Karen Commins's Blog, page 9

December 17, 2016

Karen Commins — Your Audiobook Producer

Want to create an audiobook of your book but feel overwhelmed about the process?


Concerned that you will pick the wrong narrator?


Afraid that you will need to spend hours that you don’t have in requesting changes to an unsatisfactory production?


Sit back and R-E-L-A-X!


In fact, you can head to the beach because you’ve found an experienced producer and narrator to whom you can hand off your book without worry!

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Published on December 17, 2016 00:00

December 11, 2016

The Christmas Present

My super-talented and energetic narrator friend Xe Sands had this wonderful idea:


 


December…the time to give thanks for those things that have sustained us through the past year. For narrators, a huge part of that is YOU, the listening community! As we wind down 2016, we want to give back to you, our listeners, who help make our job so rewarding, and who travel with us on each audiobook journey. SO! Over 60 narrators have partnered to bring you FROM THE HEART – recordings of poetry, essays, stories, excerpts, songs, etc. – throughout the month of December.


 


I’m so thrilled to be among this group of exceptional narrators and offer you a free reading! Today, I present “The Christmas Present” by Richmal Crompton. In this short (11:55) Christmas tale from 1922, Mary learns that the best presents don’t cost a thing,


 


The Christmas Present


 


 


Thanks to Xe for spearheading this project and to a favorite audiobook blogger Jennifer Connor at the Literate Housewife blog for her generous publicity of this project throughout December. I encourage you to visit Jennifer’s site to catch up on narrators and their readings from earlier in the month, as well as those to come.


 


Happy holidays!


 



 


 


 

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Published on December 11, 2016 07:00

November 30, 2016

Stop Complaining About Noise

In a recent Inc. Magazine article titled 7 Ways Successful People Have Better Mindsets, this quote practically leaped off the screen at me:


The biggest problem is thinking of problems as problems. Successful people know that when you focus on problems you have more problems, but when you focus on possibilities you have more opportunities.


It’s true. Our thoughts and words have tremendous creative power in shaping our lives. In fact, in one of my first blog posts 10 years ago, I wrote that nothing is more powerful on this planet than the words you think and speak. Everything that exists now was first a thought in a person’s mind. Speaking the thought out loud gives it creative power.


 


Wayne Dyer used to say, “What you think about expands”, and “You can’t get enough of what you don’t want.” When we’re repeatedly talking about something with energy and emotion, we’re actually telling the Universe, “please send me more of this.”


 


That’s a great when we’re enthusiastically and excitedly talking about our latest audiobook contract or marketing plans. However, the same principle is at work when we’re animatedly griping about the leaf-blowers in the neighborhood.


 


 


7 guys with leaf blowers

An army of leaf blowers is coming soon to your neighborhood!


 


I can’t count the times when I’ve read posts from audiobook narrators in Facebook groups in which they whine about the external noise from the neighbors cutting their grass, planes flying overhead, nearby construction projects, or any other thing that interrupts their recording sessions. The people bemoaning these (first-world) problems seem to expect empathy from everyone else. If challenged, the complainer would say he’s merely venting off steam with people who understand the situation.


 


I never respond to those types of posts. If I did, I’d say, “Quit your bellyaching, and DO something about your recording space! It’s not up to the world to be quiet in order for you to have a cocoon of silence for recording.”


 


Before anyone gets offended at my harsh statement, let me add that I have walked in the naysayer’s shoes. In order to solve my multiple issues with an extremely noisy environment, I replaced all of the windows in my house and custom-built an additional room on my house with soundproofing techniques.


 


More importantly, I don’t respond because constant complaining really goes much deeper and has a more pronounced effect than most people realize.


 


Have you ever noticed that, when you’re sick and you tell and re-tell the story about all of your symptoms to everybody you know, you feel worse with each telling?


 


When I used to gripe about people yakking loudly on their cell phones or children screaming in restaurants, it seemed more and more of them would show up around me. OF COURSE THEY DID! I repeatedly focused my attention and poured lots of negative emotion in my comments about how much those situations annoyed me! I had an epiphany one day when I realized I had been saying, “We are a magnet for obnoxious children” — literally summoning the very condition I wanted to avoid!


 


I’ve learned — not that I’m always successful at it — that I have to keep my attention focused on WHAT I WANT, not what I don’t want.


 


The loud children and cell phone talkers in public are still around, but my reaction to them has changed. When I find myself getting annoyed by them or other irritants, I speak out loud affirmations like, “I am focusing my attention on what I want, which is a pleasant, enjoyable dinner.” Almost immediately, the environment — or at least my perception of it — shifts for the better.


 


Frequent grumbling doesn’t just steal your joy (and that of others around you) in the moment. You can be setting yourself up for an unfulfilled life.


 


I’ll leave you with these profound thoughts from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear


 


Quit your complaining. It’s not the world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you must, but stop whining and get back to work….


 


…most important, you’re scaring away inspiration. Every time you express a complaint about how difficult and tiresome it is to be creative, inspiration takes another step away from you, offended. It’s almost like inspiration puts up its hands and says, “Hey, sorry, buddy! I didn’t realize my presence was such a drag. I’ll take my business elsewhere.


 


…I have felt this phenomenon in my own life, whenever I start complaining. I have felt the way my self-pity slams the door on inspiration, making the room feel suddenly cold, small, and empty. That being the case, I took this path as a young person: I started telling myself that I enjoyed my work. I proclaimed that I enjoyed every single aspect of my creative endeavors—the agony and the ecstasy, the success and the failure, the joy and the embarrassment, the dry spells and the grind and the stumble and the confusion and the stupidity of it all. I even dared to say this aloud. I told the universe (and anyone who would listen) that I was committed to living a creative life not in order to save the world, not as an act of protest, not to become famous, not to gain entrance to the canon, not to challenge the system, not to show the bastards, not to prove to my family that I was worthy, not as a form of deep therapeutic emotional catharsis . . . but simply because I liked it. So try saying this: “I enjoy my creativity.” And when you say it, be sure to actually mean it.


 


 


Photo: Hector Alejandro/Flickr


 


 

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Published on November 30, 2016 12:06

November 28, 2016

A DEAL You Can Get Any Day And Is Good All Year

The Monday after Thanksgiving is known as Cyber Monday, when lots of people are on their computers shopping for deals. Friends, have I got a DEAL for you!


 


I spent the morning searching for a special item to add to one of my collections.


 


This prize doesn’t cost much and can be purchased for the same low price any day of the year.


 


I’m talking about a library card — not just any library card, mind you, but a non-resident library card.


 


library cards


 


Of course, you should start your collection of cards with one from your city or county library. Most libraries offer local residents a free card since the library is funded through tax dollars. Learn what your local library has to offer and use it.


 


However, you’ll discover that getting a non-resident card to a second library system may be very useful since libraries offer different digital services. You’ll want to shop around for 1 or more non-resident library cards that fit your needs.


 


In addition to the cost of the card, you’ll need to determine whether the library accepts on-line registrations. I viewed at least 2 dozen library sites across the country, and most libraries require you to apply in person.


 


The cost for a non-resident library card is usually minimal, although some places like Kalamazoo, MI charge a 3-digit figure equating to a resident’s property tax.


 


Once you acquire the library cards you need, their benefit to your career as an audiobook narrator can be immeasurable in at least 4 ways:


 


Performance

I listen to audiobooks every day. I’m not only listening to the story, but I’m critically listening to the narrator and production quality. Each one is a mini-masterclass in performance technique that aids my own interpretations.


 


Overdrive, Hoopla, and Recorded Books are the largest services that supply digital audiobooks to libraries. Two libraries with Overdrive accounts choose different audiobooks for their patrons to download. With multiple library cards, you’re sure to find an audiobook you want to hear.


 


Periodicals

I went shopping for my 2nd non-resident card this morning because I want to read Publishers Weekly (PW) magazine. Sure, I could pay the $180 subscription fee on Zinio.com to get a digital subscription or the $249.99 to Publishers Weekly for them to cut more trees and deliver the magazine to my house.


 


I’d rather pay much less and support a library at the same time!


 


I had noticed that my 2 libraries both offer magazines from Zinio through their Recorded Books portal. (My libraries also have other fabulous options from Recorded Books, such as ArtistWorks for art and music instruction!) Neither had Publishers Weekly in their Zinio account, so I searched Google for a library that does. I’m planning to head over to a neighboring county tomorrow and pay $30 for a year’s access on their non-resident card.


 


TIP: Some libraries listed PW in a PDF as an available title, but I had to look at their Zinio page to determine whether it really was included. If they have it, be sure they are showing the current issue as I saw several sites that indicated it was limited to archives. Also, some libraries have Flipster accounts for their magazines. I don’t know whether Publishers Weekly is available from Flipster.


 


Polylinguist

My library cards can help me achieve my long-held goal of becoming polylingual. (Most people would say “multi-lingual”, but that word wouldn’t fit with my alliteration.) Both of my cards give me on-line access to Mángo Languages. Even if I don’t take an entire course, it’s helpful to listen to these conversations when working on accents for an audiobook.


 


Proficiency

I got my first non-resident card from the nearby city of Smyrna a few months ago after learning that some libraries give card holders access to the fantastic on-line training site Lynda.com.


 


While they aren’t audiobook-specific, the Lynda video courses are professionally created and come with a transcript and materials. You can preview the Pro Tools 12 Essential Training at this link, but classes on every popular DAW are available. In addition to courses on DAWs, Lynda offers loads of classes in marketing, social media, web site design, and other topics useful to your audiobook business.


 


Like the magazines, Lynda is a subscription site. You pay either monthly or yearly. They charge more for the plan that includes the exercise files. When I started with Lynda in mid-2015, I paid $34.99 per month for the courses and exercise files. Last December, I paid a discounted price of $242.89 for a year.


 


In contrast, my Smyrna Library card cost $50, and I get to take advantage of all the other services from the Smyrna Library as well.


 


As you can see, the cost savings of the library cards over the regular price of these subscriptions is a DEAL!


 


Do you have a library card? Please leave a comment and let me know how you use it!


 


 

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Published on November 28, 2016 13:23

November 26, 2016

How to use Karen Commins’s Audiobook Twitter lists

You can easily find other audiobook enthusiasts by signing into Twitter and subscribing to one or more of my 4 comprehensive lists of audiobook tweeps.


The Twitter list is for reading tweets from a curated group of people. You can’t tweet to the list.


Its usefulness lies in the fact that all of these people are grouped together in one place. You’ll be able to stay focused on audiobooks and correspond with audiobook folks without following all of them individually.


https://twitter.com/KarenCommins/lists/audiobook-narrators

https://twitter.com/KarenCommins/lists/audiobook-publishers

https://twitter.com/KarenCommins/lists/audiobook-blogs-reviews

https://twitter.com/KarenCommins/lists/all-audiobooks (publishers, narrators, bloggers, reviewers)


To subscribe to my Twitter lists:


Using your browser, login to Twiitter.

Click on one of the links above.

From the List page, click Subscribe to follow the list.


You can follow lists without following the individual accounts in that list.


How to find and contact audiobook reviewers on the list


If you click on Members, you can see the description of their Twitter profile. (See the picture.) You may be able to tell at that point whether they are a good candidate to review your book.


You also can click on each one and see their tweets and link to their web site.


Once on the reviewer’s web site, you can look at their review policies and get their email address.


Hope this info helps! If you have other questions about Twitter lists, check out this page from the Twitter help center.


As I explained in my blog article Putting the “I’ In OrganIzed, 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!


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Published on November 26, 2016 23:18

Karen Commins’s Audiobook Marketing Cheat Sheet



Since many people listen to audiobooks in the car, look for my billboards coming soon to a road near you!

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Published on November 26, 2016 23:00

November 5, 2016

A Place For Everything…

…and everything in its place. As you know, I do so love to be organized ! In fact, many people have told me that I have an unusual talent for curating, organizing, condensing, and disseminating information that is relevant to them.

With that point in mind, I decided it would helpful to list all of my audiobook-related resources in one place.


Row of colorful binders labeled with audiobook topics



Guides:

Audiobook Resources For Authors  is a curated list of articles that are grouped to take authors through the stages of production from thought to final product.


My Audiobook Marketing Cheat Sheet  contains oodles of ideas for specifically publicizing and marketing the audiobook edition.


I’ve published a  number of articles on other sites of benefit to both authors and narrators.


Authors and narrators will benefit from subscribing to 1 or more of my 4 Twitter lists of audiobook people and organizations.



Videos for Authors:

Setting Sail In Audiobooks: A Guide for Authors and Publishers  


In this 41-minute video, I:

– explore the audiobook landscape (beginning at 2:43)


– explain reasons every author should produce audiobooks of their books (beginning at 7:23)


– demonstrate Amazon Whispersync capability between an audiobook and Kindle ebook (beginning at 10:19)


– offer specific tips about ways to write with audio in mind (beginning at 12:09)


– advise the viewer about the audiobook production process and gives concrete information about using ACX.com to create an audiobook, including payment for production costs and distribution options (beginning at 22:04)





Demo of Kindle eBook and Audible Audiobook Whispersync (3:04)



Videos for Narrators:


I always run this test to check for graphic romance scenes in books before I audition. (1:18)




In this 2:26 video, I demonstrate how my editor and I use iAnnotate software during the corrections process.


 


 

 

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Published on November 05, 2016 12:12

October 15, 2016

Google Tips for Narrators

When I worked as an IT network administrator, I trained other employees on using various pieces of software. For over 5 years, I wrote a Software Tip of the Week. I decided to put all of my tips about using Google on this page to help you maximize your search capabilities.


Search Terms

It makes no difference whether you use capitals or lowercase letters. Google will interpret everything as lowercase. For example, searches on Paris, paris and PaRiS will all yield the same results.

If you type more than one word, Google will automatically look for pages that include BOTH words, so you don’t have to type the word and in your search. Keep in mind that the order in which you type the words can make a difference in your results. A search on catacombs vacation might yield some unexpected results!

Many times, however, you will be looking for pages that contain an exact phrase. In those instances, you need to enclose the search phrase in quotes (“). For instance, the search term “Paris Hilton hotel” would enable you to go straight to the site for the world-famous hotel chain without firstseeing tons of pages for the world-famous (ahem) actress.

To exclude a word from your search, just precede it with a dash (-). If you were looking for tickets to unusual museums in Paris, you might enter “Paris museum” tickets -Louvre as your search term.

Sometimes you think you’d have better luck with synonyms. You can get Google to search synonyms by entering a tilde (~) in front of the word. Searching on ~subway Paris will show you results that include the words subway, map, bus, metro, transportation and more.

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Published on October 15, 2016 08:14

July 26, 2016

Upcoming Webinar on Acquiring Audio Rights

Since 2006, I’ve had the dream of publishing my own line of audiobooks. I partially fulfilled that dream in 2014 when I used works in the public domain to start Jewel Audiobooks, my audiobook publishing company. However, I’ve always wanted to publish contemporary titles.


 


I haven’t done so because I don’t know how to acquire the audio rights needed to produce these audiobooks. I’ve extensively researched the topic on-line, and I even bought a book titled How Authors Sell Publishing Rights. Unfortunately, everything I found was vague and didn’t answer my questions.


 


I decided to consult an attorney who specializes in intellectual property and publishing.


 


Even better, why not talk to an attorney who’s also a Grammy-winning audiobook producer!


 


Best idea of all, why not host a webinar so other narrators can learn with me!


 


I’m thrilled to announce that Jessica Kaye will be my guest speaker on the webinar titled How to Acquire Audiobook Rights!
We’re meeting on Tuesday 9 August at 8pm ET/5pm PT, and the cost is $49 per person.

 


Jessica has over 25 years experience in audiobook creation and publishing. She’s the founder of Big Happy Family Audio, an audiobook distribution company, as well as an attorney in the firm Kaye & Mills


 


If you’re interested in learning how to acquire audiobook rights, click here to get more information and to register for the event. I hope to see you there!


 


Karen Commins Presents Webinar How To Acquire Audiobook Rights


 


 


 

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Published on July 26, 2016 08:00

July 25, 2016

How I Met the Love of My Life

A few weeks ago, Drew and I finished narrating the audiobook 125 Ways to Meet the Love of Your Life by Dr. Jan Yager. If I were single and hoping the meet the right person, I would  buy this audiobook in heartbeat!


 


125 Ways to Meet The Love of Your Life


 


Once we finished the production, we were inspired to create a 2:28 video to describe how we met in the style of the interviews from the popular movie When Harry Met Sally. Enjoy!


 






 

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Published on July 25, 2016 10:12