Audio Is anyone making Audio Books?

Discussion in 'Self-Publishing' started by exweedfarmer, Jan 22, 2017.

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  1. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    I didn't listen to too much of that narration, @exweedfarmer, but what I heard sounded okay... but I think there are some audio narrators who are so much better than okay that they really add to the experience of the novel. I actually search out audio books by narrators, often, and only then look at authors and blurbs. It's a great way to discover new authors. And as an author, I'd love it if readers discovered MY work that way. So I think it's important that the narrator be as strong as possible.

    One of the biggest tests is character voices, which I didn't hear any of in the chunks of your book I listened to. Being able to come up with a dozen distinct voices that don't fall into the land of caricature is a definite skill, and it's certainly one that I as an author don't possess!

    And if a writer's MC is somehow different from the writer (eg. a woman writing a male MC) I think it would be another disadvantage. Audio narrators tend to be of the same sex as the MC, wherever possible; a woman narrating hard sci fi with a male protagonist would feel weird, to me as a listener. An Australian voice narrating a story set in the US would be weird, etc.

    In short, I think good narrators can make or break an audiobook, and I think it makes sense to hire the best one you (or your publisher) can afford. Do-it-yourself doesn't make sense to me, any more than do-it-yourself book covers make sense for any but the very few who are both good at writing and at graphic design.
     
    Last edited: Jan 28, 2017
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  2. Iain Sparrow

    Iain Sparrow Banned Contributor

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    But why trust, "marketing people" in the publishing industry?
    There are few industries less profitable, and work off slimmer margins than do the publishers of fiction. With all that has changed in the last ten years, the variety of entertainments we now have, the explosion of technology, it's book publishers who still use a business model from 1980! Our old friend, the book, needs to be reinvented. A book should be interactive, the same story could evolve differently from one reader to the next.
    Like this... http://proto-knowledge.blogspot.com/2011/11/building-young-ladys-illustrated-primer.html

    Book publishing is a racket, simple as that.
     
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  3. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Nobody's listened to my chapter 1, at all. I have sulked for two weeks.

    Enjoyed that snippet @exweedpeddlar, heh, tho the naked women might be off-putting? I was exhausted.
     
  4. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    If you're going with a traditional publisher (sat least the large ones) do you have much choice? A lot of these decisions are not the author's once the contracts are signed.
     
  5. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    Given the premise that "the publishing industry is a racket" I assume trade publishing is not a goal...
     
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  6. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    True. Just answering the direct question of why authors who do go that route leave this stuff up to the publishing company. Of course, the other reason they leave it up to them is that they're the professionals in this area, whereas the writer is a professional at writing.
     
  7. NiallRoach

    NiallRoach Contributor Contributor

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    As an author with no aspirations of going into self publishing, the reason I leave such things up to the publisher is because they know better. You can write all I know about marketing and distribution and all the other stuff that needs to get done that isn't writing on the back of a stamp.
    Gives that a) I'm more interested in writing than learning to do said stuff, and b) my work as a teacher keeps me plenty busy enough, traditional publishers offer immense value. Mainly that, if I get a contract, I'm guaranteed some sales.

    Self published authors often, it seems, come in two flavours. Those doing it quietly and cracking on because they made a business decision and it turned out good, and those who seem to have a vendetta against traditional publishing as a whole (some of these people are doing rather well for themselves).
    The second camp smacks of Dunning-Kruger to me, the individual's success notwithstanding. Questioning the business sense of deferring to a corporation which deals exclusively in books as its stock and trade when it comes to selling books makes me wonder how much certain people know about the industry.
     
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  8. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Dunning-Kruger is brilliant. I need lemon juice.

    ..
     
  9. exweedfarmer

    exweedfarmer Banned Contributor

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    I'm sorry that you didn't get a listen. Maybe if you post a link in this thread, I'd certainly like to hear it.

    But about the naked girl in my story.... How can a figment of a ghost's imagination be off putting? If there is one consistency in all of my writing it is that it's going to offend someone.
     
  10. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    The premise for your story is very good - and bright. You say it's 2012 and 'old' so I don't know how to talk about it. Is it done/forgotten? I'd certainly return to the story [me, as a reader].

    Mine is the opposite end of the market, kind of thing. Also I had to pay a professional model:

    Big Dog In Persia In American

     
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  11. exweedfarmer

    exweedfarmer Banned Contributor

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    Well, more than a written literary piece of course. Cats and dogs in some nice prose and well told among puffs of a dubious cigarette. I can't say it held my attention in all honesty, but it wasn't plan 9 from outer space dull either.

    As for the Waldo books, hardly forgotten there are six completed and even the first chapter of a seventh posted on this site. I'm just trying to figure out why no one is reading them.
     
  12. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    Maybe readers can't find them.


    Because... Waldo. Get it?


    Where's Waldo? He's hard to find because he's in a crowd? Waldo?


    Sigh.
     
  13. The Kindle king

    The Kindle king Banned

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    I advise my new authors to offer a 'giveaway' audio version to build a mailing list for future books produced, so they have people to inform of future releases. Most people can do their own audio using a decent mic and the free software called audacity.
    Find a quit room and just read your book aloud, then convert it into an MP3 or whatever file suits.
    The alternative is to get it professionally recorded, but this can be fairly expensive, however, if produced and marketed correctly can be very lucrative, still a fairly new concept, but gaining momentum quickly, hope this helps.
     
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  14. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    This is awful advice - if you are serious about producing an audio book and you don't want to pay upfront you'll get a much more profesional product if you arrange a profit share via authors republic

    Building an email list is a solid plan but doing a perma free Ebook or novella is a damn sight easier than giving away free audio
     
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  15. TaylorkoleDOTcom

    TaylorkoleDOTcom Member

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    sweet picture
     
  16. exweedfarmer

    exweedfarmer Banned Contributor

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    I'm getting old and have given up on making any real money from my writing. I just posted the "Waldo the Incubus" audio novel in whole on youtube. Kindly give it a like or share if you're so inclined.
     
  17. Davi Mai

    Davi Mai Banned

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    Yep. I got a few of mine made into audiobooks. I personally think the audio versions are vast improvements on the written ones :) lol. I use Findaway voices, or Fiverr to find the narrators. One in particular was brilliant and really made the story come alive. Sing out if you need more specific advice or copies etc..
     
  18. Ciarli

    Ciarli New Member

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    ..I think that audio books are good only to learn english!
    any sound quality consumes your brain apparatus 30% more than reading concentrated and with low sound qualities audio books you have to change it all. another thing is that hearing suppress your imagination training skill and stops you from evolving.
     
  19. hyacinthe

    hyacinthe Banned

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    So far all my books have audio contracts, and they've all been with Recorded Books. I have no idea how well they do, though.
     
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  20. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    In my opinion, audio books are well suited to people who have to drive a lot. I once drove from Chicago to Montana and back, 20 hours of road time each way, and the unabridged novels I brought with me really helped. My buddy is a contractor so he's always driving from job to job and his local library allows time-limited downloads of audiobook files, he says they're great for that.
     
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  21. marshipan

    marshipan Contributor Contributor

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    Or while jogging, walking, hiking, cleaning, or laying in bed. Oh and while making crafts/art.
     
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  22. Not the Territory

    Not the Territory Contributor Contributor Contest Winner 2023

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    Housework, lawn care, vehicle maintenance, exercise.

    Takes the snores our of chores.
     
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  23. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    I am in the process of generating an audio version of The Eagle and the Dragon through ACX, because it's selling well in paper/Kindle and I have had a lot of requests. Although it sounds like you can get off cheap buy offering only Royalty Share (20% royalty to you, 20 to the reader, no upfront cost to you the writer), that shifts a lot of the risk the reader, as they will not get paid if the book does not sell well. Most good readers will want upfront money, Royalty Share Plus, 20/20 plus whatever you negotiate. When you upload your word count ACX will generate a pfh number, per finished page. E&D is 240K words, 25.8 hours, the estimated length of the finished narration. Given that the reader will spend 5 to 10 hours to finish one hour of narration, most will want something for that. But that is handled in negotiation.

    The process works like this: you select three or four segments of your manuscript that you want to have narrated, 5-15 mins, that captures some of the important voices you want to hear. You solicit auditions, you review them, and pick on reader that sounds promising, then you negotiate the cost if RS Plus. I just went on contract with a British reader, who also speaks Latin and Mandarin Chinese, so he is a perfect fit for this. His rendition of the first meeting of the Romans and Chinese escort, with the wild Xiongnu nomads, was movie-like beautiful. He made the Xiongnu sound very Mongol.

    I just screened the manuscript for foreign words, place names and personal names and sent a pronunciation guide and sent it to him, expect the first read in January (he is having his first baby in Jan)

    As to audio quality, none of my auditioners had any problems, and you will review you work as it progresses, so if there are clicks and so forth, they have to be fixed before the reader gets the next payment cut.

    Karen is doing likewise with Ruby, and she has got several promising auditions.

    We'll keep you posted on the progress and final outcome, completion deadline is April 15 2021. Bear in mind it may not be cheap.

    BTW there is only one reader, so he/she has to be able to handle both narration and male/female voices credibly, and the different character voices.
     
  24. Iain Aschendale

    Iain Aschendale Lying, dog-faced pony Marine Supporter Contributor

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    Great information, thanks Lew! I had no idea it took so long to complete a recording.
     
  25. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    E&D is a long book, and based on the 240K word count, ACX identifies as a 25.8 hour narration. Narrators tell me that for every one hour of narration, there are ten hours of setup, review, editing, and re-recording to produce it. And the narrator must read the whole book, preferably before beginning the narration, to capture the whole voice of each character.

    I am on contract now, with a reader in Leicestershire, UK. He speaks both Latin and Mandarin China, so he is a great fit. Before starting, he did a 30 minute recording of ten segments in the book, dealing with the Arabic accents, Chinese accents, Mongolian accents, etc. He really brought the characters to life. He just uploaded the first 3 chapters and they are great!

    I also downloaded my first audio book, "Afternoon and Evening" by a male narrator, and determined that the differences between male and female characters is not as big a deal as I thought it might be.
     
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