The Apple Seed, a storytelling podcast from BYUradio hosted by Sam Payne, wants 15-minute radio scripts for ongoing production.
Contact theappleseed@byu.edu to submit a completed treatment outline (below) and to schedule a pitch meeting.
If your submission is selected for development, you will be paid.
To submit your work, download and complete the form below and email it (along with your script!) to theappleseed@byu.edu
The Apple Seed has been broadcasting since 2013 and can be heard on satellite radio (SiriusXM Channel 143), on terrestrial affiliates in markets across the country, and on our podcast, which is downloaded more than 60,000 times monthly across all major podcast platforms.
Selected scripts will be produced and distributed on all our streams: podcast, radio, and Sirius XM.
See below for sample links that provide guidance for tone, production level, and subject matter.
We Want Your Original Audio Dramas
Scripts must meet the criteria below:
- 15-minute “one off” story (not serialized) with beginning, middle, and end. Demonstrates a complete story arc and enough character development to keep the audience engaged and able to follow the story from beginning to end. Final word count should be around 3,500 words.
- Family-friendly content required, with target audience ages 8-15 and their parents. Think Pixar-esque pieces which appeal to children but are sophisticated enough for adults and children to share an experience together.
- Material may be an original idea or adapted from public domain literature.
- The target genre can be whatever you love to write about, including but not limited to comedy.
Download and complete the form below and email it (along with your script!) to theappleseed@byu.edu to submit!
Examples of original radio dramas previously produced for The Apple Seed Note: These links will take you to the full episode in which the story originally aired.
- The Crystal Whale: A deep sea creature falls in love with a submarine, whose crew must somehow survive its amorous advances.
- Extracurricular Activities: When two best friends see a boy from their school acting strangely, they follow him and discover he’s keeping a dangerous secret in his attic.
- The Glass Cutter: a family that travels the world together on dangerous missions. Why? To rescue stolen art pieces, of course. Each member has a particular set of skills that benefits the team, but one member thinks her skills might be better used elsewhere.
Other examples of family-friendly audio dramas
Note: These are serialized stories, which is not what we are looking for, but they are good examples of the tone, subject matter, and the level of production we are after.
- Treasure Island 2020: A swashbuckling, time-traveling re-imagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel Treasure Island. Nominated for a Peabody Award. From BYUradio.
- Eleanor Amplified: World-famous radio reporter Eleanor Amplified foils devious plots and outwits crafty villains, all in pursuit of the big story. From WHYY Philadelphia.
- Young Ben Franklin: A fictionalized mystery with a young Ben Franklin at its center. From Gen Z Media.
