This week in How to Audio Drama, we’re answering reader questions about journalistic integrity, wanting to hop up those charts, and sticking to schedules.

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Ask Wil a Question

I am concerned that the criticism of audio fiction is never going to elevate. Sure, there is AV Club and some independent work, but it feels like everyone is writing about their friends. Also, every single critic is making something of their own. Will AF ever reach a point of objective criticism?

Concerned About Critics

Hi, Concerned,

What a fascinating question to ask me, a critic with the AV Club’s Podmass and several independent publications like Discover Pods, who is making something of my own. Cute! But I’m going to come at this question with the assumption that it was asked in good faith, because I do think this is something people worry about, and I think it’s good to discuss.

Before making VALENCE, my audio drama, my work in criticism was worse. I knew what I was talking about to some degree, but not to the degree I know after having worked in the space. I was constantly terrified that I was speaking out of line, speaking without any real lived experience or authority.

On top of that, it wasn’t uncommon for people to judge my work based on the fact that I wasn’t creating in the space. Critics are in a constant no-win situation. They either don’t create and are judged for not having the experience, or they create and they’re judged for being biased. If there were a unified criteria I could meet and stave off judgment of my work outside of the work itself, trust me, I’d meet it without question. But what appeases one person will inevitably anger another. So, like . . . we’re doing our best, man.

Critics got into this field because we love it, because it drives us, because we can’t imagine being apart from it. I promise you critics don’t write because it’s easy or lucrative. We write because we must, and that same drive often bleeds over into creating in the form itself. I think a lot about “I Make Plays. I Write Critisim. I’m Not My Own Enemy.” by Sara Holdren for Vulture, which I think you should read, Concerned:

And sometimes I think I ended up in this — what should I call it? Profession, field, life? Probably life — life because theater is the art form that has the potential to make me more joyful and more angry than anything else. I spend my life searching for the joy and attempting to interrogate the anger. It’s like a person I love, with equal parts anxiety, absurdity, and fierce loyalty. Theater annoys the living hell out of me. There are times I want to punch its stupid face and never speak to it again. I also want to spend the rest of my life with it. So runs the world, etc.

Sara Holdren

Now, let’s talk about writing about our own friends. This perception is another catch-22. I’m a friendly person, which is something I feel I have to heighten because so many creators are terrified of critics. I don’t enjoy being feared or intimidating people–again, I love this medium and this space, and I want more than anything for people to succeed and be fulfilled in their art. But I think many people conflate being friendly with being friends. I’m friendly with just about everyone. I’m friends with a pretty small group of people. I’ve written positive reviews for creators I absolutely cannot stand as people, and I will continue talking about how great those podcasts are. I’ve, as gracefully as I can manage, turned down podcasts by people I love for reviews because honestly, I thought the podcasts just kinda sucked. Concerned, I’d implore to you remember that unless you personally know a critic, you do not personally know a critic. It’s not really up to you to judge who is and is not friends, etc.

And I’d also implore you to ask yourself what objective criticism even means. Honestly? I don’t think that exists. Art is subjective. Why do we put so much stock in the objective, given we are all human people with different experiences and biases that make us interact with media differently? And it’s not just media. Listen to everything Morgan Givens says about objectivity in journalism overall and you’ll start to see where the myth of objectivity falls apart.

I spend too much time trying to figure out how to push my audio drama up the Apple Fiction chart and am routinely baffled by the daily movement, which doesn’t seem to have any rhyme or reason to it. Aside from the obvious (downloads, ratings, reviews), is there something else I should be thinking about? Also, should I just not worry about this as much as I do?

Reasons A Noob Kannot Trend

Hey, Reasons! Let me tell you, you are not alone.

The Apple charts are purposefully opaque in algorithm, and they seem to change often. The reason they do this is the same reason YouTube does it, or any other algorithm-based platform does it: they want to keep their system from being gamed. After the news broke on how easy it was to game Apple Podcast’s charts, Apple tightened up even more. I’m of the belief that trying to dissect any of these systems is a moot point. Even if we know how they behave right now, they’re always subject to change with zero notice or transparency.

Often, I’ve seen podcasters–especially in podcaster Facebook groups–give tips or information on how to chart. Don’t believe these tips, and even moreso, don’t believe these people. There’s a specific brand of podcaster who asserts a lot of knowledge without any actual understanding of how the industry works, usually citing how long they’ve been podcasting as their credentials. Unfortunately, the industry moves too fast for information on how things were to be relevant. I’d just avoid these people across the board.

I think your second question is really the key here. There’s no use fretting in something we can’t understand or change. There’s no denying that charting on platforms like Apple–and, since this question was asked, Spotify–but in my eyes, it’s healthier to see charting as exciting luck instead of an aspiration.

How do you figure out a reasonable production schedule and then stick to it? It feels like there’s a million things to do and I can barely even figure out what order to put them in, let alone how to time it all. Do you have any advice? Thank you!

Wondering Washingtonian

Hi, Wondering,

What a year to write this question, huh? Here’s my advice, which applies to most things in podcasting: the best system is the system that works for you. Don’t have enough time to record and edit biweekly releases? Go monthly. Have the ability to complete a bunch of episodes before you go live? You might as well try weekly. Have a bunch of time, but then no time, and then also not really know what’s next? Try biweekly with season breaks.

Uploading on a regular schedule is key, don’t get me wrong, but taking care of yourself is also key, especially during this hell year. Audit your time management skills and see where you can fit in some more podcast work. Try to utilize spare time to get things done in advance. But unless you’re working for someone on a tight schedule, don’t sacrifice your mental health for an audience that’s probably much more understanding than you think.

How to Audio Drama is our weekly column documenting every piece of information you’d need to start your own audio drama (aka fiction podcast). The series can be read in full, or read volume by volume. You can use our table of contents to find each How to Audio Drama installment, and you can submit questions to our monthly How to Audio Drama advice column.

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