Would you like to host Escape Pod?
Filed Under: creativity, escape pod
Hello, everyone. I’m looking for people who are interested in guest hosting the occasional episode of Escape Pod. As any regular listeners have heard, Steve’s time is mostly dedicated to his day job right now, and while we have Norm coming on as a regular cohost, he’s not going to be able to do it weekly. I’m hoping to build a pool of people who are interested in recording intro/outro pieces.
I would prefer to use people who have worked with podcasting before and have an ear for good sound quality. Bonus points to anyone with a mic that isn’t a standard crappy PC mic.
I can’t pay anyone, but I can give you the free reign to plug your own projects as part of your guest host spot.
Drop me an email or a comment if you’re interested.
(This also goes for folks interested in narrating stories. I’m always looking for more talented narrators).
This Week’s Editoral Advice: Do Not Reply to Rejection Letters
Filed Under: SF Business, SF Podcasting, Writing Advice
This is still happening from time to time with my work for Escape Pod. I had kind of thought by now that arguing with an editor over their comments in a rejection letter was commonly considered a bad idea to be avoided at all costs, but I’m still getting these at Escape Pod. Let me put it to you all straight.
Nothing makes me more disinclined to purchase your work than you arguing with me about me not buying a story.
There are a lot of minor mistakes you can make as a slush writer. I overlook most of them. For instance, we get sent things as attachments when our guidelines call for them to be in the body of an email. I might mention it briefly to the submitter, but I don’t hold it against them much. There are so many differing e-submissions systems that I can understand why this happens. No big deal.
But when you decide to quibble with an editor over the points of his or her rejection letter, you’re crossing a professional line. You are entitled to your opinion. It’s a good thing if you have enough faith in your story that you will continue to send it out, because one editor’s opinion doesn’t amount to much, which is why I say my editorial comments are not intended as writing advice.
The main thing it will lead to is an editor not providing you any detailed feedback at all. We will simply write form rejections for your work from then on out. Because nothing is more annoying to me, at least, than someone deciding to bicker over a rejection. It’s not going to change our minds. It’s only going to make you look worse. So we’ll stop giving you points to quibble with. This is not good for you. We don’t want to do this.
It is a no-win situation for the writer.
So just don’t do it. Stick to creating your editor voodoo dolls and slagging us off to your cats. Take out your frustrations another way, even if the editor is dead wrong. It doesn’t matter.
And another thing– I would rather not see replies, even short thank yous, at all. It clutters up my inbox, which I work very hard to keep organized, and your continuing submissions with us is thanks enough. Tack what you want to say on to the cover letter of your next submission. I would prefer that.
Also, Machine Gun Submissions
Oh, and finally, one last thing– it does you no good to send me story after story after story when I’m reading them quickly, when you get rejected every time. You should cool it and wait a bit between submissions. Probably want to wait and let me forget about how I rejected 3 stories in an hour. Because I do notice, and I know other editors do too, especially with e-submissions at ‘zines with relatively fast turnaround times. Nick Mamatas even had a submissions limit. I’m considering implementing one if this keeps up. At the very least, you’ll stop getting such rapid replies.
Questions about Podcasts, Some Escape Pod News
Filed Under: Podcast, escape pod
I need to understand more about how people interact with podcasts, now that I’m editing for one. I have some questions that I’d like to ask you all.
- Do you listen to podcasts? If so, which ones? (If no, please do say so, and you can ignore the rest of the questions.)
- How do you listen to them? At your computer, in the car, while jogging, etc?
- Do you just subscribe in iTunes or another podcatcher and forget, or do you read the websites associated with them too?
- What kinds of products advertised in a podcast via sponsorships would you actually find interesting?
- What are the traits of a good podcast episode in your opinion?
I’m just trying to understand how people inteact with podcasts a little more. I have my own pre-formed theories, but they’re not based on anyone’s reality except my own. Ostensibly, answers to these questions will help me make Escape Pod an even better podcast than it already is.
By they way, let me just say, we’re a paying market, but we can’t pay without the support of our listeners. If you regularly listen to Escape Pod and enjoy its content, please consider making a donation via PayPal. Much like NPR, we’re funded by the listeners.
And of course, if you’re a writer, I want to see your stories. Read our submission guidelines and send your work along!
This week, I purchased stories by: Kameron Hurley, Merrie Fuller, Ian Creasey, David Rivera, Ian McHugh, Tina Connolly, and more. As an editor, I don’t have any agenda other than to find stories that I think are good that will also make good audio productions. I think we have some great stories coming up for the listeners. I hope they and you will agree.
Escape Pod » EP192: Sumo21
Filed Under: escape pod
Escape Pod » EP192: Sumo21.
The latest Escape Pod is live with Daniel Braum’s story, Sumo21. This is one of my first selections from the slush pile. I published a lot of Dan’s work over at the Fortean Bureau, but this is one I passed on because it didn’t fit our publication. It felt good to accept it on the second time around. This week, the story is read by Mr. Eley himself:
“Oh great Emperor,” the gyoji said, continuing the ritual. “These two honorable warriors can not agree who will step aside, and who will join the sacred battle to return you to us. We would gladly send all our sons, but the Council of Infinite Japans says there may be only twenty-one. So now they must fight to decide.”
“May the best warrior join the fight,” the crowd answered in unison with the gyoji.
The gyoji stepped back. Asashoryu stared into Takanasuro’s expressionless brown eyes. The match would begin upon a tacit agreement between them. He kept Takanasuro’s mid section in his field of vision while focusing on keeping his own face blank. He knew the beginner’s lesson as if it were part of him; faces deceive and betray, but all movement starts at the hips.
I hope you enjoy it.
