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Why Podcast? Reasons For Writers

Picture of Cat Rambo with a dragon on her shoulder
The human associated with this fine dragon is Goldeen Ogawa (http://www.goldeenogawa.com/).
This Sunday, Folly Blaine and I are teaching another podcasting class. Here’s the description:

Podcasting Basics
Podcasts, both audio and video, are an increasingly popular way to reach an audience. In this two hour session, learn what you need to know to record and edit your own podcast, how to promote your podcast, and what equipment and software to use. As Folly Blaine, Christy records and acts as Podcast Manager for Every Day Fiction, and has also recorded podcasts for Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Wily Writers, and This Mutant Life; Cat is the former fiction editor of Fantasy Magazine and has recorded podcasts for Clarkesworld, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Fantasy Magazine. Limited enrollment ““ reserve a slot now!
Sunday, 9:30-11:30 AM PST, February 9
$99

Why might you be interested in podcasting and learning to do your own? Here’s a few reasons:

  • It’s a good way to reach a new set of readers. Many of the people who listen to podcasts prefer that to finding your stuff in text form inline. They’ll listen to your story in the car, while exercising, while working, and other places where text isn’t convenient. And they’re always looking for new, good stuff.
  • It’s a great way to polish your reading aloud skills. As a writer you’ll need to do readings. We’ll give you some tips in the class, but the best way to get better at it? Practice.
  • It makes you comprehend your work in a new way. I always read aloud stories as a last step in polishing them. Combine that with recording a podcast and you’re examining your work in order to figure out how it sounds.
  • Last week, my agent told me that authors who record their own books see a significant bump in sales, but that publishing houses don’t like to have them do it, because they’re unsure of the quality. If you can point to previous podcasting experience, you can back up the suggestion that you read your own work and even have samples of what you can do.

When publicizing “Five Ways to Fall in Love on Planet Porcelain,” I made sure it was available in audio form. Did that help earn it a Nebula nomination? I don’t know, but it certainly didn’t hurt.

Enjoy this advice for writers and want more content like it? Check out the classes Cat gives via the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, which offers both on-demand and live online writing classes for fantasy and science fiction writers from Cat and other authors, including Ann Leckie, Seanan McGuire, Fran Wilde and other talents! All classes include three free slots.

Prefer to opt for weekly interaction, advice, opportunities to ask questions, and access to the Chez Rambo Discord community and critique group? Check out Cat’s Patreon. Or sample her writing here.

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Want access to a lively community of writers and readers, free writing classes, co-working sessions, special speakers, weekly writing games, random pictures and MORE for as little as $2? Check out Cat’s Patreon campaign.

Want to get some new fiction? Support my Patreon campaign.
Want to get some new fiction? Support my Patreon campaign.

 

"(On the writing F&SF workshop) Wanted to crow and say thanks: the first story I wrote after taking your class was my very first sale. Coincidence? nah….thanks so much."

~K. Richardson

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Nattering Social Justice Cook: Supporting The Next Generation

Ancient village with modern kids and bubbles.
Ancient village with modern kids and bubbles.
If you don’t know about DonorsChoose, it’s a great program that lets you support individual classroom projects. I sponsored one in honor of my aunt Nona. Here’s the lovely thank you note I just got.

Dear Cat Rambo,

Thank you so much for your donation to my classroom. Having copies of Persepolis: The Story Of A Childhood has had a dramatic impact on my students as they finish their eighth grade year.

When the students received copies of a book that they were actually interested in, they felt like they were the ones in charge of their learning experience. The decision to design a unit around Persepolis was student driven. Earlier this year I noticed that students were coming to class regularly asking questions about the Middle East and Islam. In student interest surveys, the class overwhelmingly expressed a desire to learn more about these topics. So when students got copies of Persepolis, they felt as if their voices were being heard. When I started the unit, I noticed a big increase in student engagement. “I felt lucky!” Eighth grader De’jean Williams said when the class received the books. “Adults hardly ever listen to us- it’s nice when they finally do.”

The Persepolis books have provided students with a window into life in the Middle East. Students are beginning to understand the complexity of the forces shaping the region. They are deeply engaging with questions about the role of government, culture and religion influencing a society. Middle school is the time when students are first beginning to shape their world-view. Reading Persepolis is helping students in this process. As the United States gets more and more involved in the region, I am so glad that my students understanding of the region is growing.

Thanks again for your generous donation! You are truly making a difference in the lives of young people!!

With gratitude,
Ms. Founds

Want to see students reading diverse, interesting, informative reading that features protagonists like them? Find programs doing just that and help them.

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Cyber Monday 2025

Cyber Monday Deals

It’s Cyber Monday and so I’ve put together a list of deals! These prices are good through the end of the year, but some items are limited.

  • Class Discounts
  • BOGO deal on Patreon Memberships
  • Editing Services
  • Query Letter Services
  • Coaching Sessions

To keep things interesting, I included images from my early November travels.

Images from a recent trip to Spain, scouting Wayward Wormhole locations. Here’s street art in Valencia.

Class Discounts

Here are the upcoming classes. Book them now and save as follows:

  • $10 off any and all single session classes
  • $25 off any and all three session classes
  • $50 off any and all six session classes

Upcoming by Date:

Classes are held online via Zoom and are recorded for participants. They consist of lecture, discussion, and in-class writing exercises; six session classes include some homework and critiquing fellow students’ stories.

To register for a class or classes, mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net and include the name of the class(es) and how you would prefer to pay (Venmo, Paypal, check, or some other alternative.) If you support me on Patreon, mention that so I know to give you the Patreon price.

If the cost is prohibitive, remember there are full and partial scholarships available for all classes. The Plunkett scholarships are need-based. If you could not otherwise afford the class, but feel it would help you with your writing, you should apply. I particularly urge QUILTBAG and PoC writers to apply; the third slot is specifically reserved for such a candidate, although all three are open to them.

To apply for a scholarship, mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net with the details of which class or classes (up to 3) you wish to attend, 2-3 sentences about why you would like to take it, and whether you are requesting a full or partial scholarship. That’s it. Please include whether or not you’d also like access to the chat server community. You are requested to limit your application to three scholarships total per quarter; it is okay to list alternates.

Here’s more from Valencia, including some plants from the Botanical Gardens there. I never like to miss a garden and this one was both extensive and well-tended.

Buy-One-Get-One Deal on Patreon Memberships

Curious about my writing community, which offers weekly Zoom events, a Discord server, market news, and mutual supporter, and want to check it out with a friend? When you sign up, drop me a note at cat@kittywumpus.net with the name and e-mail address of your friend, and I’ll send them a three month membership at the same level you’ve joined at.

What is Patreon? It’s a platform that allows you to connect with creators. Mine is the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers, a community for new, emerging, and established fantasy, horror, and science fiction writers focused on craft and encouragement. Weekly and monthly Zoom events and a lively Discord server allow you to connect with awesome fellow writers. Find more details here.

Some street shots from Alicante including an amazing building with a living facade, delicious gelato, and flamingos in the Valencia Aquarium.

Editing Services

I do developmental editing for short stories and novels.  Right now I’m offering a story edit/query letter bundle – 10 for $450, which allows you to buy 9 and get one free  Each edit is good for a story or chapter up to 5k words, a query letter, or a synopsis. Turnaround is 2 weeks. Mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net and I can provide more details. Limited amount.

If you’d like to see some testimonials, here’s a page of them.

Delicious paella from our last night, a menu detail, doorway, and graffiti from Alicante. I should have taken shots of the sangria that became a group favorite; we certainly drank enough of it.

Query Letter Services

I will critique your query letter for $50 for the initial version and $25 for subsequent versions.

Or buy the $100 query letter bundle and get three 30-minute Zoom sessions in which we plan, write, and refine your query letter as well as discuss comps and talk about how to approach agents. Limited amount.

Mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net to set up your appointment in 2026.

One site I always have to visit in Barcelona is La Sagrada Familia, the church designed by Antonio Gaudi, which has been in the process of construction for 100+ years now. The light there is extraordinary; it’s one of the world’s wonders.

Coaching Sessions

I offer coaching sessions, which can be done as one-offs or scheduled meetings. Some clients come for motivation or encouragement on a regular basis while others seek help with a specific project like finishing a novel, planning a book release, or learning how to create a newsletter.

Lock in a monthly 30-minute coaching session (normally $100 per session) be prepaying $1000 for 12 sessions. Mail me at cat@kittywumpus.net to set up your first appointment in 2026.  Limited amount.

Happy Cyber-Monday and remember to support small business owners whenever possible!

peace,

Cat

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