Editor Recordings
Please include the following, in order. Thank you!
For use in the podcast version, something along the lines of below (and please adjust to incorporate your own voice/style!):
Welcome to Vita Poetica Journal’s podcast. I’m [name], [section/title] Editor.
Today, I’m reading a [poem, etc.] by [writer], published in our [Summer 2021] issue.
2. Possible introductory remarks, in whatever order flows best for you:
Any footnotes or context that a listener may not have at their disposal without the work in front of them.
Optional but would be nice: Anything you might like to say about the piece. This could be why you selected it, what stood out for you, what it reminded you of, etc.
The author’s bio.
3. Pause. Need a couple seconds as buffer time for editing purposes.
4. State: “[Title], by [author], read by [your name].” Then proceed with the piece. This part will be used for both the podcast and the straight audio versions.
If helpful, here are the same recording tips we provided to our contributors:
To help with sound quality:
Turn everything off in the room (fans, etc.).
If a carpeted room is an option, this helps reduce echo.
Read from an electronic device so that there are no page-turning sounds.
Use a headset with microphone if available. Otherwise, set the recording device on a steady surface at an optimal distance from you.
Do a test replay to determine the best position for the microphone from your voice. Keep a steady distance from the mic so that your volume does not fluctuate in the recording.
For shorter pieces (e.g., poetry): please re-record if there is an interruption or mistake.
For longer pieces:
It's fine to break up the reading into separate recording files. End each part at a natural stopping point like a section break. Please record all parts in the same room and same position to keep the acoustics consistent.
If an interruption or mistake should occur, feel free to pause, keeping the recording running. When the interruption is over, repeat the last line and continue on. Send us a note if this happens, and we will edit out the interruption. (For long interruptions, stop the recording and restart with the previous line.) We have the ability to edit out segments but not to edit out background noise.