Creating Audiobooks?

The problem with reading is that I can’t multitask. I love stories and books, but reading always competes with my job, children, chores, and even my WIPs. Audiobooks, on the other hand, work really well for me. I also absorb more when I hear things.

I’ve decided I’m going to make an audiobook for This World Bites. It might take me a while, because the microphone I’m using is really good (thanks to my best friend who was a music major in school) and it picks up my daughter’s TV sing-along playing in the background. To avoid having unintentional mood music, I’m going to have to find someplace quiet, which is downright difficult when you have two young kids.

Now, I’m among the people who say, “I hate my voice.” In my opinion, I always sound stuffed up, and my husband has occasionally mixed up my voice with my daughter’s. Yes, I sound like a 4-year-old.

But I’m going to make an audiobook anyways.

Why not use a professional service like ACX? I’ve been considering it. But as an eternal DIYer, I want to give it a try first. I have the resources to do it anyways. And This World Bites is only a novella, which makes it a great candidate for a test project.

So how does this relate to my inability to multitask with my reading?

I’ve decided to turn some of the books I have on my TBR pile into computer-read audiobooks using Balabolka. I’ve listened to two books so far, and I must be getting used to Microsoft David’s voice, because it’s starting to sound natural to me…as if it wasn’t a computer reading to me. Yeah, he doesn’t have much personality in his rendition, but I can at least listen to him while I cut code for my day job.

What’s your opinion of audiobooks? What audiobook services have you heard of? Have you ever wanted to do voice acting?

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