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I don't feel I have worked much this year. Obviously I have, but it's all been podcasts and stand up and very little sitting at a desk writing stuff. So I was hoping to try and get my arse into my desk chair and do something. It didn't quite happen, but I did a fair amount of admin and had another crack at booking guests for the tour. Another couple of names booked.
Then an email came in from a PR person offering me a guest that I was going to try and get in contact with, which feels like a free prize, but I have learned to take it with a pinch of salt. They are often pitching a client everywhere, often with no idea of what the podcast or show even involves and certainly without consulting the potential guest. They can get a list of possibilities, go back to their act and say "Do you want to do this?" And often the answer will be no. Last year I got an email offering me Rowan Atkinson for the podcast. Obviously I have tried to get him on in the past and been told by his manager that he would never really do a show like mine and is very reluctant to do any kind of PR. So I was dubious. I don't think the PR knew that the show was in front of an audience, but I did say I'd be more than happy to do a face to face or remote interview with one of my comedy heroes. Of course, it came to nothing. Because the person asking was probably one step down the ladder even from me. Maybe one day. You never know.
Something funny happened (that has again happened with PR people) as I gave the PR man the available dates and told him that there was a fee for the appearance. He got back saying he'd have to ask his superior about the fee, which confused me a little bit and I nearly emailed back to say they didn't have to take it if it complicated things. Then I realised that he had assumed that I was asking them for a fee to put their act on my podcast.
It's an easy mistake to make because not many podcasts offer money and apparently some of them do charge their guests to appear. It's a PR opportunity of course but it still seems a bit much for a podcast to charge people to appear. It's kind of crazy that podcasts don't pay their guests. Not if they're not making money themselves, but there are podcasts out there making tens of thousands of pounds a month, so it's a bit tight not to chuck a couple of hundred quid the way of the guest. And it's super tight to expect a payment as well (though I can only hope that the ones asking for money aren't making much elsewhere - though if they aren't getting the downloads then they can't really claim there is a monetary value to appearing, so I must be wrong).
I have offered payment to the guests since the start even though hardly any of the guests expect payment (and some don't take it). Some of the guests are not being paid what they are "worth", but they cover the guests who are being paid more than they are "worth". The latter group usually need the money, the former group never do. But they get the same nonetheless. And are all surprised. Probably because other podcasts are charging them to appear.
The podcast business has changed a lot since I started and it's mainly not for the better. Except when it comes to paying my mortgage. I recorded a fun sponsored podcast the other week which was full of funny stuff. The lawyers of the client made us take most of the funny stuff out, even though it was absolutely never going to lead to anyone being sued, made the podcast much funnier and would thus promote the product better. If you worked for a company like that then you might as well be back in the old days of gate-kept radio, except that most of these podcasts are now only offered to big names. In the old days, for all its flaws, radio was a place to get a break, to start your career (and end it according to a young Patrick Marber, who is now back on the radio I note).
Anyway I laughed at this PR person who might secure me a guest (but might not) scrabbling to check if he could pay me for featuring his client. And wondered if he should be laughing at me for giving away something I could charge for.
No news on that guest yet.
The Edinburgh Fringe RHLSTPs are here - We are releasing at least 3 BRAND NEW podcasts a week for the month of August in celebration of the Arts Festival that I am delighted not to be attending.
First up, here's John Robins. This is a really good one. Do listen.
