[First round of this month's TVP fan mail can be found here.]
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A: You mean this article mentioned in this rubdown post? I have no desire to shop from - or consort with - anyone, any place, or anything that discriminates against the LGBTIQA community. So no, I don't shop at BBB. (You shouldn't either, but hey it's your judgment call to make.)
Q: whats your favorite beer? you don't normally drink beer or recommend it during your drink break - kamillian89
A: I'm partial to Trillium, Jack's Abby, and Magic Hat.
Q: Will you do another episode on birth control and sexual health? That was such a great episode and maybe you could get kit to guest appear on it too and I think itd be cool to hear what ashley has to say on such topics since she wasnt with vodka press back then - Pamela P.
A: We certainly can - and will! - but probably not until season three. This year, and season 2 of The Vodka Press, are quickly drawing to a close, and I don't think we'll have time to fit that episode in. Whenever we do get to that episode, I will try my best to get Kit on - but I can't make any promises, she is a very busy girl. And I agree, it'll be very cool to have that discussion with Ashley.
Q: Can you give us a teaser for this year's End of Year Extravaganza? Please! ;-x - Abram
A: I'll give a teeny, tiny tease, comparable to a fast flash of ankle... This year's End of Year episode will be BIGGER than last year's. I don't want to spoil it for you fans, but I can tell you that this year's episode won't feature a blooper reel.
Q: I really love The Vodka Press and I wish you released longer or more episodes. I just can't get enough of you ladies. - anonymous
A: We want you folks to enjoy our show and walk away after each episode feeling like you learned something, and had fun while doing so. Some of our episodes are longer than others because that's what those discussions call for, just as some are shorter for that very reason. We always leave the door open, so to speak, to do a redux / revisit on any of our past episodes because we know we could go on, and on, and on, if we let ourselves on these topics.
Now, as to releasing more episodes/content, Karly, Ashley, and I would love to do that. *SPOILER* We were thinking that'd be a fun perk/reward for anyone who donates to TVP's (future) Patreon - what do you think, TVP fans?
Q: What was the hadrest episode to record Zoe? - Tyler
A: Hardest in terms of technical issues: the episode with the lovely ladies of The Vagina Chronicles. Hardest in terms of the topic(s): tomorrow's episode on *SPOILER* the Ferguson Grand Jury decision and the 12 yr. old shot in Cleveland.
Q: why don't you always do a wicked find and top five for every episode? - Hannah S.
A: It all depends on the episode's length after preliminary editing. For example: if an episode is 60+ minutes long, I will accommodate for and prepare more than 2 breaks. I also like to go with what's relevant - so if we're doing a 'dating episode', I may count down dating tips or recommend a dating website, etc.
Q: Who handles the vodka press twitter on what days? Cuz it's not just you anymore right, Zo? - anonymousA: Correct. I manage TVP's Twitter on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Karly does Fridays and Sundays; Ashley handles it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Q: Is Tech & Geek Tuesday coming back ever??? And what happened to the other themed posting days? - Greg C.
A: Yes. *SPOILER* I have one for this Tuesday coming. As for the other themed posting days... we had to switch back to "Ashley posts on X day, Karly posts on Y, etc." because that works better for my cohorts. Having the freedom to write about what you want on your own posting day is kinda liberating - sometimes vexing, but we make it work. :)
Q: zoe why does your voice sometimes sound different in episodes? - anonymous
A: When I edit our recordings, I have to first change my voice's pitch because it is deep and therefore sometimes inaudible, *and* then I have to filter out a ton of background noise because (sadly) we don't have a soundproof recording studio for TVP. That's why occasionally I might sound like I have a stuffy nose and/or lisp, and other times I might sound like Peter Brady at puberty.
Q: so are you girls not doing a kickstarter? i remember you teased a little about maybe doing one a while ago. - amber
A: We did talk a little about the possibility of launching a Kickstarter campaign, but after doing more research we decided that Patreon may be a better fit for TVP's wants/needs when it comes to funding. We're still working out the details, so it may be a while before our Patreon goes live. But when it does, we will blast it all over social media, the blog(s), our show, etc.
Speaking of Patreon, folks who support TVP will get rewards for doing so (similar to Kickstarter). We've got ideas for our future Patreon campaign, but we'd love to hear what you all would want out of it. What changes, upgrades, etc. would you like to see/hear made at TVP? What perk(s) would you like to receive each month/time you support TVP via Patreon? Let me know in the comments down below or tweet them to me @zoegrimmtvp.
More / bonus episodes would be awesome, I'd def give for those because that's basically like a paid subscription. (I think?)
ReplyDeleteSometimes the blog is slow to load but I think it's because of traffic to the site. So maybe you could move it to a new service with the Patreon funding? I dunno it's just a suggestion.
You're right, it would be comparable to a paid subscription to the podcast. :)
DeleteI KNOW the blog - and our streaming audio - can be slow to load sometimes. It's due to a combination of shoddy hosting services plus so many folks trying to download our content. (Boo for the former, but yay for the latter!) With Patreon, I will move our blog, show site, and audio to bigger, better hosts.
i dont know much about pateon so i will have to google it. but i agree that bonus episoes would be worth the investment. and if you didd a monthly vidoecast or somting thatd be great too.
ReplyDeletedoes ashley not have a mic? i think she should get one or get a better one. i can't tell if its how she sits at her computer or if shes just normally a mumbler but sometimes her voice is off. thatd be something id recommend you do with the funds after.
Definitely do your research on Patreon - we want our supporters to feel comfortable with and confident in the service. :) Here's a direct link to Patreon's FAQ, too: http://www.patreon.com/faq
DeleteWe are considering doing a monthly (video) show. We know fans really want a video sort of accompaniment to The Vodka Press - and we really love the idea of having a webshow! - but realistically that may not be possible just yet. So we'll keep you folks posted, and if you have any specific suggestions or ideas about a TVP webshow please do let us know.
Please combine your show and blog sites, with whatever $ you get from patrons. It'd be easier for us to find your content at one url.
ReplyDeleteI agree, so I'm gonna do my best to make it happen.
DeleteThanks for the suggestions! Those are things that we definitely have on our lists for TVP improvement. Plus, when we launch our Patreon campaign we have a lot great perks and rewards (at least I think so!!)
ReplyDeleteI still like the idea of themed posting days, the others should get on board with that.
ReplyDeleteThese are some "rewards" I'd like to see if I was going to donate to a TVP patroen:
1. Bonus episode, preferably each week but monthly would be adequate
2. Getting to pick the topic(s) for an episode, aalthough you do take fan suggestions but this would give us more control over he content
3. Bonus guest interviews, preferably zoe doing them because she's the best at it but it's okay if ashley or karly do them too so long as it's consistent and done for every episode
4. Webisodes, I'm thinking either relating to each episode or maybe the rubdown again so long as it's done consistently and every week
I think with patroen funds, you should consider hiring on more writers for the blog because ashley doesn't write often enough, zoe already seems to do everything so she can't carry the blog alone, and karly's posts are weak in comparison to those of her colleagues. Most people won't write for free so maybe offer a small compensation to contributors, see if you can get new voices on the blog. If you could add someone to the podcast, that'd be great too!
Super fan Karen?!
DeleteIt's hard to find reliable writers, whether paid or not. It's even harder to find ones I like. :) The reason why Ashley, Karly, and I work well together is because we respect each other, our writing styles and talents, etc. Adding a new person to the mix would/will take time, but it's certainly not out of the question - however, even with a $ incentive it wouldn't happen overnight.
Agree w/ others who mentioned moving/combining the show and blog sites, those should be high priority. Also get any new or additional recording equipment, like mics, editing software, whatever you need. In exchange for being patrons, we should definitely get access to bonus episodes, interviews, even special blog posts. A webseries, like an accompaniment to episodes or the weekly rubdown, would be very cool but that'd probably be too much for Zoe as we all know she'd be the one to do it/the one we'd all want to see do it. If that's not too much for you Zoe, please consider it. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment, but I actually wouldn't want to do a solo webshow if I had a choice. :)
DeleteI agree that getting additional recording equipment is important. Special blog posts is a great idea as a reward - I have some ideas on that but I'd love to hear yours (and those of other fans). So let me know!
I'm seconding, or is it thirding?, the idea of combining the show site and blog. I also think you should move the show's audio to a new host, because I know Zoe's commented on Twitter a few times about how it's funky and then sometimes I have issues streaming your new episodes. I'd pay for more reliable streaming and downloading, and I think others would, too.
ReplyDeleteI have a suggestion, too, that relates to the blog and show itself. Karly's "after hours" post is so dull, and I'm sure fans would rather hear from everyone than just her. So maybe you could do an audio "after hours", like as a bonus episode where you three share additional thoughts, finding, and so forth on the past week's episode. Just a suggestion, but one that I think would serve you better than what's going on now.
One reward I would really enjoy is (any) bonus audio; another would be a vodka press tshirt. Do you girls have those? If not, consider making some for yourselves and us loyal fans. ;-)
Love you girls, keep up the great posts and episodes!
I really like Karly's "After Hours" posts, she provides great food-for-thought following our episodes. Ashley, Karly, and I have talked about doing a monthly, bonus episode to rehash/revisit the past 3 or 4 episodes, but that would be independent of what Karly posts to the blog.
DeleteWe don't have TVP tshirts (yet); I designed some a while back but I keep changing the design so I've yet to get them printed - I'm a fickle artist, blargh! :P I do like the tshirt idea for us and fans, so I will force myself to settle on a design and roll with it...eventually. ;)
Doing bonus episodes for patrons would be awesome, that would probably get you a lot more patrons. If the bonus episodes were on never before talked about topics, that'd be awesome, too. Don't rehash or redux stuff there is what I mean. Lol.
ReplyDeleteMoving the audio to a better host should be priority. Combining the blog and show site would be awesome, too, but it's ok if you can't do that with your budget and time. Speaking of time, it might be good to add so,eone to your team so it's not just Zoe stuck doing the tech stuff. That'd free you all up to do more blog posts and audio. ;-X
*SPOILER* We're thinking of using some Patreon funds to hire someone to design us a custom site (for both the blog and show). Doing that would take a chunk of tech work off my shoulders.
DeleteI'd love to add a team member to do more behind-the-scenes stuff for TVP, but it's seriously hard to find good help these days. :P I'm always looking, though.
show lineup def has to change if we're gonna all fund it. karly needs to talk a lot less, ashley needs to learn to speak up, and you need to add a host because zoe can't be the only one carrying the show. id pay for those changes for sure, thosed be like rewards plus improvements rolled into one. and please do a webshow of some sort!
ReplyDeleteFor real? Karly kicks our asses in some episodes, she's a phenomenal person to engage in cultural conversations with. And Ashley doesn't have a mic yet; she (literally) bounces between taking care of her kids and participating in discussions while we record, so that does alter the audio quality from her end. Once we get her mic'd, you'll hear the difference.
DeleteThat being said, I'm open to adding someone to the show lineup if she/he/they/it can enhance our discussions.