tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post2615140753846243313..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: Audiobooking by Debbie BennettKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-56108011629086915972014-06-08T07:08:04.726+01:002014-06-08T07:08:04.726+01:00Sounds fascinating! My mum is a big audio book fan...Sounds fascinating! My mum is a big audio book fan as her sight has now deteriorated so much she can't read books any more. And I love them - perfect for listening to while weeding the allotment, or driving in the car as well as last thing at night. Even if it's a book you've already read, listening to it can give it a whole new dimension and make it feel brand new. The right narrator is vital I've found though - the wrong reader can destroy the book. The right one can actually enhance it. I'm in the middle of Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint at the moment, read by the author and with dramatized scenes and a few sound effects thrown in too. I was a bit apprehensive about all the messing about, but in fact it's been beautifully done and - the best bit - I wasn't that blown away by the book when I read it a few years back, but this audio recording has me absolutely hooked and enjoying it far more.madwippitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02595748471651052552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-32816421633937888192014-06-07T15:45:55.126+01:002014-06-07T15:45:55.126+01:00what a brilliant post Debbie, good luck with the a...what a brilliant post Debbie, good luck with the audio book! People at readings have often asked if my novels are out as audiobooks and if they are blind or visually impaired it's made me feel a bit rotten that they've heard me read teaser-length chunks but can't now read the book. Very interested to follow this up, as soon as I find a way to slow down the earth's rotation.Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-33588384148300557862014-06-06T18:59:09.036+01:002014-06-06T18:59:09.036+01:00Just to say that Bill's account of how to make...Just to say that Bill's account of how to make recordings yourself, as well as Debbie's advice above, and advice on much, much more, can all be found on our How-To Page. Just click on the tab at the top of the page.Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-35434793486882368402014-06-06T16:55:42.293+01:002014-06-06T16:55:42.293+01:00Catherine, it's fairly easy on ACX to look up ...Catherine, it's fairly easy on ACX to look up narrators by name, so if the person is there that you want, you'd be able to find them.<br /><br />It's certainly going to be an interesting experience!Debbie Bennetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06761474820689143835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-86544615688454741342014-06-06T12:21:09.908+01:002014-06-06T12:21:09.908+01:00Good luck with it Debbie. It's obviously worth...Good luck with it Debbie. It's obviously worth doing even if only for the experience.<br />And yes, Dennis, I did write a how to on recording your own material. The only problem is the enormous technical gap between recordings made in a studio with a sound engineer in charge and ones you make at home (however expensive your mic and however carefully you've rigged up your studio). I do occasional podcasts from my rigged-up study but I did a voice-over at Aberdeen BBC recently for an independent documentary maker and listening to the playback just brought home the difference.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-38517424410119856822014-06-06T11:04:44.072+01:002014-06-06T11:04:44.072+01:00I released my two novels as weekly podcasts - one ...I released my two novels as weekly podcasts - one narrated as a student project, one by a professional actor. They still seem to be downloaded a lot more than the ebooks, and it taught me much about the shortcomings of my work - nothing, as you say, like hearing someone else read and interpret your writing!<br /><br />The sex scenes didn't seem to present a problem, but of course I was working with actors who are used to - or learning to be used to - this type of work. Also, communicating by email removes a lot of the possible embarrassment.<br /><br />The thing is, I also learned that writing for the spoken word is very possibly a different art form, and a different undertaking. Still, I intend to repeat it with my next novel.<br /><br />Another benefit of 'free culture': you don't have to worry if the project is commercially viable. Of course, you've got to find someone as dedicated as Welsh actor Ioan Hefin, who spent hours and hours - and hours! - on <i>Corvus</i>.<br /><br />So go for it, Debbie! Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-77802087781147258052014-06-06T10:24:20.243+01:002014-06-06T10:24:20.243+01:00Fascinating, Debbie! I don't think this is for...Fascinating, Debbie! I don't think this is for me, but still find all these new opportunities so interesting. I think you're very brave - good luck with it all! - I hope it all works out. Report back, please!Susan Pricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07738737493756183909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-76578991877636074142014-06-06T10:04:24.637+01:002014-06-06T10:04:24.637+01:00Debbie, this was so timely - thank-you. (It's ...Debbie, this was so timely - thank-you. (It's been a very good week for advice on AE!) I've been thinking about audio books. My previous agent did quite a good audio book deal for The Curiosity Cabinet with Oakhill Publishing and it's still out there - but the length and expense of these whole book downloads made it not very profitable even for the companies doing it until Audible came along - I've seen a rise in sales on there, especially to Prime members. I'd been thinking about doing it on ACX with Ice Dancing which is a first person narration and a readable length. What I'm wondering is, do they make it fairly easy to pair up with an actor you know, if you're both signed up to ACX? I suppose you could 'find' each other. I still have a number of actor friends from working as a playwright, and I have people in mind - people I'd be happy to do a 50/50 split with. I'm certainly going to be giving this a try later on this year. All good luck with your release. Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-87777232064076046802014-06-06T09:47:59.930+01:002014-06-06T09:47:59.930+01:00Yes, Debbie, good luck with it. I'd love to do...Yes, Debbie, good luck with it. I'd love to do it but, as with Kathleen, my ebooks don't sell anywhere near enough to make it worthwhile. Not yet anyway. But wait a minute. Didn't Bill Kirton years ago in an AE blog tell us how to make a passable do-it-yourself audiobook, even before the advent of the 'How to...' pages? I must search through and find it.Dennis Hamleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15781139870037634374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-32283059686686499332014-06-06T08:54:01.353+01:002014-06-06T08:54:01.353+01:00Good luck Debbie! I hope it sounds brilliant in th...Good luck Debbie! I hope it sounds brilliant in the end. Most of my non-fiction books were sold to audio book companies by my agent, but my self-published don't sell well enough for me to pay anyone to record them. Maybe one day!Kathleen Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07645566938871914385noreply@blogger.com