The Quest Is Shifting- Top 5 things Ive Learned From Fiction Podcasting

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You're listening to PodQuesting, where we're

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on a quest to conquer the realm of fiction podcasts.

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Welcome back to PodQuesting. In today's episode,

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we are diving in to a slight change, but a meaningful

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one, and that is the shift in the direction of

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this podcast. So when I first launched podcasting,

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it was an open playground, a place to explore

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different podcast formats, genres, and ideas.

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I experimented with a DCU -themed show, dove

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into episodes about curiosity, and just let my

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interests lead the way. It was all part of the

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process, figuring out what kind of stories I

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wanted to tell and what kind of podcaster I really

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am. But something changed along the way, and

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that something was fiction. When I started working

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on my fiction podcast, I found myself genuinely

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excited not just about writing the story, but

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about building the world, designing soundscapes,

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learning how to tell a story with nothing but

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audio. It pulled me in more than anything else

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I had done before, and over time I've realized

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that this is what I want to pursue more seriously.

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So from here on out, podcasting is going to shift

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its focus primarily to documenting my journey

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into fiction podcasting. This means you can expect

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more episodes on topics like story structure,

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sound design, character development, and the

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challenges of serialized storytelling. It's going

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to be a creative deep dive into what it takes

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to make narrative audio. That said, not everything

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is changing. I'll still be exploring broader

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podcasting topics like audience research, promotion

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strategies, tech tools, and behind -the -scenes

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insights. Because those are relevant no matter

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what kind of podcast you're making. But if you're

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a finance podcaster, for example, you might notice

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more fiction -specific discussions than before.

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Ultimately, this shift reflects where my passion

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is right now, and I want to bring you along for

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the ride. Whether you're a fellow fiction podcaster,

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thinking of starting one, or just curious about

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how this all works, I hope you'll stick around.

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So with all that said, let's dive into a fiction

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-focused topic for today's episode, and that

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is the top five things I've learned so far from

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making fiction podcasts. So at number one, that

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is, fiction podcasts are huge. There's a massive

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audience out there, and there are also a lot

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of fiction podcasts already being made, and that

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might sound intimidating, but to me, it's actually

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encouraging. It means people want this kind of

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content. The audience exists. You just have to

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find your place in it. Number two, it's a lot

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of work. Like, a lot. You're not just recording

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audio. You're building an entire world, crafting

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a story, creating characters, editing sound,

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and keeping people engaged all the way through.

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You don't have a guest to help carry the conversation.

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It's all on you as the writer and the creator.

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You have to start strong and end strong. And

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I don't just mean from episode one to your finale.

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I mean from the beginning of every episode to

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the end. That's something I'm striving for. Not

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saying I've nailed it yet, but it's a goal I

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keep in mind with every scene I write and record.

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Now at number three, marketing is still everything.

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No matter what kind of podcast you make, finding

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your audience is hard. But when your show is

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something niche like a noir urban fantasy, or

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a unique audio drama, it's even harder. General

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podcast listeners might not jump into a fiction

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podcast series the same way they would with a

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finance or mental health show. Those have a more

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obvious appeal to a wider audience. So I've already

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been focusing on building a community around

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my shows. It's early days, but I can already

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tell it's going to be a key part of growing an

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audience. that actually sticks around. At number

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four, we have sound design takes time. This one's

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obvious, but worth saying. Fiction podcasting

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requires a whole different level of editing.

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You're not just cutting out ums and adding an

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intro. You're layering effects, ambience, music,

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voice acting. But if you're like me and you actually

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enjoy that part, it's not a problem. But I can

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definitely see how it could be overwhelming if

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editing isn't your thing. At number five, cover

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art matters a lot. Yeah, yeah, don't judge a

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book by its cover. But let's be honest, we all

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do. If you're scrolling through a podcast directory

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and something has cool, eye -catching artwork,

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you're way more likely to click on it. And with

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fiction podcasts, this is even more important.

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Think about how people choose movies. Half the

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time, it's based on the poster or the Netflix

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thumbnail. Your cover is your first impression.

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So make it count. So those are just a few things

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I've picked up while making two fiction podcasts

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and developing a third. If you're thinking about

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starting your own fiction podcast, I'd love to

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hear from you. Leave a voicemail over on the

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podcasting website or join our Discord at Wolfshield

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Media. Link in the show notes. Or head over to

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the Wolfshield Media website. And if you want

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to check out my current fiction shows, head over

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to Wolf Show Media. You can listen to The Jack

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Moore Chronicles and Trapped Within right now.

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Thanks for listening, and until next time, keep

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questing.