What do I need to connect to my interview?

I use a free chat program called Discord to capture the audio for my online interviews. It’s free to sign up for; you can use it through your browser, desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. Whatever you feel comfortable with the most. You won’t need to record audio on your end. However, I do recommend that you utilize headphones or earbuds to help cut down on background noise.

Connecting to Discord

In your confirmation email, you should’ve received a one-time access URL to the Raconteuse Radio interview channel on the Writeropolis Industries server. You can find it here.

However, I strongly recommend that you don’t click it until it’s time for your interview. You’re granted temporary membership and temporary members are automatically kicked off the server when they disconnect, and they won’t be able to access it again.

You are absolutely welcome to join the server if you do want to poke around and get comfortable with how Discord works.

What should I expect?

I utilize a bot named Craig to record our interviews.

When I activate it, Craig will enter the channel and immediately begin recording—the bot’s username should change to reflect this. You’ll also hear an audio alert from the bot saying “now recording” to confirm. Then we can begin the interview.

However, if you’d like to chat a little beforehand, let me know and I won’t record until you say so!

I insist that you bring something to read to the audience, either an already published piece (let me know beforehand so I can let people know where to find it), or something that you’re working on. Whatever you think makes your creative voice shine the best.

I try to keep our appointments to 30 minutes or so, but you’re welcome to speak for as long as you’d like on whatever you’d like. As they say in the production world, I’ll fix it in post.

And after we’re done recording?

I’ll email you directly when your episode is set to air. My turnaround for editing and mastering episodes is a week, but it also depends on what other episodes are ahead of yours in the queue. I’ll have social media assets ready for you to share on all the main networks: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest. Please don’t modify the assets. I want to keep it as uniform as possible.

On top of social media, I also promote my show through this site and City of Writers.

Should I receive any feedback about your appearance, I’m going to forward it to you; the good, the bad, and the ugly. I just want you to be emotionally prepared for it.

Thank you!

I want to thank you from the deepest parts of my creative soul that you’ve contributed to the growth of the City of Writers podcast. I hope to continue for many, many years, and it’s through your participation that I’m able to continue doing what I enjoy. Please let me know if there’s anything that I can do to make your interview as smooth as possible.