker is simultaneously a guest and a hostage in Dracula’s house.

It’s worth noting that neither of these episodes are very much like the source material, and that’s where the shaky line between “homage” and “inspiration” comes in. Very often we start with a story convention we love because we love it, and then over the course of outlining and drafting and editing naturally branch off in a new direction.

When I was younger I would get really self-conscious about having “original ideas,” and of course I still do — but it’s really important to remember that “original” is not the same as “immaculate conception.” Just because you can trace where an idea came from doesn’t mean you stole it. If I rewrote It or The Shining and changed the title to Juno Steel and the Day That Wouldn’t Die and tweaked a few names, that’d be plagiarism. 

But if we read It and go, “Damn, I really wish I wrote this,” and then we examine what it is we like about the story, what we wish we wrote about it, what parts we don’t like and we’d take out, and what other influences we want to incorporate… suddenly we’ve made something brand new, even if the first thought was, “I really wish I wrote this story that already exists.”

Question Four: The Penumbra spans genres from mystery to fantasy and science fiction. Does it ever become a struggle to juggle so many different themes?

Kevin: For genre and theme, not really. The more difficult thing is bouncing between all these different characters.

Sophie and I talk incessantly about stories, and our interests dovetail really nicely for writing genre stories. I really like pulling apart plot structure and she’s obsessed with tropes; I like figuring out how a joke works and she likes figuring out how to make people cry. 

So entering a new genre is never terribly difficult for us because chances are we’ve already had forty conversations about that genre anyway: that’s why when we wrote The Coyote of the Painted Plains, but we knew we didn’t actually like Westerns very much, we gave it all the structure and tropes of a swashbuckler instead, like Ivanhoe or The Three Musketeersand so on. 

By the same token when I need to explain the Second Citadel stories to people, my shorthand is usually, “So there’s this fantasy world with knights and stuff, only the knights are kind of like superhero beat cops and the Queen is their chief, so it’s kind of a police procedural with a monster-of-the-week spin, and…”

So genre doesn’t tend to be an issue for us. But making new characters? That’s really, really hard.

Part of the reason we honed down to two main series in season two was because making new characters and getting an audience invested in them in half an hour was a good challenge, but completely exhausting.

 I can’t tell you how many half-finished outlines we have for season one one-shots, just because we realized we’d never be able to get people invested in these characters quickly enough and also have time to complete an actual plot. We also just really fell in love with the process of diving deep into a few characters over a long period of time, honing in on the ones with conflicts unresolved and seeing where they go next.

Question Five: Would The Penumbra still be The Penumbra if it wasn’t audio? If it could be recreated in any other format, which would you pick and would it still feel the same? (By the way, I would totally read a novelization of Juno Steel mysteries.)

Sophie: Oh god, if we could make the Penumbra in another format, it would be a TV show–well, two TV shows, probably, one for Juno Steel and one for Second Citadel. And if we had the resources, we’d create an animated series with Penumbra artist Mikaela Buckley! But that being said, the Penumbra would definitely lose something in the transition from audio to visual. Many of the plot points were written explicitly with an audio format in mind (the abilities Juno gains from the Martian Pill, the Ruby 7 car chase, the action scenes in the Head of the Janus Beast), and other setpiece moments were designed in post-production without even being a part of the original script (Annie Wire’s death, the music at Ingrid Lake’s party, Sir Damien’s storytelling). Which is all to say that the Penumbra would be an extremely different show if it hadn’t been created as a podcast.

Question Six: How long does it usually take to make an episode? Including voice acting, sound editing, and of course writing, is it especially time consuming or is it something that can be knocked out in a day?

Sophie: This is a tough question to answer because the first part of the process–the dreaming up of the stories–is the part that can vary the most. Sometimes Kevin and I agonize over characters and plot points for months, but on some very special occasions, when we’ve been in a really great groove, we’ve been able to outline an entire episode in one day. 

Once we have an outline, Kevin writes a draft, which can take anywhere from three days to three months (though both ends of the spectrum are very unusual). After that, we spend two to three weeks editing on our own and then with a few other people, and once the script is complete we can move onto rehearsal and recording.

This part is a ton of fun! Scheduling (handled by Noah Simes, our production manager) is a bit of a nightmare because the actors are all extremely busy, but we always do our best to have at least one rehearsal for everybody, and then 1-3 recording sessions. Those are usually long days, but we all love each other a lot, so it’s worth it. The final piece of the process is the sound design, which I usually spend about two full weeks on. I almost never think I’m going to get the whole thing done in time for episode release day, but so far I’ve always managed it!

BONUS: What are some future plans you have in mind? Without going into spoilers, can we can anticipate some new characters, exciting cases, and big reveals to come up?

Kevin: It is very much the Penumbra Brand to make sure all new information only raises forty new questions and makes everyone terribly upset, and so in that time-honored tradition I bring you this fun exclusive:

The structure of this Juno season — number of cases, number of episodes, plot structure, etc. — is so different from season one that we can’t even post a release calendar or tell you how many more you have left to expect, because it would spoil some major reveals coming up in… a few weeks? A few months? I don’t know. You’ll have to wait and see.

Thank you to Sophie and Kevin to taking time to answer my questions. If you haven’t already, check out The Penumbra Podcast yourself to get the scoop on Juno Steel and The Second Citadel as well as enjoying all the beautiful art provided by the talented @disasterscenario.

Another tea pot emptied and another case solved.

[williamlwolf89]

How to Start a Podcast in 2020: No Fluff (Just the Essentials)

Learning how to start a podcast doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We’ll show you how, step by step.

The time has come.

You know that idea bouncing around in the back of your mind? That dream, fearlessly waging war against your internal fears?

It’s time to let it out.

It’s time to start your podcast.

The only problem?

You don’t know how to start a podcast. And the thought of wading through a 20,000-word “Ultimate Guide” leaves you with a roaring headache and the overwhelming desire to ditch your podcasting dreams.

Well, no more excuses. This article will teach you everything you need to know about starting a podcast, and it’ll do it without filler, fluff, and long-winded details that don’t really matter.

So let’s dive in, shall we?

Table of Contents

Step 1: Choose a Topic for Your Podcast

Step 2: Name Your Podcast

Step 3: Create Artwork for Your Podcast

Step 4: Add Music

Step 5: Get a Microphone (& Other Equipment)

Step 6: Pick Your Podcast Hosting

Chapter 7: Record Your First Episode

Step 8: Upload Your Podcast Episode

Step 9: Submit Your Feed to Apple, Spotify, and Google

Step 10: Promote Your Podcast

1. Choose a Topic for Your Podcast

First things first…

Why do you want to start a podcast?

If your answer is “to get rich and famous,” try again. Podcasting can help you generate business leads, elevate your reputation, and yes, even contribute to your bottom line, but it is a commitment. The rewards come only if you persist.

That means you need to start with a topic you are passionate about. One that you’re so obsessed with, your friends sometimes have to kindly ask you to shut up about it.

If you’re reading this article, you probably already have an idea about that topic. So let’s consider the other half of the equation: your listeners.

The key to choosing a topic for your podcast is to search for that magical zone where your obsessions overlap with your audience’s interests.

So before committing to a topic, look for similar podcasts to see how many followers and reviews they have.

If there are already many popular podcasts in your niche, that’s a good sign: The more people producing and consuming podcasts on a topic, the more viable the topic.

Next, try to come up with a list of 50-100 potential episodes on this topic. If it’s easy for you to brainstorm this list, then that’s another good sign.

But be careful.

You don’t want a topic so broad it won’t appeal to your specific audience. As comedian Bill Cosby once said, “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

Your core demographic is not “everybody.” Think about your ideal listener and choose a topic that is narrow enough for you to stand out, yet broad enough for you to speak on it for 100+ episodes.

2. Name Your Podcast

Now that you’ve chosen your podcast topic, it’s time to name it!

You want a name that is specific and clear, yet unique enough to catch the attention of your audience.

For example, the Smart Blogger podcast, Break Through the Noise with Jon Morrow, has the flexibility to cover a wider range of topics as it grows. It’s not locked into an overly narrow theme.

As you are brainstorming the perfect name for your podcast, here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Be clear

Ideally, listeners should know what your podcast is about just by its name. This is not 100% necessary, since most podcast platforms include a short description, but sometimes people don’t read descriptions, so better safe than sorry.

Examples:

Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

Japanese Podcast for Beginners (Nihongo con Teppei)

Try to include your target keyword in the title

Apple podcasts is a search engine, and one of the best ways to help it recommend your podcast to the right listeners is to include your target keyword in the title. Just be careful not to keyword stuff! Make it natural.

Examples:

American History Tellers

B2B Writing Success Podcast

Be consistent

If you already have a brand, or a recognizable name, consider using that in your podcast.

Examples:

The James Altucher Show is named after influencer James Altucher

Rich Dad Radio Show with Robert Kiyosaki is named after Kiyosaki and his best-selling book Rich Dad Poor Dad

Combine strategies

Another option is to combine a clear title with your personal, brand, or business name.

Don’t be too long or wordy. You want to make it easy for people to find your podcast. If you still can’t decide on a name, look at other podcast names for inspiration. Check out podcasts inside and outside your niche.

Examples:

The Portfolio Life with Jeff Goins

Anthony Metivier’s Magentic Memory Method Podcast

But don’t get stuck on this step. Pick a name and move on!

3.Create Artwork for Your Podcast

Your podcast cover art is the first thing people see about your podcast, even before they read your description. So create an image that grabs them.

Your image should communicate the subject of your podcast and hint at your personality. It reinforces your brand, so if you already have a certain look to your site, try to keep it consistent.

Creating an eye-catching cover image

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Use minimal text. The fewer words and characters, the better. Whatever text you use should be readable even at low resolutions, such as 150 x 150 pixels.

Your cover image should be a minimum of 1400 x 1400 pixels, max 3000 x 3000 pixels for larger screens like the iPad.

Shoot for 72 DPI (dots per inch) JPG or PNG format, under 500kb size in RGB color space.

How to create your own cover image

If you want to create your own artwork for your podcast, you can use a free service such as Canva. Simply type in “CD covers” (which are 1400 x 1400 pixels) while browsing templates, or create your own design from scratch.

If you want to take it one step further, you can create a vector-based illustration in a program such as Adobe Illustrator. These images remain clear at any size.

Hiring someone to create your cover art

If you prefer outsourcing your artwork, you can hire somebody through Upwork, Fiverr, or 99designs.

Editor’s Note: Author and illustrator Jaime Buckley is another great option. He’s created artwork for me before, and his work is top-notch (and affordable).

Give them the details of your podcast, as well as the podcast image dimension specifications, and any brand colors or images you want to include.

Note: if you are planning to invest time and money in hiring a professional to design your artwork for you, make sure you know what you want and give clear directions.

4. Add Music

Music is another powerful element to include in your podcast.

Most podcasters use a few seconds of intro music, which becomes a familiar “theme song” that listeners associate with the show.

But be careful.

The one and only ironclad music rule is: Never ever use someone else’s copyrighted music.

Instead, look for royalty-free music or buy a one-time commercial license from platforms such as:

Shutterstock: Offers an unlimited music subscription for a monthly fee. You can also license individual tracks for a one-time price.

Audiojungle: Hundreds of thousands of tracks, sound effects, and jingles for any of your musical needs. You can buy a subscription or purchase individual items as needed.

Epidemic Sound: Subscribe (monthly or annually) to get access to tens of thousands of tracks and sound effects, with new tracks added weekly.

Melodyloops: Buy packets of royalty-free melodies for a set price.

If you’re on a budget, you can ask a musical friend to make you something, or check out these platforms:

Imcompetech: A collection of thousands of Creative Commons tracks (free to use if you properly attribute the artists and the track title) and paid licenses (if you don’t).

SilvermanSound: Royalty free music with attribution. You can also get a non-attribution license for a fee.

Free Music Archive: A collection of music from artists around the world. Free to download under the Creative Commons license.

Purple Planet Music: Offers royalty free music as well as paid high quality commercial license tracks.

DigCCMixtr: A music discovery site offering free and paid, commercial tracks.

Zapsplat: Tens of thousands of free and paid sound effects (and counting!) to use throughout your podcasts.

The downside of getting free music is that you won’t have music that is unique to your podcast.

Your listeners might hear snatches of the exact same track on other podcasts, YouTube channels, etc. So if you want exclusive music, buy it or hire someone to create it for you.

And take the time to find a track that you really like, because as your “signature sound,” you don’t want to change your music once you’ve begun.

5. Get a Microphone (And Other Podcasting Equipment)

Assuming you already have a computer, you’re going to need 2-3 more things to get your podcast up and running:

A microphone

Audio editing software

Other (optional) recording equipment

Your Microphone

To be a killer podcaster, you need a proper weapon. Ahem. I mean, microphone.

Audio is everything when it comes to podcasting, so if you want to splurge on something, get yourself a good microphone.

And whatever you do, do NOT use your built-in computer microphone. The audio quality is atrocious and there’s not much you can do on the editing end to fix that.

When choosing a microphone, you have a choice between two basic options:

USB vs XLR mics

USB mics are plug-and-play microphones that tend to be cheaper and easier to use, but less customizable than XLRs.

XLR mics require an extra cable and audio interface to work. They tend to be more expensive and higher quality than USB microphones.

An XLR mic + audio interface is the way to go if you have a co-host and need to record more than one person in one room, because plugging in multiple mics into USB ports can mess up your sound quality, and recording more than one person on one mic can make it difficult to edit your audio.

For a microphone that gives you the option of both USB and XLR, check out the Audio-Technica ATR2100x (affiliate link), Blue Yeti (affiliate link), or Samson Q2U (affiliate link) on Amazon.

Your Audio Recording-Editing Software

Audacity is a fantastic audio recording/editing software for beginners.

Audacity works on Windows, Mac, and Linux computers, and can record, playback, edit, and export your audio into a variety of different audio formats (MP3, WAV, FLAC, etc). Plus, unlike Pamela and some of its freemium competitors, Audacity is open-source and free.

If you are a Mac user, Garageband is another free audio software you already have, and if you want to dive deeper into home recording, you can also invest in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

If you need any pro features that Audacity and Garageband don’t offer, Adobe Audition is $20.99 per month, and it’s available for both Windows and Mac.

Other (Optional) Recording Equipment

A pop filter

If it didn’t come with your microphone, you may want to buy a pop filter, a noise protection screen that helps to reduce or eliminate sibilance (hissing noises) and plosives (popping noises).

A pair of headphones

Headphones protect your microphone from picking up extra sounds from your computer speakers. They also help you hear what you sound like as you speak, so you can adjust your presentation style.

You don’t have to get fancy, a pair of earbuds will do just fine.

Boom arm

Depending on the microphone you buy, a boom arm (affiliate link) could be a worthwhile purchase. Decent ones are available on Amazon for under $20.

Interview Software

If you plan to talk to people long-distance, you’ll want to invest in interview software, such as:

Squadcast: This platform offers videoconferencing and records on separate tracks for each speaker.

Zoom: This easy-to-use tool for remote interviews offers above-average audio quality, but doesn’t save audio to separate tracks.

Callnote: This software records GotoMeeting, WebEx, Facetime, Skype, Google Hangouts, and more.

6. Pick Your Podcast Hosting

Although you may listen to your podcast via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, etc., as a podcaster, you don’t actually upload your episodes directly to those directories.

To share your podcast with your adoring fans, you’ll need a podcast host: a place to store and distribute your podcast’s audio recordings.

Hosts charge a monthly service fee to host your audio files and generate the RSS feed you need to submit your podcast to podcasting directories (so listeners can find you).

How to Pick a Podcast Host

Podcast hosts are (almost) as varied as cell phone providers. When choosing a host, consider these factors:

Longevity & dependability: Will your host stand the test of time?

Flexibility & adaptability: What is your host’s storage capabilities?

Website integrations: Does your host integrate with your website or create a site for you?

Analytics: How in-depth is your host’s analytics?

Monetization support: Will your host help or hinder your monetization efforts?

Here are a few podcast hosting services to look into:

Libsyn

Libsyn has been around since 2004, and offers plans with unlimited bandwidth and monetization options, WordPress integration (with their Libsyn Publisher Hub plugin) and detailed analytics.

Podbean

Podbean started in 2006, and offers 24/7 support, distribution to all the major apps and podcast directories, and your own podcast site. Their Unlimited Plus Plan, gives you access to a patron program, advertising capabilities, and video support.

Buzzsprout

Buzzsprout offers an easy-to-use analytics dashboard, making it easy to upload, schedule, fill in meta-details, and submit your podcast to multiple podcast directories.

Blubrry

Blubrry podcast hosting plans start at $12 per month. At that introductory price you get 100MB storage each month and unlimited bandwidth. If you need more, $80 per month will give you 1,000MB of storage space.

Free hosting

Some hosts offer free podcasting plans, but these plans come with limits:

Buzzsprout allows you to upload 2 hours of content which they host for 90 days.

Podbean allows you to upload 5 hours of content per month at max 100GB of bandwidth and only basic statistics.

Speaker’s free plan includes advertisements, you’ll need to pay to remove them.

Anchor is a 100% free platform focused on “democratizing audio.” But they were the center of a terms and conditions controversy in 2018.

Soundcloud allows you to upload up to 3 hours of audio only.

So be careful with free plans, and know that if you want your podcast to grow and be competitive, it’s worth investing in a good host.

7. Record Your First Episode

Okay. You’ve prepared your topic, host, and podcast equipment, and you’re ready to roll!

So in this section, we’re going to go step-by-step through the podcast recording process:

Write Your Script

Podcasting is like giving a speech. It’s best if you plan what you’re going to say before you say it, by writing it out.

You don’t have to write everything word for word, but the more planning you do, the less problems you’ll have later.

You can write out a word-for-word speech, if you like, but remember that when you turn that microphone on, you want to speak as if talking to a friend.

Prepare Your Environment

Before you record your first episode, make sure that you’ve set up the best recording environment.

Remove all distractions (kids, pets, and annoying voice search devices) and choose a room that’s not located near a busy street and doesn’t have many hard reflective surfaces. Use curtains and carpets to absorb noise pollution.

Create Your Intro and Outro

If you plan to create a recurring intro and outro, have that ready to add to your episodes. In your intro, make sure you mention your podcast name, topic, and host name. And your outro is a great place to include your call to action.

Record Your Episode

With your script written and environment set up, you’re ready to start recording!

First, plug in your equipment and open your recording software. Make sure your computer recognizes your mic as the source of audio input, then hit record.

Remember, you don’t have to record a perfect voiceover in one take. Take your time, and feel free to re-record if you make mistakes.

Edit Your Audio (Post-Production)

Editing involves cutting out errors, reducing background noise, balancing sound levels, adding your intro and outro, and making the episode easier for people to hear.

If you used Audacity to record your audio, you can edit your audio file in the programs directly. (To learn how, check out Audacity’s tutorials.)

As always, you can also hire someone to help you with editing, if you prefer.

Save Your Recording

When you’re finished recording your audio, save it as an MP3 file. In Audacity, that means clicking on “File” → “Export” → “Export as MP3”:

Name your audio file using a template, something like “podcast name-episode number-episode name-date.”

If you’re using Audacity, the default standard quality MP3 should be fine. If you’re using a different service, shoot for a bitrate of around 128 kbps and 44.1Mhz (CD quality).

8. Upload Your Podcast Episode

Once you’ve finished exporting your episode as an MP3 file, it’s time to upload your file to your host. Each host has their own way of doing things, so follow their instructions:

How to upload to Libsyn

How to upload to Podbean

How to upload to Buzzsprout

When you do, you’ll be prompted to include ID3 metadata that stores information related to an MP3 file.

You can also include this information when exporting your file from Audacity:

Audacity includes a space for you to add the artist name (in your case, podcast host name), track title (episode title), album title (podcast name), track number (episode number), year, genre, and other comments.

For each podcast episode, you’ll want to prepare an episode title so listeners know what your episode is about. You also want to include show notes, which can include a description of the content (including relevant keywords to make your episode easier to find), timestamps, links to your site, etc.

If this is your first time uploading to your host, you will be asked to include your podcast title, artwork, and description.

Then, once you’ve filled out all the necessary information, your host will pass it on to your podcast directories so that your podcast can be found by future fans.

And speaking of those directories…

9. Submit Your RSS Feed to Apple Podcasts (iTunes), Spotify, and Google/Android

Once you have your podcast created and hosted, submitting it to a directory is easy.

Some podcast hosts have easy one-click-button methods for uploading. If you chose one of those hosts, use their process.

For everyone else, here’s how you submit your podcast feed to the “Big 3” directories:

Uploading Your Podcast to Apple Podcasts

Step 1. Sign in to iTunes Connect using your Apple ID (if you don’t have one, you can create one for free).

Step 2. Click on the Podcasts Connect button.

Step 3. Enter your podcast RSS feed URL (which you get from your podcast host) and click “validate.” Click Submit to continue.

Step 4. Apple will review your podcast and you’ll be notified via email when it is approved.

Uploading Your Podcast to Spotify

Step 1. Go to Spotify for Podcasters and log in to your account (or create one if you don’t have one yet).

Step 2. Once you are logged in, go to the “Add your podcast” page and click “Get started.”

Step 3. Enter your RSS feed and click Next.

Step 4. Add relevant info to the “Add podcast info” page, review, and submit.

Note: It can take a few hours up to 5 days for your podcast to appear on Spotify, so be patient. Also, Spotify requires audio to be in MP3 audio with bitrates between 96-320 kbps and episodes no more than 200MB (about 83 minutes at 320kbps or 200 minutes at 128kbps).

Uploading Your Podcast to Google/Android

Step 1. Go to the Google Play Music website and click Publish.

Step 2. Sign in using your email, and submit your podcast URL.

Step 3. Once you are approved, your podcast will be listed on Google Podcasts.

Other Podcast Directories

While Apple, Google, and Spotify are most popular podcasting directories, you can also upload your podcast to other platforms, including Stitcher, TuneIn, Overcast, etc. The more places you are, the easier listeners can find you.

10. Promote Your Podcast

To compete with 800,000 (and counting!) podcasts worldwide, you’re going to have to do more than cross your fingers for luck to get people to listen.

But good news…

Promoting your podcast is totally doable. Here are some ideas to do just that:

Launch your podcast with a splash!

Before you launch your podcast, generate buzz.

Send an announcement to your friends, family, and followers on your mailing list. Include the announcement in your email signature.

Tell people in real life and on social media about the impending launch of your awesome new podcast.

Create a pre-launch team, like authors do with book launches, to create a snowball effect and enhance anticipation for your podcast.

On Debut Day, launch several episodes at once, ideally 3-5, so that listeners can immediately binge-listen to several episodes without waiting.

Ask everyone you know to subscribe and leave a review, and reward them by reading top reviews or thanking people by name on new episodes of the podcast.

Create audiograms for each episode

An audiogram is a snippet of your podcast episode that you can share on social media to pique the interest of potential listeners.

You can use the Wavve or Headliner app to easily create a visually appealing audiogram to share on your Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media channels. Both have free plans as well as premium options.

Utilize your website

If you don’t already have a self-hosted website, you should consider creating one because you can leverage that site to share your podcast, blogging content, create and sell products and courses, etc.

(Just be sure your podcast website is SEO friendly so Google will give it some love.)

If you already have a website, make sure you promote your podcast on that site. For example, you can repurpose your podcast episodes into blog posts by transcribing and editing your audio.

Feature your podcast on your homepage and About page, link to specific podcast episodes within your blog posts, and embed a podcast player on your site for visitors.

Be a guest (and invite guests onto your show)

To supercharge your promotion, try to be a guest on other, more established podcasts in your niche, and invite podcast hosts/influencers to be a guest on your show. This will introduce your podcast to an audience that is already interested in your topic.

Podcast listeners often find new podcast recommendations while listening to their favorite shows, so the more you network, the better.

Never stop promoting!

The best way to promote your podcast is by word of mouth.

So bring up your podcast whenever it makes sense. Talk about it with your friends, share it in social media groups, and write about it to your email list.

Most of all, produce a remarkable podcast that people will want to share with their friends. If you consistently create valuable content on a regular basis, your audience will come to you.

Bonus: Podcast Q&A

What equipment do I need for a podcast?

It doesn’t take much to start a podcast:

At minimum, you will need a computer, microphone, and pair of headphones.

For software, you can download Audacity to record and edit your audio, and use Zoom, Skype, etc., to do long-distance interviews.

How much does it cost to start a podcast?

Technically, you can start a podcast for free, if you already have the hardware you need.

But if you want to reap the long term benefits of podcasting, you’ll want to pay for a good podcast host (recurring fee) and decent microphone (one-time fee).

Ultimately, you get what you put into it: If you just want to test out the waters, you can get started for free and see how it goes. If you’re committed for the long haul, do your research and invest in quality.

How long should podcasts be?

When deciding on your podcast length, consider your content, audience, and podcast format.

Don’t stuff your podcast with fluff just because you’re trying to hit an arbitrary time mark, and don’t lop off interesting material because the podcast is getting “too long.”

But do try to keep your episode lengths uniform.

If you want to make a 30-minute podcast, don’t throw in a 3-hour or 3-minute-long episode. Keep each episode at similar lengths so readers know what to expect.

How often should you publish a podcast?

Podcast episode releases range from daily (NPR’s Here & Now) to once in a blue moon (Hardcore History with Dan Carlin).

A general rule of thumb is to go with a schedule you can stick to. And be consistent. If you post erratically, you risk losing listeners.

What if I hate the sound of my voice?

Check out Sonia Thompson’s 7 Ironclad Reasons to Podcast (Even If You Hate the Sound of Your Own Voice).

Is there any reason I should NOT start a podcast?

Maybe. You’ll have the most success with podcasting if you’re focusing solely on it. So if you’re still trying to master freelance writing, blogging, or even a YouTube channel, you’re better of mastering it first.

Jon dives into this topic in great detail here: Why You Shouldn’t Start a Podcast or YouTube Channel (Seriously).

Can you make money from podcasts?

The short answer is yes. However, the money doesn’t always come straight from your podcast, but from the awareness and traffic your podcast can create.

That said, with a large audience, you can earn money through sponsorships and affiliate marketing, or by advertising your own products and services to your audience.

Some podcasters also generate income through donations or premium paid audio content.

Go Forth and Podcast!

Most people who think about starting a podcast never get started.

Don’t be one of them.

Just get started, and take it one step at a time.

This article can teach you how to get off the ground, but the passion to spread your message? You already have that.

So what are you waiting for?

We can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

The post How to Start a Podcast in 2020: No Fluff (Just the Essentials) appeared first on Smart Blogger.

from SEO and SM Tips https://smartblogger.com/start-a-podcast/

[airadam]

Episode 126 : None More Black

"These evil streets don't sleep..."

- Pharoahe

Here's an idea I've been holding for a while - an episode showcasing Hip-Hop tracks that took a rock sample or influence! I thought it'd be an interesting one to select and mix without reaching for the most obvious standby picks, and we've got tracks spanning almost thirty years at the extreme ends. Don't worry, the guitars come along with plenty of bars and beats!

Links for the month... Michelle Grace Hunder - wicked music photographer!

The Flyest Xmas party on Dec 20th, featuring The Soul Twins

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Ice-T ft. Jello Biafra : Shut Up, Be Happy

One of those tracks that seems more relevant now than ever, this was the opener on Ice-T's underrated 1989 album "The Iceberg". A great marrying of elements, as Jello Biafra of the punk band Dead Kennedys delivers a totalitarian announcement (based on his own "Message From Our Sponsor" over a Black Sabbath loop. I couldn't put this anywhere but as the intro to the episode!

Camp Lo : 82 Afros

Kicking the pace up a touch, we move straight into a killer Camp Lo cut from the "Black Hollywood" LP, with Ski cooking up a banging rock-based beat. The kick and snare are straight boom-bap, but the toms add an unexpected extra element on top of the distorted guitar and vocal sample. Cheeba and Geechi might be known for their smooth styles, but this is just one demonstration of the fact that they can get busy over any kind of beat.

J-Zone : Moonwalk / Gel N' Weave Remix (Instrumental)

I was struggling to find just the right instrumental for this spot, but went back to "The Headband Years" to find this beat from a producer who could make a beat our of almost anything. He's full-time on his funk drumming now, but has a great catalogue of Hip-Hop that can't be fronted on.

Kobaine : Ko.Bain

This is an artist I know very little about, as as far as I'm aware this is his only release to date, a nice little contribution to the 2002 "Subway Series Vol.1" compilation on Major League Entertainment. I got this on digital release which had no credits included, so I'm not sure who produced it - I can imagine it being a Nick Wiz or Tribeca track though.

Agallah : Ag Season

Brownsville's Agallah has often channelled the rockstar vibes in his career, and this woozy-guitared track from "Bo : The Legend of the Water Dragon" sounds entirely natural for him. Self-produced as always, it's short, rock solid, and to the point.

Fabolous : Breathe

Fifteen years old, already? This was a huge single for Fabolous, taken from his "Real Talk" album, and is one of his best-known tracks even after all these years. Just Blaze laced him with a beat based around Supertramp's "Crime of the Century", and got a surprise when Fab told him he'd written his lyrics around the "breathe" vocal sample on the track...because that's not what it said! However, on hearing the bars, Just went back and made some changes to align the audio with what Fab thought he heard!

Ras Kass ft. Killah Priest : Milli Vanilli

Ras Kass' "Quarterly" was collection of tracks he released once a week, finally brought together in late 2009 - and there are some great cuts in there. Here's one, with Veterano's beat sounding like a cybernetic heavy metal group trying to destroy the speaker stack! Ras cuts through it regardless, and special guest Killah Priest (fellow member of THE HRSMN) matches him bar for bar as always. The hook of course channels the then-recent Lil Wayne track "A Milli", which was a heavily-used beat for freestyles around this time.

Body Count : C-Note

This was one of the shorter and gentler tracks on the debut Body Count album, but was always one of my favourites - Ernie C makes that guitar cry for real. Ice-T's metal project was waved off by some doubters in the beginning, but the music was solid from their first appearance on the "OG: Original Gangster" album and they're still killing it to this day.

Bumpy Knuckles : Swazzee

This one is so aggro, you have to love it. Seriously, you'd better. Bumpy Knuckles is in fine form on this guaranteed weight-training motivational track from "Konexion", taking out sucker MCs, snitches, haters, and pretty much everyone else. The hook is reminiscent of an old Sly Stone cut, and Knockout's beat is ferocious - precise, measured drums with the harsh guitar over the top. Bumpy might be the king of the third verse but a track like this lets you know he can handle the first two just fine!

Public Enemy : Go Cat Go

The "He Got Game" soundtrack was unfairly overlooked by too many heads, but is an absolutely worthy entry in Public Enemy's long and storied discography. Chuck D's political awareness and love of sports (he actually wanted to be a sportscaster at one point) combined for a really interesting listen. Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto and Danny Saber of Black Grape cover this one in heavy guitars which would drown out most MCs, but not Chuck! As the album subtitle says, this one is about the game behind the game...

Boogie Down Productions : Ya Slippin

It's hard to think now of BDP being a crew with a future in doubt, but this is how it was back in 1988 as "By All Means Necessary" was released, not long after the murder of founding DJ Scott La Rock. KRS might be young here but he rhymes with the confidence of someone who left home as a child to become an MC, survived homelessness, and achieved his goal. He scolds weak MCs like "The Teacha" he is, and gets down on the production too - the rock heads will recognise this guitar sample a mile off!

Pharoahe Monch : Got You

Shout out to Vicky T for reminding me of this tune! The lead single from the "Training Day" soundtrack is one where I think the radio version (as heard here) surpasses the original. Monch perfectly encapsulates the essence of Denzel Washington's character, who is one of the classic movie villains of modern times - and strikingly, is based on real police.

[J-Zone] Boss Hog Barbarians : Celph Destruction (Instrumental)

Zone again, and while it one didn't come to mind immediately, the aggressive sonics of this instrumental get it the nod here. The Boss Hog Barbarians (J-Zone and Celph Titled) album is an absolute tribute to ignorance (intentionally), but if you can deal with that then it's an excellent addition to your collection.

LL Cool J : Go Cut Creator Go

Another 80s classic hard rocking track, from LL's "Bigger And Deffer" album. It's the kind of track we don't get now - the MC just bigging up the DJ. DJ Cut Creator was with LL from the very beginning, and was the one who actually helped him to get him name known, so it's nice to hear the appreciation. The scratches still stand up today and cut through even the loudest of the guitar samples on the track!

Sly Boogy : Fatal Mistake

Sly may not have put anything out for a while, but the San Bernadino native did drop a few nice tracks in the early 2000s. This one has him totally disregarding the common standards of Hip-Hop song structure, opening up with a thirty-two bar first verse just to show he's not playing. DJ Revolution provides the cuts, and production is courtesy of a then-emerging Jake One. This actually doesn't have a rock influence, but is here because of how well it goes with the next instrumental...

[Rick Rubin] Jay-Z : 99 Problems (Instrumental)

The combination of this and "Fatal Mistake" is one I discovered while doing a mix years and years ago, and wanted to bring out again when the opportunity arose! You probably all know the vocal version of this track, which appeared on Jay-Z's "The Black Album". While working with the legendary Def Jam co-founder and producer Rubin, Jay said he wanted something like the flavour he used to give to the Beastie Boys and this was the result - a meshing of several ideas that came together perfectly.

Public Enemy : She Watch Channel Zero?!

Let's be real - the sexism is heavy on this track! It'd be entirely reasonable to argue that spending all day watching sports on TV isn't any better than soap operas, but that's just my opinion :) 1988's "...Nation of Millions..." yields this song which had an interesting connection - sampling the group Slayer, who were produced by Def Jam founder and major PE supporter Rick Rubin. 

Lacuna Coil : The Game

Going pure rock on this selection from this veteran Milanese gothic metal band! I actually learned about this group from "Guitar Hero" of all places, and "Our Truth" led me to the 2006 "Karmacode" album that included this track. It always reminded me a little of "Channel Zero", and while the guitar riffs are definitely fire and the drums bang, it's the combined and contrasting vocals of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro that can't fail to grab your ear.

RJD2 : Exotic Talk

Prog rock meets Hip-Hop sensibilities as RJD2 twists and turns, chilling things out in parts before bringing the thunder crashing back in. Definite standout from 2004's "Since We Last Spoke".

Z-Trip : Rockstar

We close with a standout track from the "Return of the DJ, Volume II" compilation, with Phoenix's Z-Trip putting together a masterpiece of DJ/producer song construction. The sample list is long, and since I don't know what was and wasn't cleared, I won't give anything away here!

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[thatsnotcanonpodcasts]

Loose Units, The Veil Audio Drama, StarTalk Radio with Neil Degrasse Tyson

Hi! Welcome back to Castology. So good to see you! Pull up a chair and listen to this week's mixed back of recommendations from your friendly neighbourhood Castologists. Patrick brings a bit of Neil Degrasse Tyson to the table with StartTalk Radio, Liz picks a podcast purely because Patrick will like the name and recommends crime banter series Loose Units, and Zane takes a step through the scary door with Twilight Zone/Black Mirror-esque The Veil Audio Drama. Then it's on to last week's reviews? Will there be clashes and drama? Maybe! Maybe not also. You will have to listen to find out.

Liz Recommends - Loose Units

https://looseunitsthepodcast.libsyn.com/

Paul F. Verhoven sits down with his dad John to chat all things crime in the 1980s. You see John was a cop in Sydney during the height of police corruption and boy does he have some stories. So Paul put them all into a book. BUT as the show description states: "The true crime book Loose Units, out now through Penguin Publishing (and in bookstores everywhere), had one thing it couldn't do: it couldn't fit everything. So each week, Paul and John will sit down and delve into cases too surreal, brief or contentious to fit into the book."

After literally only picking this podcast because she thought resident loose unit Patrick would find the title appealing, she fell in love with it. The banter between father and son is straight up entertaining as hell and almost veers into comedy in some eps. But some are tragic. A good all rounder with lots of crime stories from someone's dad, who always seems to sound cool and funny when he calls someone a fuckwit.

For both: I started from the start but each ep is a separate story so just pick the topic that appeals to you.

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/loose-units-the-podcast/id1445344726

Pat Recommends - StarTalk Radio

https://www.startalkradio.net/

What's better than interrupting quality family time on father's day to write show notes? Many things, presumably, but also listening to Star Talk Radio. This podcast is hosted predominantly by Neil deGrasse Tyson, world famous astrophysicist and science communicator. This podcast has a number of formats. Interview style, answering twitter questions, and whatever the Chuck Nice episodes are. These episodes average about 50 minutes, hardly 4 hours, but we'll look the other way for Neil.

For Zane & Liz: You'll figure it out

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/startalk-radio/id325404506

Zane Recommends - The Veil Audio Drama

http://www.voxxstudios.com/the-veil

Another fiction podcast from Zane! again, it is a speculative fiction podcast, but this one has a very definite sense of style and execution. The Veil is a sci-fi/horror audio-drama anthology. It's being described as a mix between The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror. Each episode contains a fully immersive soundscape, original score, original script from their writing team. Episodes are released every other Thursday.

For Pat: Any Episode

For Liz: Any Episode

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-veil-audio-drama/id1443675475

Subscribe to us on ITUNES, STITCHER, SPOTIFY, RADIOPUBLIC or your podcatcher of choice.

Find us on FACEBOOK, TWITTER or INSTAGRAM.

[soundwizreview]

Sangean H202 Portable Shower Radio with Bluetooth Review

The market of Bluetooth speakers is in rapid evolvement at the moment. First and foremost, these gadgets are super handy to have. They help us keep track of time in the bathroom in the morning. They also act as an entertainment center to blast out our favorite tunes while we get ready for work or relax after a long day.

The Sangean H202 has taken the market by storm, quickly gaining the title as one of the best shower radio speakers. Though competitively priced, the H202 provides heaps of innovative and unique features to the table which the competitors don’t.

A Shower Radio That Works

It’s no secret that the market of shower radios can be a jungle to navigate. There are quite a few options out there. Many of them look solid at first glance. However, once you dig deeper, you’ll see that a lot of them have game-changing shortcomings.

Quite a few of them starts at around $20 and upwards. However, these speakers only serve you at the bare minimum of what you’d expect. Often they’re hard to navigate, have unstable radio reception and a bland and flat audio response.

With the Sangean H202, however, you don’t have to worry about any of this. One of the strongest points of the H202 is the radio reception and navigation. First, it supports FM, AM and WX tuning. It has a built-in AM antenna and a pigtail antenna for AM and WX tuning.

With 20 station presets, you’ll easily get going straight out of the box. With a handy LCD display and 12 logical and easy-to-use buttons, the Sangean H202 radio speaker is extremely easy to navigate and get used to.

As for as reception stability goes, this unit is second to none. Even though we tried challenging its signal strength, we were unable to kill the reception. It’s super reliable and highly stable.

View on Amazon

Faultless Audio Quality

Shower radios aren’t designed to reproduce the world’s best HiFi sound. However, the Sangean H202 is probably as close as you can get to it within the realms of shower speakers.

We tested this shower radio against a few competitors by having them play the same AM radio frequency side by side to determine how they sounded in comparison. Together with the Sony ICF-S80, the Sangean H202 sounded the best. We then moved on to test them using Bluetooth, playing the same song on all units. The ICF-S80 does not support Bluetooth, so the H202 was battling against cheaper models. The H202 came out on top quite convincingly.

The Sangean H202 doesn’t sound like a shower radio. It more closely compares to the more recent JBL Bluetooth speakers. Especially the lower frequencies impressed us a lot. Where some of the other radios started to thin out, the H202 maintained width and provided body to the sound. If sound quality is an important factor for you, you can’t go wrong with this one.

Features For Days

The Sangean H202 is the most sophisticated shower radio on the market at the moment. Where most of the other units are what can be considered one-trick ponies, the quality of the H202 is displayed in its range of features.

A Wireless Weather Station

As mentioned before, the H202 supports WX tuning – which is something none of the other shower radios we reviewed do.

With WX tuning, the H202 receives weather updates and reports from all seven NOAA weather channels. Due to this, you can check the weather while taking a bath. It is super handy to get an overview of how the day is going to be and so you can plan your outfit accordingly.

Bluetooth Connectivity

The one thing that the Sony ICF-S80 lacked was Bluetooth connectivity. The fact that you can connect your phone to your shower radio and play your favorite songs through Spotify just makes the product a lot better overall. One thing I like to do is to listen to various podcasts in the morning and thus having this helps me a lot.

We tested the Bluetooth range and it seemed that the connection started to suffer at a distance of around 30 feet from the radio. Generally speaking, this is fairly average.

Perfect Timing. Always

With the Sangean H202, you’ll never lose track of the time on busy mornings again. The LCD display shows the clock (which can be set to your liking).

Additionally, you can set adjustable sleep timers and short timers. Want to limit your bath to 3 minutes? Set a short timer for 180 seconds. Want the unit to automatically turn off at 8:30 AM when you leave your house? Set a sleep timer for automatic turn-off.

View on Amazon

Mobility Is Key

The Sangean H202 is geared with an adjustable carrying/hanging strap that lets you place the unit in a lot of handy ways. Some of the other models use suction cups which the H202 does not. It isn’t a solution that would work for this unit due to its shape, size, and design.

Unique to the Sangean H202 shower radio, it comes with a wall mounting plate and belonging hardware. This means you can seamlessly create a hanging spot for the H202 on the wall wherever you want while hiding the hanging strap from your view.

Multiple Power Options

You probably thought this unit couldn’t get any handier… You were wrong! There’s more…

The Sangean H202 – already proven to be a very flexible shower radio – can be powered in two ways. Either you can run it directly through your power outlet using the DC power plug in the unit. Otherwise, you can use two 1.5 V (UM-1) batteries to power it. When powered by batteries, you can expect the unit to play for 110+ hours.

A lot of the other shower radios require being charged every 5-10 hours of play time. This can get tiresome, especially if you’re in a rush on busy mornings.

It is worth noting that no DC power adapter nor batteries are included with this unit.

Conclusion – Is The Sangean H202 The Best Shower Radio?

The Sangean H202 is a versatile unit with lots of great features that make it the best shower radio in our opinion. Although not the cheapest product on the market, you certainly ain’t breaking your bank by acquiring the H202.

It’s clear that Sangean had a strong and clear vision with this product – and that seemed to work. With solid audio quality and access to lots of unique and useful features combined with a more than fair price tag, the H202 is unarguably our favorite shower radio speaker on the market.

The H202 is a super flexible unit that serves multiple purposes. You can’t go wrong with this product.

The post Sangean H202 Portable Shower Radio with Bluetooth Review appeared first on SoundWiz.

[podcastcoach]

Are You Making These Podcast Mistakes Part II

Becuase of My Podcast: 

1:30

Haley Radke from http://www.adopteeson.com/ shares how the only people who can understand what it's like to be adopted, and more importantly how to deal with a reunion with your biological parents. Nobody knows what that is like except those who have lived it. You might feel alone, but by creating her podcasts she is how building a community and actually had a meetup when she was traveling. People able came from out of state to come to meet her, and to be part of the community

SPONSOR: Podcast Engineering School

9:22

Podcast Engineering School – next semester starts September 18th and runs through October 30th. The classes are live and Chris packs the 2-hour classes with tons of information

Program Includes:

LIVE Interactive Online Training

Two Mentoring Sessions with Chris Curran

Major Discounts on Software and Plugins

Lifetime Access to the PES closed community

Certificate of Completion

If you're looking to start your own audio editing service, or just want to make your show sound better. This course is for you.

EARLY BIRD PRICING ENDS VERY SOON – SIGN UP TODAY AND SAVE BIG

https://podcastengineeringschool.com/

Imposter Syndrom Continued

12:15

Last week we looked at what is Imposter syndrome, and how to overcome it. I was listening to the Dennis Miller Option and he shared some insights into how he feels when he is at a party with "celebrities." If you are new to Dennis Miller, here are some facts from his Wikipedia page.

Dennis Miller:

Saturday Night Live 1985 to 1991

Dennis Miller show (last seven month ) in 1992

Dennis Miller Show Live 1995- 2002 winning five Emmys for HBO

Hosted three-hour radio show on westwood one from 2007 to 2015

He also had shows on CNBC, and has done featured spots on many television shows.

He is listed as #21 on the great comedians of all time top 100 chart from Comedy Central

This is paraphrased from this show, " As far as being a celebrity, I'm complete "wobbliness." The moment I'm with some people who are famous I can do my little patter. I can make them laugh, and we can have the exchange that they want to have and I want to have. At the end (of the night), if they say, "Here is my number call me," when I get home and I'm alone, I don't tare it up, I keep them and think I'll call them someday.

I NEVER get to those calls. I just think they didn't mean it. I would feel like I was cold calling them to sell them encyclopedias. It's a weird thing. "

More Common Podcasting Mistakes

16:05

Are you ONLY putting a "jukebox" or "show player" for your podcast? 

This is where you have one page with all your episodes. For an example see http://becausepodcast.libsyn.com/category/Binge+Listen

PROS

This makes it easy to go to one page and click listen and let it play all of your episodes.

Cons

Ther are now show notes on your page. Any shows notes that appear are actually on your media hosts website (and the player is served in what is called an iframe, so technically while this appears on your site, it's like someone cut a hole in your site and you are looking through to the original site).

It makes it very hard to share the episode

Do You Have Extra Words In Your Podcast Name That Are Not Needed in Apple?

In this example, I'm not talking about the title of your episodes but the title of your show. Try to avoid having people "Search for the show in Apple podcasts." If you do, you need to tell them EXACTLY what to search for.

EXAMPLE

The kookcast is a podcast with a very unique name. I would deeply doubt there are two shows with that name. If you go to Apple podcasts and search for kookcast it comes right up. However, if you enter "The kookcast" even with its SUPER UNIQUE name it does not appear in the top 300 results.

From what I can see when you add "The" your show is ranked against all the other shows that have the word "the" in the title and it doesn't appear. So in your case you might need to have them search for your name instead of the name of your show. This assumes you are listed as the author of your show.

Is Your Podcast Created by Unkown?

If you search for your show in Apple podcasts and it shows the author as "unknown" you can easily fix this by going to the system you use to make your show (for example in Libsyn.com you can go to destinations > edit > Libsyn classic feed and add the author information along with owner, email, categories) and enter the missing information. The listing in apple should updated in about 24 hours.

Do You Not Care About Your Android Audience?

This one confuses me, but I see it all the time. I go to a podcast website, I see the show. I can click play. When I go to subscribe there is one and only one option. Apple Podcasts. If you are on android, you are out of luck, I hope you figure something out.

Check out this article. It shows a map with android being one color and iOs another color. Europe is entirely android. see https://www.moontechnolabs.com/apple-vs-android-comparative-study-2017/ according to an article at statscounter, android currently has 74% of the market in Europe. see http://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/europe

Check out this episode!

[andrewysanders]

Episode 0001 – Character Development

So after eight and a half years, I have finally decided to enter the world of podcasting. I am excited to add this medium to my toolkit as I think podcasting my actually be a more natural medium for me rather than writing a blog post. I have maintained that I ama terrible writer, but I actually think I am a fairly engaging speaker – especially in the casual environment of a conversation between friends and colleagues.

[Note: If you are reading this via email, you will have to click through to the site to access the audio player] 

In this first episode, we do a little character development as I introduce you to Landon Williams – who will be my co-host in this adventure – and we talk about why we are doing this, what our objectives and goals are for the podcast, … and we only go down a few rabbit holes in this first episode.

The setup we have in place is pretty easy and direct. Since Landon literally sits next to me in the office, we simply sat at our desk when recoding the episode. If anyone has a question about our setup and the equipment we used, just ask in the comments below. After an incredibly deep-dive into the recording technology and equipment, I think I have a pretty good grip on a really good mid-level podcast setup. Of course, you’ll have final say on that once you listen to our first episode.

This is Landon’s sketch that I mentioned during the show – If I wasn’t recording, maybe I would have tried to get a little closer. As one of our “learning” moments, I’ve told Landon that there is no sketching allowed during our recording sessions.

During the post-production editing, which was a small adventure in and of itself, I kept hearing this loud popping sounds that were really annoying. I mentioned this to Landon and he confessed that he was clicking his pen … what?!? Soon he will be in charge of post-production editing and it will reinforce to him that good recording behavior will save loads of time in post-production editing.

I should say – and maybe this will change as I get my podcasting legs underneath me – that I don’t intend to do much editing from our recording sessions. I think the stumbles in how a phrase is turned makes the conversation a lot more natural and since you can’t go back during a real conversation, why should I do it here? (other than to edit out pen clicks …)

Finally – since I don’t think many people will be familiar with the “Barbara Streisand” song mentioned, I’ve embedded it into the post today so you can all enjoy a classic from Landon’s college studio days. [Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click-through to the post to see the player.]

The show notes to our first episode aren’t very exciting – I’m not sure they ever will be since all the action is happening within the actual podcast. I do hope that you will give this episode a try, and I hope that you will consider subscribing and making the ‘Life of an Architect’ podcast part of your listening rotation. Since this is the first episode, I will have to come back in here to provide links to Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – until I actually publish today’s post, the podcast doesn’t technically exist yet!

Thanks for being there for the first podcast – you will be able to say you’ve been there since day one!

Cheers,

from Home https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/episode-0001-character-development/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[jaigeddes]

Episode 0001 – Character Development

So after eight and a half years, I have finally decided to enter the world of podcasting. I am excited to add this medium to my toolkit as I think podcasting my actually be a more natural medium for me rather than writing a blog post. I have maintained that I ama terrible writer, but I actually think I am a fairly engaging speaker – especially in the casual environment of a conversation between friends and colleagues.

[Note: If you are reading this via email, you will have to click through to the site to access the audio player] 

In this first episode, we do a little character development as I introduce you to Landon Williams – who will be my co-host in this adventure – and we talk about why we are doing this, what our objectives and goals are for the podcast, … and we only go down a few rabbit holes in this first episode.

The setup we have in place is pretty easy and direct. Since Landon literally sits next to me in the office, we simply sat at our desk when recoding the episode. If anyone has a question about our setup and the equipment we used, just ask in the comments below. After an incredibly deep-dive into the recording technology and equipment, I think I have a pretty good grip on a really good mid-level podcast setup. Of course, you’ll have final say on that once you listen to our first episode.

This is Landon’s sketch that I mentioned during the show – If I wasn’t recording, maybe I would have tried to get a little closer. As one of our “learning” moments, I’ve told Landon that there is no sketching allowed during our recording sessions.

During the post-production editing, which was a small adventure in and of itself, I kept hearing this loud popping sounds that were really annoying. I mentioned this to Landon and he confessed that he was clicking his pen … what?!? Soon he will be in charge of post-production editing and it will reinforce to him that good recording behavior will save loads of time in post-production editing.

I should say – and maybe this will change as I get my podcasting legs underneath me – that I don’t intend to do much editing from our recording sessions. I think the stumbles in how a phrase is turned makes the conversation a lot more natural and since you can’t go back during a real conversation, why should I do it here? (other than to edit out pen clicks …)

Finally – since I don’t think many people will be familiar with the “Barbara Streisand” song mentioned, I’ve embedded it into the post today so you can all enjoy a classic from Landon’s college studio days. [Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may have to click-through to the post to see the player.]

The show notes to our first episode aren’t very exciting – I’m not sure they ever will be since all the action is happening within the actual podcast. I do hope that you will give this episode a try, and I hope that you will consider subscribing and making the ‘Life of an Architect’ podcast part of your listening rotation. Since this is the first episode, I will have to come back in here to provide links to Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify – until I actually publish today’s post, the podcast doesn’t technically exist yet!

Thanks for being there for the first podcast – you will be able to say you’ve been there since day one!

Cheers,

[podcastification]

104: Podcast Production Workflow: How To Make It Happen Every Episode

Welcome back to Podcastification - on this episode I’m walking you through the step by step details of what I do to carry out MY successful podcast production workflow every single week. It doesn’t matter if you publish episodes every week, every other week, or once a month - organizationally you’ve GOT to have an effective podcast workflow to ensure two things:

Quality AND Consistency

What I demonstrate and describe on this episode is not the ONLY way to do this - but it’s the best way I’ve found after 5 years of podcasting. And if you scroll down, you’ll also notice that I ALSO recorded this one as a video - with the workflow mapped out on my whiteboard. The visuals help on this one - honest.

If there’s one thing you get out of this episode, this is what I hope it is: Process leads to Success!

[1:18] The vital importance of having a well-considered podcast workflow: consistency & quality

[3:12] Write down every step of your process - one per sticky note: here’s why

[4:01] Beginning the process, one step at a time

Choose your topic

Research and preparation

GUEST EPISODES: Choosing and preparing for your guest

GUEST EPISODES: Reaching out to your guest

GUEST EPISODES: Your guest schedules a time

GUEST EPISODES: Asking the guest to provide you some vital info

GUEST EPISODES: Confirm the recording (the day of the recording)

[17:41] Do you see how the workflow enables you to be professional and consistent?

[21:45] Resuming the steps to your podcast workflow

Create a test recording/sound check

Record the main audio/conversation

Record the intro and outro immediately following the recording: Here’s why

Add the audio files to my Dropbox system (I describe it here)

Notify the editor (or set a time to edit on your own calendar if you do your own editing)

Create an optimized title and send to my VA (because the artwork step is coming)

Add to Auphonic (if you don’t use Auphonic, do it now!)

Writing the show notes and notify the VA

Artwork/graphics are created

Post the show notes and artwork to Libsyn and the website

Set up social sharing

GUEST EPISODES: Send promo info to guest

[44:15] Why process equals success

Resources Mentioned

YouCanBook.me

Calendly

Schedule Once

The list I send to guests about how to best prepare for the recording

The form I use to ask my guests to confirm their participation here

Google Forms

Hello Sign

Hubspot

Ringr

Zencastr

Cleanfeed

Skype

Zapier

Keyword Finder (affiliate link)

Auphonic

My previous episode about using Auphonic

Episode: The Triple Power of Killer Show Notes

Canva

Libsyn - use the code “PFT” to get up to 1 ½ months off

Episode: Using virtual services/assistants

Procrastinate on Purpose by Rory Vaden

Recur Post

eClincher

Meet Edgar

Featured On This Episode

Custom Audiograms from Podcast Fast Track

Wavve - check it out!

Connect with me…

Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com

On Facebook

On Twitter

><><><><><><

Subscribe to Podcastification

On Android | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Podbean | iHeart Radio | Spreaker | Email | FEED: http://podcastification.com/rss

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Here’s why you need a well-considered podcast workflow

Nothing successful happens by accident. Here are a couple of real-life examples…

Your wrist watch or smartphone didn’t just “happen.” Somebody thought it up, designed it, and made it to do exactly what it does. And you get to enjoy the benefits of their detailed, systematic approach to creating a solution you need.

Your podcast is the same type of thing.

You’re trying to reach a particular audience to teach them particular things or focus on particular topics. And it’s not just going to happen…

You need to learn how to be systematic about it so you can be effective at it.

Process = Success: and in Podcasting the process that makes it happen is a powerful podcast production workflow.

When you have a podcast workflow that is well-considered and smart, you’ll avoid two fo the biggest problems that plague any content creator: inconsistency and lack of quality.

Said another way - getting down a great podcast workflow is likely the ONE THING that will enable you to stand apart from all your competitors. The very people you want to attract and benefit will be drawn to you because something about you is very obvious: YOU CARE about the content you’re producing and the people you’re producing it for.

This audio/video episode is aimed at showing you, step by step, how to create a podcast production workflow that is unique to you and your show - and how to keep it running episode after episode to ensure you provide the value to your listeners that you really want to provide.

OK - it’s time to create your unique podcast workflow. Are you ready?

What I’m about to describe to you is MY WAY of going about this process. You may have a different way that works for you - mindmaps, pencil and paper, computer software - whatever.

I don’t care HOW you do it, I just care THAT you do it. Process equals success: remember that!

My system involves the use of my whiteboard and a handful of sticky notes. I use this system because it’s easy to see in one glance and it’s easy to modify as I go by moving the sticky notes around on the board.

And to clarify, understand this: I don’t LEAVE it in this format. I’m going to transfer what I create onto a checklist that I use for every episode, but for now - as I’m creating it, I’ll ues this systems.

So, it’s time to get into the steps.

OVERARCHING METHOD: Write down every step of your production process: one step per sticky note

It may be helpful to do this the next time you work on your podcast episodes. It will require some additional time so make sure you set aside a chunk so you can do it. And let me warn you, you’ll want to shortcut this step because of impatience or eagerness. But don’t.

This is an example of doing something laborious now that will save you laborious steps later - and in an exponentially multiplying way - so stick with it and get it done.

Be as detailed about these steps as you need to be to ensure that you don’t forget anything about what goes into it. If you’ve never detailed the exact steps that you do by rote memory that go into each of these sticky note steps, I’d suggest you bullet-point those steps on the sticky note so you can actually see them and understand them visually.

Who knows, you may be handing a lot of this work to a VA or assistant in the future, so the more you have written down ahead of time, the more easily you’ll be able to do that.

Don’t worry about getting the steps in order at this point - just get them out of your head and onto the sticky notes. You’ll have time in the next step to arrange them in sequence. You’ll also find that you likely forgot some - that’s OK too. You’ll just record them on your own sticky note as they come to mind.

STEP #1: Chose the topic for the podcast episode you’ll be working on

When I first started podcasting I shot from the hip WAY too much. That means…

I didn’t plan my episode topics until the week of publication

I didn’t think them through in a logical sequence

I didn’t strategize for how I was going to BEST help my audience

Do you see where I’m going with this? How can you create amazing value to stand out in the crowd if you don’t plan to do so?

I had to learn that lesson the hard way and hope you don’t have to. That’s why I’m focusing on this right at this point.

Your audience deserves the very best from you - so give it to them through planning out your episodes.

Once you choose the topic for an episode, you’ve only done the FIRST thing. The next step is even more important.

STEP #2: Research your topic and/or prepare for the episode

Very few of us are accomplished enough or talented enough at public speaking to think of a topic and then effectively ad-lib as we record an episode. So don’t try it - not for a very long time.

You need to develop the discipline of researching, learning, growing, knowing your topics backwards and forwards - THAT is what will get you to the point that ad-libs are acceptable and possible.

People like John Maxwell do it all the time - but hey, he’s John - which only means he’s paid his dues over the years THROUGH the kind of diligent work I’m talking about.

So… what goes into good research? For me, it’s a combination of things, depending on whether I’ll have a guest on the episode or not...

Read up on the topic

It’s not enough to know what I think about something. I need to know what’s being said by others who are knowledgeable on the topic. If I don’t take the time to do this I can come across as a naive know-it-all. I don’t want that.

So I typically collect links to articles, etc. in my Pocket account and then link them to the card in my Trello board where that idea is recorded (I created a video about how I do that once upon a time). That way I can easily go to the topic > click on each link > read articles without having to search for them > and begin my own bullet point outline for the episode, all in the same spot on my Trello board.

Create a bullet-point outline of my thoughts

As I just mentioned, the next thing I do is begin my own outline of the topic. I want to include things I’ve discovered/ learned, things I believe from my experience, and what others who are experts on the subject have to say.

I want to leave no stone unturned - because it’s that kind of comprehensive quality that will get the attention of my listeners/readers AND get the attention of Google. Honestly, it does work that way.

Once I’ve created my bullet-point outline, I’ll go through it slowly to ensure it makes sense from a sequential standpoint. If I need to reorder or reorganize it, I will.

It’s got to make sense the moment a reader/listeners glances over it. If it doesn’t they’ll probably click off to something else.

Journal/write about the topic

I don’t always do this, but if I’m dealing with a complicated subject, or one that is easily confused (in my own mind, especially), I’ll add this step - I journal my thoughts and understanding about the topic.

Why do I do this? Because as Dawson Trotman once said, “Thoughts disentangle themselves when they flow from lips or fingertips.”

Typing/writing things out helps ME understand it. When I finally record the episode I want to be speaking about the subject matter naturally, as one who has studied and understood the topic for myself (because I have).

If I shortcut this step, it will show up in the quality of my episode content - and I believe that costs listeners/fans/followers in the long run. I can’t have that.

I won’t have that. :)

Brainstorm/decide on guests for the episode

If the topic I’m interested in would benefit from a conversation with an expert guest, I start thinking through who that guest should be. Nobody is out of the realm of possibility. My philosophy is to ask because the worst they could do is ignore my outreach or say “No.”

That’s not so bad, is it?

In a future point I’ll tell you how I go about reaching out to these experts.

Brainstorm resources I may need for the episode

Are there any special graphics, audio clips, sound effects, or other resources that would make this episode ultra special?

If I can come up with good ideas, I jot them down. I’m going to do everything I can to up the value of the audio and the show notes to make them stand out - to my listeners and to Google. My philosophy on that is that if it pleases my listeners, it will likely please Google too.

But be careful here - don’t overdo it. I went through a season on my podcast where I did lots of cutesy sound effects just for the sake of doing them. I thought they were fun and gave the show a unique sound.

My audience told me they were annoying. (Listen to your listeners when they give you feedback).

STEP #3: Give my topic, potential guest, and resource needs to my VA/Assistant

If you don’t have a VA or assistant who helps you with this kind of thing, you’re making a list for yourself - and you have another set of things to do in order to publish the show as you have planned.

It’s a lot of stuff, but it’s worth it to do things right. I’d rather have an episode publish late and be phenomenal than to publish on time and be so-so. I believe my audience knows the difference - and is glad when I don’t shortcut the process.

So… passing these things to my VA puts a new task on her plate, which is the next step in this process - reaching out to the guest I have in mind.

If I’ve decided to approach the guest through a contact or friend, I do that legwork before I pass this info to my VA. I want her to have as easy a time as possible connecting with the person I have in mind.

She’ll also start collecting the resources I need, whatever they are, and place them in a predetermined Dropbox or Google Drive location. That way when I or my editor are ready to produce the episode or show notes, the resources are available.

STEP #4: Reach out to the potential guest

Once I’m ready for my VA to reach out - I have her do so using a template I’ve written and provided to her that she customizes to the person I have in mind, the topic I want to chat with them about, and the timeframe in which I’d like to record the episode.

I thought about providing a copy of my template here but decided against it, simply because any template you create needs to be in your voice and reflect the unique characteristics of your podcast and brand. I can’t write that for you.

So, spend quality time on this. It’s important. The first impression you give to potential guests is powerful for them and could make or break their willingness to be a guest on your podcast.

Some items you might want to include…

Names of previous guests who have been on your show

A link to an outstanding show notes page to show them how you feature them

A suggested timeframe for the two of you to do the recording

A link to your intake/scheduling platform

And even though you need to include all that - keep it short. Busy people don’t have time for long emails. Short and sweet is key.

STEP #5: Guest Schedules a Time to Record and Completes Intake Form

I’m being entirely optimistic here, assuming that your email request was well-received and the person you reached out to is enthusiastic about being on your show. If so, you should receive a response of some kind from them - they’ve filled out your intake form or have scheduled on your calendar to record a conversation.

This isn’t really a step where you need to do something, I just include to remind you that your next action points depend on this happening first. So be patient and remember that busy people are busy. It may take them a while to respond (if they do at all).

STEP #6: Confirm your recording with the guest

Possibly the worst thing you could do is to receive a favorable reply from a guest and then not respond in kind.

That person needs to know that you received their information and are planning on recording at the time they chose.

So reply to them - some way - any way. Just let them know you got their information and are looking forward to the conversation at the particular date and time they selected.

If you have a list of interview best-practices you can send their way, include that with your response. You want to help your guests be good guests.

STEP #7 - Test your recording equipment

The day of your recording has come. You’re ready to get a great conversation or solo recording into digital form.

But you won’t be able to if your equipment/setup isn’t working properly.

So test everything. You don’t want the audio coming out less than professional. It will reflect badly on you and on your guest. So take the extra time you need to ensure everything is working as expected.

I’ve had instances where I had to switch my recording method simply because I couldn’t get things worked out. I’ve also had to ask guests to switch the microphone on their end to get a better sound.

As you do these things, be sure to reiterate to your guests that it’s all for the sake of making them sound as great as possible. They’ll usually be OK with the hassle in that case.

STEP #8: Record your main audio

This one is pretty simple - just do the recording.

Use the great outline you created in the prep and research stage.

Enjoy the conversation with your guest. Mine the gold nuggets out of them with good questions.

You’re more than halfway done at this point - I think.

STEP #9: Record your intro, outro, and pre-roll elements

I label this step the way I do because it’s what I have to record for my podcast production workflow. Yours will vary.

But the point is this - and I can’t say it enough… well, maybe a story will help…

I have clients all the time who toss their main content into Dropbox for my team the minute they are done recording it. Check. Good job.

But then when it comes time for my team to put together their audio and produce it, we have no intro or outro (or other needed elements).

When I talk to the client about it they say, “Yeah, I always forget to do that.” Or another, even better version goes something like this… “I wish I could do this a better way. By the time I get around to recording the intro and outro I’ve forgotten everything we talked about.”

BINGO! This approach solves those problems.

You don’t have to remember to record anything because it’s already recorded.

You don’t have to rack your brain to remember the details of a conversation you had weeks ago, because you recorded the intro and outro fresh on the heels of that great conversation in the first place.

Get it all done at one time, while it’s still fresh on your mind - and save yourself a bunch of hassle later.

STEP # 10: Store the files in your designated place

In my case, Dropbox is the destination for all my recorded files - and we structure the files and name them in a way that everyone one the team knows what they are looking at and what do do with what they see there.

The more detailed you can be with these systems when you’re working with others, the less communication you’ll have to have week to week.

Just set it up in a way that works and leave it alone.

If you’re doing the editing work yourself you still need to be organized. I can’t tell you how many times at the beginning of my podcasting journey I couldn’t find the audio file I recorded.

Clean up your system. A place for everything and everything in its place.

STEP #11: Notify editor / do the editing

Once my files land in Dropbox, my editor receives a notification that the audio is ready for him and he gets to work.

If I were doing the editing myself, I’d arrange my schedule so I could do it immediately following the steps I’ve just outlined.

I don’t want to have to come back to it later. I don’t want to have to remember where I left off. I want it out of my hair, scheduled, and ready to go - all in one swoop.

STEP #12: Optimize the title of the episode and send to my VA

This one is HUGEly important. I can’t stress it enough. In fact, I want to say it again!

OPTIMIZE YOUR TITLE. If you don’t know why this is so important, you must not have heard the incredible results I got from doing so - on this episode.

And what you hear in that amazing case-study doesn’t only apply to show titles - it applies to episode titles too.

So I take the time to do some effective long-tail keyword research using this tool (this is my affiliate link) to make sure I’m crafting a title that people out there in Google-land are actually searching for.

Then, once the title is honed in just like I want it - I pass it on to my VA. Why?

Because of this…

STEP #13: My VA creates my episode artwork

Using Canva templates I’ve set up ahead of time, my VA drags images into the display, changes titles and episode numbers, and cranks out new artwork for every episode of my show.

She does that with the title I provide to her.

But she also produces social media artwork aimed at making the episode appealing to social media users. These may include quotes from the episode, the optimized title I passed her way, or even audiograms (coming to my workflow in the near future).

Then she’ll schedule out the social media elements using a social media management tool of some sort (we haven’t settled on one at this point, though I have used eClincher in the past and didn’t have any trouble with it). And she makes sure to include a short link to the episode show notes page as part of the social media posts.

STEP #14: Show notes are created

As of right now, this is still on my plate. I write these show notes for every episode of my podcast (as of June 2018).

Yes, they are long. Yes, I’ve spent half the day on this set of notes already. YES! It’s worth it.

The value of exhaustive content like this will grow over time as the internet rolls on. And it will bring great value to my listeners again and again.

If you want your show notes to be a certain way, it’s up to you to ensure they ARE that way.

Either you have to refine your process and create a video or checklist to show someone else how to do it, or you have to write them yourself.

OR - I almost forgot this one - you can outsource your podcast show notes to a team of professionals like mine.

STEP #15 - My VA schedules my audio and show notes on my media host and website

Nothing hard about this - just a lot of detail. And I’m responsible to make sure my VA understands the details, knows how to implement them, and is able to do it without fail.

I recommend checklists. HIGHLY.

You can’t expect quality or consistency from anyone if you don’t enable them to know what that level of quality looks like.

This goes double or triple for the people working for you.

So figure out the steps involved in your posting process - write it down - tweak it - make sure nothing is missing.

Then pass it on to someone else. Nathan and I talked about that on this episode.

STEP 16: Send promo materials to my guest (if applicable)

This is another task my VA has been instructed to do - and she only does it if my episode included a guest - OR if I mentioned someone in the episode that I’d like to let know about the mention.

She simply sends another form letter, modified to the person and episode, that provides resources to my guest for sharing the episode with their network.

I want to borrow from my guest’s network to get momentum for the episode. The more it is seen in their network, the more likelihood there is that I’ll gain some new subscribers to my podcast.

It’s that simple.

Wrap-UP

Going step by step through my podcast production workflow like this is a bit exhausting, isn’t it? My brain is tired - as are my hands (from the typing).

But it’s an example of how a bit of hard work now will reap huge rewards in the future that are ongoing and compounding over time.

I’d love to hear your best practices when it comes to your podcast workflow. Please let me know what YOU do to make your workflow smooth and simple.

Check out this episode!