My thoughts on LitReactor closing
And how I'm preserving my LR podcast episodes
A little over a month ago, the folks at LitReactor made the tough call to shut down the site for good (Read the announcement here). I was sad to hear it, but am so proud of everyone involved for what they’ve accomplished over the years.
A little history lesson: LitReactor officially launched in October of 2011. I remember this, because it was a mere six months after I launched my first podcast, Booked.. Also, in the summer of 2011, WARMED AND BOUND: A VELVET ANTHOLOGY was released. We created 18(?) interview episodes on Booked. with authors from WARMED AND BOUND, and forged so many friendships, most - if not all - of those authors would become heavily involved with LitReactor.
In short, LitReactor was a big part of my life in the book world from its inception, and they have always held a place in my heart.
LitReactor was successful in creating a community of writers and readers, and provided a fucking treasure trove of resources for everyone. And it was cool! It was a launchpad, or safe space, or just a place for people to feel like they belonged. Seeing the outpouring of authors sharing the impact of the site on them and their writing careers is a testament. They genuinely made a difference.
And a legacy. So many people touched by LitReactor, I see out there making things better for each other, and for new authors. They are shining a light of hope in a community that can sometimes feel pretty dim.
In that way, I’m happy. LitReactor may be shutting down, but the spirit lives on in the people.
What does this have to do with podcasts?
Because the site is going dark, content will cease to be available. Including the small number of episodes of the Unprintable podcast that I did a couple years ago. I hate to see content vanish, so I checked in with Josh Chaplinsky and asked if it would be okay to repost those episodes on the ARC Party. He was cool with it!
This means that sometime soon, I will be posting the six episodes of Unprintable as a miniseries of special episodes of The ARC Party. These episodes include:
a ten year anniversary episode looking back at the history of LitReactor
An episode about grammar (featuring John Gingerich, Taylor Huston, and Josh Chaplinsky)
An episode about reviewing books (featuring Sadie Hartmann and Becky Spratford)
An episode about conducting interviews (featuring Michael David Wilson and Brian Keene)
An interview episode with SA Cosby - taking about RAZORBLADE TEARS and PARADOX HOTEL (featuring Rob Hart)
An interview episode with Alma Katsu - talking about RED WIDOW (featuring Rob Hart)
I am all about preserving content. I love the conversations I’ve had over the last 12 years, and I think they have value. Hopefully, someone out there agrees. All 540 episodes of Booked. are still available, and will be as long as I can support it, and the same will go for The ARC Party.