► Tell us about you and your podcast
Boo Rhodes aka Spooky Boo; my podcast "Spooky Boo's Scary Story Time" is a scary story telling site that features horror stories from creepypasta sites, Reddit, and even some stories that I have personally written.
My listeners are about 50/50 men and women, mostly around 25 to 50 years old.
► Why & how did you start this podcast?
I love telling and writing scary stories, as well as technology, so it was only natural to do it online. I listen to a few podcasts, mostly business and politics. I also have a few favorite horror narrators that I listen to.
I want to retire writing stories. I figure starting now I can get an audience and then eventually focus on my own stories. I'm hoping that I can make a living entertaining people with my voice and prose.
My podcast was originally a YouTube channel, but I started to realize that podcasting made more sense for story telling and YouTube doesn't really like horror authors and narrators. Plus, they started censoring a lot of my favorite YouTubers so I used it less and less. Podcasting was 3 times more popular for my stories anyway. It just made sense.
Since I already had a YouTube channel my first episode was my first YouTube story. Eventually I want to start a live podcast radio show with an incoming line for people to call in their experiences, but I don't have time for that now. That was actually the original idea for my podcast.
► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?
I release a story almost daily except Sunday. It only takes about an hour to create the story, then edit mistakes and add music. When I'm more established I want to have a 3 hour podcast stream on the podcast, youtube, and facebook a few days a week. That will take a lot of prep time I don't have right now.
I spend very little on marketing. Most marketing is done through search engines, social media, and word of mouth. I do have a website to help with marketing. I probably pay about $50 per month. I'd like to create apps in the Google and Apple app stores, but those are a little out of my price range right now. I think having these would help get the word out. I'm even making an Alexa app.
► What do you gain from podcasting?
I am monetized through BlogTalkRadio right now. It pays ok. I probably won't see a lot of return until I have hundreds of thousands of listeners or subscribers, but that is what I'm aiming for. I love writing and telling stories. I want to make this my life. Being able to tell other people's stories as well as my own helps me realize my dream as well as practice my craft.
► How does your podcasting process look like?
I have horrible equipment. My mic is a $50 mic from amazon. I borrow my son's machine because mine died. I use audacity to create the audio and an old version of fireworks for any artwork needed. It's really sad, but it works.
I don't really interview people yet, but I do allow narrators to put their stories on my podcast sometimes. I have a Friday of Fright which hosts other horror narrators and podcasters that I allow to be on the show telling their stories and promoting their work. In return, they usually tweet out they've been on. It helps us both.
► How do you market your show?
Most of my listeners are from iTunes; probably about 80% of them. I do get listeners from my YouTube channel, facebook, and Twitter as well as my website. It's hard to tell which place forwards the most, although I market my website more than my iTunes link just in case something goes wrong so I will always have a presence.
► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?
The most important detail the newbies need to hear is to be consistent, persisitant, and on schedule. People learn to expect when you will be on. Don't change it. My biggest mistake was over estimating my time available during October. My hometown had a major fire in Santa Rosa so I was in shock most of the month, then I had some breathing issues with asthma after that and all of it affecting my schedule. People were mad and told me in the reviews that I wasn't doing what I said I was going to do. After that I started creating and scheduling my work for 30 days. Be persistent. Don't let shyness get in your way. Most of all HAVE FUN. Once it becomes a chore it's time to change it up.