YAY! Spotify Has FIXED Our Podcast!!

After nine months of having the LoF Podcast on EVERY platform BUT Spotify, it's now been fixed =)

This was the original idea for the LoF logo when I started podcasting through PODCASTICS hosting (IMO, the best hosting company out there for the ROI).

Yesterday was a very challenging, yet delightful day. A problem that plagued me for close to nine months was resolved by a brilliant service rep, named ‘MJ’.

You know I love podcasting — even though I might not be great at it, yet — it’s a way to share the overflow of my mind. To share thoughts, insights, and from time to time, even share my experiences as an indie writer/publisher with you.

For over two years I was publishing episodes from a hosting company called PODCASTICS. They are the very best when it comes to pricing, features, support and overall value in the podcasting sphere…with the exception of Substack. I loved every minute as a customer, and when I eventually left to migrate here to build…I was sad.

I had such a great experience with Podcastics, that I contacted their customer support to tell them I’d miss them. They really are THAT good.

Then the podcast logo changed to the smiley face from Wendell's shirt -- and the show expanded to cover various subjects.

Spotify Was Riding The ‘Short Bus’ That Day

When I migrated the show, deciding to relaunch under the banner of my writing, everything went smooth. iTunes, Google, you name the podcast platform and the transition went perfect…except for Spotify.

Now, I’ve been a customer of Spotify for years. I don’t want to be without the music curated for my life, changing my mood through earbuds and a simple click. So if the best music platform in the world, IMO, could find me anything and everything I want (yes, that includes BOTH the Willy Wonka movie soundtracks, thank you very much)….why couldn’t they update my Life of Fiction podcast?!?

The current LoF logo for the podcast.

For months I read articles on how to update RSS feeds, followed Spotify directions, recreated and changed emails, closed and remade accounts…but nothing worked.

Sometimes You Just Have To Stop And Ask For Directions

I’m not a fan of talking to customer service. I love people, I do — but if I can’t talk to an American in clear, concise English — you lose my respect and support. You don’t give a spit about the person who gives you money. That’s wrong. So I had ZERO interest in contacting Spotify customer service.

…but I couldn’t figure out how to fix this problem!

Worse yet, I was getting analytics that more and more people were LOOKING for the podcast on Spotify, BUT THEY COULDN’T GET TO IT!

This was what Spotify people saw — the original stream…

When someone found the show on Spotify, they’d get the above results. But if they clicked on ANY of the shows, a message from Spotify would tell them it was “no longer available.”

So I broke down and contacted Spotify customer service.

They were fast. They were professional. I got a rep named ‘MJ’…who was kind, patient, and asked questions until he/she understood what I wanted to do (the support was over text).

“So you want to delete the older show to allow for the new show and RSS feed to take its place?” MJ asked.

“YES!” I said.

“I can do that,” MJ said. “Give me a second.”

Second?

MJ lied.

It was about 30 seconds…and my problem was fixed.

The refreshed LoF page on Spotify after MJ did their magic…

That was it. Fixed. Boo-boo gone.

Yours truly was aghast and then smiling from ear to ear. Nine months of anguish, swept away in under a minute?

*sniff* ….MJ is my hero.

You Now Have Full Access To Life of Fiction Through SPOTIFY

BeCAUSE this has happened, you have a decision to make:

Would you like some exclusive material and see what Gnomes made back in the day...before the 'Great Clockworks Strike of District 10?' Then VOTE!!!

Should I clean up the previous shows, including the WHRN Archives (all the way back to 2005), and include them for YOU as BONUS content?

Make sure to VOTE!

Not sure what way to vote? Then here’s a sample DJ Drop from WHRN to help you choose…

Remember, this is for you. You matter to me. I’m just one guy, trying to get these things out of my brain so I don’t go insane. The more creative I can be and the more I can share with you, the happier I am.

Kinda fun how that works, huh.

Oh…One More Thing

I’d like to remind you that the only way people will find Life of Fiction, is if members of this community tell them about it. No Google. No advertising. No clickbait. Just honest storytelling and a creator’s love for his community.

There’s a reason we have a referral vehicle. That way you can automatically receive paid subscription time for sharing what you already enjoy. I call it the ‘non-scummy’ way of word-of-mouth. When you tell ANYone, and they become a subscriber (doesn’t matter if it’s free or paid), you get credit.

Have GREAT day!!!