Conor Reid is a Trinity College Alumnus and a successful teacher, writer and now podcaster. Words to That Effect was first launched in 2017, and written, edited and recorded in Dublin. In the introduction to the first episode, Reid explains that it is “a show that wanders around the fields of pop culture, fiction, history and science too”. It features new Irish music on each episode, guest speakers and in-depth academic research. Now a member of the HeadStuff Podcast Network and regularly appearing in the top 10 Arts Podcasts in Ireland on iTunes, Words to that Effect has begun its second season, with its latest episode ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel & Baroness Orczy’ featuring Dr Clare Clarke, Assistant Professor of 19th century literature in Trinity. Over email, Reid and I discussed his evolving relationship with podcasting and the future of Words to That Effect, beyond the second season.
Why did you decide to start this podcast? Was there a gap in the market that you saw or was it more of a passion project?
It was little bit of both. I absolutely love making the show and started it out of a desire to do something creative with the research I’d done over the years. But I don’t think there are too many shows out there like it, certainly not in an Irish context. There are plenty of shows talking about pop culture, literature and so on, but usually in a longer, interview or discussion format. There are also plenty of scripted, highly-produced shows (particularly in the U.S.), but maybe not looking at the areas in the way I do (I may be wrong though — there are so many podcasts out there!)
Who is the target audience of Words to That Effect?
The target audience is anyone with an interest in literature, history and culture. I want the show to be accessible to anyone who’s interested, without feeling like it’s over-simplified for those who might already be familiar with the area. I guess my average listener might be someone in their 20s-40s, maybe with an arts degree or something like that, and who likes learning new things, even if they are somewhat obscure.
I mostly choose topics because I’m interested in them myself and feel that others would be too. Sometimes they are topics I have researched for my own work, often they are areas I know just a little bit about but I think would be interesting to listeners. I also try to consider who the guest will be, which can affect topics too.
Each episode of Words to that Effect invites experts in their field to offer their views, whether that be on the rather unknown abundance of Irish science fiction or the weird fiction of H.P Lovecraft. Is it difficult to attract these scholars to speak on your show?
It’s not difficult to get people on the show — academics love talking about their work, it can be hard to end the interview! I rarely use more than about 10 minutes of interview audio in total but often chat to the guest for an hour. It makes the editing process longer but it’s nice to do a more in-depth interview and then pick out the best stuff.
On to its second season, where can we expect the podcast to take us this time around?
Without really meaning to, the episodes have got a little bit longer this season — 20 – 25 mins, rather than 15-20 mins — but I hope I’m still keeping listeners engaged. In terms of content, the new season will be similar: lots of genre fiction, interesting intersections between science and literature, unusual history, fiction from Ireland, Britain, the U.S. and sometimes further afield. The main thing I’m trying to do at the moment is to experiment a bit more with the structure of episodes, the music, sound design, that sort of thing.
What was the most interesting episode to work on?
I think my favourite episode to make so far was ‘The Horrifically Complicated History of Zombies’. I liked playing around with the zombie sound effects and music and I felt it came together well in the end. I also liked making ‘Neurasthenia, Cowboys and Feminists’ because I went out to Tallaght Hospital to interview this really interesting psychiatrist — completely outside my normal, comfortable literary world! Oh, and doing the audio drama collaboration with Down Below The Reservoir for the Christmas Special was a lot of fun too.
Where do you see the future of podcasts heading? In terms of revenue, how do you think podcasters will generate funding?
It’s hard to tell where podcasts will go in the future. It’s very different in the U.S. (with companies like Gimlet or Panoply and huge media organisations like the New York Times or NPR) compared to everywhere else right now, but I think the UK and, eventually, Ireland will catch up. There are some interesting new companies trying to make money from — and for —smaller podcasts, but it’s always going to be small money for almost all new shows starting out. Donation sites like Patreon can work but they often require so much work themselves that it’s barely worth it.
Can you tell us a little more about your upcoming book The Science and Fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs?
Yes, this is my forthcoming book — it should be out in spring at some point. It’s a book which came out of my PhD research on this topic. It’s about Edgar Rice Burroughs, but using him as a jumping off point to look at all the ways that science and popular fiction interact with each other. Lots of the topics in the podcast are in the book in one form or another, so, if you like the show you can buy the book! (and, unlike the usual, ridiculously-priced academic hardback books, this will be a very reasonably priced €20ish paperback.)
What are some of your own favourite podcasts to listen to?
I’m a huge fan of 99% Invisible, and it was a definite inspiration for the show. So was Imaginary Worlds, which covers some of the same types of subjects as I do, but in a somewhat different way, and Criminal too, another Radiotopia show. I listen to a ridiculous number of podcasts — lots of the really big American ones: Reply All, Startup, S-Town, Radiolab, and so on. I also really like How Sound — it’s great if you are interested in making a podcast yourself. In terms of Irish shows, I’ve really been enjoying Meet Your Maker, What Am Politics? and Motherfócloir.
And lastly, what are your hopes for the future of Words to That Effect?
I’d like to keep making it better and better, grow a bigger audience, and maybe even make a little bit of money from it. I’m trying to use it as a showcase as well for other work at the moment — I’m hoping to make some podcast series for companies or other clients and do some more work in the area. I’m totally addicted to the audio world now!
Words to That Effect is available to listen to now at HeadStuff Podcast Network, Apple Podcasts, Android, Radio Public, Stitcher, Google Play or Tune In.
Visit the website at http://wttepodcast.com/ for more information and how to support the show.
