My failed podcasting experiment

I gave it a good try over the past few years. Well, actually, I don’t know if it really qualifies as a good try, but it was a try. I started on Podbean, with a podcast called “The Bible Bookshelf.” But that didn’t quite work out. Then, when coronavirus “lockdowns” began last year, and I found myself stuck at home much of the time, I reworked the podcast into the “Corybantic Podcast.” After a few weeks of that, I once again set aside my podcasting plans, until just recently, when I decided to give Anchor.fm a try. At first, it was great. Anchor offered tools and distribution settings that were far easier to use than Podbean had been. So I brought back the Corybantic Podcast, which I did for a few weeks.
Just a few weeks ago, I decided that my subjects were too widely varied to have a consistent podcast, so I decided to rebrand to concentrate on just one of my interests: Shakespeare. Thus was born the Willy Wigglestick podcast. But that only lasted a few episodes before I decided…it’s just not working.
I like the idea of sharing my thoughts in an audio format. But the execution is a lot less enjoyable. Writing a blog, I find I can organize my thoughts more easily. I can share links and articles that interest me, and that I want others to know about. Doing an effective podcast requires a much higher level of organization. I discovered that it was virtually impossible for me just to talk about something that interested me: I needed to write a script. I needed to edit in music. I needed ad breaks, to try to make just a little revenue. So far, after weeks of podcasting on Anchor, that ad revenue has amounted to…$.93. Yup, that’s right. 93 CENTS.
It’s just not worth it any more. I enjoy blogging, and I’m sure I will continue to blog on Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes, the Bible…whatever catches my attention. But podcasting isn’t going to happen. I imagine I will leave my podcast at Anchor up for the time being. But I think it’s time to admit that consistent podcasting is outside of my skill set, as they say.
If you were one of the very small number of people who actually listened to any of my podcast episodes, I appreciate it very much. If not, well, you didn’t really miss much. It was mildly fun while it lasted, but unless I have a complete change of perspective, I don’t expect I will try it again. I may share this post on my main blog and on Anchor, as well. Thanks for reading, and I’ll continue to share my thoughts in written form, here and elsewhere!