Audiobooks?

Do you think that companies which specialise in publishing audio books would bother if they didn't make money?

However, they do invest plenty of money in hiring talented readers, and producing quality recordings: self-published writers who attempt to make their own recordings might not find it quite so lucrative.

I think it's an interesting idea, self-publishing an audiobook to go with the self-published book. The equipment's pretty cheap, and if one is a lousy reader, there's probably someone in the local community theater who'd love to do it for a few sheckles.

So far as equipment, all you need is a quality microphone, a PC and the proper software.

Ulead makes a sound editing software that allows you to record stuff, and then cut and splice the audio for good results. At least they use to make it. I haven't used that type of software in years.

So, in essense, I could record myself saying:

"I saw Jack running up the hill with Jill."

"They fell down."

"And broke their crowns."

I could record myself saying those several times and use the software to splice the best results together, change the pitch, remove background noise, etc.

It was really good sofware and it might even be freeware these days.

If I had the microphone, I might be willing to find the right software and try to experiement with a first chapter or such.

Offering a reading for free of hte first chapter of a book might be a good way to drive up sales as well.

This thread is old, but I thought I'd add that I've just done an audio excerpt from my short collection of flash-fic pieces, Our Children Are Not Our Children.

I used an inexpensive Blue Snowball mic and GarageBand, with copyright-free music in the background, so the expense was minimal.

Thinking of doing the whole collection and offering it for a couple of bucks...

Have you looked at the audible book creation exchange?

http://www.acx.com/

Kris

I researched this a couple of weeks ago, and the consensus that I found is that most authors do not have the professional skill to make good audiobooks of their own work. Think about all that goes into it: pacing, timing (two different things), being able to differentiate the characters' voices and do so consistently, being absolutely certain you know how to correctly pronounce each and every word you use, avoiding odd clicks, sighs, throat clearings, hoarseness. Even though I have experience as a reader at my church (and from all accounts, I'm good at it), I decided that I'm not good enough to record my own book. An amateurish recording would only hurt it in the long run.

Just my opinion. YMMV

There's a reason some people earn great money working as voiceover artists.

I've heard a few audio versions produced by amateurs. They weren't impressive, I'm afraid.

(I think that PublishAmerica offered audio versions for a ridiculous price a while ago, and it was likely that they were using a computer's text-to-speech facility to produce them. Wowsers.)