Check out this great listen on Audible.com. From the creators of the hit audio drama Wolf 359 and with original music by Jeremy Warmsley com
Tomorrow, Hit Singles will have been out for a week.
It's been amazing to see people's reaction to this show. At the same time, I know that, for many people, Audible isn't where they go for their audio fiction. I certainly don't think it's a perfect company by any stretch of the imagination... but with this show, I think they made something the right way.
They gave a shot to a producing team with 10+ years experience making audio fiction. They took a chance on a 100% original IP.
When we went, "We want a 12 episode season, and we want each to be a proper episode, with their own title and story and everything," they said, "You're the experts."
When we insisted on having a writer's room, they supported us. When we said, "Let's hire Octavia Bray and Ellen Winter for said room, 2 of the best in the world of audio fiction," nobody blinked or asked who they were or suggested this great writer from the world of TV. Instead: "You're the experts."
When we wrote a big, challenging show, which touched upon matters of love, identity, sexuality, faith and a ton of other big thorny things, nobody freaked out. When I started talking about writing an episode that goes backwards - a pretty out there thing even by my standards! - they let me cook.
When we found Evangeline, Nick, Simone, Julia, and Briggon, they let us put this dream team together. When we wanted to work with Noah and Mary Kate and Avery and all these amazing people we've collected over our years in podcasting, they supported it. They let us follow the vision.
All of which is not to say that there weren't disagreements or compromises or moments we didn’t see eye to eye. There were - that's inevitable when you're working with partners on a show this big. But having worked on other shows with big partners, the degree to which this is our show is startling.
As I write this, Hit Singles has 75 ratings on the platform, almost all of them 5/5. I'd love to, by the time the week closes, get to a hundred. I'd love to send the powers that be a message:
What you did here? The way you brought experienced creators in and let them make their show? Do it again. Trust fiction podcasting creators to make a good show for you.
Because I want the opportunities that we got here to reach other creators. I want Audible to invest in more independent creators' visions, and empower them to make shows they can't make on their own. I want them to hear, loud and clear, that people want more like this.
So if you've been on the fence about listening, and you still have a free trial lying around somewhere? Or an extra credit you've been meaning to spend? Please help us send the powers that be that message.
