- About the project
- Nobody Reads Short Stories started because we (Megan and Jeremy) love reading short stories! But we found that some people, authors included, look down on short stories as being inaccessible or boring. With the rise of interest in audiobooks and podcasts, we thought a podcast would be an excellent opportunity to introduce listeners to fantastic authors and their short stories. As with a lot of literary arenas, there’s a lot of old white straight dudes out there! And we are committed to inclusion and diversity in the stories we showcase. (We like stories by old white straight dudes too, but don’t want a whole podcast full of them.) Short stories are wonderful for so many reasons! We think listeners will love that, through our podcast, they receive a story they can listen to while cooking or cleaning, walking around their neighborhood, or standing two carts apart waiting to get into the grocery store.
- What does the author get out of the project?
- Advertising. Authors regularly circulate stories to entice potential readers. Nobody Reads Short Stories works for the author in the same way. Not only will we showcase your work, but we will also plug and push whatever upcoming projects/releases you would like our listeners to know about.
- Publicity. We interview the authors after the stories are read. It’s a great way for new readers to get to know you and your work.
- Community. We love meeting new writers, and finding new work, and want to encourage writers who encourage others.
- What does Nobody Reads Short Stories get out of the story?
- Great content. We are really hungry for quality stories. Our listeners deserve it!
- Connections with talented writers. We’d love to form connections with great stories and have authors back on the show!
- How is the podcast structured?
- Megan and Jeremy introduce the show then gab for three minutes.
- The story is introduced and read to the listeners.
- After the reading, we interview the writer and plug them and their work.
- FAQs
- Does the author keep the publication rights?
- Yep! Those rights are yours!
- What rights does NRSS have over the author’s work?
- When you submit your piece, we have no ownership of the story. We own Nobody Reads Short Stories’ recording of your piece and have the right to reuse that recording, but that’s it.
- Do you expect exclusivity?
- Nope. You can have your story with as many publishers as you want. It is YOUR JOB to make sure that those publishers are okay with you sharing your work with us, however.
- Do you make edits or give notes?
- No. We take the pieces as is.
- What are the length and genre requirements for the stories?
- Around twenty to sixty minutes read at a listenable pace.
- No genre requirements. Megan and Jeremy just have to connect with it.
- I like reading my own piece, is that possible?
- The original idea was to have writers read their own pieces, then Covid happened. In our first season, Jeremy and Megan read the pieces to maintain sound quality. But if you have really good sound equipment and it’s important to you, let’s talk.
- What format does the piece need to be submitted in?
- How will I know if my piece was chosen?
- We will let everyone know whether their story is accepted or declined before announcing the lineup of the upcoming season.
- Where can we see the first season?
- Our episodes premiere on Youtube LIVE Mondays at 6 pm PST/9pmEST. You can find the podcast for download every Tuesday on Spotify and Itunes. Here are all the links.
- This sounds great, how do we submit?
- Go to our Submissions Page. Read through the terms and conditions and submit. That’s it! It’s as easy as that!