This is not audiobook related - I just needed a sounding board for my thoughts. For most of my life, I thought I wanted the spotlight. What high schooler doesn’t dream of fame? What adult doesn’t then feel intense gratitude that that didn’t happen so that they can live in peace? I still sit somewhere… Continue reading Ramblings of the Unwonderful
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5 Ways to Avoid Burnouts in Audiobooks
As fun and rewarding as narrating audiobooks is, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. So here are some tips to make sure you don’t burn yourself out. BE! REALISTIC! This is the MOST IMPORTANT RULE! When you audition for a book and an author chooses you, they will make you an offer with a… Continue reading 5 Ways to Avoid Burnouts in Audiobooks
What’s In My Studio?
As you may have read, my first “studio” was really just the tiny second bedroom in my house. I set up my desk in the corner, bought some soundproofing foam from Amazon and glued it into the corner of the room, and put a piece of carpet on top of my desk (since it was… Continue reading What’s In My Studio?
Beginner’s Guide to Editing with Audacity
So I tried using Studio One’s editing software. But other than learning a bit about ideal sound settings, I basically spent a month stabbing my eyes out in frustration just to throw in the towel. It just does too much. It’s made for multiple instruments and inputs, like for a full band...or maybe a small… Continue reading Beginner’s Guide to Editing with Audacity
How to Get a Good Recording the First Time
ACX Quality Control team isn’t messing around. If something you’ve recorded isn’t up to snuff, it ain’t getting past them...which has caused me more than my fair share of headaches. Some of it is an easy fix. For example, they require no more than 1 second of silence at the start of each chapter and… Continue reading How to Get a Good Recording the First Time
Where Should I Record?
Good narrating starts with a good recording. And for that, you need a good, quiet spot. If you are not aware of certain things you are doing or of noises around you while you are recording, you will end up doing a lot of re-recording….which is one of the most annoying things in the… Continue reading Where Should I Record?
Audiobooks: The Long and Short of It
Audiobooks vary widely in length, and there’s not really a set definition for what qualifies as a “short” audiobook or a “long” one. My definition is: under 4 hours is short, and over 4 hours is long. Why you might choose to do one over the other depends on a number of things: Your… Continue reading Audiobooks: The Long and Short of It
What Types of Books Should I Narrate?
If that question was any more loaded, it would be illegal on airplanes. We could talk about how different books pay you, the tone they are looking for, accents, genres, etc. The best answer I have is the heinous cliche, “It depends”, but I will tell you what I know about each of the genres… Continue reading What Types of Books Should I Narrate?
Audiobooks and Getting Paid: Royalties vs PFH
The whole reason that I started narrating audiobooks was because there was potential for it to be lucrative AND I thought I’d enjoy it. If it was missing either of those two ingredients, it wouldn’t have been worth my time. As I mentioned in a previous post, I was most attracted to it as… Continue reading Audiobooks and Getting Paid: Royalties vs PFH
Start Narrating Audiobooks with $50 and 5 Steps
Before you go all-out a drop a few thousand on soundproofing foam, headphones, a microphone, and an audio interface, you better make sure you actually like recording audiobooks! So to get started, START SMALL with these 5 steps. 1. Make an account on ACX.com This is such an AMAZING place to start. I’m actually… Continue reading Start Narrating Audiobooks with $50 and 5 Steps