Karen Commins's Blog, page 10

I #LoveAudiobooks!

June  is Audiobook Month! To celebrate, the Audio Publishers Association (APA) kicked off a video campaign titled “A Good Audiobook Speaks Volumes” in which authors and narrators share why we #LoveAudiobooks!

 

 

I had such fun in creating this 2:01 video, which premiered today on the Audiobook Community Facebook page. I hope you enjoy it! If you also love audiobooks, please tell me your favorite audiobook in the comments. I’m always searching for my next good listen!

 

 

3 More Networking Tips for Introverts

 

 

After reading my article 3 Take-aways from APAC 2016 and 2 Networking Tips, a voice talent sent me a message. This introverted person is attending an upcoming convention in another industry and asked if I had suggestions about how to ‘…converse with a complete stranger and determine if they are a qualified lead (or can point me to one) without coming across as “Me, me, me, me me.”’

 

It’s a great question in an area where many of us — and I include myself — struggle.

 

The very next day, I read a wonderful story from Joanne McFadden in the June issue of the Science Of Mind magazine that illustrates a perfect way to approach networking events!

 

McFadden was going to a dance. Rather than thinking of the type of man she wanted to attract as her date, she decided instead to dwell on who she could be and what she had to offer. She thought, “I could be a great girlfriend to someone because I’m smart, funny, beautiful, and caring!”

 

She met a man at the dance, became his girlfriend, and later married him.

 

McFadden wrote:

 

Powerful things happen when we focus on being –

being peaceful, being happy, being loving, being kind, etc.

 

Here are 3 ways you can think about BEING at a networking event:

 

1. Being Prepared

 

If I were attending a convention in another industry, I would study the list of exhibitors and research their web sites. This way, I would learn about those companies so that I could speak intelligently with the people at the booths about their products and services. If the floor plan is available ahead of time, I would plot my route so that I could ensure I spoke with everyone I wanted to see.

 

I may be wrong about this next part, but I would be direct in asking exhibitors for an introduction to the marketing manager or other person with whom I’d like to meet. I also would ask them about their ideal customer so that I could refer others to them.

 

2. Being Creative

 

When attending events in other industries, those people may not know what we do. Consider devising a creative introduction, as described in this article.

 

One reason introverts dread conventions is because many of us hate small talk that is generated in typical interview-style questions. However, we would regret the untold missed opportunities of not speaking with other attendees between sessions, at lunch, etc.

 

The key to an interesting and meaningful discussion is to ask creative questions!

 

I have a book titled 4,000 Questions For Getting To Know Anyone and Everyone. Before attending the event, I would look in this book and find a handful of fun questions that I might want to ask as icebreakers, like these examples:

 

What would your occupation have been in the Old West?
How will you earn your 15 minutes of fame?
What superhero powers would you like to have?

 

3. Being Organized

 

Realize that the odds are against your returning from the event with a job in hand. In fact, you probably shouldn’t expect any outcome other than meeting new people. A more likely scenario is that you will come home with a collection of business cards.

 

You’ll want to follow up with your new acquaintances, and you may need to contact them numerous times before a job will materialize. I highly recommend you read C. J. Hayden’s excellent article Anatomy of a Sale.

 

Before you can follow up with your prospects, though, you’ll want to start capturing things you discussed.  As soon as you are able following the conversation, enter your conversation details in your Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software of choice.

 

I keep a contacts folder in Evernote. (If you sign up using my affiliate link, you can get a FREE month of premium access.) Evernote lets you take a picture of the business card with the camera on your phone. If you have a LinkedIn account, Evernote will synch the info from LinkedIn with the note containing the business card. Make notes about your discussion, especially their answers to your creative questions. You’ll use that information to follow-up with that person later.

 

Schedule dates and reasons to follow up with your prospects. C. J. Hayden’s handy list of 44 Ways to Follow Up With Your Prospects will help with this process.

 

When you concentrate on how you want to BE and not what you want to GET when networking, you can relax and enjoy a much more productive event!

 

Do you have favorite networking tips? Please share them in the comments!

 

 

3 Take-aways from APAC 2016 and 2 Networking Tips

The Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC) is an annual event held on the the day before BookExpo America, the largest trade show for the publishing industry. This year, APAC was held in Chicago on Tuesday 10 May.

 

I debated about listing all of the panelists’ names below as I believe in giving credit where it’s due. I decided not to include the names because a main value in attending the conference is to meet and learn from people who are in a position to hire narrators. My freely sharing all that was said and the names and positions of those influential people would not be fair to the narrators who paid the conference and associated travel costs.

 

Instead, I’ll share 3 of my take-aways from the day and offer 2 ideas to help you plan for future similar networking opportunities.

 

 

Take-aways
1. Find a way to offer video in support of your brand.

 

Yoel Flohr, a longtime leader in digital media, gave the keynote presentation about the ever-increasing need to incorporate video in support of your brand, whether you’re a publisher or narrator.

 

Surprisingly, I don’t recall that he used any video in his presentation. Instead, he discussed numerous figures about the staggering amount of video content uploaded each day and the number of users and views for several media channels. He stated that half of all usage is mobile.

 

He noted that you should not expect to make money directly from your videos for the next 3 years. However,  Flohr maintained that video is the way to stay relevant.

 

He suggested that you super-serve a niche audience. You need to think like a network TV programmer, meaning that posting new content consistently and regularly is crucial for your success.

 

2. Create and maintain a narrator web site separate from your commercial work.

 

I attended 2 panel discussions of great interest to narrators:  Getting To the Next Level, and Ask A Casting Director. Panelists in both sessions made numerous comments about narrator web sites, noting that narrator sites are increasingly important in casting decisions as they show you are a professional performer.

 

I heard the following advice:

All of the panelists prefer to receive links to clips rather than samples attached in email.
Make sure your site is responsive on desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone browsers.
Include on your site information about your recording environment, language fluency, accents, and musical training.
If your site links to your social media profiles, only link to those sites you use professionally, such as LinkedIn. Keep your business and personal content separate.
One casting director said it’s easier for them to send an author to a specific sample on your site rather than referring them to a narrator’s profile on Audible.

 

3.  Be a problem-solver, not a problem.

 

Casting directors are extremely busy people. It’s their job to find new talent; they are always hoping to find the perfect person to narrate each book.

 

They offered a number of ways that narrators can help them, including:

Be judicious in sending follow-up messages. Unless you have something big to report, every 2-3 months is probably frequent enough contact.
Learn how to manage your time so that you are not overcommitted on project deadlines or straining your voice.
Respond very quickly with your best read to audition requests from casting directors, but don’t ask for or expect to receive feedback.

 

Networking Tips

 

Here are 2 ideas to help you maximize your future networking opportunities.

 

1. Set goals for the event BEFORE you go.

 

Between the educational workshops or panels and the individual discussions, a conference quickly can become overwhelming, especially to an introvert like me. When I say I’m an introvert, I don’t mean I’m shy — far from it. I’m introverted in the sense of how I draw energy and process information, as explained in this article in The Atlantic and this one from the Huffington Post.

 

When I haven’t created a goal before a networking event, I’m likely to come home with the thought that my time — and money, if I traveled — wasn’t spent well. I’ve learned that I need to decide in advance:

the presentations I’m most excited to attend and those I can skip
the 3 people whom I most want to meet

 

Why only 3 people? First, I research the people I want to meet so I know something about them. In addition, at a conference like APAC with hundreds of people milling about, actually finding the 3 particular people can be difficult!

 

Your number might be different. The important point is to know who you want to meet and actively look for them. I usually meet far more than the 3 people I was seeking, which is always a wonderful bonus!

 

Conferences are also a time to catch up with industry friends. I was delighted to see so many narrators I know from our on-line groups, and I wish I could’ve spent quality time with all of them!

 

One of my goals this year was to finally meet my friend Ann M. Richardson in person. Ann and I have been partners in writing a monthly column about audiobooks for InD’tale Magazine for the past year. While we’ve had many video chats, we hadn’t actually met in person until this APAC! We started texting early in the day so we could find each other and get a picture together!

 

Ann M. Richardson and I met for the first time!

 

 

2. Remember it’s not all about you.

 

It would be easy to go to a conference or networking event with only my goals in mind. However, I firmly believe it’s better to give than receive, or put another way:

What you put out in the world comes back to you,

usually in a time and way that you don’t expect. 

 

That thought has always compelled me to help others as much as possible, and the Universe returns the energy to me in some other way. While it was exciting to meet the 3 people in my plan, I was very pleased to be able to introduce some people to each other, knowing they would be good connections for each other. I also enjoyed talking with other narrators and giving them ideas about people to contact and projects to undertake.

 

Do you have memories of APAC or networking tips to share? Please leave a comment on the blog!

 

 

Interview with Audiobook Blogger Beccy Stokes

Authors and narrators greatly appreciate the people who take the time to listen to our audiobooks and then write thoughtful reviews. In this installment in my series of interviews with audiobook bloggers, I’m excited to welcome Beccy Stokes from Audiothing Reviews and find out about her review interests and process.

 

 

 

Beccy’s bio:

I’ve always been a reader, my world is not right without a book.

 

I live in an old cottage on 3 acres in rural Tasmania along with our two Jack Russell terriers who are my constant companions, my husband and a few chooks. I was born and raised in Cornwall in the U.K., and before moving here we lived in New Zealand for a few years (plus a few other places). Injury caused me to retire a bit earlier than planned, I worked as a RN and gained my masters degree to work in nurse education.

 

I enjoy crafts but am not much good at any of them though I’m not too bad at making crocheted lace. I cook a bit and grow a few veggies, I love lava lamps, essential oils and tie-dye, bit of an old hippy really.

 

 

10 Questions For Bec

 

1. When did you start listening to audiobooks?

I can’t really recall, probably when libraries first introduced books on CD for loan, I’d listen on my Walkman until it broke. Then, three years ago I was given an iPad, first thing I did was join Audible and download the app. I also listen to audiobooks from the library via the Overdrive app.

 

2. What prompted you to start writing audiobook reviews?

I often forget what I’ve actually read, so I began cataloging my books on Goodreads, it just went from there. I’ve always used reader reviews as a guide to choosing a book, and leaving a review is also a small way of thanking an author. By having my own review blog I hope I also make a minor contribution to the promotion of books.

 

3. Where do you write your reviews? If it’s a public place, why did you choose it? If it’s at home, describe the room and/or stuff on your desk. A picture would be fabulous!

Always at home, I rarely go out, I’m not a total recluse, just almost! Even if I did go out I would far rather just people watch.

 

I’m not able to sit in a chair for long,(bad back, just like practically every other ageing nurse) so I work from my bed, just like Mae West! I work entirely on an iPad so I don’t need a desk, there’s not much to see I’m afraid.

 

4. How do you decide whether to read a book or listen to it? Do you ever do both for the same book?

The choice is quite easy for me, I will read a book if I know I shall want to dip into it again for information, or if it has a useful glossary or references. I see no point at all in buying a cookery book in audio form. Other books I prefer to read are those that benefit from being illustrated like travel and gardening books. Recently I’ve been buying the Whispersync audiobook/Kindle combination. It’s so useful for checking up on unusual names, or, when listening to a more complex story – saves all that rewind business.

 

5. Do you have a go-to genre?

Yes I do! Just a few years ago I picked up a murder mystery from the library and was hooked. I enjoy police procedurals, British for preference, I like the American P.I. type stories, historical crime, oh, and I love to have a good series to follow. I also love a darned good humorous cozy mystery.

 

6. What is your review policy? Do you accept review requests from narrators?

Judging by some of the requests I’ve been receiving I think it’s time I reviewed my policy, or maybe it’s just that nobody reads it. I don’t accept erotica, or anything shape shifting or vampire like. I dislike legal thrillers and James Bond type books. Horror is out as is anything dark, evil or psychologically disturbing. I’m really not keen on books with sex scenes, even moderate ones as they always seem a bit farcical to me, and let’s be honest, it’s all been said before.

 

I read all requests, some are from narrators, a few from authors or their assistants, but these days I am picky, I had some awful listens in the early days when I didn’t know how to say no.

 

7. Describe how you approach your reviews. Do you have different criteria for different genres?

Let me say first and foremost, one thing I have learned is that the British sense of humour is often not internationally appreciated! On occasion, some remarks I’ve written have been misunderstood or worse, taken for rudeness so I’m more restrained these days.

 

In my reviews I always include the book cover of course, along with the usual details, and yes, I do include the publishers summary, mainly because it saves me the job and I can just get on with the review, besides, they are far better at précis than me.

 

I suppose I do use a genre specific criteria, but in a very loose way, for example, a ludicrous plot might be quite acceptable in a humorous cozy mystery but totally unacceptable in a serious police procedural.

 

I’m not a writer nor am I a book critic so I don’t use literary jargon, not that I know what much of it means anyway, I just write as a reader reviewer and it’s all about telling people why I did or didn’t enjoy a book. Put quite simply, that means I might expand a little on the storyline and the characters, and if a book evokes a particular response in me then I attempt to describe that too.

 

If I dislike a book I say what it is I disliked and try to explain why, quite often I seem to go against the tide of popular opinion but I don’t allow other people’s ratings to affect my own. I really dislike a book containing long information dumps or, even worse, a lengthy denouement. Nevertheless, I do try to find something good to say about every book I review, if I dislike it so much that I can’t even finish it then I just don’t post a review.

 

I find the most difficult reviews to write are about books I’ve really loved, and that’s because my lack of writing skills means I don’t do the author justice.

 

I always finish up with a few comments on the recording quality and narrators performance, after all, it is an audiobook! I’m always left feeling a bit puzzled at reviews with no mention of the narrator. The comments usually include the usual remarking on voice, clarity, cadence and suchlike. However, the hardest quality to convey is that “undefinable something”. That certain little thing that keeps us coming back for more. I like to think that those narrators come from a long line of storytellers and are continuing a tradition.

 

8. Do you multitask when listening to books? If yes, what else do you do while you listen, and how does listening to books affect the other activity?

I listen when I prepare and cook dinner, sometimes if a book is really interesting I spend far longer in the kitchen than is strictly necessary.

 

I’ll listen when I crochet which is not a good idea, the more interesting the book the more I have to rip back my crochet mistakes and start again.

 

If I’ve remembered to charge my phone I’ll use that to listen in the garden. I know some people listen at work, I wouldn’t be able to do that as I’d be concentrating on the book rather than work.

 

I’ve never listened to audiobooks whilst driving because I become too engrossed in stories, I’d probably get lost!

 

9. Looking back through the reviews you’ve written, please share the link(s) of 1-3 that were favorites of yours and explain why they are special to you.

http://audiothing.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/a-song-from-dead-lips.html

This is the first book in the Breen and Tozer series, it’s special to me because the setting is London during the 1960s, when I was a teenager so there’s the nostalgia factor. The storytelling is brilliant, William Shaw is one of my favourite authors of all time,

 

https://audiothing.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/think-of-number-dave-gurney-book-1.html

I found writing the review for this one very difficult. Despite it being book which received both critical acclaim and many 5 star reader reviews, I disliked it. This is how I review such books.

 

https://audiothing.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/i-want-to-be-dixie-diva.html

This book is special because it introduced me to The Dixie Divas, a cozy series unmatched by any other I have read. Above all other reasons for loving is that it made me laugh, really laugh at a time when I especially appreciated it.

 

10. As a narrator, I sometimes feel I have a spiritual connection to some of the characters in the books. If you were a character in a novel, who would you be, and why?

Oh Karen, I don’t know! I could, I suppose, be my namesake, Daphne du Mauriers’ “Rebecca”, but then again, she didn’t have much of a role did she?

 

I quite like the idea of being Phrynne Fisher, from the Kerry Greenwood novels, she’s a little bit fabulous, but then, the dentists didn’t have lignocaine back then.

 

I shall be Jessica Fletcher! From the Murder She Wrote series, Donald Bain writes novels based on that series so it counts. Jessica is clever, travels extensively staying in beautiful hotels. She lives in a gorgeous house near the ocean, she doesn’t seem to have money worries nor is her life complicated by those bothersome romantic interests.

 

Connect with Bec on these sites:

Blog: audiothingblogspot.com.au

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/27051141-bec-audiothing

Audible: http://tiny.cc/Audiblereviews

Facebook: http://tiny.cc/Facebook-books

Twitter: https://twitter.com/audiothingbooks

 

 

Thanks, Beccy, for joining me today and giving us a peak inside your world!

 

Do you have a question for Beccy? Please leave a comment!

 

 

Putting the “I” in OrganIzed

 

A friend sent me a question tonight asking for some recommendations about ways to get organized. With a day job, her narration work, a husband, an aging parent, and her home all vying for her time and attention, she was understandably feeling a bit overwhelmed.

 

Since other people might find these thoughts to be helpful, I decided to answer her in this article.

 

Let’s look at 3 main areas of organization.

 

Ideas and Information

 

Do you ever have a great idea for something but don’t have time to do anything about it? In my article 2 Tips To Tame Your To-Do list, I wrote about how ideas love speed. What do you do if you can’t take action at the time the idea comes?

 

You’ll also have occasions where you need to research topics. For instance, I’m constantly scanning for information that I can use in writing my articles for InD’tale Magazine and other sites. I also take copious notes about the characters in books that I’m narrating.

 

We all are inundated with disparate pieces of information and documentation that we might need later, from emails to magazines to vacation plans to repair manuals.

 

My ideas and necessary information used to be scattered in different apps and in my journals. It was a game-changer to start saving everything in a central on-line depository so it’s accessible anywhere using any device.

 

I use Evernote.com as my info and idea storehouse. If you sign up for it using my link, you can have a free month of premium access!

 

I can’t recommend Evernote too highly because:

 

It syncs with all my devices, and the yearly fee for premium access is extremely reasonable.
It’s well-supported by the developers and is used by millions of people, many of whom write great articles about how they use it, like this one and this one .
It has a handy Web Clipper app which lets me save entire web pages to the Evernote notebook of my choice.
I can take pictures of objects and documents with my phone and store them in the app. If I tell the app that the picture is a document, Evernote can do character recognition, even on handwriting!
It stores business cards, and, if you connect your LinkedIn account, will associate the card with your LI contact.
I can create endless numbers of notebooks and tag all my notes. Evernote’s Search capability is terrific and enables me to make connections between information that I might not have otherwise seen. You can even save your searches!

 

Evernote has become my personal knowledge base. If I troubleshoot a software or hardware problem, I copy the error and its resolution to a note so I don’t have to remember or search the Internet for it again. Take tonight, for instance. I never remember what the file size should be for the pictures I add to these articles. Why should I remember it or spend time figuring it out again when I can quickly find my note about it in Evernote, re-size my picture, and move on!

 

You can store EVERYTHING in Evernote! I subscribe to Evernote’s blog and get even more ideas how to use it.

 

One thing I like to do is copy my Kindle highlights to Evernote so that I can draw upon ideas and interesting quotes from books I’ve read when planning presentations, articles, and videos.

 

I also love this idea from recording artist Chad Lawson for using Evernote to create and maintain one sheet that links demos and reviews. He can update that page whereever he is and send current promo materials whenever they are needed.

 

Industry

 

This category refers to all the actions you need to take on a day-to-day basis, as in you’ll be industrious and productive! (What can I say? I like alliteration!)

 

The absolute best book I’ve read about getting things done is actually named (wait for it…..) Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. I probably need to read GTD again! I set up my files on my computer and in my filing cabinet in alphabetic order as a result of Allen’s suggestion. He also gives great advice for making decisions about your mail and managing multiple projects.

 

Beyond his systems, or perhaps as an outgrowth of them, I set up multiple color-coded calendars in cloud computing so they are shared between all of my devices. I can look at one at a time, but I usually look at all of them for the whole month. These calendars really help me stay on top of everything in my life:

 

 

Home for appointments with contractors, health care, meals with family and friends, must-see TV shows, etc.
Audiobook deadlines, where I schedule each deliverable of each project
Finances for days that bills are due
Birthdays
Work plan, where I schedule meetings, calls, writing time and due dates for articles, and recording days
Promotion for specific days and reasons to promote my audiobooks

 

I heavily rely on the alerts. Usually, I’ll have an alert go off a day, 2 days, or even a week before the date as a reminder. I then have a second alert going off on the date.

 

Like Evernote, once I enter activities on my calendars, I don’t have to use my brain power to remember them.

 

I also update business finances each month so I don’t have to scramble at tax time. I add everything to a spreadsheet and drop printouts in a folder.

 

Items

 

This category refers to your physical spaces: your office, your house, and your car. My article Karen’s 5 Tips to Combat Clutter Before It Kills Your Career explains the detrimental effects of a cluttered area and will help you achieve harmony and serenity out of chaos. Be sure to check out the link in that article to the wonderful book It’s All Too Much written by professional organizer Peter Walsh.

 

Here’s a bonus tip in combatting clutter:  Set aside some small increment of time — no more than 30 minutes, and ideally less — to do 1 small decluttering task. We cringe when we think we’ll be giving up huge chunks of our precious free time to re-organize a closet or a garage. However, breaking these bigger projects down into smaller pieces definitely helps  makes them more manageable and maybe even fun!

 

These examples may inspire you:

 

You might spend 15 minutes to clean out the kitchen junk drawer while you’re on the phone.
If you try on an outfit from a previous year, make a decision in that moment whether you are going to wear it this year. If not, immediately put it in a designated area or bag of things that you are donating to charity, or throw it away.
The other day, I spent about 20 minutes re-hanging all of Drew’s shirts so that the short-sleeved shirts were at one end of the rack, and the long-sleeved shirts were at the other end.
When we open our mail, we make a decision that moment whether to shred, recycle, file, or take action on it. I keep the most commonly-used folders, like those for my business, in the kitchen for quick and easy access.
If the mail is something like the new dates for the insurance policy, we remove and shred the previous one and keep only the current one in the file. Don’t be surprised if cleaning out and maintaining your files invokes the Vacuum Law of Prosperity !

 

 

The key point to keep in mind with any of these suggestions is:

 

You don’t have to do everything at once!

 

It takes a little time to develop new habits. Doing one small thing each day to become better organized will have an almost magical cumulative effect in your life!

 

Do you have some tips and resources for better organization? Please leave a comment on the blog!

 

 

Interview With Audiobook Blogger Susan Voss

Authors and narrators greatly appreciate the people who take the time to listen to our audiobooks and then write thoughtful reviews. In this installment in my series of interviews with audiobook bloggers, I’m excited to welcome Susan Voss from Dab of Darkness and find out about her review interests and process.

 

 

Susan’s bio:

Susan has been a lifetime reader, mostly of SFF. It’s rare for a week to go by without her completing 1-3 books. She currently lives on a little 6.5 acre farm in northern NM with an adoring husband, too many cats, 2 dogs, mammoth and standard donkeys, chickens, and some ornery goats. She has a BS in Biology and a BS in Environmental Science and this makes her an awkward dinner guest as she is always spouting some disgusting, yet fascinating, facts.

10 Questions For Susan
1. When did you start listening to audiobooks?

Years ago when I had a really long commute to and from work 5 days a week. The radio was driving me crazy since it would cut in and out much of the way and music CDs had lost their charm. It’s rural northern NM, so the radio stations are limited to begin with and I was so tired of all the repeating commercials. A friend from knitting circle suggested audiobooks and like the little snot I was back then, I scoffed that I could read quite fine on my own, thank you. And I can — just not while driving. So I visited my library and picked out Drood by Dan Simmons. It probably wasn’t the easiest audiobook to cut my teeth on, but I stuck with it, and I have been hooked ever since then.

 

One of my earliest audiobooks was Bonk by Mary Roach, a non-fiction on human sexuality. It is hilarious and educational. I had to explain that to the guard at the check point when he overheard the part about where a pig’s clitoris is located. Yep. Audiobooks – breaking with ice with armed security officers.

 

2. What prompted you to start writing audiobook reviews?

I was already writing book reviews for a blog, Dark Cargo, when I started listening to audiobooks. So it was a natural transition. I quickly learned that the narrator and sound effects/music (if any) could make or break a book. So I definitely wanted to comment on those elements in my audiobook reviews. I think this is even of more interest when an author narrates their own work; some have that skill set, and some don’t.

 

3. Where do you write your reviews? If it’s a public place, why did you choose it? If it’s at home, describe the room and/or stuff on your desk. A picture would be fabulous!

I generally get out my laptop and get cozy in the big bed with my furballs. It’s quiet – no TV or radio to distract me. Also, our house is heated only by 2 wood fireplaces, so generally, the bedroom is the warmest room in the house during winter. I have worked on reviews while taking a lunch break at the office or even while waiting for an oil change in the customer break room. I’m not picky, it’s just that I am home like 90% of time since I left the office job for a home business. Plus, there aren’t many cafes in the area (only 1, but it’s hours are unpredictable), so it’s not like I’m going to head out 2-4 times a week for a fancy tea with my laptop.

 

“This is the other half of the big bed where I write most of my reviews. My granma and auntie made the big quilt. The grey cat on the left puked on it. Naughty kitty!”

 

4. How do you decide whether to read a book or listen to it? Do you ever do both for the same book?

In general, I like to listen as it frees up my hands. Occasionally, for read alongs I will have both the audio and a paper version going on. I find that I have a much harder time figuring out how to spell character names and place names if I am listening, as much of what I read is SFF. So sometimes I refer to the book, or the author’s webpage if it has the info, to get the correct spelling for my reviews.

 

The past 18+ months I have done rather little eyeball text reading due to a chronic illness, so audiobooks have kept me sane. I recently started a new-to-me drug for one of my illnesses and it has the side effect of letting me focus a bit more, so I have been experimenting with eyeball reading again, just having fun with it, as I don’t know if it will last.

 

5. Do you have a go-to genre?

SFF. I love the pure escapism of it. I can turn off my analytical brain and not be constantly looking at this fact or that to see if it’s true, as I sometimes do with other genres, like historical fiction. SFF has such breadth when it comes to subgenres and writing styles. I can find something for whatever mood I am in – silly, serious, epic, short & sweet, etc.

 

6. What is your review policy? Do you accept review requests from narrators?

Yep. I have a pretty open review policy that can be found on my site: http://dabofdarkness.com/About/

 

As you can see, I don’t mind people contacting out of the blue and I accept nearly every genre. I’m an eclectic reader, however, I haven’t found a love of contemporary romance yet, though I do occasionally give it a try. I’m not big on poetry unless it is epic and ancient. Religious fiction is OK if it is not too heavy on the religion part. I listen to any length and I do series. I also listen to radio dramas and full-cast audios. I enjoy some non-fiction as well, like history and biology stuff. I accept review requests from narrators, authors, and publishers.

 

7. Describe how you approach your reviews. Do you have different criteria for different genres?

In general, I will cover at least the characters and the plot. I also like to talk about the setting. For audiobooks, I have a designated section at the end of the review that talks about the narration, sound effects, and music. The more I enjoy a book, the more I gush over it and can get a little rambly. If I have any criticisms with the book or narration, I am specific and never, ever attack the author or the narrator. I don’t do a rating on my blog, but I cross post nearly every review and there I have to post a rating. I base that on shear enjoyment factor.

 

A book can have a serious issue (like zero female characters) but if I enjoyed the hell out of it, I will still give it a 4 or 5 star rating. After all, I am reading/listening for enjoyment first most; I’m not a paid professional reviewer.

 

I don’t have different criteria for different genres other than just simply accepting a book for what it is. For instance, I don’t compare urban fantasy with epic scifi in my head. The pacing is different, the world building and characters are often more in depth in the epic instead of the urban, but I expect more action and perhaps humor in my urban fantasies.

 

8. Do you multitask when listening to books? If yes, what else do you do while you listen, and how does listening to books affect the other activity?

I’m a rag rug weaver, so I like to listen to audiobooks while I weave. I also listen while I cook or do light cleaning. When relaxing, I like to play Sid Meier’s Civilization IV and listen to an audiobook. About three months ago, I discovered adult coloring books. These are more complex coloring books and not adult-themed coloring books, just to be clear. I don’t want to give anyone the impression that I spend part of my time coloring in genitalia while listening to some erotica. My asthma kicked in after more than a decade of being dormant and the daily albuterol makes my hands pretty shaky sometimes, so I had to set aside the knitting needles and take up something else – coloring. And no, I don’t care about those lines.

 

9. Looking back through the reviews you’ve written, please share the link(s) of 1-3 that were favorites of yours and explain why they are special to you.

So I would like to share three reviews showing different levels of enthusiasm. First, I absolutely adored Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear, a steampunky historical fiction. http://dabofdarkness.com/2015/08/06/karen-memory-by-elizabeth-bear/

 

Next, Freedom Club by Saul Garnell was excellent in so many ways, and yet had so few female characters, none of which were plot central. http://dabofdarkness.com/2015/11/29/freedom-club-by-saul-garnell/

 

Finally, here’s a link to Inside a Silver Box by Walter Mosley. I had more than one issue with this book, so I want to show you how I write that up when it occurs (which isn’t often). http://dabofdarkness.com/2015/04/14/inside-a-silver-box-by-walter-mosley/

 

10. As a narrator, I sometimes feel I have a spiritual connection to some of the characters in the books. If you were a character in a novel, who would you be, and why?

This is a tough one. Today, I want to investigate something. So let me be a future cop in some scifi Mars story, or a 12th century medical examiner in Italy, or maybe a British Detective Investigator. I love how crime happens every place and every when. Mysteries happen. Also, I spent 7 years as an accident investigator for a national lab, so I don’t think I will ever get tired of reading well-plotted mysteries.

 

Connect with Susan on these sites:

Blog: http://dabofdarkness.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6948763-susan

BlogLovin': https://www.bloglovin.com/people/susanvoss-11572265

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.voss.18

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nrlymrtl

 

Thanks, Susan, for this wonderful interview! It’s been a delight to peak inside your world!

 

Do you have a question or comment for Susan? Please say hello on the blog!

 

2015 Audiobook Wrap-up

As we count down to a new year, I wanted to take a moment to update you on some of my activities this year. Much of this article originally appeared in my profile earlier this week on the Eargasms Audiobook Review site. I appreciated the great questions from audiobook listeners and encourage you to read them.

 

During 2015, I’ve drastically increased my efforts to help authors and publishers with a backlist understand the audiobook production process and get more of their titles into audio! I wrote a number of articles and created some videos, which I will detail in a moment.

New Links In My Discography

Rest assured, my writing and video production activities are mere extensions of my greatest passion, which is audiobook narration! I’m delighted to announce I released 8 new audiobooks in 2015!

 

My first release of 2015 was BLY VS BISLAND: BEATING PHILEAS FOGG IN A RACE AROUND THE WORLD, which the talented Melissa Reizian Frank narrated with me. It was a very special narration project, and the story behind the story still gives me chills!

 

In addition, I performed:

cozy mysteries — DEAD PAN by Gayle Trent and ONE HOOF IN THE GRAVE by Carolyn McSparren
suspense and romantic suspense — DEADLY BLESSINGS by Julie Hyzy and WHAT SHE DOESN’T SEE by Debra Webb
history – THE STORY OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY by Benjamin Levine and Isabelle Story, THE TRIAL OF SUSAN B ANTHONY by Ann D. Gordon (I edited the text to make it more suitable for an audiobook), and Susan B. Anthony’s famous 1873 speech IS IT A CRIME FOR A US CITIZEN TO VOTE

 

You can hear samples of my 2015 releases in this Soundcloud playlist:

 

 

Articles and Videos

 

I started the year by creating and, of course, narrating a 41-minute video Setting Sail In Audiobooks that explains reasons every author should have audiobooks and offers concrete suggestions for writing with audio in mind and using ACX.com to create audiobooks. I also created and narrated a 3-minute video that demonstrates Amazon’s Whispersync between the Kindle ebook and Audible audiobook.

 

In June, my friend and fellow narrator Ann M. Richardson and I had the great joy of launching InD’ear, our featured column about audiobook production, in InD’tale Magazine, a celebrated publication for indie authors and publishers. My articles appeared in the June, October, and November issues.

 

I’m currently developing a new web site AudioForAuthors.com as a home for even MORE of my articles, as well as a curated resources list! I expect it to go on-line within the next few weeks.

 

Even with the expanded assistance to authors, I continue to develop content to help my fellow narrators.

 

I added 18 new articles to this blog, which continues to serve as a resource to other voice talent and narrators. One article that has been particularly popular with both narrators and authors is How to Afford Your Editor, Proofer, or Narrator TODAY.

 

Narrators have also appreciated these 2 videos that I created and narrated this year:

 

How Graphic Are the Sex Scenes in A Romance Book? (1:20)
Audiobook Corrections with iAnnotate (2:25)

 

Finally, I started and maintain an FAQ for the very active Facebook Group ACX Narrators and Producers.

 

This year has been fulfilling in every sense of the word, and I’m excited about the projects already on tap for 2016! Best wishes to you for continued health, prosperity, and success!

 

 

How to Afford Your Editor, Proofer, or Narrator TODAY

An author recently wrote that her fans were demanding audiobooks, but she couldn’t afford to spend any money up-front for the narrator’s fee and other costs of production.

 

Narrators frequently bemoan the fact that, instead of narrating the next book, they are spending too much time editing an audiobook because they can’t afford to hire an editor.

 

I’ve previously written about our words being a self-fulfilling prophecy and encouraged you to think/write/speak what you WANT into being.

 

Thinking or saying “I can’t afford it” is often a knee-jerk reaction immediately offered by Resistance to keep you from taking action toward the good you seek.

 

If you’re among the people who frequently tell yourself “I can’t afford it”, I urge you to do this exercise, which I first wrote about in my review of Fabienne Frederickson’s Mindset Retreat last September.

 

 

Write down 50 ways that you can make money RIGHT NOW.

 

All ideas are fair game! You can include anything from your personal or business life. Be sure to include simple ideas that already exist for you but you haven’t taken action on, like sending an invoice or cashing a check. You can’t stop writing until you reach 50 ideas.

 

The point of the 50 Ways exercise is to change your mindset from a defeatist “I can’t afford it” attitude to a problem-solving, victorious “How can I afford it?” outlook.

 

Once you complete the task, take immediate action on the 6 items that look most promising.

 

You activate the Law of Attraction with your thoughts and words. Your brain can’t help but believe the words that are coming out of your mouth. Whatever you are focusing on is what you will see reflected in your life. Joel Osteen says that if you want to know what your life will look like in 5 years, start paying attention to what you are saying about yourself right now.

 

The more you think and say that you can’t afford something, the more that thought becomes part of who you are. The Universe has no choice but to prove you right.

 

However, the reverse is also true. By actively seeking creative ways that you can afford something, the Universe will conspire on your behalf to help you get it!

 

When I did the exercise, I tried to make most of my ideas business-related, but I also itemized ways I could utilize assets that I already have, like using a credit card or selling things on eBay. (Note that you can also buy things on eBay, often at a better price than elsewhere and thereby saving you money.)

 

I noted ideas I had already considered, like directing other narrators, and some I’d never even thought about, like renting out my pool. Somewhere around idea #26, some really inspired and exciting business-related ideas came to me!

 

If you’re stuck for ideas, take a look at the $100 hour thread in the BarbaraSher.com forum. It’s overflowing with a variety of quickly-implemented income streams.

 

I ended up listing 57 ideas on my sheet, with a handful of them using some of Drew’s talents and skills. Several of my business ideas are GOLDEN!

 

Even though ideas love speed and a year has passed since I created my 50 Ways list, I am still implementing my 50+ ways to make money and quite thrilled with the results!

 

Chat with Audible Approved Producer Eric Summerer

On 15 September 2015, ACX.com hosted a Twitter chat with Audible Approved Producer Eric Summerer. Erik has recently passed 15,000 sales on royalty share titles.

 

He talked about his criteria for book selection and other topics of interest to audiobook narrators.

 

I used Storify to compile and categorize all of the tweets below so that the questions and answers are together. I also added some headlines for navigation.

 

 

View the story “#TalkingACX Twitter Chat with Eric Summerer 9/15/15″ on Storify

Bly vs Bisland: The Story Behind the Story (Part 1)

Every now and again, we get a Divine whisper of an inspired idea. Such was the case about a very special and exciting audiobook I created and produced earlier this year.

 

In 1889, Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland were female reporters in New York. Each went on a daring solo trip around the world at the same time. Nellie wanted to beat the time of Phileas Fogg, Jules Verne’s fictional character in Around The World in 80 Days. Rival reporter Elizabeth Bisland left on a solo race around the world hoping to beat Nellie’s time!

 

Nellie sailed east to England in the morning. That night, and unbeknownst to Nellie, Elizabeth took a train west to San Francisco. In Bly vs Bisland: Beating Phileas Fogg In A Race Around The World, I combined the narratives from both women into a single book with 1 timeline! Who will win the race?!

 

 

 

 

My journal entries tell Part 1 of the story behind the story between idea and implementation.

 

 

Sunday 16 November 2014 1:10pm

 

With no book in progress, I am officially on vacation.

 

Monday 17 November 2014 9:55pm

 

When a divine, inspired idea comes to you at bedtime, you can’t swat it away and say, “I’m on vacation!” Well, I guess you could do that, but only if you don’t value the Creator handing you an inspired idea!

 

I was lying in bed last night when an idea just magically appeared in my mind. It was raining outside, but this idea didn’t come accompanied by a thunderbolt, either real or imagined. It just quietly showed up for no reason I can recall. I don’t even remember exactly how it was worded at the time it arrived, but it was something like this:

 

Do an audiobook mash-up of Nellie Bly’s and Elizabeth Bisland’s books about their race around the world.

 

I had planned to do Elizabeth Bisland’s book earlier this year but then decided to do Fanny Herself first. Bisland’s book is not in audio anywhere. I thought Nellie Bly’s book was done…

 

On the 14th, Drew told me that he saw an article on Google+ that it was the 125th anniversary of the start of that race. He showed me that someone had done a board game…. I guess it was a bit of a delayed reaction because 48 hours later, the Divine made sure I knew that….Nellie Bly’s travel story isn’t on Audible! I had wanted to do it originally, but I thought it had been done.

 

However, this mash-up idea is completely original! I haven’t seen anyone create an audiobook out of 2 different books to make 1 cohesive story!…

 

I sent a long email to Melissa Frank to see if she would [narrate] with me… She responded quickly and favorably… she’s in!

 

Nellie left by ship going east. Elizabeth left by train going west…. I’ve spend part of the evening dividing the text into chapters. Nellie included a timetable at the end of her book, which certainly helps….

 

So far, the story is dove-tailing sooo well! The chapters alternate for the most part. I’m working to keep their timelines consistent. It’s also interesting to see how they were writing about similar things at the same time, like how other travelers treated them as women traveling alone.

 

Not only could I not ignore the divine, inspired idea, but it’s hard to disconnect when audiobooks are my passion, my vocation, and such a large part of my life!

 

Tuesday 18 November 2014 10:10pm

 

I sure am working a lot for a person who says she’s on vacation.

 

…I spent all afternoon working on my text mash-up of Bly vs Bisland….

 

In addition to matching their timelines, I’m starting and ending chapters at places that highlight contrast. [For example,] Bisland says how every plank in her ship creaked and groaned such that she couldn’t sleep. I start the next chapter with Bly saying she slept great on the train.

 

Wednesday 19 November 2014 10:45pm

 

I have spent at least 7 hours of this “vacation” day sequencing Bly vs Bisland. My shoulder hurts from being extended on the desk for my mouse all day. I got tired, cold, and hungry, yet I pressed on. I feel like an explorer myself as I read their accounts and try to figure out which day something happened and align the timelines.

 

I’m an explorer as I look at the maps to see where they’ve been, but I’m also a detective. I’ve Googled distances between 2 places like Singapore and Penang, and I’ve also called up calendars for Dec. 1889 and Jan. 1890 so I could plot the timeline based on references to “Sunday”, “the next day”, “on the fifth day”, etc.

 

Bly gave her timeline in the back of her book, but it had an error. She expected to arrive in Hong Kong on 25 Dec. but instead got there on 23 Dec. Bisland wrote less overall. While she was overly detailed in her descriptions of the people and their clothes, she was very sketchy about dates.

 

I’m excited about the project and increasingly proud of my editing to create chapters that make sense and often compare/contrast the journeys of both women. I hope to finish the text mash-up tomorrow.

 

Thursday 20 November 2014 11:40pm

 

I spent about 5 hours (I think) in finishing my text mash-up of Bly vs Bisland. I feel it is a monumental accomplishment! I might actually have something resembling a vacation day tomorrow!

 

Friday 21 November 2014 10:32pm

 

I went through every chapter with Drew for 2.5 hours or so. I found and fixed some chapter numbering problems.

 

Coming up in Part 2, I’ll share the stories about recording the text and choosing the cover art and music for the credits.

 

In the meantime, I invite you to listen to the retail sample of this audiobook and leave me any questions or comments about this audiobook on the blog. If you’d like a FREE copy of this fantastic audiobook, just click this link to start a trial membership at Audible.com.