AudioBook – a How-To
The audiobook cover of APS – it’s square!
If you’ve ever wondered how all those audiobooks on Audible, and iTunes, and your local library, get made … well I can’t tell you exactly how they got made, but I can tell you how mine did.
Write, re-write, get edits, re-write, get proofreading done, make corrections, source image, commission cover, code eBook, create paperback, put book up for sale, grow readership … etc. Basically, publish the book!
So, a few people like the book? Why not make an audiobook?
Think about it for a long time. Put it on your to-get-around-to list. Read every blog post you see on audiobooks. Visit some audiobook sites.
Finally get off your butt and ask your American friend and colleague (and great writer – seriously, read her stuff) Mara Dabrishus if she’ll be your audiobook publisher since ACX won’t let Canadians publish with them.
Mara says yes. Oh. Wow. Guess it’s time to do this thing.
Listen to a bunch of narrators. Search by age, accent, style, etc. Listen some more.
Find Cody Schreger. Go to her website. Listen to her commercial voiceovers. Think “this woman could never be my narrator … could she?” Email Cody. Freak out when she says Yes.
Mess around with an online contract, while Cody records five minutes of the book. Decide you’re both happy with the contract, and you’re happy (ecstatic) with Cody’s recording.
Go! Cody is in Brooklyn, New York recording your book (so weird).
Cody sends all the files back to you, and you listen in a bizarre, surreal way to your book being read by a professional narrator, and sometimes you forget it’s your own book …
Still – stay alert, notice errors (hardly any), note them down.
Send corrections to Cody, Cody does corrections, Cody resends files …
… files go to Mara (who has already, brilliantly, turned your book cover into a square as required by ACX.
Mara uploads, presses publish, and now, today …
Appaloosa Summer is published as an audiobook.
(Here’s a sample!)
http://tudorrobins.ca/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Appaloosa-Summer-Retail-Sample.mp3
Now comes the selling part.
If you’re already an Audible user, I would love it if you could download Appaloosa Summer.
If you’re not, but have been thinking about trying Audible – even better (in a way) – if you sign up for a free thirty-day trial, and Appaloosa Summer is the first book you choose, I get a “bounty” (their term) payment of $50US. Which would be very useful in helping me get Wednesday Riders recorded … just sayin’
I’d love to hear from you – do you like audiobooks? If so, when do you listen to them? If not, why haven’t you tried them yet? Send me any of your audiobook thoughts!
