AMA: Short episodes & My Upcoming Book

I tackle more listener feedback.

Here's what they wrote:

DC Qranky wrote

One thing I find very appealing about your show is how insightful you are and the way you both remain open to ideas while expressing your own opinion even if it’s totally contrary to a guest, for example.

How about if at the end of every show you had a short segment in which you take one reader question or topic suggestion and run with that? It’s another way to engage with listeners without bribing them for 5-star reviews and it’s basically giving you free show ideas. It can be about ANYTHING! Literally, anything at all. If you can get an expert on your show to discuss with, all the better, but if not you can just spin your wheels on the question/topic yourself.

It should be the same duration every time - long enough to dig in but not so long that you start to ramble. I’d say 5-10 min max. Maybe you can give it a catchy name like ‘New Idea Fix for 6’, as in 6 minutes. That’s a terrible name but just to illustrate the point. And!…give listeners an opportunity to post their thoughts after the show. You’ll read the top 3 most compelling feedback on your next show prior to the special segment.

If you do this, DC Qranky wants an associate producer credit!

 

Yida wrote

As you wrote such a detailed section on malaria in West Africa, I'm wondering if you plan to follow up discussion on Covid-19 in Africa and some major responses and developments?

Another point I want to raise is who is your intended audience?
Do you see children and educators reading your books?
Perhaps some geography, social studies teachers/ professors have already read your books and reached out to you!
There are lots of good discussion questions and essay topics that could come out of every chapter.

Your book is very educational and filled with facts, geography, history, culture, told in your engaging narrative voice. However, the funny adult stories and frank discussions on sex, polygamy means it would be rated M for Mature.
Chances are, kids working on projects would be unlikely find this book in their school libraries. I can see teenagers enjoying this and the book is very readable. I'm curious whether this book would be selected by teachers, school librarians, as part of their educational resources.
I first found the Hidden Europe at a local public library but not at local bookstores or university libraries.

I can see the Unseen Africa being used as an introduction to Africa and students can then consult your bibliography for more academic reading. My favorite geography reference book is Lonely Planet "The World" because it goes through every country in an accessible manner.

DC Qranky wrote:

Do I like your shorter podcasts? Hmm…sometimes. I also like your longer podcasts because it gives you an opportunity to get in depth. To a point. The lucid dream guy…that was pretty good. I don’t remember the length but the conversation was pretty compelling. Now listening to the married couple that won’t get married. A good bunch of it is fun listening but over an hour?? None of your podcasts should ever go over an hour and probably not over 50 mins. max.

a) That’s a lot to listen to and if it needs to go that long, break it up into two parts.

b) As stated, a good bunch of fun listening but also a lot of blah blah blah… You lose audience that way.

It’ll take more of your time but you’ll have a better end product by scrubbing through the material and editing out, what some in my industry would call, “shoe leather”.

I like your podcast but I may be biased. If I didn’t get to know you through your books and have you connect with my family in Benin and relate to you on a personal level (in many ways you seem like my brother from another mother), not sure if I would engage or not.

Don’t change who you are or what you do but see if you can mold your podcast a bit to bring some sort of repeatable format to it.

Going back to the short stuff, it works for Gary because he has a very obvious template. Maybe all your podcasts are only 30 minutes (reasonably digestible) but in one you lump together a bunch of similar-themed short ideas and in another you break it up into parts but only after you edit out the ho-hum stuff.

I’m pulling all this out of my ass. Really just projecting what I think DC Qranky would say on some lame iTunes podcast review.

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