People's Choice voting and new competitions, Writing Worlds and Luna Alexander, a newsletter challenge, Studio Ochenta's education, and more

Issue 308 of The Fiction Podcast Weekly is brought to you by The Indie Podcasters’ Survey.

You can enter to win over $500 in podcasting gear from Lewitt when you tell us about your podcasting experience in 2025. Your anonymous insights will help shape a report on the industry's state. And, of course, you could win over $500 in podcast gear from Lewitt. Take the survey at thepodcasthost.com/survey25.

News, Roundups, and Announcements

• Podpage now supports HLS video podcasts, helping podcasters combine audio and video in a single RSS feed.

• The 20th Annual People’s Choice Podcast Awards are open for voting.

• Today, I learned that the fiction podcast app Apollo shut down in May, as Podnews reported. “We’ve poured our hearts into building a space for fiction podcast lovers”, said the founders in an email, ”and while we’re incredibly proud of what we created, we haven’t been able to grow the listener base enough to sustain the service long-term.” Well, that was fun while it lasted.

• The Speakies will give audio drama a well-deserved boost, by Fergus Morgan for The Stage.

• New roundups curated by Evo Terra at The End: Struggling For Sanity features fiction that explores mental health challenges, and Fake Crimes and Misdemeanors “showcases the not-quite-true side of crime stories, investigations, and mockumentaries without feeling guilty—because these things only happened in someone's imagination.” Misdemeanor? I don’t even know her! 🥁💥

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Creator Resources

• Podcaster Profiles: Luna Alexander - Creativity Unleashed Frank Racioppi interviews Luna Alexander about her path to The Inn At The End of Things in the latest issue of Ear Worthy.

• In Alternative Stories’ Writing Worlds, Nicholas Briggs talks about his work on Doctor Who, both on BBC TV and in audio drama versions published by Big Finish.

• The Sound Session explores the creative and critical role that sound plays in our lives. In the first episode, Ella Watts discusses “What can sound do that visuals can’t?” and in the second, Dr. Neil Bruce explores the future of spatial audio and what lies beyond stereo.

• Making Podcasts Work for Neurodivergent Listeners Clarity and consistency make room for creativity.

• The Fiction Podcast Weekly podcast gives you the highlights without screen fatigue. Add it to your queue wherever you get your podcasts.

• Do you ever worry about whether or not your download numbers are “good?” Colin and Matthew are here to help, with Average Podcast Downloads: Podcast Measurement and Growth.

• A Sound Effect shares a goldmine of free audio knowledge. You can watch not only all the talks from AirCon25 at A Sound Effect, but also the talks from AirCon23 and AirCon24. The streaming service is Airwiggles, which is also free.

• Treat yourself to Celebrating Small Wins at Mindset Moments for Podcasters.

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Opportunities

• NYC WebFest is now accepting submissions from podcasters. The deadline is July 31.

• This summer, kids aged 8-15 can learn how to plan, produce, and publish their multilingual podcasts like professionals, taught by the creators behind Studio Ochenta’s award-winning multilingual shows.

• Launch a newsletter for your podcast CHALLENGE. Take this workshop! Arielle Nissenblatt says: “In one day, with just a few hours of concentrated work, you'll have the building blocks to your podcast newsletter…At the end of the day, once you present your finished work, you'll get 50% of your accountability money back!” Friday, July 18, 10am-5pm

• The Speakies deadline is July 7. GO GET ‘EM, TIGER, ASAP, TOUT SUITE.

Milestones & Debuts

• Levian After his sister’s betrayal forced him into exile, Lord Valentin Tellari must now face the deadly ocean that rages against the Drumming Isles.

• Congratulations to Howl for winning the Critics' Choice Award at the Atlanta Fringe Festival!

• Tales From the Cloud Sea When Amelia and Arthur discover a secret in the attic, they're transported to a parallel world of sky islands, pirate airships, steam-powered robots, and lots of laughs. The best part is, kids from Earth (you!) decide where The Skytanic sails next.

• Congratulations to The Program, which has earned one million downloads! (Money, State, and God fued into a single entity… that’s fiction, right? Right?)

• Beth’s Spooky Story Time Bedtime stories just got spooky, with paranormal sightings and creepy encounters. Immersive sound design and enchanting narration make Beth’s Spooky Story Time the perfect podcast to binge and fall asleep to.

Keep sharing good stories.

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