Welcome to The Audio Storyteller
Remote jobs, calls for pitches + more
Hey there audio creators — and welcome to the first ever edition of The Audio Storyteller. I hope you’re getting by in these strange times.
I’m thrilled to be sliding into your inbox, in a totally helpful and non-creepy way. So, who am I? What is The Audio Storyteller? And what can you expect from this fortnightly (yes, *fortnightly*, I’m Irish) missive?
My name’s Clare Wiley. I’m a freelance journalist and editor, and I’ve been working in media for going on a decade now, covering social issues, gender and mental health.
(FYI: the story I’m most proud of is this one for Vice on technology that protects sex workers — or maybe this one on trafficking survivors for Al Jazeera — but then again, I also wrote about getting my face 3D-printed on a pancake, so... it’s a bit of a grab bag.)
Like you, I’m really into audio. From my earliest radio memory (phoning my local provincial radio station in Northern Ireland, aged seven, with the age-inappropriate request to play Donna Summer’s Hot Stuff 🤔), to marvelling at Ronan Farrow’s magnificent Catch and Kill series earlier this year, I love the dark art of audio with a very real passion. There’s something about the imaginative, empathetic space your mind goes to when listening to a beautifully sound-designed, evocative story that I just don’t think you can get any other way.
So I decided on a career pivot. A career shuffle, if you will. I launched a podcast, trained with Transom, stayed up all night making radio for KCRW’s 24-hour Radio Race, and did oh only around 10,000 virtual audio workshops, webinars and Zoom hangouts in these socially distanced times.
I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far (and what I’m still learning) with fellow podcasters and audio nerds... whether you’re just starting out, are pivoting into the field like yours truly, or are a fully fledged audio producer.
This then, is The Audio Storyteller: resources and gigs for radio producers and podcast creators.
Here’s what you can expect from the newsletter…
🎧Advice and expert interviews
🎧Resources
🎧Podcast, radio and other audio gigs
🎧Calls for pitches
🎧Events, workshops and other training
🎧What I’m listening to
I want this newsletter to be a source of inspiration, guidance — and, y’know, jobs. So, here we go…
Jobs
📻 KCRW is hiring an Associate Producer for its news and culture show Press Play -- you’ve got just a few days left to apply for this one.
📻 Religion of Sports is looking for senior-level applicants for its Audio Story Editor position -- it’s remote.
📻 Black Love Inc wants a Podcast Producer to create multiple shows for the company’s growing podcast network -- you have to be based in LA.
📻 Mixing and editing more your thing? Futuro Media is looking for an Audio Engineer on a four-month contract starting in September -- the role is remote.
Calls for pitches
📢 Outside/In is looking for stories about the great outdoors. You’ve got until September 30th to get your pitches in, and they’ve got really helpful detailed guidelines here.
📢 The Signal to Noise Award is giving $5,000 production grants for new and creative ideas for audio documentaries around set themes (one of them is aliens 👀). August 31st is your deadline. Deets here.
📢 If you didn’t already know, Audible accepts pitches on a rolling basis. They’re looking for original works of both fiction and nonfiction. Submission guidelines here.
What I’m listening to
I don’t know about you, but there seems to be *a lot* of amazing podcasts in my queue at the moment that I’m steadily making my way through — California Love, Welcome to LA and Grounded with Louis Theroux being just a few of them.
This past weekend though, I revisited one of my comfort-listens: the sublime Zadie Smith (owner of The World’s Best Voice, IMO) being interviewed on Toure Show: so many memorable pearls of wisdom in this one.
Thanks for taking the time to read The Audio Storyteller! In the very near future there’ll be an additional reader-funded newsletter too, where paying subscribers will get bonus content, perks and community connections.
I’d love to hear your comments, thoughts and what you’re listening to / working on: tweet me or drop me an email at clare.wiley@outlook.com. If you think a coworker or friend would also benefit from the newsletter, they can sign up here.