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YALSA’s Cultural Competencies Task Force interviews Ady Huertas, Manager of the Pauline Foster Teen Center at San Diego Central Library. Ady has worked with teens for over a decade: from providing instruments and lessons for a library rock band, to providing free summer lunches, to organizing a thriving teen council, Ady continually strives to provide resources and services for teens. She currently leads and contributes to several projects serving Latino teens, such as the REFORMA Children in Crisis Task Force, and the California State Library/Southern California Library Cooperative STeP (Skills for Teen Parents) Project. This podcast gives an overview of how best to reach out and serve Latino teens and provides advice to librarians new to serving Latino young adults and their families.
Resources:
REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking: http://www.reforma.org/.
REFORMA Children in Crisis Project: http://refugeechildren.wix.com/refugee-children.
Webinar about the STeP Project: https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=485.
University of California, EAOP: http://www.eaop.org/.
National Council of La Raza: http://www.nclr.org/.
National Council of La Raza | STEM: http://www.nclr.org/index.php/issues_and_programs/education/k12_education/stem/.
Summer Fun Cafe: http://www.sandi.net/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=19400&ViewID=047E6BE3-6D87-4130-8424-D8E4E9ED6C2A&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=49011&PageID=1.
Follow us on Twitter:
Ady Huertas: @adyhuertas
Monnee Tong: @librarianmo
Intro and Closing Music: Summer’s Coming from Dexter Britain’s Creative Commons Volume 2. https://soundcloud.com/dexterbritain/sets/creative-commons-vol2
If you have not had a chance to check out Colby Sharp's and Travis Jonker's new podcast series, The Yarn, you must check it out!!!
I am not a good listener so I have never paid a whole lot of attention to podcasts. I have tried a few but never got that interested in anything. I liked to SEE things while I listened. I have several friends who have recommended podcast series but I just didn't get it. They all seemed a little long and boring to me.
But then last week, Colby Sharp and Travis Jonker released their first season of their new podcast series THE YARN. If you go to their Twitter page (@theyarnpodcast), this is described as: "A narrative of adventures. Travis and Colby go behind the scenes of children's literature in this narrative style audio show." The podcasts are produced by BkPk.Media, a site that shares narrative style podcasts centered around education.
I have to admit, I only listened to the podcast because Colby is my friend. I knew it would be good, but remember, I didn't like podcasts. And I had to learn how to subscribe to and play podcasts on my phone. It was big work. But SOOO worth it. I was expecting to like it because Colby and Travis are incredible, but I wasn't expecting to LOVE LOVE LOVE it! The podcasts are GENIUS. I had no idea what was possible in a podcast until I listened to the first episode. Not only are they packed with fascinating information--the story behind the book told in such a distinct and brilliant way--but these podcasts are entertaining and powerful all at once.
The first season of The Yarn focuses on the new graphic novel, Sunny Side Up by Jennifer Holm and Matt Holm. I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of this at the Scholastic Reading Summit and it is an incredible read. The podcasts add more to the story, give the reader more to think about and are just really fun to listen to. It's like you are hanging out with Travis and Colby and all the cool people they talk to.
I had to listen to the first podcast twice because I was blown away by the way that it was crafted. I kept thinking it was a genre or something that was totally new to me--a type of story I have never experienced and one that I am totally hooked on now. After I listened to it twice, I made my husband listen to it. He loved it. Then we went to dinner with friends (Tony Keefer, Julie Keefer and Katie DiCesare) and we spent the first 15 minutes of dinner talking about how amazing the podcast was!
Not only did I enjoy the podcasts as a listener, but as a literacy teacher, the whole digital creation piece was fascinating to me. I couldn't help but think about what an amazing mentor this would be for young writers. And I can imagine the power of sharing these episodes after reading Sunny Side Up.
So, you've heard enough from me! Now, if you haven't already started listening, you'll want to do that right away! You can access/subscribe to the podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher and Travis's Blog.
In the end, memories are what make us who we are. Although they slip away so easily, these small fragments of past inform our future decisions and influence us every moment we’re alive. For most of us comic book readers, a formative moment in our personal histories is the first time we step into a comic shop. The pulpy smell of fresh floppies stacked in Diamond stamped boxes. The glistening translucent cases filled with TCG singles at exorbitant prices. The stern and booming voices of people arguing Batman chronology in the back by the trades.
The places individual comics fans make these universal memories shape their lives. For Director and Comics Historian Anthony Desiato and many other comics luminaries from upstate New York such as Rocket Girl writer Brandon Montclare, these formative experiences took place at Alternate Realities, which is going out of business after nearly a quarter of a century.
Desiato has made it his mission to chronicle the store’s final days through his podcast, My Comic Shop History. The last episode of this audio series comes out today, and in honor of his intriguing work and Alternate Realities’ storied history, we sat down with him to talk about the legacy of the store.
Alex Lu: So for those unfamiliar with Alternate Realities, can you give us a brief overview of your store’s history and what makes it special?
Anthony Desiato: Alternate Realities is (soon-to-be “was,” sadly) a comic book store in Scarsdale, NY, that is closing up shop for good after 23 years.
The store is the subject of my independent film, My Comic Shop DocumentARy, and my current podcast, My Comic Shop History.
The podcast is a 12-episode exploration of the store & its closing from the perspective of past and present owners, customers, and employees. We’ve been peeling back the curtain on the retail side of the comic book industry as we discuss the store’s inner-workings and comic shop culture generally.
What makes the store special—and the reason I’ve found it such a source of inspiration—is the community.
We count among our ranks a customer who worked at T.G.I. Friday’s but claimed to have killed 25 people in the line of duty as a secret agent; our resident curmudgeon, a former flea market vendor who condemns modern society with language that would make a sailor blush; and the store’s owner, Steve Oto, who traded his legal career for a life behind the counter and a very love-hate relationship with his clientele.
Lu:What’s your role in the store and how long have you been involved?
Desiato: Heroes World (a long-defunct store in White Plains) was my first comic shop, and when it abruptly closed on me during elementary school, Alternate Realities became my new go-to place. For the first few years of my patronage there, I was just the shy kid who would pick up my books every week while my mother waited in the car.
In high school, Steve offered me a summer job, and that was my entry into a whole new world. Throughout high school and college, both my level of responsibility at the store as well as my friendships with the guys who shopped & worked there would grow.
It wasn’t until the end of my employment there (during law school) that I began to take on my current role of—for lack of a better term—“store chronicler.” That new path gave birth to my film about the store, its spinoff (By Spoon! The Jay Meisel Story), and now the podcast.
Lu: What do you think drove the decision to close the store?
Desiato: If you believe Steve’s closing announcement, he’s closing in large part “because of those customers who have left me in the lurch” by not buying the items they ordered. However, if you truly analyze the situation, as we’ve been doing over the course of My Comic Shop History, it becomes clear that the stated reason for closing is perhaps a bit disingenuous.
If customers are reneging on their orders, there are steps a store can take to at least try to remedy the situation first. Closing the store is the nuclear option! It’s not really a proportionate response to address what’s ultimately a small group of delinquent customers.
What we all realize is that Steve’s complaints are really just symptomatic of a growing frustration and fatigue with running the business.
In Episode 7 (“Comic Shop Business School”), I spoke with the owner of The Spider’s Web, a relatively new comic shop in Yonkers. That owner is two years in and still has his passion for the business and the hobby.
After 23 years of the grind of running a small business, Steve simply doesn’t have that anymore. As he has said many, many times over the years—in person, on Facebook, in My Comic Shop DocumentARy, and in My Comic Shop History—he’s tired. And I don’t think anyone would dispute that he’s earned his rest.
Lu: How has the community responded to the store’s closing?
Desiato: That’s really what the podcast is all about and why I wanted to do it in the first place.
Aside from the friendship we share, what I hope listeners take away from this show is how much we all care about “The Store.”
Everyone who has participated in the podcast has worked, owned, or volunteered at Alternate Realities at some point. We’ve all invested time and effort and wanted the store to be as strong as possible.
To see the store end in this way has been very bittersweet. Not to speak for the entire community, but for myself and many of the people I spoke to on the podcast, I feel there’s a sense of sadness that it came to this, acceptance that it’s the right move for Steve, and, most importantly, appreciation for everything the store has meant to us. It’s been our clubhouse, truly.
Lu: Given that Alternate Realities has such a long and storied history, those who have been there have had the unique perspective of having seen the comics reading audience grow exponentially and the industry dramatically change. How would you compare comics at the store’s opening to comics now, at the store’s close?
Desiato: Well, seeing as how I was 5 when the store opened, I’m not sure I can really give a full answer to that question! Interestingly, though, the store opened the same year that “The Death of Superman” (my first comic) came out. That was arguably the beginning of “event” storytelling as we know it today, and the store is closing amidst Convergence and Secret Wars, two huge events from the Big Two. So, in a way, maybe not that much has changed!
To answer your question more specifically: Based on the time that I’ve been affiliated with Alternate Realities, I would argue that we have not seen huge shifts the way you might expect. For example, the rise of comic book movies didn’t necessarily drive hordes of new customers to the store. At the same time, the advent of digital comics did not erode our customer base too much, either.
Lu: What do you think is the next big thing for the industry?
On the retail side, one of the things we talk about on the podcast (we do a “Comic Shop Business School” series-within-a-series across a number of episodes) is how comic shops need to be a “destination” in order to survive these days. Areas to hang out, events, signings–things like that.
Lu: What new projects are the Alternate Realities crew heading off to pursue?
To find out what the store’s owner, Steve Oto, is up to next, I encourage folks to listen to the finale of the podcast, out today! Up next for me is a new documentary and, hopefully, more podcasting in the future! As for our group, we plan to continue the friendships we forged at Alternate Realities. The store may be gone, but the community lives on.
RENTMy Comic Shop DocumentARy and By Spoon! The Jay Meisel Story on Vimeo!
Over the course of the past four years, Twitch.tv has built a digital empire where gamers gather to watch popular online personalities play games such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and DOTA 2. The site attracts an average of 43 million viewers per month and now, Twitch.tv looks to expand their territory further by partnering with Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare, the creators of Image Comics’ Rocket Girl, to bring Brandon and Amy’s topical comics industry radio show, Podcorn Podcast, to a livestream near you.
As the current production intern for Amy and Brandon, I can testify that they are some of the most enterprising creators working in comics today. For almost a decade, Brandon lent his editing skills to DC Comics on titles such as Daytripper and Sweet Tooth. Amy’s art has appeared in groundbreaking books like Madame Xanadu and Batwoman. Together, they have been working on Podcorn Podcast for the past two years, providing experienced insight into what it means to be a freelancer in the comics industry and the challenges that come with producing a creator owned book like RocketGirl, which recently began its second arc.Their partnership with Twitch.tv will allow them to interact with fans in real time, answering burning questions like: “what does DaYoung’s chest symbol mean?” and”why teenage cops?” and “why male models?”
The show premieres this Thursday, June 11th, at 7:30PM EST,with new episodes to begin at the same time each week on Twitch.tv. With a guest host line-up of prolific creators including Paul Pope, Sean Murphy, Stacey Lee, Shane Davis, Amy Chu, Frank Barbiere, and Michael Kaluta, Podcorn seems set to bring Twitch.tv; Brandon and Amy; and the comics industry into a new era of unprecedented audience-creator collaboration. I recently sat down with Brandon, Amy, and Marcus ‘djWHEAT’ Graham, Director of Programming at Twitch, to discuss what they each hope to gain through their partnership.
Alex Lu: Marcus, Twitch has developed its audience by centralizing its content around video games. Why do you want to be involved in comics?
Marcus Graham: In 2013 we partnered with ReedPOP, the world’s largest producer of pop culture events, to become their exclusive live streaming platform. This relationship enabled us to have a presence at a number of conventions where gaming was the sole or secondary offering, such as the various PAX events, New York Comic Con and C2E2. At the broader pop culture events, our programming would feature both gaming and comic-related content, and our community really took a shine to comic culture. In many cases, the genres overlapped, since a lot of games are based on comics, so there was already a very strong connective tissue. Another way to look at this is that at the core of Twitch is video games, but the interests and passions of gamers go well beyond that. Comics is just one of the many things that are widely accepted in the culture of gaming. As a comic book fan, I’m excited that this kind of unique content is available on Twitch.
Lu:What led you to Amy, Brandon, and Podcorn specifically?
Graham: I mentioned that we attended NYCC, and it was there where I got a chance to interview Brandon and Amy about Rocket Girl. During the interview, I discovered that they did a comic book podcast. I asked them if they had ever thought about turning that podcast into a video program so they could expand their audience and take advantage of the ability to showcase comic art, guests, etc. After many months of keeping in touch, the Podcorn group put together the exact show we had envisioned and are now making the transition.
I was drawn to Podcorn not only because Brandon and Amy are both great and well spoken, but because it’s fantastic these comic creators can offer an insight we rarely get to see. I see a strong parallel between video game developers who use Twitch and what Podcorn is doing. Game developers discovered that Twitch was a unique way to get in front of their fans and people who love video games, while building a stronger community through social video. Podcorn is doing the same thing with comics!
Lu: Amy and Brandon, one of the unique things about Podcorn is that the both of you are working comics professionals as well as hosts. You both provide unique insight into the industry that most podcasts can’t offer. What inspired you two to start a podcast?
Brandon Montclare: The inspiration was pretty simple: I very much like listening to comics podcasts. Our Rocket Girl collaboration started on Kickstarter, and as a fun way to connect with backers we did things like audio Q&A. From there we eased into what became the regular Podcorn show. That connection with fans is still the biggest draw–but we’re also not jaded on talking comics: creation, the business, our personal likes and dislikes. At first I don’t think we connected-the-dots to realize we were the only professional creators doing a show. Creators are on podcasts all the time, but of course that’s usually just as the guest. It’s safe to say we’re comics professionals first, and podcasting is an ancillary interest. But even though we’ve preserved the informality, we’re proud of the show and try to do our best with it.
Amy Reeder: The impetus was all Brandon. It must be his radio voice! And maybe something about being a wordsmith writer and having more to say. I’ve been along for the ride and it’s been an interesting experience…I am not often opinionated online and this is the one place you’ll hear me get semi-bold.
But it was pretty easy to get started because the things we talk about on the podcast are the sorts of things we talk about in person, anyway. Industry gossip, creating comics, and what we thought of the stuff we watched and read.
Lu: You’ve been running Podcorn as an audio show for a long time. What made you want to make the jump to video?
Reeder: Video actually intimidates us a little! It’s not an easy process. However, when Twitch offered to feature us on their website, who could say no? It’s a great opportunity, and Brandon and I are always looking for ways to reach out to potential fans outside the general comics channels. Get it? Channels?
Montclare: As Amy said, it’s really the opportunity. Twitch asked us to try doing what we do on their platform. It’s a very exciting partnership–we hope to grow our regular audience while giving them more with the video aspect… but we also want to reach/recruit new comics readers. Twitch users are definitely the right demographic, so hopefully some of them will tune in and start down the path of a deeper appreciation for comics.
However, we needed technical help! So we conscripted Mike Furth, who does comics content on YouTube as The Comic Archive. I’m sure it’ll take time for us to get our footing with the video (and the bigger challenge, live broadcasting!), but we’ve been doing some practice runs and are excited for the official launch.
Lu: How has the development process been? Run into any interesting problems along the way?
Graham: Turning any show from audio to video can be difficult. As content creators, we tend to fall into habits, and sometimes those can be very hard to break. However, I’ve been incredibly happy to see the Podcorn team work hard to transition from one form of traditional media to this new form of live streamed media that’s taking the world by storm. The Podcorn team has been running tests and tweaking their broadcasts to ensure they can satisfy their existing fans, while attracting new ones.
Reeder: It’s actually taken longer for us to put together than we had thought originally–we started talking about this way back in October, and we’ve slowly improved our act so we could have a really solid launch. There’s all the logistics–not just doing video, but making it LIVE; adding visual elements, so people can actually SEE the comics we’re talking about; getting all sorts of equipment and programs to support doing live video. We’ve gotten help from some stand-up people–including Chris Robinson, who moved on to be an editor at Marvel; Mike Furth, the video guy behind The Comic Archive.
It’s weird to think about. Because I remember when we put our Kickstarter video together, we just had no idea what we were doing, and it was actually the most stressful part of the process.
Montclare: It did take us a while. Looking back, we probably could have started this a few month sooner. But at the time, it was all unexplored territory. One of our fears has been whether or not we’d be accepted by the Twitch core users. They have an amazing, unique community with rules and customs and Amy and I are truly outsiders. That’s a little intimidating. However, we are invited guests; more importantly, we’re coming with good intentions and genuine respect! Plus, comics gets the same rap: that the fandom is intimidating when a new reader goes to a local comic shop, walks a convention floor, or immerses himself or herself into superhero continuities.
Lu: What do you hope to gain from this unique partnership?
Montclare: Personally, I just want to keep having fun, but I think there are some big, global elements that are intriguing. Podcorn definitely doesn’t represent all comics–but our medium has a much smaller audience than stuff like video games, not to mention TV and movies. That being said: comics is second-to-none in content creation. The Batman: Arkham Asylum and Lego Batman video games; the Marvel movies; and The Walking Dead, Flash and Arrow TV shows… comics creations have dominated the top brands in all media for a loooong time. When a platform like Twitch gets behind a show like Podcorn, it’s a great opportunity for comics themselves to re-connect with fans who came to these characters through ancillary media.
Graham: As a fan of both gaming and comic books, it’s fantastic that we can bring these two communities even closer. Some of my favorite broadcasters on Twitch are huge comic fans, and we find ourselves throwing in comic book talk on our streams and while we’re together at events. I hope that other fans of comics on Twitch get a chance to discover new content and maybe we’ll open the world of comics to others who aren’t even aware of how engaging comics can be. Additionally, Amazon, who owns the digital comic book site, Comixology, recently acquired Twitch. There is a natural synergy being explored which can benefit both gamers and comic fans around the world by strengthening the partnership between communities.
Reeder: Honestly, I just want to have a good time, connect with fans, and collaborate with the cool people at Twitch. Everything else is gravy!
Check out the Podcorn archives at podcornpodcast.com and tune in on Thursday at 7:30 PM EST for Podcorn’s debut episode at twitch.tv!
1 Comments on Twitch.tv Partners with Rocket Girl’s Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder to Launch First Livestream Comics Podcast, last added: 6/10/2015
Podcorn is not the only podcast hosted by creators. Crankcast has been running longer, I believe, and features Crank and Mike Norton as hosts. There’s also TCJ Talkies, hosted by Mike Dawson. And of course Kevin Smith and Paul Dini also have their own podcasts.
I was on the Creative Juice podcast that was just aired this week on Practice and how long it takes to be good at something. We talk about drawing and obsessions and unused talents.
David Chen and Joanna Robinson have raised more than $1,900 on Kickstarter for the “A Cast of Kings” podcast. With the money, they will be able to continue producing a podcast to re-cap the forthcoming new episodes of the Game of Thrones HBO series.
Here’s more from the Kickstarter page: “It’s only because of your generosity and support in the past that we’ve grown this podcast to the point where people are interested in sponsoring us on a large-scale level. We are eternally grateful to you, our listeners, for getting us here and look forward to an awesome season of Game of Thrones discussion ahead!”
Reblogged this on Eyinjay and commented:
It’s a long listen, but full of gems.
Ian J said, on 2/11/2015 7:32:00 AM
This was really good, and much needed!
jecamartinez said, on 2/11/2015 9:56:00 PM
Wow this podcast is AMAZING! I’m definitely the type of person who has SO much things I want to do so all your advice really spoke to me! I just wish there was a sort of outline of your 20 tips on this page so I can look back on it since it was a LOT to take in, but I’ll definitely be listening to this again :)
glanzundgloria said, on 2/12/2015 3:31:00 AM
Reblogged this on und & und design blog and commented:
Kennt ihr den Podcast von Andy Miller?! Hörenswert! :)
Andy J. Miller said, on 2/12/2015 4:44:00 AM
I will try to include this kind of thing in the future! Really glad you loved the show!!
Hey everyone! After a long hiatus, we’re excited to announce the re-launch of The Oxford Comment, a podcast originally created by OUP’s very own Lauren Appelwick and Michelle Rafferty in September 2010. From the drinking habits of the Founding Fathers to Cab Calloway, we’ve talked to people about every hot-button issue under the sun.
In this month’s episode, Max Sinsheimer, a Trade & Reference Editor at the New York office, chats with a few contributors to The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets discuss their work on the historical, chemical, technical, social, cultural, and linguistic aspects of sweetness.
Brought to you by Publishers Weekly, it’s More To Come, the weekly podcast of comics news, interviews and discussion with Calvin Reid, Kate Fitzsimons and The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
In this week’s podcast, the More to Come crew discuss Charlie Hebdo, the attack on its offices and its cultural context as well as comics publisher IDW purchasing Top Shelf, Reed Pop buying Emerald City Comic Con and much more on PW Comics World’s More To Come.
Brought to you by Publishers Weekly, it’s More To Come, the weekly podcast of comics news, interviews and discussion with Calvin Reid, Kate Fitzsimons and The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
In this week’s podcast, the More to Come crew discuss what we’re thankful for in comics this year, including the manga resurgence, greater diversity, digital sales, favorite books and much more on PW Comics World’s More To Come. PW Comics World’s More To Come.
Recorded at Publishers Weekly, it’s More To Come, the weekly podcast of comics news, interviews and discussion with Calvin Reid, Kate Fitzsimons and The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
In this week’s podcast, the More to Come Crew – Heidi “The Beat” MacDonald, Calvin Reid and Kate Fitzsimons – discuss Publishers Weekly’s Best Graphic Novels of 2014, the recent Comic Arts Brooklyn festival, and offer in-depth discussions of comics-based TV shows asConstantine, The Flash, Gotham, and much more on PW Comics World’s More To Come.
This week, we have a special podcast with managing editor Troy Reeves and Oral History Review 41.2 contributor Amy Starecheski. Her article, “Squatting History: The Power of Oral History as a History-Making Practice,” explores the ways in which an in intergenerational group of activists have used oral history to pass on knowledge through public discussions about the past. In the podcast, Starecheski discusses her motivation for the project and her involvement in the upcoming Annual Meeting of the Oral History Association. Check out the podcast below.
Recorded at Publishers Weekly, it’s More To Come, the weekly podcast of comics news, interviews and discussion with Calvin Reid, Kate Fitzsimons and The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
Backstory is crucial to the novel writing process. It gives your character substance and drive while adding depth, history and realism to your fiction. It takes a great deal of hard work to develop your character’s backstory. Unfortunately for the sake of the novel, much of that hard work ends up on the cutting room floor.
That doesn’t mean all that hard work has gone to waste. There are many ways for you to repurpose those backstories into moneymaking and author platform building opportunities.
Shennandoah Diaz is a writer and freelance Branding and Communications expert based out of Austin, Texas. Diaz works with independent publishers, small businesses, experts, and authors to build killer brands and engaging content. Passionate about education, Diaz teaches workshops for the Writer’s League of Texas and other professional organizations that empower writers to take charge of their brand and their writing career. Learn more by visiting shennandoahdiaz.com or follow her on Twitter (@shennandoahdiaz).
1. Short Stories for Submission
Often our character backstory is centered on a core event that changes the character’s life in a big way. That dramatic event is a great point of focus for a short story. Short stories can range from flash fiction as short as six words to works as long as 5,000–20,000 words. There are dozens of contests and outlets, both paying and non-paying, that publish short stories on a continual basis. Some outlets that post these opportunities include Duotrope, local writing groups, area universities, and of course there are several competitions throughout the year hosted by Writer’s Digest. Duotrope also allows you to create an account to track submissions so you know what you sent, where, and when.
Each published piece is more than just a feather in your cap. It helps you prove your characters’ appeal and story premise in a paying market, demonstrates that you are a writer who can deliver, and helps you start getting paid for the work you’re already doing.
2. Website Freebies
It is crucial for an author to invest in building his or her platform on an ongoing basis. Digital media requires regular content to attract attention and followers. Backstories packaged as short stories, blog posts and vignettes make great content for author websites and fans. You can wait until after you’ve tried publishing through a paying outlet, or go ahead and offer it as a free download on your website as a way to attract readers and thank your existing fans.
Just remember to edit carefully, and if possible, get a second pair of eyes on your work before you post it for the world to see. There are many freelance editors available who can provide a professional critique of your work for a nominal fee. The expense is worth it when it comes to your website and author platform development. You want to make sure you’re always putting your best foot forward, and don’t want to get caught posting a story that doesn’t flow or that contains improper grammar.
The nonfiction research you did for your story is also great to share. The nonfiction or “truth” side to every story is a major contributor to creating interest for your book. Did you research vintage balloons for your story? Write a blog post about it. Did you visit an old ghost town for the setting of your novel? Share the pictures you took. Maps, historical information, how-tos, diagrams and other informative pieces bring life and context to your work. Most of all, they draw in readers. Share your research as blog posts, downloads, and images. You’ll be surprised how many people you reach that might not have connected with you otherwise.
3. Multimedia
Stories are told through many media, not just the written word. Video, music, photography, and other art forms are also great ways to convey and share your character’s backstory. Pair up with a local aspiring film director to turn your backstory into a screenplay for a short filmt, or take a cue from Scott Sigler and post the screenplay as a competition for your followers. You can even take it a step further and use your backstories for a series of podcasts to drum up interest in your work.
If you have a pile of nonfiction research on a historic place, profession, or some other aspect of your story, you can turn those into interesting how-to videos and informative podcasts. Many fiction authors have become subject matter experts on things like espionage and dead presidents by employing practices such as these. There are several inexpensive tools available.
Camtasia is great for doing professional looking videos that capture images and presentations on your computer screen. The interface is very simple and easy to use, and there are dozens of tutorials available to get you started. Animoto is great for making mini-videos using photos and stock clips, and requires little to no technical expertise. Their existing storehouse of images and music make it easy to create and share book trailers and mini informative videos in a matter of minutes.
Podcasts have become increasingly popular due to iTunes and online media such as BlogTalk Radio. There are several Podcast tools that let you record right from your computer. You can offer podcasts directly on your website or use mass distributors like iTunes and BlogTalk Radio to reach a wider audience based on topics of interests.
Really there are no limits as to how you can repackage your stories and research. You already did the work. Now it’s time to make it work for you.
Live from San Diego Comic Con, it’s More To Come! Publishers Weekly’s podcast of comics news, interviews and discussion with Calvin Reid, Kate Fitzsimons and The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
In part two of More To Come’s San Diego Comic-Con special, Calvin Reid talks to Don Rosa about Scrooge McDuck, European fans and Carl Barks; Eleanor Davis on her new book How to Be Happy; and Lucy Knisley about her new book An Age of License. Meanwhile, Heidi MacDonald interviews Archie Comics President Mike Pellerito and sr. v-p Alex Segura about Life With Archie, dead Archie and zombie Archie. All this and more from Publishers Weekly’s More To Come!
Photo credit: Painting by Alice Fisher, a SOHP narrator.
By Caitlin Tyler-Richards
It’s been awhile, but the Oral History Review on OUPblog podcast is back! Today’s episode features OHR contributors Drs. Linda Crane and Tracy McDonough answering OHR Managing Editor Troy Reeves’s questions about the Schizophrenia Oral History Project and their article, “Living with Schizophrenia: Coping, Resilience, and Purpose,” which appears in the most recent Oral History Review. This interview sets the record for our shortest podcast, clocking in at 9 minutes, 30 seconds. But what it lack in quantity it makes up for in quality!
Professor Emeritus Lynda L. Crane, PhD, and Associate Professor Tracy A. McDonough, PhD, are in the Department of Psychology at the Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Over the last several years, they have created an oral history project of life stories of persons with schizophrenia. Their website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed are all ways to learn more about and connect to their work.
The Oral History Review, published by the Oral History Association, is the U.S. journal of record for the theory and practice of oral history. Its primary mission is to explore the nature and significance of oral history and advance understanding of the field among scholars, educators, practitioners, and the general public. Follow them on Twitter at @oralhistreview, like them on Facebook, add them to your circles on Google Plus, follow them on Tumblr, listen to them on Soundcloud, or follow their latest OUPblog posts via email or RSS to preview, learn, connect, discover, and study oral history.
Subscribe to the OUPblog via email or RSS.
Subscribe to only history articles on the OUPblog via email or RSS.
" Saucy is a real character dealing with real stuff—hard stuff that doesn’t have easy answers, not in real life and not in fairy tales, either. This is a really compelling and ultimately hopeful story. Highly recommended."
– Debby Dahl Edwardson, National Book Award finalist and author of My Name is Not EasyRead a sample chapter.
With limited time to keep up on the business of writing and publishing, I have found myself turning to podcasts. A podcast is like a radio program, but you can play it on demand. To listen, I have the Pocket Casts Lite app on my iPhone; the free version allows me to set up five podcasts to follow. I listen while I’m at the gym or taking a walk using ear buds; I have a wireless bluetooth earbud setup, so I don’t have to worry about cords. Or, I plug into the auxiliary input on my car radio/cd system to listen. At home, I have a portable bluetooth speaker that sounds great. Of course, you’ll need to find a set of apps for your particular system. If you already have something set up to listen to music on your smart phone, just use that same thing for listening to podcasts.
Using Pocket Casts Lite, I can log onto the iTunes store and search podcasts to find something I want to listen to. My friend who write history nonfiction, tends to listen to history podcasts for tidbits that might spark an idea. No, really, she just listens to them for pleasure! If it sparks something, great. Almost any topic that interests you, there’s a podcast. Here, I’ll mention five podcasts that I’ve been listening to lately.
If you’re interested in just hearing authors talk about their books–and not the publishing side of it all–then you can look at podcast lists here or here, here or here.
Children’s Literature.
Katie Davis’s Brain Burps is the longest running podcast about children’s books. Each week, she interviews someone about their work and publishing experience, provides a book review and gives tips. Find her on iTunes.
Cheryl Fusco Johnson takes a slightly different approach to podcasts by using a local access radio station, KRUU in Fairfield, Iowa for her show, The Studio. For her show, you must download files and put them on your smartphone like you would a music file. Her interviews are with a wide-ranging set of authors–always interesting.
Book Marketing.
One of my favorite podcast is Social Media Marketing with Michael Stelzner, which isn’t necessarily about book marketing, but about using social media in general. It comes from the folks at SocialMediaExaminer.com and some of their strategies are stellar tools for your book marketing. Look for it on iTunes.
Self-Publishing
There are strong podcasts for self-publishers, including Joanna Penn’s Creative Penn Podcast. She’s got a long record of interviewing the most successful self-publishers and being on the cutting edge of new developments.
But my favorite right now is Simon Whistler’s Rocking Self Publishing Podcast. Yes, I was just interviewed on this podcast, but I have been listening to it for the last few months because of Simon’s great British accent. He’s got one of the best radio voices around right now. Simon’s interest in self-publishing is–of course–doing narration of audio books. But ont he podcast, eh talks to a wide range of authors about their publishing experiences.
What apps do you use to listen to podcasts? What is your favorite podcast?
The Stories for Children show is on Mondays and hosted by Mom's Choice and Award-winning Author Virginia S Grenier, who is joined weekly by guest authors to talk about writing for children and/or their favorite children's/YA books. Grenier, with her guests, hope to not only share their love of the written word, but also what makes a good book for young readers and much more.
This week on Monday May 19, 2014 at 3pm Pacific - 4pm Mountain - 5pm Central - 6pm Eastern, Grenier will be joined by two members of the Utah Children's Writers blog team.
Our guests are: Scott Rhoades has enjoyed writing since he was about five years old, when he used to make his own books by tracing pictures and making up stories to go with them. He especially enjoys writing stories set in the Middle Ages. He was a technical writer for Novell, Inc. from 1992 to 2007, after starting his career at Atari in 1988. He currently runs his own company, Write Field Documentation Services, LLC. He is also on the Board of Directors of The Tiferet Center, a center for Jewish education, ritual, and community service based in Vermont. Learn more at http://www.scottrhoades.com/index.html
Julie Daines spent eighteen months in London where she studied and fell in love with English Literature, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and the fellow who ran the kebab store around the corner. After editing for other authors, she decided to take up writing again--this time in the young adult genre. Learn more at http://www.juliedaines.com/
Straight from the offices of Publishers Weekly, it’s More to Come! Your podcast source of comics news and discussion starring The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
In this week’s podcast the More to Come Crew – Heidi “The Beat” MacDonald, Calvin Reid and Kate Fitzsimons – discuss this year’s MoCCA Arts Fest and Emerald City Comic Con – with interviews from the MoCCA floor, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, new comics to screen deals including Federal Bureau of Physicsand Sinister Sixand more on PW Comics World’s More To Come.
Now tune in Fridays for our regularly scheduled podcast!
This week, managing editor Troy Reeves speaks with scholar and artist Abbie Reese about her recently published book, Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns. Through an exquisite blend of oral and visual narratives, Reese shares the stories of the Poor Clare Colettine Order, a multigenerational group of cloistered contemplative nuns living in Rockford, Illinois. Among other issues, Reese’s photographs and interviews raise valuable questions about collective memory formation and community building in a space marked by anonymity and silence.
A metal grille is the literal and symbolic separation and reflection of the nuns’ vow of enclosure. The Poor Clare Colettine nuns film Abbie Reese for a collaborative ethnographic documentary. Courtesy of Abbie Reese.
In her interview with Troy, Reese talks about how popular culture sparked her interest in nuns and what it was like to work with the real women of the Poor Clare Colettine Order. Reese also discusses how she came to incorporate oral history into her work as a visual artist and her next, upcoming project.
Reese was also kind enough to share an excerpt from an interview with Sister Mary Nicolette. When sending the clip, Reese noted, “Her voice is hoarse from the interview because the nuns observe monastic silence, speaking only what is necessary to complete a task.”
Poor Clare Colettine nuns return to the monastery after a funeral service on the premises, in 2010, for a cloistered nun who served in WWII; Sister Ann Frances joined an active order of nuns before she transferred to the cloistered contemplative order at the Corpus Christi Monastery. Courtesy of Abbie Reese.
In keeping with the nuns' vow of enclosure and to limit the need for workers to enter the cloistered monastery, Poor Clare Colettine nuns undertake repairs and maintenance themselves, including cleaning the boiler while wearing the full habit. Coutesy of Abbie Reese.
Two nuns work in the wood shop of the Corpus Christi Monastery in Rockford, Ill. The Poor Clare Colettine nuns make vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and enclosure. Courtesy of Abbie Reese.
Abbie Reese is an independent scholar and interdisciplinary artist who utilizes oral history and ethnographic methodologies to explore individual and cultural identity. She received an MFA in visual arts from the University of Chicago and was a fellow at the Columbia University Oral History Research Office Summer Institute. She is the author of Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns, and her multimedia exhibit, Erased from the Landscape: The Hidden Lives of Cloistered Nuns, has been shown in galleries and museums.
The Oral History Review, published by the Oral History Association, is the U.S. journal of record for the theory and practice of oral history. Its primary mission is to explore the nature and significance of oral history and advance understanding of the field among scholars, educators, practitioners, and the general public. Follow them on Twitter at @oralhistreview, like them on Facebook, add them to your circles on Google Plus, follow them on Tumblr, listen to them on Soundcloud, or follow the latest Oral History Review posts on the OUPblog via email or RSS to preview, learn, connect, discover, and study oral history.
Subscribe to the OUPblog via email or RSS.
Subscribe to only history articles on the OUPblog via email or RSS.
Straight from the offices of Publishers Weekly, it’s More to Come! Your podcast source of comics news and discussion starring The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
In this week’s podcast the More to Come Crew – Heidi “The Beat” MacDonald, Calvin Reid and Kate Fitzsimons – discuss Image publisher Eric Stephenson‘s controversial speech at ComicsPRO, ComicWalker, Kadokawa’s new digital manga venture, Kickstarter hits $1 billion in pledges, Steve Ditko on Kickstarter and comics marketing from fun packs to cereal boxes and more on PW Comics World’s More To Come.
Now tune in Fridays for our regularly scheduled podcast!
Straight from the offices of Publishers Weekly, it’s More to Come! Your podcast source of comics news and discussion starring The Beat’s own Heidi MacDonald.
In this week’s interview special, Publisher’s Weekly’s Calvin Reid interviews indie comics master Dean Haspiel about his beginnings as well as his latest work, including The Fox from Archie Comics and Fear, My Dear: A Billy Dogma Experiencefrom new publisher Z2 Comics. Haspiel, known for his work on such books as “The Quitter” with Harvey Pekar and “The Alcoholic” with Jonathan Ames is also a co-founder of the web comics collective Act-I-Vate. All that and more on PW Comics World’s More To Come podcast.
Lu: Amy and Brandon, one of the unique things about Podcorn is that the both of you are working comics professionals as well as hosts. You both provide unique insight into the industry that most podcasts can’t offer. What inspired you two to start a podcast?
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" Saucy is a real character dealing with real stuff—hard stuff that doesn’t have easy answers, not in real life and not in fairy tales, either. This is a really compelling and ultimately hopeful story. Highly recommended."
– Debby Dahl Edwardson, National Book Award finalist and author of My Name is Not Easy
Podcorn is not the only podcast hosted by creators. Crankcast has been running longer, I believe, and features Crank and Mike Norton as hosts. There’s also TCJ Talkies, hosted by Mike Dawson. And of course Kevin Smith and Paul Dini also have their own podcasts.