Podcasts and Podcasting

So I recently had one of my short stories, Woman Called Witch, turned into a podcast by the folks at The Dunesteef Audio Fiction Magazine (http://dunesteef.com/). Okay, some of this is just bragging, but it also brings up the conversation of where podcasting fits in the bigger scheme of publication.

I’m a pretty big fan of podcasts, at least in the form of short stories and serialized novels. I regularly listen to Pseudopod (http://pseudopod.org/), Drabblecast (http://web.mac.com/normsherman/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html), and Scott Sigler (http://www.scottsigler.com/).

I also believe that the publishing industry is a little behind the times. I remember an agent telling me in 2007 that she just got a book deal for one of her authors and that it would be published in 2012. That’s 5-6 years out. Holy cow!

Now, I may be wrong, but an industry that’s locked in 5-6 years out in this fast-paced, Internet-rich society seems to be a little out of touch. At the speed technology is growing, in 5-6 years we will have solved problems we don’t even know will exist yet.

Now that’s not to say that podcasts will replace the publishing industry. I don’t think it will, at least not for some time, but it is an interesting niche. You see, podcasts aren’t just like audio books. They’re more like the old radio broadcasts of the thirties and forties. They incorporate some sound effects, like gunshots or footsteps.

So what’s the answer? I don’t know. What I do know is that the Internet and technology will play a much larger role than they do today. What that will turn into is anybodies guess, but I think it’s an exciting time to live and help formulate.

~Doug