The
first time I read for Pseudopod, back when Ben was editing, he explicitly asked for longer silences between some sections (or maybe even added them in himself, after I submitted the recording), so I think it'd be reasonable for the editors to include that as part of the reading guidelines, especially for new readers.
I think it also behooves readers - new or not - to read the forums and get feedback on their readings. I've learned a lot, doing that myself.
One of the things I've experimented with in a couple of my recordings is to add a very slight 'echo' audio effect to flashbacks to make them sound a little hollow and/or dream-like and differentiate them that way. It's kind of the aural equivalent of using italics or some other change of typeface in print.
This only works in a limited number of situations, though. E.g.
not if the section breaks are scene changes in a sequential story. Might have worked with "Shutdown", though.
Note: I'm
not suggesting Mat (or anyone else, for that matter) should be doing this with submitted readings. Just that I've done so and haven't been unhappy with it, and that it's a potential option for those who are willing to use the technique in the right situation.
As Scattercat pointed out, this sort of thing - like adding the white noise sound effect to
Radio Nowhere - adds a hugely disproportionate amount of time to the editing process, which (for me at least) already takes 2-3 times as long as the original - not finished! - recording.
I don't mind doing it myself, especially when it's for the first time and I can learn a new technique, but it's not necessarily for everyone.