• The Sofanauts
• Sanatorium
• Contributors
• Gallery
• Contact
• Forum
• Submissions
• Home

1. 

   Tony
   Administrator

   Sorry to spring this on you but for some reason I seem to have fallen out of love with Sofanauts show and I need to step back from it for a while.

   Will this be forever? I'm not sure. The way I feel at the moment it could be. There's many reasons why this is the case, I'm at a really good place now with the main StarShipSofa show and feel yuck about Sofanauts so want to concentrate all my efforts on that one. Sofanauts never really took off how I would have liked, most weeks its 500 downloads and to be honest... the stress alone out weights that.

   There we go..... mind......... and I mean this........ if any out there wants to run that show and take over, I would just love that. Get in touch.

   So... for now..... Sofanauts is no more. Sorry:0)

   Posted 8 months ago #
2. 

   the english assassin
   Member

   Hi Tony,

   I'm sorry to hear it go. I thought it was a really ambitious idea and deserved to do well, but I must admit that I didn't hear anywhere near all of them, partly due to time (I'm reading like there's no tomorrow and I'm just not listening to any audio at the mo) and partly due to my tastes (which don't really include much of the newer stuff coming out of SF, newer stuff which obviously and rightly was the focus of the show)... Still I'm sad to hear it's finished. I thought when you first mentioned the show that a weekly show of that format that it sounded like an incredible amount of hard work! Especially on top of the regular SSS show... Too ambitious, maybe... but still you never know until you try! I guess if you should ever get your Sofanauts mojo back maybe a monthly schedule might be easier.

   But anyway, don't feel bad about it. As ever all your efforts are still highly appreciated!

   Posted 8 months ago #
3. 

   ahs
   Member

   Sofanauts was a great podcast, Tony, but I totally understand StarShipSofa comes first - and it continues to be fantastic every week. Hang in there!

   Visit my website.
   Visit my blog.

   Posted 8 months ago #
4. 

   JLeuze
   Web Guy

   That's too bad Tony I really enjoy The Sofanauts, but just one weekly podcast is tough work I suspect!

   I hope someone is able to pitch in to keep Sofanauts going, I've found the discussions on writing and publishing to be very interesting and my Amazon wishlist has grown quite a bit.

   I appreciate the high quality that post production can add to a podcast, but maybe if the technical hurdles were shorter more members of the community could contribute.

   By used a podcasting service like Talkshoe, the show could be "live to tape", and anyone from the community could listen live, join in on chat, or call in to the show.

   The shows I have liked best are the ones with 3 or 4 guests, maybe a round-table style like this would take more burden off the host, allowing them to just moderate the conversation.

   Just throwing some ideas out there, I can see how an easier to produce podcast could get more of the community involved. Interesting conversations from the forums or Twitter could be expanded on in the show and drift back there after the show.

   Of course just cutting the show to biweekly could help whoever might take on The Sofanauts, and make it easier to fit into our busy media consumption schedules

   Follow me on twitter: @JLeuze

   Posted 8 months ago #
5. 

   Folkie
   Member

   Tony,

   I don't know how you manage to put out such high quality shows and still have a life and a family and a job. I've enjoyed the Sofanauts, and I'll miss it. However, you have to do what's best for you.

   Three cheers and a round of applause to you for everything you have achieved.

   Folk Dancing is the best fun you can have with your clothes on!

   Posted 8 months ago #
6. 

   umbrellapod
   Member

   A virtual toast to the Sofanauts! Sorry to see it go. Thanks to Tony and his team for being ambitious....

   Posted 8 months ago #
7. 

   Judy__
   Member

   umbrellapod said:
   A virtual toast to the Sofanauts! Sorry to see it go. Thanks to Tony and his team for being ambitious....

   Double that! Only 24 hrs in a day. Some of the day needs to be used for sleep, rest and recuperation, charging one's batteries and such.

   Posted 8 months ago #
8. 

   SimonH
   Member

   Given the high quality of the guests and the funny and insightful conversations, I'm really surprised by the low turnout each week. I was certainly there with bells on for each episode - it was a real highlight (top only by SSS itself).

   I'm very curious about what's put you off. I know there's been huge technical hassles - is that the primary frustration?

   Would dearly love to see the show continue, and would be happy to pitch in whatever way necessary. Email to follow.

   Posted 8 months ago #
9. 

   Tony
   Administrator

   Hey Simon...

   To be honest... it was an easy show to do with regards time it took.... copy and paste bits of news to Evernote, 1 hr recording, 10mins editing and that's it.

   But for me... the main reason was... it used to chew me up. Those say, last 4hrs before a live show - didn't like that one bit. I have come to realise I like the benefits of a pre-recorded show a lot more. Yes Sofanauts was that to some extent...but there was still a live element to it. That's what I hated in the end. I had to have a beer every time a recorded a show!

   Posted 8 months ago #
10. 

    Gonzalo
    Member

    I have to say I listened to every single one of the Sofanaut shows and loved them all - sad to see them go. Wish I could contribute with some help but have little time, interviewing or audio editing skills, so my gratitude to Tony and the guests.

    "Don't put your trust in revolutions. They always come around again. That's why they're called revolutions. People die, and nothing changes."
    -- (Terry Pratchett, Night Watch)

    Posted 8 months ago #
11. 

    donbreese
    Member

    What Gonazalo said. I loved the freewheeling, conversational nature of Sofanauts -- I can't think of anything else quite like it on the Internet. Maybe what Jeese Willis does on Sffaudio, but that's a highly specialized podcast. Luke Burrage has the technical chops to do it, but he's pretty much a one-man show.

    Interview podcasts are hard work and most of them tend to die after a year or so. Shaun Ferrell has a great interview podcast but he's been cutting back on it dramatically. Dragon Page is just OK, its more of a "do you want to be a writer" show now. Only Rick Kleffel of the Agony Column has been able to persevere.

    Posted 8 months ago #
12. 

    Darren
    Member

    Sad news but I pretty much agree with the above comments. I'll miss that fun into and outro, always put a smile on my face "...tune in next week as we probe Saturn's ring and delve into Uranus...".

    We should petition Leo Leporte to do the show, he's got all the gear and everything

    "The art of Medicine consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." - Voltaire.
    
    (http://twitter.com/darrenharmon)

    Posted 8 months ago #
13. 

    alllie
    Member

    SimonH said:
    Given the high quality of the guests and the funny and insightful conversations, I'm really surprised by the low turnout each week.

    Yes, I'm surprised too.

    I think the solution to the low numbers would have been to put the Sofanaut listing in the same list with the Aural Delights instead of off to the side. You had to know what Sofanauts was before you would click on it, probably. And it being right above the Starship Sanatorium might have confused some people since you have to pay to get access to Sanatorium. They might have thought you had to subscribe to get Sofanauts as well.

    But I'm sorry to see it go. It was interesting and discouraging. The guests frequently made writing, getting published and publishing seem like impossibly difficult things to do.

    But the last Sofanauts I listened to, I got to thinking, here is Tony basically publicizing other websites that are or will be doing scifi podcasts and it was like you were helping your rivals. I liked the discussions but I was a little troubled when they gave me some place else to go.

    Posted 8 months ago #
14. 

    umbrellapod
    Member

    Allie- Many of us would never have discovered Aural Delights or Sofanauts if we hadn't heard of them from other podcasts. We all love the genre and should be thankful to those that work to promote it rather than trying to corner the "market".

    Posted 8 months ago #
15. 

    alllie
    Member

    umbrellapod said:
    Allie- Many of us would never have discovered Aural Delights or Sofanauts if we hadn't heard of them from other podcasts. We all love the genre and should be thankful to those that work to promote it rather than trying to corner the "market".

    Yeah, Steve Eley recommended Starshipsofa and a lot of other things I have enjoyed.

    Posted 8 months ago #
16. 

    expatpaul
    Member

    The Sofanauts was a great show and it will be a shame to see it go. That said, I can fully understand your decision - recording one podcast a week must be a huge amout of work and I really did wonder sometimes where you found the time to do Sofanauts as well.

    StarShipSofa continues to be a fantastic show, though, so congratulations on all you've achieved and long may you continue.

    Pulpmovies.com - Independent film talk
    Random acts of bloggery

    Posted 8 months ago #
17. 

    SimonH
    Member

    Tony said:

    But for me... the main reason was... it used to chew me up. Those say, last 4hrs before a live show - didn't like that one bit.

    Amen brother - as someone who's wrestled with stage fright my whole life, I know the feeling.

    Anyway, congratulations on so many great Sofanauts episodes already in the can, and a toast to the meteoric rise of SSS.

    Posted 8 months ago #
18. 

    Robyn Bradshaw
    Member

    Congratulations on making a tough decision and being true to what you need to do, Tony. If anyone wants to take the lead on Sofanauts in some form, I might be just crazy enough to want to help out.

    Posted 7 months ago #
19. 

    Fredosphere
    Member

    Two very strong reactions: you've been doing a great, great job on the Sofanauts (didn't I send you an email spontaneously on that very topic just a week or two ago???) and, I can understand how maintaining the show at the level it is now must be exhausting. Chasing down those guests, coordinating recording sessions. . .it must be a nightmare.

    In addition, one small piece of advice: be picky about who you hand this baby over to. Some people have what it takes to be host; some don't.

    One more point: I'm kinda shocked the show doesn't have a bigger audience. It's where I go for the spontaneity I used to get from the original Tony & Ciaran show.

    Posted 7 months ago #
20. 

    divadiane
    Member

    Oh my, what a surprise, Tony. You always make the most wonderful laid-back, relaxed, happy impression. But you've always been honest about the emotional cost to you. I'm sad to see the show go, since I listened to just about every one of them (am almost caught up from my baby-break). What will I listen to at 3am now?!? But I do understand you. Good for you for making the decision.

    I think the format is a great idea, it surprises me that the download numbers are so low. I'm not sure it would be quite the same thing without Tony C. Smith as your host. So, what Fred said.

    My Blog: http://www.divadianes.blogspot.com
    MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/dianeseversonsoprano
    My CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/dsmg

    Posted 7 months ago #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply »

You must log in to post.