Podcasting

[Sam Roseme]

Has anyone successfully podcasted one of their novels?  I'd like to podcast my unpublished novel but have never podcasted anything before.  Does anyone have any tips or recomendations for sites to help get started?  Any recommendations on equipment to buy?  Any basic dos and don'ts?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[I. J. Parker]

Wish I could help.  One of my stories is a podcast, but it was arranged by AHMM.

[Benjamin Sobieck]

Unless you've got professional recording equipment and some golden pipes, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Michael Rowley]

You could check out this site:

http://www.podiobooks.com/

No affiliation to me, and I don't know much bout them, but I just recently met someone who had success via their site. He won some awards for a recent podcast novel.

M.

[Sam Roseme]

Thanks, Michael.  I'd come across that site and it looked good.  I think I'll give it a shot.

[Billibatt]

Hi Sam,

I wrote and edited 48 podcasts with The O line mysteries. They were scripted and performed like the old time radio mysteries.  I had no experience with podcasting (these were still kinda early days in 2008) and had to edit, post, etc. myself. It's long, tedious work. BUT it can be a great marketing tool. So, if I were to give advice about this it would be to break the work up into chunks. Then break those chunks into smaller chunks.  You have the work done. Good. Who's going to read it?  I tried that and it was awful.  I learned I can't read and listen at the same time.  Equipment:  just because it's expensive doesn't make it the best. After dilly dallying around with "podcast mic's"  I ended up with Shure 53's with an xlr to a m-audio fast-track thru the computer to a hard-drive using audacity.

Editing:  I hired and fired 3 sound editors and spent about $700 in the process with no product.  One guy yelled at me for asking him about loading in sound effects.  It was a nightmare.  And I learned I could do it faster, cheaper, and just as sound "worthy" as the professionals.

Getting it out there:  If you don't have a website make one. Load your work onto it. Then direct iTunes or Blubrry or whoever to it.  

Or. You can hire a sound studio.  Big bucks, and it may not pay for itself. I'm not telling you all this to scare you but you should be informed about this decision.  Lots of time, could be a money pit. But it may very well be worth it.

Hope this helps.

Saylor

www.olinemysteries.com