Out on the Wire: The Storytelling Secrets of the New Masters of Radio

I was turned on to this book while working on creating a podcast for a university project, and it's got amazing content by amazing storytellers. I have to admit, I didn't know who Jessica Abel was - because I'm not into the graphic novel genre so I totally did not expect I was buying a really long comic book. Because this entire book IS a graphic novel... it's a pain for me personally because of the fact that I'm big on notations on my Kindle books. I highlight, import to Readwise and Obsidian and process over what I learn. I can't do that with this book at all. Kindle apparently does not allow notations on graphic novels, so on either my iPad or Mac there is no highlighting of things I want to keep and expand upon. There is no changing of fonts to help my neurodivergent brain stop wandering off when I need to keep focus. I'll say, it's not a deal breaker based on that, but very much a disappointment for me personally. Likely I would have gotten the physical paperback instead of the Kindle version if I had known that before ordering. Being able to double tap on a panel with the iPad to isolate it for easier reading in the app is a nice touch though, because there's also no zooming in to read tiny written text on my Mac.

I bought this book without knowing the author's work or even what the book contained. Sure I knew it was about the elements of making great radio stories, but I was stunned by the fabulous art quality. It appealed to me on so many levels. For one I am a cartoonist, so I know how much pencilling, crow quill dipping and planning has gone into every scene. I have to say that when I was completely satiated, the final page was pure magic. The second reason I love this book is because I tell stories and write about story structure, plus conduct storytelling workshops internationally. And this book explores the story in a detailed, yet crisp manner. What a joy! Finally I create my own podcast on marketing and business, called "The Three Month Vacation". I know how much of my time that podcast consumes becauae I want it to surpass any other business podcast. The inner workings of what happens on other podcasts was very illuminating, and cool. P.S. Did anything bug me? Sure. The small font size drove me a bit crazy. But then I found you can click on individual panels and it zooms up a bit. Heck, I'd read this book with a magnifying glass if I needed to. So thank you for a truly magnanimous use of your skill and dedication. I'm off to tweak my own podcast too.

I can’t comment on whether this book is good or bad. I want to believe it’s as good as other reviewers have said. But unfortunately, I bought the Kindle version. The type is too small to read it on a big iPhone, and I suspect it will also be almost as hard to read on my iPad. I wish I had bought the paperback edition.

This book has been super valuable to me even though I don’t work in radio. It covers things like soliciting and integrating feedback, evoking emotions in an audience, how to tell an effective story, and lots of other topics that apply to almost any creative endeavor. It was a quick read and the comic format made the information easy to digest. 6/5 would read again.

This book has a very creative approach to educating and ultimately inspiring every reader that picks it up. As a journalism student, this is essential reading! In an era where journalism is starting to seem irrelevant, it's easy to feel discouraged. This book changed my life, I recommend it to anyone interested in how to tell stories and share your experiences. It is in the format if a graphic novel and the layout is perfect. Feels less like a lecture and more like a workshop. Get It Now!

This is, without question, one of the best books on the writing process available. It is straight-shooting, no-nonsense, practical advice that you can follow and learn how to become a better writer. The chapters on the German Forest and Editing are worth their weight in gold. Every writer, no matter what genre or media they write for, should read this book. Just ignore the few parts about ridiculous last-minute deadlines and the one crazy-making producer who I wouldn't work with for any amount of money. There's no reason you should ever have to work in a situation that makes you cry with anxiety. That is just bulls***. I'm sorry that part was included and not called out for the crock of s*** that it is because the rest of the book is amazing.

First, it's important to know that this is written as a graphic novel. An interesting choice for a book about audio storytelling. But it works. The graphics and personal narrative make it feel like you are visiting with Ira Glass and others - it's a behind the scenes tour of how to make great radio. How to do audio storytelling. And the graphic format, helps punctuate the profound insights on how the stories are made. My only criticism is the text is small so bring reading glasses when to sit down to enjoy this book.

I couldn’t get into it. It is a graphic novel. I felt impatient trying to read this in a graphic novel format. Seemed long, too- over 1” thick. Perhaps is good information there but I just couldn’t get into it.

super bouquin en anglais mais c'est pes trop compliqué a lire

A versão para o Kindle está muito mal formatada, texto não se ajusta à tela, é impossível de ler.

I'm producing a podcast and I was looking for inspiration. This book is pure gold - the style of it, the behind the scenes insights, everything. I just love it.

It's the most fascinating, interesting, useful and compelling book about radio storytelling I've ever read. Make yourself a gift: get this book and you'll understand how to best narrate a story.

If you want to be a podcaster or not, this book has amazing inputs and guidance for the art of storytelling. If you have come across this book, just pick it up and read.