Monday, September 28, 2020
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Does it seem like the whole word is in VIEWING mode? Make an Audiobook!
I'm excited to announce that I've started creating an audiobook of my "fictionalized memoir" (aka "novel") Roadmaps for the Sexually Challenged [All's Not Fair in Love or War].
The e-book has enjoyed success on Amazon Kindle, and it will be coming out soon in paperback.
In L.A. we are still fairly locked down. For everyone that's hard, and it impacts publicists also. Sure you can Zoom, Zoom, Zoom your events and readings...but it ain't the same. It's a stop gap measure. And everyone knows it.
The other day, I decided to check out audiobooks on YouTube -- and wow! What a game changer! A service known as "Great Audiobooks" asks for volunteers to read well known books on the "air." I could listen while making breakfast to The Art of War if I wanted to. And it was so pleasurable that I realized...
The time has come to go Audio! With my book. It wouldn't have to even be every page. Excerpts would do, after the main gist of the setup was absorbed by readers.
A few years back, I reprinted "How To Make An Audiobook" from another blog (with permission) and I must say that at the time, it was rather daunting. You'd need some good equipment and at the very least, a very quiet closet to record in. AND a great speaking voice that suits the content.
But when I heard recently that a tech-phobic friend has been making How To videos on her iPhone, that stirred my own initiative. I haven't yet succumbed to iPhone or adequate video editing equipment (due to financial constraints; I'm not a snob!). And I thought:
"Why not try to make this audiobook with what I have one hand?
So I recorded on my Android phone, which produces an MP4 file, and edited on the low-tech "Movie Maker" app on my PC, along with some jpg photos for a slide show.
And...(drum roll)...it worked great!
Next, I uploaded the nearly 3 min. video to my MarlanWarren YouTube channel. And voila!
My closet is pretty noisy. You can heard the plumbing going and people walking in the hall. But I found that recording after most folks are in bed or before they wake up makes for excellent sound studio conditions.
I had no problem reading. Thanks to my first grade teacher Mrs. Stryker (her real name) who made me stay after school and read until she could hear "expression" in my voice.
Social Media Video Time Limits
YouTube: 7-15 min. for unverified user. Verified users? Up to 12 hours!
Instagram: 1 min.
Facebook: It used to be 2 minutes. But today on my Book Publicity By Marlan site, FB suggested my video post be "at least" 3 minutes! Hallelujah!
Vimeo: Allows a total of 500MB per week with the basic free membership, with a total of 5GB storage.
Twitter: 2 min. 20 sec. Max.
Okay. Yes, it can be a pain cutting the various lengths of your video, but if you want it to have a long "reach," you will joyfully spread it around your social media sites, and don't forget Linked In and Goodreads!
About My Book and the First Audiobook Recording
Posted above is the beginning of Chapter 1 (“Signs”); Page 1.
Roadmaps for the Sexually Challenged is a post-divorce tale set against the backdrop of the O.J. Simpson trial with a consciousness raising journey through the wilds of Los Angeles.
What saves the story from being straight up Chick Lit are the divorcing woman's close encounters with the generational scars of the Japanese American Internment, interracial dating questions, and the story’s ultimate warning that no matter how great the sex is, how deeply you feel about someone:
“Don’t go unconscious for love.”
How to find this e-book, reviews, etc. on Amazon: Click Here
#amazonbooks #audiobook #divorce #relationshipbook
#feministliterature #californiawriter #losangeles #psychic
#filmthisbook #interracialdating