This series is all about libsyn podcasters. Its sole purpose is to introduce these awesome podcasts to the world as well as share their podcasting insight to empower the community!
Q & A’s with Mariah from 600 Second Saga
When and why did you start podcasting? Plus, what’s your show about?
I’ve loved podcasting for a very long time, but as a listener. I’d flirted with the idea of starting one but I wanted to do something I’d love so I waited.
Patiently, for over a decade.
Then about a year and a half ago I was trying to share some flash fiction that I’d read and I knew someone else would love.
People didn’t have time, they were too busy to read it.
I can fix that! I love flash fiction, well I love all fiction… And there are all of these amazing authors of beautiful flash fiction (and more) that aren’t getting read because people get distracted or just don’t have time.
So let me read it to you.
I really wanted to create a way to connect authors to a new audience and listeners to new stories they hadn’t heard.
Who doesn’t have 10 minutes or less to spare to listen to a story? To escape into another world?
That was the goal behind 600 Second Saga. You’ve got 10 minutes. Just let yourself go to another world and explore.
What’s your podcasting set-up? Hardware, software, CMS, etc.
My podcast set up is basically exactly the same as my audiobook recording set up.
I have a Yeti and an ATR2100. I’ve got a little portable studio set up with egg crate foam in a nice little box on top of foam on top of a box with felt feet. That’s all inside my moving blanket and pvc pipe studio. (Nesting studios.)
Software:
I have an iMac (recording) and an iPad Pro (displaying content). For software I use Audacity and Hindenburg. I also just got Reaper (I really want to try punch and roll!) but haven’t tried it out yet.
I use Scrivener (it’s more of an author software) for setting up my episodes.
I use Libsyn and on my website I have WordPress and liberally use the embedded Libsyn players.
Each post for each episode has the episode player, the site has the player with all episodes in the right side bar, and I use the category trimmed player for authors.
How have you promoted your podcast?
Promotion, I’ve tried a lot. Obviously I use my website, all the usual sources…Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest. I also have reached out to authors and listeners through NaNoWriMo (when authors write an entire novel in a month!), and I’m a part of the fantastic Lady Pod Squad group (check #ladypodsquad on Twitter!).
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
You don’t get to sit quietly alone behind a microphone and never talk to anyone.
I suppose that would be ok if you didn’t care about getting listeners (or guests/authors) but if you do? You have to talk to people.
So much …humaning. I’m not great at the humaning. Podcast is lots of humaning. (They are amazing humans, the podcast humans are the best of the humans I know, but they are still humans and they make me tired.)
You know you wanna listen to flash fiction. Wait what? You don’t know flash fiction? Then, for sure, you need to go and subscribe to 600 Second Saga. It will be the best subscription time you’ve ever spent!
If you know there is something that people MUST know about, how about starting a podcast? We would love to host your media. Also, if you don’t know quite what you need to do to start one, we have a FREE Podcasting QuickStart every month!
