SpokenWeb is a collaborative effort that needs the energy insight and contributions of its members to thrive. If you have an idea for an episode, follow the steps outlined below, and we can help you make it happen.
Why make a podcast?
A podcast is like a radio show that has been digitally recorded and distributed online. Typically, podcasts are available for free and listeners subscribe to the podcast feed for new episodes on a set schedule. The medium is considered accessible to creators and listeners alike, and it’s enjoying increasing mainstream popularity.
The podcast targets a general audience of Canadians interested in literary topics, history, culture, and analysis, but who might not have studied it since high school. The podcast intends to bring Canadian literature into the lives of everyday citizens and engage new people in the literary conversation.
As a part of the SpokenWeb project, literary sound archives and scholarly responses to them are being transformed into podcast episodes that can be shared beyond the academy. In this way, these podcasts will help share the research discoveries of SpokenWeb with the general public, rather than just topic area experts.
Who can submit pitches?
The primary contributors to The SpokenWeb Podcast will be members of the SSHRC-funded SpokenWeb team, with priority support given to co-applicants at partner institutions and registered collaborators. Contributions may also come from the wider community of scholars and practitioners who wish to be involved in SpokenWeb activities and who thus help comprise the wider SpokenWeb network. All SpokenWeb team and network members may submit episodes, regardless of podcasting experience. The Podcast Task Force will respond to pitches to ensure that the topic is a good fit, and the Podcast Production Team will provide additional editing support, review audio to ensure consistent quality, add an introduction and closing credits, and schedule the episode for public release. Otherwise episode creators will be given creative freedom.
Before you send us a pitch
- Read our handy creator’s guide to learn about podcasting and getting involved.
- Listen to one (or many) of our existing episodes of the SpokenWeb podcast to become more familiar with the format of the show.
- Pitch an episode to the production team by sending an email to spokenwebpodcast@gmail.com. Pitches should include the topic, format (interview, panel, reading, lecture, audio essay), and expected completion date (more details on this are provided in the creator’s guide).
Our team aims to provide feedback, guidance, and access to relevant Google Drive files where work is stored within 7 days.
More details, including access to relevant technical support at your local university, are available in our creator’s guide.
Other ways you can support the SpokenWeb Podcast
If you are not interested in pitching an episode to us right now, you can still support the show by sharing it with your networks and encouraging members of your team to pitch ideas related to their projects.