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.”

 And yes, I recorded the next segment this morning at 4 a.m. and will be posting it on YouTube, etc. very soon!

How to find this e-book, reviews, etc. on Amazon: Click Here

#amazonbooks  #audiobook #divorce #relationshipbook

#feministliterature  #californiawriter #losangeles #psychic

#filmthisbook  #interracialdating

HOW TO MAKE AN AUDIOBOOK

Happy New Year!

Ever wish you could figure out how to record and publish your book as an audiobook? Me too!

Here are some helpful tips that I came across in my searches that I hope you find valuable.

SUMMARY

·        Warning: The Audiobook Road can be thorny with "producers" who want to talk a gullible author into spending a fortune on producing a product that may have little return on the investment. Sound quality may not be great, even if the producer is well known.

·        The good news? Audiobooks are cheap to make.

·        The other news? Audiobooks are fun, but tedious work.

·        HOW TO MAKE AN AUDIOBOOK RECORDING: You'll need a super quiet room (carpeted floor, padded walls are preferred); a USB mic that plugs directly into computer or tablet; Download Audacity (free, easy to use digital audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac, etc.). There is a lot of tech stuff to know in terms of which volume levels are acceptable; how far away from the mic your mouth should be; marking pauses in your manuscript before you read, etc. Also keeping the files organized, etc.

·        VIDEO: HERE'S A SUPER HELPFUL STEP BY STEP DEMO BY ROB DIRCKS: HOW TO RECORD YOUR AUDIOBOOK:

http://robdircks.com/yes-you-can-record-your-own-audiobook-heres-how/

·         

·        ACX: Several services offer Audiobook Creation and Distribution Platforms. ACX (Amazon) is the most prominent. If you register your published-on-Amazon book with them in order to find an Audiobook producer, be forewarned those producers do not come cheap--although some offer authors a "Royalty Share" option (less or no money up front). Audiobook quality varies; so make sure you get what you are paying for. The producers publish and distribute your audiobook on Amazon's AUDIBLE.

·        CD BABY and AUTHOR'S REPUBLIC:  Lee Stephen, author of Dawn of Destiny went a different route entirely: producing an audiobook that is more like a radio play (5 years in the making), and offers it on CD Baby under "Spoken Word" in their Music Category. He states that success depends on how well you publicize your audiobook via social media and your fan base. But CD Baby passes on 91% profit to the author/producer. Plus, he says you can get them easily on the phone (unlike Amazon). It is worth noting that since posting this on Jane Friedman's Blog, Lee has signed the audiobook with Author's Republic, and is happier with their distribution deal.

Author Lee Stephen on the Power of PR:

"You might wonder about the "wide" exposure that comes with having an audiobook on Audible. To that, I would say that our fan bases are our exposure—the incredibly amazing people who follow us on Twitter, who like us on Facebook, who join our mailing lists, and who hound us for our next release dates. And they don’t care if you point them to Audible, CD Baby, or a shed in your backyard. If they follow you, if you’re fair to them, and if you reward them with quality material, they’ll make the purchase."

NEED MORE INFO? CHECK OUT THESE LINKS!

ACX (Amazon Platform):

http://audible-acx.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6605/~/how-do-i-join-acx%3F

ACX Production Advice and Helpful Hints:

https://blog.acx.com/tag/production-advice/

AUDACITY (Free, easy to use digital audio editor and recorder download for Windows, Mac, etc.):

http://www.audacityteam.org/

JANE FRIEDMAN'S BLOG (RE ACX ALTERNATIVE)

https://www.janefriedman.com/listenup-acx-alternative/

GUEST BLOGGER, LEE STEPHEN, ON JANE FRIEDMAN'S BLOG:

https://www.janefriedman.com/acx-alternative-2/

Author Lee Stephen on the Power of PR:
"You might wonder about the "wide" exposure that comes with having something on Audible. To that, I would say that our fan bases are our exposure—the incredibly amazing people who follow us on Twitter, who like us on Facebook, who join our mailing lists, and who hound us for our next release dates. And they don’t care if you point them to Audible, CD Baby, or a shed in your backyard. If they follow you, if you’re fair to them, and if you reward them with quality material, they’ll make the purchase."

LISTEN UP AUDIO BOOKS SERVICE:

I include this not as a recommendation, but because it gives an idea of the expense involved.

http://listenupaudiobooks.com/

"ListenUp is a full-service audiobook solution. We give every author and small publisher the same service we give to our big clients. That means a dedicated casting director, choice of narrators, professional studio recording with a trained engineer, a full edit and final mastering according to Audible standards. Authors have the option to use us for distribution or do it themselves. And we’re creating new marketing solutions.

And with us, you can call up and talk to us about what you want. There are a lot of different ways to go about creating and distributing audio and we’re open to exploring all of them.
Our standard rate is $450 per finished hour of audio. That’s for a book with one narrator. To estimate how much a book will cost, figure a narrator reads about 10,000 words an hour. So a 70,000 word book will be approximately 7 hours long, or $3,150."

AUTHORS REPUBLIC:

Authors Republic is an audiobook publisher/distributor that evaluates your ALREADY COMPLETED AUDIOBOOK to see if it is right for its 30 major retailer buyers. If AR accepts it, you get 70 percent of the sales proceeds. Monthly payments. Sales records displayed for you to track easily.

http://authorsrepublic.com

http://authorsrepublic.com/create

NY BOOK EDITORS WEBSITE (Helpful Info for Beginners):

https://nybookeditors.com/2017/12/tips-for-turning-your-novel-into-an-audiobook/

About Me

Marlan Warren is a publicist, as well as a published novelist and produced playwright. Her PR services can be found on Midwest Book Review's "Trusted Publicist" and Linked In's "Top Publicists" lists.