ESC! Magazine presents Coffee House to Go calls it quits…

I am shocked.

One of the first shows that I subscribed to is calling it quits. Mike Potter the chief editor announced on the latest episode of Coffee House to Go (Episode 30) that the show will be going on Hiatus… Wow. The show talked about the publishing side and opportunities for authors and small press Poetry Markets and short story markets…

The Esc Magazine is the brain child of Mike Potter and has been in PRINT since 1992. The podcast has been going since 2005 as an extension of the magazine and morphed into the wonderful resource that it is today. Hopefully what this means is that the magazine will get more of the attention that it so greatly deserves. It is a wonderful place for new authors and poets to get a start. You can learn more about the history of the magazine here:

Just to clarify, The magazine is not going anywhere (as far as I know – but then the podcast taking a hiatus took me by surprise) and can be found here. You can get it in dead tree paper or electronic versions. All the back issues are also available.

Now I would be remiss if I did not mention the better co host of the bunch, LB Sedlacek. She is the publisher of “The Poetry Market Ezine” and Assume Nothing Press. She completes the one, two combo that was Coffee House to Go. Coffee House to Go talked about various resources and tools found on the web and other things as well such as the Reading Program that Pizza Hut has to offer. Hopefully this will be a short hiatus and CHtG will be back soon. This is a resource that I will miss.

Wow Episode 30 Here we go I am in the 30’s…

I feel old.

Here are the show notes:

12 Volt Theater – Down the Road

Michael R Mennenga

Wait a minute… I am an unpopular variety show….

Tale Chasing Podcast

Sam Chupp Heart of the Hunter

Der Geek

Slice of Scifi (like you didn’t know where they are at…)

Podiomedia Chat

Will the Computer Guy

Rev up Review

Plitone Revisionist

Philippa Ballantine

Chris Lester.

CA Sizemore Help out if you can…

Promos:

Metamor City

Brave Men Run Matthew Wayne Selznick

Podcasters PSA from Nobilis

Top Ten Podcasting Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s and Don’ts in this Crazy Pod-verse As we complete Season 3 of the Sonic Society, I find myself reflecting back upon the year, and also upon a number of things I’ve learned.
Some of these have come from hard looks at myself and how I operate, and some have been precious little lessons people have taught me… sometimes through frustration.
I’ve been tempted on more than one occasion to send an email or message back to some of these kind folk to thank them, but considering I learn (like most human beings) more from the mistakes than from the successes, I figured that might be rather rude.

I almost didn’t write this a number of times, because quite honestly, who am I? I’m just a fellow podcaster who’s learning along the way. I’m reminded by the saying, “If you meet Buddha on the road, kill him.” I’m tempted to add the modern expression, “If you meet the Social Media Expert on the Internet highway, run over him.”
Which brings us to our list.

1. Social Media Experts.
I’m going to go out on the limb and say there aren’t any. Just like being a panacae programmer really doesn’t exist, neither do social media experts. Social Media includes everything from applications like Facebook and Twitter, to blogging, podcasts, newsgroups and beyond. You can have solid experience in one or two fields, but there’s just too many specialties out there. You’ll never find a lawyer good at everything, and you’ll never see me put “Social Media Expert” on my business card. I do what I do, and there’s no way I can tell you that I know everything about Podcasting. I won’t pretend to.
This doesn’t mean I’m ignorant. It means I’m focused. (At least I’d like to believe so.)

Part of my focus involves Interviewing and being interviewed, and this leads us to the next points.

2. If you’re going to interviewed in a Podcast, know something about the podcast and the Interviewer involved. It takes little time to download someone else’s podcast and listen to them. Listen to the tone of their podcast. Are they upbeat or relaxed? Do they have a specialized theme, or is it a free-for-all? Will you be expected to be an expert or a fun personality?
I’ve had guests who knew nothing of my show, and they admitted it, or worse still pretended they knew something and were woefully unprepared to answer questions when I referred to things in the Interview.
Everyone wants to be important in this medium… even in their own little corner. Take the time to make your host feel important by knowing a little bit about what they do. Nothing makes an Interviewer more at ease than saying, “Yes, I love your show. My favourite moment was….” and mean it. (See the last point)

3. Don’t Name Drop in the Interview.
Shannon, God bless her, spent nearly an hour cutting out every sentence that name dropped “famous” podcasters in one interview. She cut the interview down from over thirty minutes to just ten. I kid you not. I’m tired of hearing “the usual suspects of hall of fame podcasters” in every podcast. I truly am. If you’re going to name drop, make sure its relevant to your projects. Not “I was talking to…” or “… and I were hanging out and…”. If you must name drop or give a shout out to a hero, try to pick someone new to the landscape. Someone most people haven’t had a chance to listen to. Share the love, don’t build on your own reputation.

4. Keep your Interviews as Tight as Possible.
This is the radio geek in me, I admit. There are a few exceptions where conversation is the theme of the entire podcast and someone turns on a microphone and things let fly. Usually liquor of some sort is involved.
If however, you’re invited on a show that has a set time frame, and a specific theme that is not “just shooting the stink” so to speak, it behooves Interviewee and Interviewer to understand the constraints and time elements.
As a rule, don’t say in an hour what can be said in twenty minutes. Don’t say in twenty minutes what can be said in 10. Don’t say in ten what can be done in five, and if you’re interviews are clocking past an hour, you really need to work on making it easier for your editor (usually yourself.)
Which brings us to the next point.

5. Collaborate on the Interview Before Hand.
Having a guide as to what you’re going to cover, how long it will be, what the focus is, and what you both want to accomplish as Interviewer and Interviewee’s is not a bad thing. Verifying the time factor, and the content is key in making the Interview effective. Hand out a series of questions before hand to the person being Interviewed if you can. Get them to both edit and include their own. Agree on your purposes, and worry about tit-for-tat later.

6. Tit-for-Tat is all that.
Many times the person being involved in my world is a fellow podcaster, a fellow writer, or a fellow actor or producer. If they approach you for the Interview, I don’t think its bad form to ask for something in return. And if someone doesn’t ask something of you, take the time to ask them. If you’re a podcaster yourself return the favour. INVITE them on your show. Find an excuse to bring them. Not only will you make them feel they are appreciated, BUT WANTED.
Playing someone’s promo is a good start. But really, if someone interviewed you, and you just played their promo, are you really doing them a service? If you’re running a podnovel, have them take a small role or read from your “preview”. Include them. Don’t make them feel like they are helping you to fame, and they should be lucky to do so, like 7.

7. NEVER Send a Friend a Form Letter. (Or to Any one)
Nothing shows you don’t care more than a form letter. If you have to send a form letter then at least at specific information to the letter about the people and theior podcast so that it doesn’t SOUND like a form letter.
Be aware that many podcasts have more than one host. Even if you’re friends with that host, include everyone involved in the Podcast. It may take some more time, but no one wants to be just a rung to someone else’s success. Be gracious and realize the people you’re soliciting for help are just as busy as you, and just want to be part of the family. Not part of your team. Part of the family.
That’s an important distinction.

Remember the community is based on the relationships you’ve built. If you don’t know the people you want to be involved with, are they really the people you want to be involved with?
I know from personal experience that the slightest misstep can ruin friendships and break up allies. It’s important to try to be as professional, and yet as humble as possible.

8. Sincerity is the Hardest Thing to Fake
I love Audio Drama. I’m an omnivore. I eat up all kinds. Good, bad and indifferent. I burned off 50 gigs of audio works just in the past three months, and I do this EVERY three months. I’m passionate about this stuff. It juices me like almost nothing else.. with writing itself coming in first place. I hope people can hear the sincerity in my voice when I talk about this passion of mine, because I’m very grateful, and will be eternally so to do the things I do. Getting any kind of positive reinforcement from our listeners is simply the icing on the cake for me. I really am touched by their love of this medium, and I don’t know what we’d do without the folks who let us know every day how they feel, but the truth is.. I’d do this if it were just Shannon and myself as the only people who knew about it.
Be sincere in all your dealings. The great Peter Gzowski once said in the documentary “The Family” about CBC that he became a good interviewer by finding something interesting in every one he interviewed. Sometimes it wouldn’t work, and in those cases he faked being interested. But what he found, was that in feigning interest, he actually often became interested despite himself. Once again, take the focus off you, and really be interested in those around you. Ask yourself how you can help someone who helps you. Phone into THEIR voice mail once in a while. Write them that email to let them know you listen to their show. Give them some of the time back they give you for listening to your show or talking with you every week. Last point about hubris.
9. If you Google Yourself Regularly You’ll Go Blind.
I’ve seen many folks in Twitter complain that their name only reaches 2 or 7 when they hit Google. Life’s too short folks. As long as you’re on the first page, you’re doing AWESOME. If you’re not, you will be. A casual google of Sonic Society and various iterations gets some interesting results.
Just don’t be blinded to the truth. The truth is to focus more on your content and less on the results. If you build an amazing podcast and do all the things you should be doing. They will come. I honestly don’t even check my podcast statistics even monthly. Perhaps I should, but I don’t need the stress. Most of the time I forget about them. I won’t when I’m monetizing, but for the meantime. I want to focus on my viewers, not my own gratification at the numbers game.

10. Work Hard. Play Hard. Have Fun.
This is a no brainer. I’m not saying if it gets tough quit. I’m the last one to believe that. I’m saying, let it get tough and have fun along the way. Too many podcasters fade because they get all excited the first dozen episodes and then let their attitudes and minds fly to other shiny keys. The super stars in my mind are those folks that do what they do, like the little Engine that could, chugging along week after week and then the next thing you know they’ve got 5,000 listeners each podcast because they’ve focused on that one thing they do to make people happy.
The Ward’s have a number of sayings. One is “You can do anything you want, except strike a match on a bar of soap.” and another is simply “You work hard, and you play hard.” The unwritten rule is you have fun in all parts of the process.
When I sit down and write. No matter how hard the problem. I love it.
When I sit down and edit. Unless I’m rushed, I actually really enjoy it.
It’s important to be in the moment, and appreciate it when it comes because if you don’t, it’s time will pass and you’ll not even have the fond memories of its passing.

And that’s my top ten list. Do with it as you will.
Just don’t run me over on the Internet Highway. Come up with your own!

Jack J. Ward

Tell me what you think, my opinion coming soon.

WNDRWolf

Today’s special treat is an interview with Philippa Ballantine. The author of Weaver’s Web and Chasing the Bard is currently holding a contest over at Podiomedia Chat with Chris Moody. So go over to that show and win a signed copy of Chasing the Bard.

Show Notes:

Digital Magic

PG Holyfield – Murder at Avedon Hill

Morevi Remastered

Kulture Kast

The Naked Scientists

Technorama

Quarter Share

Half Share

Full Share

Geek Life

Steampunk Spectacular

Crazy 8’s

1^st Chapter of Digital Magic

Dragon Moon Press

Contest at Podiomedia Chat

Podiobook

Promos

JC Hutchins Obsidian

12 Volt Theater Down the Road

I want to thank Fred Greenhalgh for allowing me to re-release this here. He is the producer, writer, director and beer boy I think for this one. He hosts the show “Radio Drama Revival” over at WMPG a radio station out of Portland Maine. But if you do not live in the Portland Maine area like I do not - his shows are podcasted every week. I have listened since the near beginning and the interviews and stories that are featured on the show have always been top notch.

The Links:

Final Rune Production

WMPG

Radio Drama Revival

The Next Fix - (Matt Wallace is awesome go buy the book it is out now!)

Steampod

The one tech show that I listen to is no longer doing a weekly show. Although I can understand why family time is always important. So here is to Technorama is was a great 3 year run, you will be missed.

Episode 27 is 2 months late. And I have a Matt Wallace interview that I am still trying to make listenable… Still trying to give this site a face lift as well as other news working in the background.

Episode 27 – Chris Lester Metamor City

Promo: On the Podcast / Podcast Junky

Interview / Discussion with Chris Lester

His podcast http://www.metamorcity.com/

Chris Miller from Podiobooks.com

Tee Morris and Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword

Leann Mabry – Tag in the Seam

His interviews with Kim Harrison and John Scalzi

He actually use the word parlay correctly!!!

Where Chris Lester can be found…

Metamor City Podcast

I Should be Writing

Voices of Babylon

Chasing the Bard (He plays a great Mordent!)

Promo: Vindicatum

Promo: Chasing the Bard.

I am simply amazed at how good the stories have held up over the years. They have been doing this line for over 3 years at an episode a month and they have only missed 1 self imposed deadline and it was not with any of the DC shows. I find that simply amazing. Anyway, I think it is amazing how the stories are complex and the small detail from an earlier show can later be a part of a major story line later and the characters are complex and interesting as well as familiar. This is Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl - and no you do not have to follow the comics to figure out where they started from. I do not follow the comics (I don’t have the time or the money) but it is written well enough that you can follow from almost anywhere.

Jeffrey and his crew have reached a milestone that is pretty impression with this line. In the Planet P continuity they have reached 100 episodes that amounts to over 30 hours of content. 30 hours. Plus there is another huge crossover involving all four shows and will spawn a fifth show. Plus a sixth show in development. Congratulations to Pendant Audio. Keep up the great work.

Intro – Art Paul on the Radio.

Big Bang Radio – Radio

Magic City – Raised by the Radio

The 102.1 Band – Working on the Radio

Cruisebox – On a Podcast

Cletus – Turn off the Radio

Young Antiques – Radio Kill Radio

The Final Static – Jason Evangelo

Matthew Ebel – Lost My Way

Jon Caspi – Goodbye Radio

Promo - Podculture

[munk] – Podpeople (Wander Radio Remix)

Insomnia Radio UK – Stuart Morrison

Insomnia Radio Chicago – Kara Baliki

Zaldor’s World – Les Zaldor

Accident Hash – CC Chapman

Quarter Share – Nathan Lowell

Pacific Coast Hellway – Mark Yoshimoto Nemkoff

Jason Evangelo – Insomnia Radio

Michael R Mennega Summer Brooks Micheal Stackpole – Dragon Page Cover to Cover

Chris Doelle – PMC Top 10

Farpoint Media

Knitwitch’s Scfi – Fantasy Zone

7^th Son – JC Hutchins

Scott Sigler

Sudden Death Featuring Possible Oscar – Take Back the Music

Rob Balder – Creative Commons Anthem

1. Wander Radio needs a facelift and will be getting one.

2. I have 2 stories in various stages of production - This does not include Dirk Moonfire or the Space Casey project or the other super secret project that I am working on.

3. I am also working on another project that will be important for the Tulsa area….more to come soon.

4. Watching Corporate Radio and the Big Record companies fumble with the new idea of new media…(I have more thoughts on this as well)

So as you can see my plate is a little full, I will be peeking in on various shows and production is not going to stop and who knows I might actually get some words of wisdom to pass on.

Please keep your eye on the site as I keep you informed.

Oh yeah I am also writing my first short story… scroll down I posted the announcement….

Go and read what Mur Lafferty has to say. She knows what she’s talking about because she has written a few of her own. Now if only I could get someone like that to review my show… lol yeah right. Mur has a podcast that I have been listening to since the beginning. I Should be Writing is a podcast about writing fiction. Very informative and I still listen to it. You should be to…

That reminds me I need to update my links in the side bar…as well as the site…

The Share Trilogy

Quarter Share

Half Share

Full Share

National Novel Writing Month

South Coast – The Shaman’s Tales

Scott Sigler

JC Hutchins

Podiobooks

David Weber

David Drake

The List of Podiobooks

Nina Kimberly the Merciless – Christiana Ellis

Brave Men Run – Matthew Wayne Selznick

Earthcore – Scott Sigler

Singularity – Bill DeSmedt

Discovered Country – Nora Fleischer

Amerindian 2192 – J. Scott Garibay

Spherical Tomi – Jack Mangan

The Daily Source Code - Adam Curry’s Podcast. (I dunno know I never listened to it.) Nathan did say The Daily Download but he meant the Daily Source Code.

The Dawn and Drew Show

The Weekly Anime Review Podcast

Podiobooks Community

Mur Lafferty

The Parsec Awards

www.durandus.org/golden

Name Ishmael’s Ship and Logo contest.

Easter Eggs in the Stories

Space Casey

Write 6 Books in a year? My GOD!

Kudos to the support staff!

Promo: The Voices of Babylon

Wolfsong Anthology, Volume I, published by WolfSinger Publications; edited by M. H. Bonham

The wolf has been a creature of mythology and legend since humans first told stories.  Feared and reviled, or worshipped and loved, the wolf symbolizes wildness and power.  In the Wolfsong Anthology, we’re hoping to capture the wolf in new stories that celebrate their magic and mysticism.

What we’re looking for are original, well-constructed SFF stories where wolves play a major role.  The story can be fantasy (epic fantasy, mysticism, sword and sorcery, urban fantasy, or heroic fantasy), science fiction, dark fantasy (not quite horror), or slipstream (no pure romance and absolutely no erotica).  Word length 2000 to 7500 maximum.  Will consider reprints IF you own the rights. 

What we’re NOT looking for:

• Conventional, run-of-the-mill werewolf stories.  You can have werewolves, but they better be unusual, captivating and not the typical werewolves we’ve seen in current literature.  Note – werewolf stories may get bumped if we get too many of them, so stick with wolves, if you want a better chance. 
• Stories without a beginning, middle or end – or stories without a plot.
• Erotica – This is PG-13.  Don’t even think about bestiality.  If it’ll embarrass my mother-in-law, I don’t want it.
• Really bloody horror.  Violence is ok if it is necessary for the plot, but splatter and gore isn’t.  You can be dark, but remember the PG-13 rating. 
• Strictly romance, mainstream, or mystery.  You can be almost mainstream or mystery, but you should have a fantastic element in it. 
• Poetry.
• Anything under 2000 words or over 7500 words.
• Simultaneous and multiple submissions.  (We’re striving to have our selections done by August 1^st). 

Submissions are open from February 1^st to May 1^st.  Format your work to standard manuscript format: double-spaced type, Times New Roman 12 or something similar, and include your name, address, phone number and email.  Please use italics for italics and bold for bold.  Lastly, send us only RTF files.  No exceptions.  That means save your word document as an RTF. 

Send us your full manuscript (in RTF format) via email to editor@wolfsingerpubs.com.  Please put “Wolfsong Submission: your story title” in the subject line. Don’t bother with queries.  If the story fits the guidelines, we’re interested in looking at it.  In your email, tell us what you’ve had published, or if you haven’t been published, tell us that too.  Your lack of credentials doesn’t preclude you from being accepted.   If the story is a reprint, tell us that too, and tell us where it was first published. 

We pay $5 advance and 50% royalty split between authors.    Good luck!!!

So why would people want to find something different to listen to? Well, I can only speak for myself. I stopped listening to the radio with any regularity over 2 years ago. It just so happened that was also the time I discovered ‘podcasts’, but even before that I was tired of the same old diatribe. I liked the music the first 30 times but often got tired of it very quickly. So I started making my own cds. Rebuilding what I had done in the Navy. Wander Radio was re-born thanks to CD burning technology. I believe that I 10 CDs made in a rotation. With those 10 cds I discovered that I had more variety in those cds than what was played on the radio. So there is one strike against radio more repetitive than a 10 CD rotation.

Plus the market I am currently in (The Tulsa Market) One station is playing reruns of old radio dramas from the Golden Age of Radio. Now granted I love the old stuff if it wasn’t for all of that in the 30s and 40s, there is no telling where audio ‘cinema’ would be today. It is a viable form of entertainment. I enjoy it. There is not enough of it on the radio plus there is plenty of great stories currently being produced that is very air worthy but can only be found on the net. So strike two for radio, they missed the boat on audio drama and its rebirth. Stop before you say it, I know that Jack Ward and Shannon Hilchie over at The Sonic Society are played on the Canadian airwaves, but if it wasn’t for the internet I wouldn’t even know about them. They are not played here in

Something else that radio does not offer me on my current one hour commute to work, audio books. That is just not heard on the radio. Radio wants things short or something that can be broken up into small bite size bits, except there are times when I want a meal. I believe that at one time Scott Sigler was on XM radio or was it Sirius with his podcast novel “Earthcore”. This just isn’t offered on the radio. I have at least 40 hours a week to fill my ears with and although it would be great to listen to the radio. I get tired of hearing the same 8 hour tape everyday and I haven’t even talked about the annoying ‘DJs’

I understand that not all of my reasons are the fault of corporate radio. Their job is to make money. Bring together an audience that is in itself convenient for commercial which pays for the DJs and other operating costs…

I don’t think that radio is going to die completely no more than TV totally killing the movies. I do think is that having more choices of what I want to listen to and choosing from content created by the many talented people all over the world. Yes Podcasting is global. Radio is afraid of the change.

More to come on this topic later…

This was a surprise treat for me. I had the opportunity to talk with 2 of the creators of Variant Frequencies Rick and Anne Stringer. It was great to talk with both of them and I am so looking forward to hearing more stories. I recommend that you go and look into the stories. Warning the stories at Variant Frequencies is not work or child safe. Screen the episodes before you allow the kiddos to listen.

Items mentioned in the interview:

Escape Pod

The Failed Cities Monologues - (Yes Matt I know it is plural)

The Parsec Awards

Pseudopod

Farpoint Media

Murky Depths

Matt Wallace

While you are finding out more about Nina Kimberly don’t forget to check out Space Casey. Her current radio drama project. That is alot of fun and you might just learn something about Wander Radio as well!!

In other news production on the next story is finally in production…. Hopefully have that by the end of the Year and one more music show.

There is the plan so far. I hope everyone had a good weekend!

Promo: A word from Christiana Ellis

The Interview with Gloria Oliver

Another word from Christiana Ellis

You can find the Podiobook In the service of Samurai at Podiobooks.com

And you can find Gloria’s website here:

And her books In The Service of Samurai and The Vassal of El from Amazon.

Hey Gang (I sound like Jason from Insomnia Radio) email me if you want a mixtape of your favorite songs from Wander Radio. Let me know what your favorite songs are. Wanderradio at gmail dot com.

Thanks and have a great day. See you on the other side.

Suffering From Sanity

Getting a Leg Up

In the Service of Samurai by Gloria Oliver

Pod People – Munk

The Sound of Awesome

One More Night with You – The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Toggle Switch – Moot Davis

Promo – Robotz of the Company

Music News from Insomnia Radio

Another Lonely Night – Marc Gunn

The Sound of Awesome part 2

That Changes Everything Again – Pure Prairie League

You’re my Friend – Paul Marklew

I’m on Firefly – Tom Smith

Promo 7^th Son and Heaven from podiobooks.com (Featuring Mur Lafferty and JC Hutchins)

I’ve got Garageband – Project Sisyphus

Wow this turned into a big show but I am not ashamed you people deserved it. It has taken me a long time to get back to this I have been a busy person. Anyway no more excuses. I want people to go and check out this page. Our friends the Brobdingnagian Bards were scammed recently and they want to let all musicians know what happened to help prevent it from happening to someone else. You can find their story here. Go check it out. They did put a package together to help offset the loss and I think that has all been remedied thankfully. So independent artist take heed!

I hear what you are thinking - their motto “Kill Your FM.” Should have me on edge… Well yeah I am a bit nervous about that…

The Secrets

I Should be Writing

The TLP

Why I Won’t get you a Beer – Tom Smith

How we Recycle – Possible Oscar

Huzzah- Witch’s Hat

Insomnia Radio – San Francisco

Lonnie Ezell Rejoiner

The Son My Daddy Never Had – Miko Marks

Big Sky – Rachel Loy

Wander Radio ID from Kara Balicki Insomnia Radio Chicago

Phobia Commercial.

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree – KT Tunstall

Disability 411 – Beth Case

Jack Mangan rejoiner

The Great Luke Ski Set

Dementia Revolution featuring MC Lars

It Takes Who

Holding out for Hiro Featuring Carrie Dahlby

We will see ya next time…

Also I was included on podiomedia Chat round table that has posted this week.

Oh yeah my one complaint. track #6 “Froggie Went A-Courtin’” to me just did not fit. Now the flip side of this is he does a beautiful rendition of “Heart and Soul” (in fact I did not know there were words to that song).

On a whole, I recommend this album. It is easy listening for a quiet night at home with that special someone.

Disclosure: I am a fan of the Brobdingnagian Bards and have played their music on my show before as well as Marc Gunn’s She said her name was Saffron back on episode 19
(He won best filk song in that contest.)Hopefully I will get a song to play in the next show … we will see.