[Michael_J_Sullivan]

More and more I'm hearing from people that they are "reading" my books on audio.  It seems like this format is really gaining momentum - does anyone else see this trend?  What are people's own personal experiences with audio?

 

[WG McCabe]

I haven't put anything on audio yet (I am waiting until after I get my current novella published), but I've been listening to audio books for almost twenty years (11 years at a mind crushing office job, the rest as a truck driver). I love them.

 

[Sapphire]

I am doing a 3-book series with each book capable of being a complete stand-alone. Book 1 is only about 82,000 words, book 2 will be slightly longer, and the length of book 3 remains unknown right now. I have considered waiting and doing all 3 as a single audio. This would be quite long and, therefore, expensive. Is this a good idea or a bad one? Is there a length that is actually too short?

 

[S.A. Mulraney]

I'm in the process of having my first put into audio over on ACX. It's a very exciting (and daunting) format to work in. As with anything, there are folks that swear by the format. Personally, I was a huge fan of the Harry Potter audiobooks (US version), but they spoiled me to others. I still prefer to read books on my own, but if I found myself having a long commute again, I'd probably buy more.

On a side note, does anyone know how they go about pricing audiobooks created through ACX? 

 

[allanairish]

I'm in the process of having my first put into audio over on ACX. It's a very exciting (and daunting) format to work in. As with anything, there are folks that swear by the format. Personally, I was a huge fan of the Harry Potter audiobooks (US version), but they spoiled me to others. I still prefer to read books on my own, but if I found myself having a long commute again, I'd probably buy more.

On a side note, does anyone know how they go about pricing audiobooks created through ACX?

Here's a copy/paste from someone responding over on the kdp forums regarding ACX:

"On Audible.com and Amazon.com the product is generally priced based on its length, as follows:

under 3 hours: under $10
3 - 5 hours: $10 - $20
5 - 10 hours: $15 - $25
10 - 20 hours: $20 - $30
over 20 hours: $25 - 35

The REAL price guideline for works under 3 hours is $6.95 or less, regardless of content or value delivered."

Dara England has audio versions of her shorter works (novelettes?) on Amazon priced at $4.95 with a stated length of 1 hour 45 minutes. Don't know if she went through ACX or not.

I'm planning on getting into this too, and I really wish I could offer serial "episodes" (between an hour and 90 minutes) for about $1.99 or maybe $2.99... but it doesn't look like that's possible with ACX.

 

[vrabinec]

I've listened to a BUNCH of audio books. (I've got a 1 hour commute each way)

I can't wait to do mine. (I love the sound of my own voice, so I'm gonna record all mine...Okay, maybe not LOVE, but I've got a decent voice)

In listening to audio, I've found the pace makes a HUGE difference. Yeah, it's nice to gt a resonous voice, someone who enunciates clearly, but they also have to read the thing with the right pace. I've gotten some where the narrator went a little too slow, and it it gets hypnotic and puts you to sleep.

 

[MorganKegan]

Audiobooks are wonderful, and Amazon has this Whispersync thingy for audiobooks now. Apparently, an added feature of that is that if you already own the ebook, the audiobook is much cheaper. I've been buying the audiobook version of some of my favorite ebooks, to listen to during commutes. It adds a wonderful new aspect to a treasured book. I hope to be able to do the same, some day.

 

[cpasley]

I just bought a microphone and I'm going to try doing an audiobook on my own.  Anybody got any tips for good results?

 

[vrabinec]

I just bought a microphone and I'm going to try doing an audiobook on my own. Anybody got any tips for good results?

Wow, really? How do you keep out outside noise? Doesn't the heater kick on or the dog bark or a plane go by?

 

[cpasley]

Well, I wasn't planning on doing it in one take.   

To be honest, I don't know if it will work out.  But I thought either I spend hundreds I don't have on a studio visit, or $40 on a USB mike and give it a try.  I've seen articles on doing it yourself, so I thought that was fairly common. Perhaps I'll do a chapter and post it here for critiques.

 

[vrabinec]

Don't suppose you'd consider blogging about the experience? I'd follow your blog, so you'd have THAT going for ya!

 

[cpasley]

Ha, sure.  I just ordered the microphone last night, so I'll give it a try once I get it and blog about it.

 

[FrankZubek]

I'm happy with the two books I have in ACX but the problem I find is making the time to market them so that the target audience becomes aware of the work

Beyond twitter and my face book, blog and web page as well as commenting on several threads on CNN ( where curious folks can click on my name and be led to my web page) I'm befuddled.
But I'm not giving up!

 

[vrabinec]

Ha, sure. I just ordered the microphone last night, so I'll give it a try once I get it and blog about it.

Cool!

 

[cpasley]

Cool!

I should also say that I direct videogames in my day job, which has included writing scripts and voice directing, so I have hope that I'll know when something's bad when I hear it. But you never know...

 

[George Berger]

I just bought a microphone and I'm going to try doing an audiobook on my own. Anybody got any tips for good results?

There are a lot of sites still around from the heyday of the podcast craze several years ago that you'll probably find useful; the forums at Podcast Pickle, if they're still around, used to be particularly helpful.

If you want to work with a computer, you'll want a good mic, a good mic preamp or mixer or both, and a good soundcard, bare minimum. A much better option is probably to go with a non-computer recorder (no computer = no fan/HD noise). The Zoom H1 is cheap, and while it won't (easily) produce professional results, if you use it sensibly in a good quiet environment and edit the resulting wav file well, it'll beat the pants off some cheap microphone plugged into a laptop or PC motherboard.

 

[Sapphire]

Any input from anyone on ideal length, too short or too long, from anyone? (See my earlier post on this thread about combining books in a series into one audio.)

 

[Susan Kaye Quinn]

I'm planning on getting into this too, and I really wish I could offer serial "episodes" (between an hour and 90 minutes) for about $1.99 or maybe $2.99... but it doesn't look like that's possible with ACX.

THIS is what I want too! If you figure out how to do it... let me know!

 

[Susan Kaye Quinn]

Any input from anyone on ideal length, too short or too long, from anyone? (See my earlier post on this thread about combining books in a series into one audio.)

I have a trilogy where each work is about 85k (~9hrs audio). I'll be doing them as separate audio books (the first one is in process right now).

 

[Ardin]

I'd love to do audio for my work. Problem is I'm in Canada, and ACX doesn't work outside of the US.
Anyone got any tips for non-US audiobook solutions?