🫂Why Nonfiction and Fiction Podcasts Need Each Other

You might be limiting your marketing reach more than you even realize

Hi hello! Wil here!

Many readers might not know that while I absolutely love nonfiction podcasts — they’re most of what I listen to right now — my first and strongest love in audio is fiction. In fact, fiction is why I started writing about podcasts in the first place: back on early 2010s Tumblr (my messy, horrid home), I saw the audio drama fandoms emerging and giving so much love to actors and writers, which is great! But as someone who did some sound design work in college and knew how unbelievably difficult sound design can be, I had to give them some love. I started blogging out of spite. And now, ten years later . . . oh my god, ten years . . . here I am!

A huge focus of my career has been bringing the worlds of audio drama (aka fiction podcasts) and nonfiction closer together. There’s a weird, and frankly very silly, divide between the two storytelling forms in audio. There’s so much they can learn from each other and, yes, so much marketing opportunity both are missing out on by limiting their vision.

And so begins a month of talking fiction and nonfiction on Podcast Marketing Magic! ✨ I promise, this is going to be an illuminating month for anyone who’s only worked in, or even considered, one form or the other. You better subscribe to make sure you don’t miss an edition!

📖Audio drama exists

Hi, nonfiction podcast people! Audio dramas exist. People always seem shocked to hear this which is so funny to me; fiction has existed in podcasting since its inception, and it’s existed in radio for as ages as well.

If you’ve never listened to an audio drama, go listen to one, and don’t go in assuming you won’t like it. This is a huge part of the industry you’re missing out on — and a huge amount on incredible, beautiful storytelling you’re missing out on. If you comment with a fiction podcast you listened to because of this newsletter, I will send you a picture of one of my cats.

Don’t know where to start? Here are some favorites:

• Wolf 359: A space opera that takes a while to hit its stride, but became one of the most beloved audio dramas to date. It’s a completed series, so you can marathon listen right to the end of the story. One of the episodes is my favorite episode of any podcast, ever.

• Small Victories: A realistic fiction dramedy about a recovering addict trying her best to live a good life, even/especially when she gets in her own way. This is maybe my favorite current audio drama!

• World Gone Wrong: If you’re looking for something to listen to as it’s releasing, I’ve really enjoyed the first two episodes from this new release by a beloved team. It’s a fiction podcast portrayed as a nonfiction advice podcast in an alternate universe where, well, the world has in fact gone wrong.

Or you could be super sweet and give my audio drama, VALENCE, a try! Great for depressed people who hate Elizabeth Holmes.

🌍Nonfiction has reach and know-how

Hi, audio drama folks! Nonfiction podcasters being snooty at you is not a good reason to be snooty back. Let’s be real here: nonfiction has a tight grasp on the industry’s audience, money, and visibility. Acting like there’s nothing to learn from nonfiction is just as silly as acting like nonfiction has nothing to learn from audio drama. This is not the battle we need to choose. I promise.

If you only listen to audio dramas, you need to at least understand and engage with the nonfiction scene. I’m not going to recommend podcasts, because I know you’re hit with nonfiction podcasts constantly.

Instead, I’m going to point out that the nonfiction side of the industry impacts the fiction side of the industry, and trying to just ignore that is hurting audio drama overall. You need to be aware of what’s going on in the industry if you’re going to be a meaningful participant in this industry.

🧠Think bibliographically

My podcast VALENCE is about themes like data privacy, oppression, and indentity. It’s a show directly in conversation with current events, meant to encourage listeners to engage more with those topics. I’m big on crediting my sources and inspirations, so I made a recommended reading page leading to what was on my mind during production.

Here’s why this is important in marketing: you should be co-marketing with podcasts that fit your content, but are in a different form. Do a promo swap! Not sure how? Come attend our upcoming Podcast Group Therapy on exactly this.

If you’re an audio dramatist, what is your story about? What genre is it in? What are your biggest themes? If you’re working in sci-fi, think about podcasts that focus on science, technology, the future — and how all of those ideas impact humanity. If you’re working in fantasy, think about podcasts that discuss literature, history, and folklore.

If you’re in nonfiction, think about what kinds of stories your audience will probably be interested in. If your podcast is about pop culture, look for audio dramas with fun and exciting premises and a strong narrative voice. If your podcast is about mental health, look for audio dramas with characters dealing with those same struggles. If your podcast is about science, horror media, or writing, you are not going to have trouble to finding great matches at all.

Not sure how to find the podcasts your audience will vibe with? Maybe come work with us. We’re the best in the biz for exactly this!

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⭐ More Magic

• Want to learn more about the recent and upcoming exciting changes over at YouTube Podcasts? They’re doing a free digital 101 session on April 26th! I’ll be there!

• Lovingggggg this two-parter on why your podcast needs a newsletter by Podcast Bestie!

• Also also also loving this piece on optimism for the audio industry by Bingeworthy 🥺

• Pod the North has launched a new juicy podcast: Canardian, a place for hot goss on the hometowns of Canada’s podcasters. We love goss.

• Current published a great piece on interview best practices by Elaine Appleton Grant. A must read!

  • And she’s got some upcoming workshops that might be of interest: Mastering the Art of the Interview and Success in Guesting: Be a Great Guest and Find Great Guests.

• Not sure if now is the time to go full-time on podcasting? This episode of Sound Judgment might help.

• Bumper just dropped a salve to Ashley Carman’s recent reporting on inauthentic audience growth by telling us how to get authentic audience growth!

🔎 From the Desk of Tink

I love everything about working with the TED Audio Collective, and TED Tech has been one of the most trusted names in tech podcasts forever for a reason. Most episodes are a TED Talk — sometimes an interview — focused on tech and how technology impacts and informs out lives. I especially love episodes that end in a conversation with the brilliant, charismatic host, Sherrell Dorsey, founder and CEO of The Plug, who’s written so much on being Black in the tech and business worlds.

Any chance I’ll see you at the 2024 TED Conference this month? 💖✈️

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I’ll be back next week with more on why fiction and nonfiction need each other to thrive! ✨

<3 Wil 🦇