An Introduction to Podcasting
Kicking off our issue examining alternative forms of online story-telling is our very first guest writer. In this post, Evo Terra shares some insights on the world of podcasting, and fiction podcasting in particular.
Of course, I’m talking about podcasting. And even more importantly, I’m talking about fiction podcasting.
What’s podcasting? In simplest terms, it’s the distribution of media files with RSS feeds. Simple, but not very informative. Think about it like this: a podcast is a series of “shows” — audio or video — that you elect to receive over time. You get to pick where you watch or listen to the shows: right on your computer, your mobile phone, your television… the choice is yours. All you need is a special application called a “podcatcher”. You point it at the show you want to watch and… done. Each time a new episode of that show is available, you get the show. Not an email telling you the show is available — the show is sent to you.
I think that’s quite enough of the technical talk. If you want more, there are three books in the “for Dummies” series about the topic that have my name on the spine. And if you’re sick of hearing from me, there are about a half-dozen other titles on the same subject written by friends of mine. Pick any.
Podcasting is a lot like radio and television, except there’s no system of “gatekeepers” that have to approve the content that gets distributed. Anyone who wants to have a show simply creates the show. Will anyone listen or watch? That all depends on how well the show gets promoted. Oh, and how good it is. As you might imagine, that has caused a deluge of shows on just about every topic you — or someone stranger than you — can think of. Sure, there are plenty of shows that look and sound like radio and TV, but the vast majority are unlike anything you’ve ever heard or watched via broadcasting.
And that leads us to podcast fiction, the topic of this piece I’ve been asked to pen. Let’s do this in three chunks, shall we?
Podcasts ABOUT fiction
There are literally hundreds of different podcasts around today that focus on the topic of fiction. Most of those I’m aware of focus on science fiction and fantasy, but there are others. These shows take on many forms: author interviews, book discussions, movie reviews, fan debates and a host of others. Some fiction creators have jumped on board, discovering that podcasting is a great way to keep fans up to date on tours and product launches, as well as weighing in on the “what happened after scene 23?” questions that uber fans love to ask. Podcasts about fiction tend to be highly engaging and rely heavily on listener/viewer involvement. Yes, they want to hear from you. They want your emailed questions. They want your called-in feedback. And many of them even want your content. Here’s the best part: if none of the podcasts about fiction are about the fiction you care about — make your own! You’d be amazed at just how easy, inexpensive and rewarding it can be. I speak from vast experience.
Podcast fiction – short form
The podcasting medium and short fiction were an obvious match. Fans started doing it right away, touching on some issues of copyright. OK, that’s not fair. When a fan does it without the author’s consent, it’s copyright infringement. But when permission is given — either purchased or gratis — then everything is above board and OK. And of course, the author is free to podcast his or her own content. Just like the section before, there are legions of short fiction podcasts available. Many authors podcast their own work. Many producers obtain the rights to podcast other people work. And lots of short fiction podcasts exist to give budding fiction writers a place to have their stories heard.
Podcast fiction – long form
In early 2005, some pioneering authors decided to blend the concepts of podcasting and audiobook creation. Some used inexpensive at-home equipment. Some used professional sound studios. But all of them decided to give away an audiobook, albeit sliced up into several “episodes” and distributed over time. Since then, well over 400 serialized audiobooks have been — or are being — distributed to listeners completely free of charge. And all of it with the author’s expressed consent. Indeed, most of the books distributed in this manner are narrated and produced by the author who wrote the content. While most of this content is from unpublished or “underpublished” authors, several best-selling published authors have joined the fray. And more than a few publishers are keen on the idea, too.
Podcast fiction of the future
Let’s see… no rules (other than copyright, which is in need of much reform but should always be respected), no gatekeepers (other than the listener, who always gets to choose what to watch or listen to), no money required (other than the majority who will spend some dollars to make things sound or look better than the free stuff offers), and no shortage of material (other than those who burn out, but that happens to those who don’t podcast, too). That seems to indicate that fiction podcasting isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Not until someone develops an interface between the brain of the consumer and the mind of the content creator. Now THAT would be cool.
Resources
Podcatcher: iTunes. It’s probably already installed on your computer. Look for the “podcasting” button.
Podcasts about fiction: The Dragon Page Cover to Cover, Dead Robots Society, I Should Be Writing, and SpellCast will give you a taste.
Podcast fiction – short form: Escape Pod, Pseudopod, PodCastle, Variant Frequencies & StarShipSofa will get you started. If you’re into crime, try CrimeWAV.
Podcast fiction – long form: Podiobooks.com. We’re not THE only source, but we are the ONLY source with hundreds of authors. And since we don’t charge authors to list their podcasted books on our site, we tend to get just about everything from everyone eventually.