Knives Out! Podcast Fiction Vs The World [Episode 271]

Podcast fiction is probably my favorite genre. If you're thinking today’s podcast fiction is simply a resurgence of audio drama 1930s radio, you have the wrong assumption. While podcast fiction certainly can replicate that style, today’s podcast fiction scene is much more broad and rich than that.

No matter what kind of fiction (books, TV, or movies) you like, there’s probably a podcast fiction production out there for you. I encourage you to go find it and have a listen.

But things aren’t perfect in the world of podcast fiction. The genre is oftentimes misunderstood (or underestimated) by other podcasters and those who cover podcasting alike. Journalists often pay half-effort lip service to the genre, perpetuating myths that keep people way. Inside the larger podcasting community, producers of podcast fiction constantly struggle to have their voices heard and gain acceptance. Not out of malice, but usually out of ignorance. 

There are many issues that plague podcast fiction that contributes to its ongoing ostracization. I’ll tackle a few of them head-on:

Some podcast fiction sucksAn oft-cited problem with podcast fiction has to do with issues of quality. If you randomly sample a piece of podcast fiction, there’s a non-zero chance that your encounter will be with something that’s decidedly not-great. 

But why is that surprising to you? Examine any creative endeavor, and you’ll find the same thing. Sturgeon’s Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturgeon%27s_law) always applies to everything.

Podcast fiction is overlooked by advertisersAs ad revenue continues to pour into podcasting, producers of podcast fiction are often locked out. The people who sell advertising on podcasts don't know about podcast fiction. Or if they do, they don't understand the different listening behavior of fans of podcast fiction vs those who listen to “normal” podcasts.

But those ad salespeople need to get over that, as they're missing a golden opportunity. What makes podcast advertising a better buy than other forms of media? The live host read. And who better to do a live host read than people who make fiction come to life! 

Podcast fiction is hard to makeLike, really hard. From writing all the way down to post-production, making great podcast fiction requires a different spin on just about every facet of podcast creation. 

It's a giant amount of work at every step of the process of making great podcast fiction. I’m amazed people even try. 

So what can podcasters who do not do podcast fiction learn from the podcast fiction community? I think there's a lot we can learn about the process of and work behind making great audio, sure. But I think our biggest takeaway should be comradery. 

send me your recommendations (mailto:thisisevo@gmail.com) of other podcast fiction shows I should try out and consider adding to my shared list.

I shall be back tomorrow with yet another Podcast Pontifications. 

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