I encourage everyone to listen to last week’s Ben Sander interview, I finally tell the truth about my dramatic pauses, we get nostalgic about Hiro, I reveal the “HBO-ing” of Bitterest Pill.
Guys need to bring back the sexy again for the very first time, again.
TODAY’S FABLE: I broke the first rule of male friendship, and drowned in a river, lined with eggs.
Yeah, things have changed. The “Bitterest Pill Original” (the free shows you’re currently getting) will now be once a month. For information on the new BITTEREST PILL PREMIUM PRESCRIPTION, check out the new sign-up page. Four shows a month, guaranteed, four bucks.
I’m in Dan. Any chance I am the first paid subscriber? Just curious… -Corby-
Good luck with the premium show, hope it works for you! I shall subscribe when I am a little more “employed”, which hopefully will not be too long away.
Wow, Dan…I should have listened to the whole episode and then commented. I got all excited about letting you know about subscribing so I kind of jumped the gun…so here’s pt 2.
OK, again, wow….that was an excellent episode. The Bosco story….I now see why you Twittered it as a “difficult” episode. Very strong of you to share these details. It’s content like this that inspires folks and is why podcasting is so much different from anything else on the regular radio.
Keep up the great work man. Thumbs up.
-Corby-
Hi Dan,
I’ve been a listener to the Pill for…oh…probably almost since it started. One of the things about the show that I like the best is that you open up and talk about your life in such an amazing way. You and Lance Anderson both seem like two of the most honest guys in podcasting, and even though I have never talked to you, or met you, I feel like I know you like a good friend.
That’s why it came as such a kick in the stomach that you actually decided to take the Pill to a pay model. And….it’s not that I begrudge you trying to make a living with it, because you do have to eat at the end of the day and your time is worth SOMETHING.
But I have to say that I think that the pricing structure for the Pill – well I think you set it too high and made it too complicated. The comparison with each show to a song on iTunes – well that’s apples to oranges – you buy a song and you listen to it multiple times over the life of your ownership of that song. Most of the time – you’re never going to listen to another episode of each podcast ever again. So I think that was kind of a funny rationalization you used, but not a really valid comparison.
Moreover – as a guy who used to work in radio, and who listens to a myriad of indepdently produced podcasts almost exclusively (except for some NPR podcasts) – I just think that a buck a show for a show like yours it just seems to be too much. Because you’re saying it’s $4 a month and the reality of that is – it’s $48 a year. Audio entertainment – and I’m lumping it in with all audio entertainment – is a very fickle business to enter into. If we’re going to make comparisons – I can subscribe to Audible.com for $7.49 a month and get an audio book which would provide probably at least 4 hours of entertainment a month, but probably more.
I try to keep up with what’s going on in the podcast industry – but I don’t know how successful subscription based podcasts have been. Maybe they’ve been successful enough that you feel that you can make a serious buck here. I also understand your lack of wanting to “commoditize” your listeners and accept advertising. I hear you when you say you don’t want to be beholden to advertisers – but really – the kinds of advertisers you would get – would you really be beholden to them anyway?
The fact of the matter is that people are used to getting audio entertainment for free, and I think most would rather sit through a creative read for an advertiser (Bigfoot versus CHUPACABRA!!!! is still stuck in my head – B Movie books!), then pay for a show at the rate you have set…. If pay per show podcasts really, really worked – then I think most of the buig name podcasters probably would have already gone to that model
I think $48 a year is too high. I also think that a monthly subscription model is bad. I don’t know what your numbers are – maybe you have the kind of numbers most podcasters can only dream about – and even if you get 1% of your audience to you’ll still make a nice buck, or even an OK buck – and if that’s the case, more power to you….
But I also feel that you probably have a certain core group of active listeners who may subscribe – but that MOST of your listeners are not active and will probably feel left out of the club, and fall away as listeners. Given that – my opinion is it’s the wrong way to go. Yearly subscriptions are more palatable to most people. I’d rather pay $15 or $20 per YEAR to be a part of “the club”. And that’s kind of what it is – I expect you probably read that article in Blogger and Podcaster about “country clubbing” your podcast. But the difference is – you’re not giving EXTRA stuff – you’re actually excluding those who don’t pay from MOST of your content rather than giving bonus EXTRAS for paying members. Also – how about a discount for those who want to pay for a whole year at once? After all – non paying members miss out on the majority of your content – and frankly- that’s not going to endear you to new listeners, and only get your hardcore listeners to pay. It’s easier to get folks to sign up for a one time fee in a fit of impulse buying, then to have them watch that small nickel and dime them to death charge every month.
Finally – one last question about how it all works. If I choose not to pay for a particular month =- but then pay for the next month – can I “catch up” on the episodes I missed? Or do I also have to pay for those as well? It would seem that a subscriber is only paying for a particular month of episodes – but the beauty of podcasting is that the archives of shows are always available – and that you can get behind on a show and then catch up when you have time. But in your case if you don’t initially pay for the monthly podcasts, but then decide a month or two later you want to catch up on what you missed – what recourse is there? Or are those episodes just gone and a listener can never catch up?
I think these are all valid questions and feelings about this, that many other people might also be feeling. I hope you can address these.
–*Rob Usdin
Corby – Sorry, man. You’re weren’t first. Dave Jackson (www.schoolofpodcasting.com) signed up even before the announcement went out. That’s how dialed in Jackson is, baby…
Rob – Thanks for the e-mail/post. I appreciate any and all feedback from listeners, especially as I am working very hard to make sure nobody feels (as you put it) “left out of the club.” I understand your view completely, and agree that my “song vs. podcast” analogy is a bit off.
Perhaps the HBO analogy is better. See, even though we worry about money, my wife and I choose to continue to pay for HBO. Why? We like it. A lot. A lot more than traditional, ad based network tv. Actually, except for my watching Heroes (and that may not last. Get it together, Kling!), we don’t watch any network tv at all. We watch Curb Your Enthusiasm, Entourage, Extras, Flight of the Conchords, In Treatment… Now, we could choose to wait and rent most of these shows on DVD, but we choose not to. We want what we like and want it now and are willing to pay an extra $20 or so a month to get it.
There are a couple of podcasts that I would definitely pay $1 for. Without breaking my stride. I enjoy them that much, enjoy spending time with that person, hearing their angle on things. They are seasoned and thought provoking entertainers who I would be glad to help support and would want to keep up with. If I fell behind on their shows, I would just take a break, and rejoin them later.
I like the idea of offering a one-payment year-long subscription, but I didn’t assume that people’s listening habits are that consistent, and I would want people to have the option of opting in and out at will through out the year. You see it as an over priced $48 a year, I see it as $4 a month.
To answer the question that seems to be weighing heaviest on your mind (I love how you’re already trying to work my system), I believe that there will always be four or five shows in the Premium feed, and that many or a few more in the “traditional” feed. Just as it has always been, shows will eventually disappear from the feeds. The main difference will be that those show will not actually disappear, they will be made available as “dollar downloads.” Also, all of the Premium Pill shows will be available a la carte as dollar downloads too, in case someone is particularly interested in a particular show, based on the blog posts or the “mini show” in the free feed.
“Mini Show?” Yes, the free feed will include (as I can pump them out) free “mini shows” cut from the Premium shows. I won’t know how long these will be (it will probably vary, based on the material) or how often (based on my life/workload).
And, fear not. There WILL be “extras.” For all. This is Premium 1.0, things will evolve. I can’t really see beyond the first year, honestly, but nothing is in stasis. There will be “specials,” “coupons,” promotions, etc. I will eventually develop a student discount or scholarship program (as corny as THAT sounds).
And, there will be a very generous AFFILIATE PROGRAM. Soon.
But, comparing what I am up to to other podcasts or radio or music is all apples to oranges anyway. To steal a line from Lenny Bruce: “I am not a podcaster. I am Dan Klass.” I don’t live in the “industry,” I live in a small house way too close to a major airport. I didn’t just start trying to entertain people three years ago as a hobby to take my mind off my work as an accountant or an engineer or a sales person. This is what I do. I have been actively creating “entertainment” (we’re using the term loosely here) for over 25 years. And, frankly, as a (slowly) evolving adult human, it is time for me to stop waiting to be “discovered” and discover myself.
Actually, I am less focused today on the money and more focused on something completely unexpected: I feel like I’m meeting some of the listeners for the first time. Many people say to me that they feel like they know me from listening to the show for so long, but I only get a chance to interact with a very small percentage of the listeners. Well, now there is a steady stream of names flowing into my In Box, names of old friends I didn’t even know I had. They are the patrons of my art, and for that, yes, they will hold a different place in my heart.
I hope that gives you (all) a bit more information, and a deeper understanding of what I’m thinking.
I have to go now. I’m drafting a letter to David Sedaris, trying to shame him into releasing his next book as a Creative Commons pdf. Wish me luck.
(You would have been disappointed if I hadn’t included that last line. Admit it.)
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
– dK
Dan –
Thanks for the response. I know it must have taken some time to write it all – and I DO appreciate that you did. I think I probably echoed some of the questions others had – and I’m glad to gain further insight that I think you didn’t give on the podcast itself.
I had a big ole response written, and I just threw it out, because ultimately, you’ve made your choice. I thought about it, and I remembered one thing. Whenever I see you have a new episode – it ALWAYS pops to the top of my queue to listen to it. I think that says something to me – that I always make time for you, and that means your podcast is of more value to me than others, which makes it worth the premium.
So I’m in.
Now if you make a yearly subscription available – I’m REALLY in….
–*Rob
Dan,
This is like ‘Over The Counter’ vs. ‘Prescription Only’ Pill.
I guess if one is hooked… one is going to have to go the ‘Prescription Only’ route.
Good for you for applying value to what you do.
It is art.
And it is your art.
Kudos to you for discovering yourself!
Double kudos for making your own rules!
We forget there are no rules, whether producers of content or consumers of content.
As far as we are concerned, we have to get on the ‘Prescription Only’ bandwagon.
We love what you do, and we want to support you in what you do.
Cheers!
– Paul
p.s. Levelate! Have you been listening to me? I swear you mumbled a lot in this show.
Dan,
Just subscribed and I have to tell you that I completely relate to the HBO perspective, I really enjoy your show and the entertainment and stories I relate to have value to me so it is worth my time and money.
I have to pay for cable to get the few shows I watch (Journeyman, Heros?…) and it feels like it’s a small percentage of what I pay, with shows like yours it’s the total opposite, I know all the money goes to support the person creating the show so that makes it all worth it.
Can’t wait to see what is in the works. Great show by the way!
Thanks!
Dan,
Paul & I are with you 100%. If you don’t value what you do, nobody else will either. I’d prefer to pay $4 a month to keep you advertisement free (what’s that in Starbuck’s terms? One big cup of coffee? I don’t know. Don’t touch the stuff and we don’t even have a Starbucks here. But I digress…)
Regarding the quiet bits. We were listening in the car, and EVERY TIME you got quiet, the d*** kids in the back seat got loud. Can you relate? Of course, being married to Mr. Mumbleton, I’m used to it. 🙂
Looking forward to your “premium” shows!
Judy
Dan,
It looks like this idea might work…
I hope that it does!
Rock on,
NCN
PS… If you listen to the end of your ‘cast, you
can hear the lawnmower in the background…
and SOMEHOW, this actually makes the thing
sound ‘better’… like ambient noise…
cool
Well it’s just over 2 pounds for me and that is a bargain for the quality stuff Dan puts out – I signed up within 5 seconds of seeing the banner – have not even managed to listen yet to the latest show.
Best of luck to you Dan.
Wayne
Dan:
Just joined–largely because you were the first podcast I listened to and I like you and the show. The HBO thing doesn’t work for me–we don’t have cable.
Good luck with this. I do think you are within six months of actually having an office job and putting on the slacks each day. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, actually–contact with people, a place to go, perhaps more self-esteem.
But then, getting life advice from me is like taking a business class from Willy Loman.
Hi Dan
I’m Stan. The voice of TotalPodcastrophe. I can afford it, and I’ll pay it. I hope the quality of the content stays the same .. as good as the past “free” content. But I’m betting that it will and I’ll let you prove me wrong. Good luck! I’m a stay@home dad as well with a handicapped (cerebral palsy) 18 year old and two older girls in college, … and a corporate main breadwinner spouse so I know exactly how you feel and concur with a lot of what you talk about in your podcasts. I never miss one. Kudos to Paul and Judy for turning me on to TBP!
Anyhoo, I also wanted to comment on show #119, when you said something about what to call Barack Obama … an AA or a Black man. I’m Black, have been all my life and I come from a predominantly Black family. I’m old enough (maybe 5-10 older than you) to remember the Black Power days when Black Americans began finding their identity in this country and learning to be comfortable with it and be proud of it. I said all of that to say, trust me, Barack Obama is fine with you calling him a Black man, and so am I. As long as one acknowledges me as a man, I know who I am, from whence I came as well as my brethren. What I want is for you to be comfortable with calling me and Barack “men,” and knowing in your heart and respecting us with that same love that you have for anyone else. That’s all I ask for from anyone. Paul is my brother, and he be white, (and of British heritage) but he is a man and truth be told I have an older brother that I’m not as close to as Paul. So call me AA, call me Black, just don’t call me late for din din!!!!!
God Bless
stan
Like Judy said it’s the price of a cup of coffee – and much better for you. I’m all subscribed and looking forward to getting my regular weekly Pill fix. Life is sweeeeeeeeeeet indeed.
If you do ever look at other payment options I’ll vote for an annual subscription – purely for selfish reasons as I have to pay a teeny fee every time I do a transaction in foreign currency. 1 transaction = 1 fee, 12 transactions = 12 fees. It’s not a lot of money each time but I just hate giving money to banks.
Dan,
We want to subscribe, but can you tell us how it works on the user’s end?
I went to the premiumcast site and it tells you all sorts of things about setting up to become a content provider (profit! ecommerce! earholes! marketing! squamous!)… and jack shite about how it works for listeners out their shucking their dollars into their paradigm shifthole. I really want to know going in what this service provides the end user.
Thanks and best of luck with this!
Maggie & Sarah
There’s no need to go to PremiumCast. Just go to the show site, specifically Put in your name and e-mail in the fields at the bottom of the page. From there you’re taken to PayPal, and then to a page with your personal subscription links. Click the one that makes the most sense for you and voila, you’re done.
Let me know if this helps.
And, of course, THANKS FOR LISTENING!
– dK
ps: As per Maggie’s request and the requests of others, we are working on an annual payment system. I’ll keep you posted. I had NO idea that non-US residents were being charged a transaction fee.
We’ll take care of it!
– dK
Hey Dan,
Ya got another subscriber. i just got finished ordering my Premium Bitterest Pill feed. i completely understand your HBO reference and it makes complete sense (and by the way i love HBO).
first want to thank Corby from The Twisted Pickle for mentioning you on his show. he is the reason i checked your show out. you have, by far, one of the best podcasts out there. i always look forward to hearing each and every episode you post. i couldn’t think of missing one episode (or a few) because i failed to sign up.
for those of you who are on the fence about subscribing … you know you want to so just do it. its worth it and then some.
keep up the great work Dan.
Hey,
I’ve been listening for quite a while now but have never felt the need to comment.
This was an amazing show. Well worth my $4.
Can’t wait for next week.
A
Hi Dan,
Like Maggie, I am also in Australia. In the meantime we can get around transaction fees by “adding funds” in a lump sum from our bank account to our PayPal account. From there the monthly $4 just goes from there to your PayPal account. I can see no amount in the currency conversion column in my PP account using that method.
I also love Paul’s idea of Over the Counter and Prescription as titles.
If you go annual subscription, I think you should retain the monthly rate. Because as you said in the podcast, if you aren’t enjoying it, just remove the subscription and you stop getting the shows. Very simple and also good for newbies who aren’t used to the show.
JMTC. Best,
Michaela in Melbourne
Out of town for a few weeks and didn’t get to listen to this one for a long while. I really enjoied this one Dan.
Dan,
My friend, you are clearly underestimating the importance of lifting heavy stuff, opening jars, and reaching items on that very high shelf.
These tasks are why the male sex still exists, and why homo sapiens are not hermaphroditic (Ann Coulter aside).
Millions of generations ago, the male animal looked and he saw: we cannot give birth. We cannot propagate the species. All we can do is green light the process.
Therefore, we must find our niche. We must make ourselves useful, or perhaps more precisely, not useless. Time to start hunting and killing those water buffalo, gathering wood, and making fire. Time to grow strong and bulky. Make spears, forge iron.
True, there were a few unforeseen side effects in this plan, like the invention of warfare and a million year waiting period for Velcro. But, in the long run, it was a good idea.
Excellent show, Dan.
Dan: As a fellow podcaster, I enjoy and respect your shows more than any other. Of course I signed up. As you and some of your listeners might know, I re-broadcast a few of your shows on AM Radio in Philadelphia, WNJC 1360 AM on tuesday nights at 7:30 eastern and streaming on WNJC1360.com. I do a 30 minute show about my own life, the trials and tribulations of being a 12 year old in 1960, and they are podcast on HARRYWOLFSHOW.com.
We have talked about you making an original show for my station (demographics 2,000,000) when you have a chance. Now I am sure you will be way too busy, but perhaps the radio broadcast can be one of your premium shows.
Harry
I did the calculation. When I signed up I was #27, so I assume you now have about 30 subscribers. $4 a month times 12 months equals $480. Multiply those numbers and get 14,400 dollars a year. Add the donations, and that’s a decent salary. Congrats, you made it.
Angela –
Thanks for the congrats, but my calculator says that 30x4x12= 1,440. Which is still more than I made last year…
Great episode, and my first exposure to your podcast.
About the Bosco story… Sometimes, “the rule” has to be broken and sometimes it’s the right choice.
For me, I met the girl first and then met her boyfriend the next day. She and I hit it off instantly, the boyfriend and I were indifferent to each other. Then the boyfriend got in close with my good friends, and the next thing I knew he was always around, always with my clan and had become a de-facto friend of mine as a result. 5 years went by, and I obviously saw the girl (still his girl) all the time at our “family” gatherings when the clan of friends got together. I was nuts about her, but never told a soul and was careful about even admitting to myself. I never showed even the slightest hint of my feelings for her. The boyfriend treated the girl like hell, I hated it. He lied, cheated, was verbally abusive and I witnessed it all and said nothing. He was supposed to be a friend, right? There were these rules, I wasn’t supposed to say a thing ’cause that’s what the guys do. Then the girl broke up with the boyfriend, and the next day she told me she was crazy about me, had been since we met all those years before. We talked for a long time about it, and made a decision – to move forward, together. That whole clan of friends, the ones that were supposed to be “true blue” and all that b.s., disowned us both as a result but without talking to either one of us about it. Not a word, never heard the facts, just the boyfriend’s embellishments to make him look the victim and us the treacherous evil bastards. Instantly excommunicated without appeal. Then the boyfriend did horrible things to the rest of them and they saw him for who he really was. By then, the girl and I were long gone.
I broke “the rule”, but ya know… it’s now 4 years later and I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and the girl and I are still very much together. I could have followed the stupid rule, kept those fair weather friends – including the girl’s cheating, backstabbing (former) boyfriend – but why? For what? What’s more important? Happiness with a woman you love and will love until the stars burn out, or the guy rules and the supposed friends who were never really there anyway?
My point with the ramble is this: sometimes “the rule” needs to be broken. I’m not saying the Bosco story is similar at all, aside from the existence of a guy rule and it being broken… just that sometimes bucking the social circle’s b.s. is the right thing to do. Sometimes rules are just fucking stupid.
Yeah, someone else dies, and it’s all about you, baby, it’s all about you.
Captain –
I would rather that Dave had come on and told his own story, but he wasn’t available.
ALL of my stories are all about me. And, they’re all about all of us…
Thanks for listening.
– dK
Protect Your Lifestyle Protect Lifestyle Your
Sorry, what is podcast, can you explain?
Sorry for my English, I’m just learning