A daily serialized audiobook set in the fictional (and almost entirely) LGBTQ town of Harmony Haven

I enjoyed a 25 year career as an actor before several mental health diagnoses changed my life. One of them is an anxiety disorder that caused me to remain homebound for several years while working with a team of mental health professionals to figure out the best techniques and medications to help. Fortunately, my training at The Actors Studio Drama School in New York City prepared me to tell my own stories. I began writing at a very early age and continued to do so until I was 16 when I began acting/singing/dancing. Those disciplines took center-stage, as it were. When I found myself grappling with mental health issues, I needed something to both remain creative and take my mind off of my issues. That's when I began creating this story.

My podcast is a daily serialized audiobook. I release a bite-sized 7 minute episode every weekday. The podcast involves many characters, all with their own story, that intertwine with each other. They're the most entertaining backstabbers, bitches, and bed hoppers you'll ever meet! There's romance, mystery, social issues, suspense, and plenty of laughs along the way.

My listeners are all over the world. Many are from countries which I know don't have access to a lot of LGBTQ entertainment. I hope it brings people joy to hear stories with characters like themselves. I know I've found that to be true for me. Heterosexual females are also quickly becoming a major consumer of LGBTQ content and I know I've got plenty of fans in that demographic as well.
 

I don't listen to a lot of podcasts, simply due to time constraints; however, I listen to a few. Most are your traditional host/interview podcasts but I've found a couple of other fiction podcasts to which I enjoy listening.

I released the story in a written format last year (2020) and one question I was asked from practically every reader was, "Have you ever thought of turning this into a podcast?" At the time, I lived on a busy street in Brooklyn on the fourth floor of a building with two dogs who would bark at every noise they heard! However, in the summer, we moved to a tiny hamlet just outside of NYC and I suddenly realized I lived in a much quieter environment that leant itself well to podcasting.

In December of 2020, I began researching what it would cost and what kind of equipment I would need to launch a podcast. I quickly decided to take the plunge and began the process. After a hefty learning curve, I quickly got to the point where I could produce something simple that was easy to listen to and launched on January 4, 2021. Luckily, I had an entire year of the story already written and ready to go.
 

I release episodes each weekday at 12am EST. From recording to editing to de-breathing the file to adding the music/sound effects and my announcer's introduction, it takes roughly 45 min to produce 1 episode. (If you include the writing process, with all of its research and editing, it takes 6-8 hours to produce 1 episode.) Luckily, I don't have a day job. Or I do have a day job - planning, writing, editing and now recording and editing this story. It's definitely a full-time job and I have a great group of readers and listeners who slip something into my virtual tip jar.

I do fund the podcast myself. It's hard for me to say just how much I spend. My upfront costs were around $400. My monthly costs are $48. So far, I've spent $700 on marketing - one of the best decisions I made as I've seen my podcast grow to become, according to ListenNotes, in the top 5% of podcasts worldwide.
 

I'm just now getting to the point where I'm going to begin researching sponsorships. I'm hoping to find the right partner soon.

I've benefited from networking via social media and meeting other podcasters, several of whom I've worked out a deal for us to cross-promote each other's podcasts as we have a similar audience. They're all podcasts I listen to and enjoy so I truly hope that it benefits them as much as it does me.
 

I use Adobe Audition for Mac to record and edit the podcast. I found it very user-friendly and quickly picked up on how best to use it. It helps that I've edited video in the past and it was a similar process.

My prep is low-cost and childlike which I've found helps free me to really use my acting training and just play. My home has a finished basement with a separate room. I'm able to close the dogs off upstairs, where my husband works from home, and close myself in a room downstairs. It's our exercise room, so there's not much furniture - you can imagine the echo in that room! So I build a blanket fort, take my computer, microphone, headphones, and a glass of water, and bury myself inside it.
 

Below is a breakdown of which platforms my listeners use. The majority come from Podcast Addict and Overcast, the two platforms with which I placed advertisements. I found ads to be a much better way to target my marketing rather than through social media.

Podcast Addict 63%
Overcast 20%
Apple Podcasts 7%
Unknown Apple Apps 2%
Spotify 1%
Pocket Casts 1%
Podbean 1%
Deezer 1%
CastBox 1%
Player FM 1%
 

The podcasting community is a wonderful one. There are so many people who are willing to help answer any questions you may have. Also, Google will become your best friend. Buzzsprout, which is the website that hosts my podcast, in particular has a wonderful group of podcasters with a Facebook group which provided invaluable information that helped me hone my podcast.

One thing I wish I'd know sooner was something called "Clip Gain." My clip gain was too high and was causing a whooshing sound in-between every sentence I read. The Buzzsprout Facebook group helped clue me in to simply turn down the clip gain and, like magic, I instantly had a listenable recording!

The biggest thing to remember is that every podcaster hits road blocks, has technical issues/goofs, and accidentally uploads the wrong file at least once. Don't let the mistakes get to you. Any mistake you make has been made by thousands of people before you. Just relax and enjoy yourself!
 

I post a preview of the following day's episode on Instagram and Facebook along with photos of my dogs (a beagle and a German Shepard) thrown in every once in a while.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehomosofharmonyhaven/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyHavenSoapOpera

On my website, you'll find reader testimonials, a character breakdown, and my much-beloved virtual tip jar where listeners can easily help me to pay a bill or three. Both PayPal and Apple Pay, as well as the tried and true credit card number, ensure an easy way for listeners to help me out!

https://www.thehomosofharmonyhaven.com