The Medieval Podcast: Guest FAQs

Usually, the recording is about 30-40 minutes, depending on when we get to a natural end point. We book for an hour of your time to make sure we have some wiggle room for troubleshooting any tech issues.

Not usually. This is because the conversation is meant to be organic. As a general rule, Danièle asks her guests to situate the topic in time and place, and then walks them through the content of their books in the same logical order the books follow. Detours are made to highlight interesting points, ask related questions, or clarify, but guests are not obligated to answer any questions they don’t wish to. Her goal is your comfort. If you’re very nervous and need questions in advance, please reach out.

Yes. The content is rarely edited, but we do edit for verbal tics (ums, uhs, and filler words) to smooth out the listening experience for the audience. If there is an interruption, or a guest misspeaks and wishes to retake an answer, that’s perfectly fine. Again, comfort is the goal.

Currently, interviews are recorded on Riverside.fm . This is a fully online studio - no downloads necessary. Just click on the link when it’s time to record, and please don’t close the window until the recording is fully uploaded.

Bandwidth permitting, we turn the cameras on, so you and Danièle can see each other and better read each other’s facial cues. The video isn’t released publicly, so come as you are.

Ideally, you should use a dedicated microphone and headphones; however, most people have microphones attached to their headphones, and these work pretty well. If you have neither, the recording should still work, provided you’re in a quiet space.

Before you enter the online studio, Riverside gives you the opportunity to double-check your microphone, headphones, and camera. Feel free to click the link a few minutes early if you’d like to test any or all of these things – no one will be able to see or hear you until you choose to enter the studio.

Have a look back over the work you’ll be discussing to make sure it’s fresh in your mind, but don’t worry about having precise dates and details memorized. Also, consider where listeners who’d like to learn more about your work should be referred (e.g. website, faculty page, social media, etc.). Finally, assume that the audience has only a basic knowledge of your topic, so consider if there’s any terminology you frequently use that needs to be defined during your conversation (Danièle will help you with this during your interview).

Yes! We’ll email you to let you know. Often, the episodes come out in the middle of the night, so you may see the episode drop before you get the email, depending on which time zone you’re in. But Danièle will give you an idea of when the episode is due to come out, and if you’re on social media, you’ll be tagged by Medievalists.net.

You can find The Medieval Podcast on iTunes, Spotify, iHeart, Spreaker, and YouTube, as well as a designated individual page for each episode at Medievalists.net. Just search for your name, topic, or date, and you should find it easily.

Currently, The Medieval Podcast reaches upwards of 11,000 listeners per week. These range from professors and students, to K-12 teachers, to people working on mass media, to people with only a passing interest in the Middle Ages.

Try to make sure you’re in a quiet room and that you’ll be undisturbed for the hour. Audiences generally don’t mind (and often enjoy!) the interruption of pets and children, but interruptions tend to make the guests, themselves, feel flustered, distracted, and embarrassed. So, if possible, try to give yourself the time and space to focus so you can feel you’re at your best.

Many guests will fidget with pens, tap desks, or lean forward and backwards, making the recording louder and softer. Try to sit in a chair and position that keeps you in front of the microphone as much as possible, and if you feel you need to hold something in your hand to help with nerves, try to make it something soft. If you need to keep a drink on hand, no problem. We can wait for you to take a sip and then close the gap in editing.

Remember: the audience is listening because you’re an expert in something they want to learn more about. Let your enthusiasm for your subject come through and just have a relaxed chat with a new friend.