I want to create an Audiobook - should I?
Ever since the release of book one in the "Cannabis Preacher" series of thrillers, that question has been on my mind.
The "Cannabis Preacher" books were quite long. To
produce an audiobook from each of the four, including voice actors and audio
production with a turn key service, I was looking at around $15,000 per book. Financially, that was a
non-starter for me at the time. That amount represented a LOT of books and audiobooks to sell to recover the investment, and I shelved my plan again.
With the popularity of the "Magical Papillon" cozy mystery series, I found myself coming back to the growing popularity of audiobooks. I knew that audiobooks could reach a wider audience and catered to busy readers who prefer listening while multitasking. The idea of bringing my characters to life through narration excited me, as it offered a new dimension to my storytelling.
The cozy mysteries were only 60-65,000 words each, so suddenly that sounded doable.
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Initial Attempts
In a moment of enthusiasm, I thought, "Why not do it myself?" Indeed, why not? All it was, was talking into a microphone, right? Wrong. My first attempt involved wearing the famous white earbud microphones and reading off my phone screen. That didn't last long. Realizing I needed a better setup, I invested in a slightly improved microphone, positioning it beside my laptop to read from the screen. This approach was marginally better, but still far from professional quality.
A Fortunate Encounter
Fortunately, around that time, I had to make a quick trip to Europe to settle a few things after both my parents' deaths. While it wasn't a fun trip by any means, it presented an unexpected opportunity. My brother, a master broadcaster, podcaster, and journalist, became my unlikely audiobook mentor.
With a mix of trepidation and hope, I packed up my files and mustered the courage to explain my audiobook project to him. After one listen to my recordings, he probably cringed inside - though to his credit, he kept it there. It turned out I was doing everything wrong: the room, the setup, the microphone, the reading positioning... everything.
This moment was sobering but also encouraging. As my brother compiled a list of "good" beginner equipment, I was looking at an investment of about $500. That seemed doable, right? He emphasized repeatedly that I should invest in proper voice acting training, the same kind he'd undergone when training as a broadcaster. (Imagine turning on the radio and hearing your brother!)
In typical fashion, I decided to wing it. How hard could it be? After all, I had written those books. I knew how they should sound. Armed with my brother's equipment recommendations and a renewed determination, I returned home ready to elevate my audiobook game.
The Reality Check
I set up my new equipment on the dining room table, opened "Whispers in the Attic" on my reader, and got started. I was doing this... or so I believed. The results were deflating. When I showed the first recorded files to my brother, he had more suggestions. The large dining room was causing sound to bounce off the walls and ceiling, creating weird echoes. My delivery was too quiet and too flat.
I found myself at a crossroads - I could give up or dig in. Choosing the latter, I turned to YouTube and discovered hundreds of videos on audiobook narration. I listened, learned, and made a commitment: I would dedicate an hour every morning to recording, no matter what.
Reality quickly set in. In the beginning, I could only read for about 10 minutes at a time before making mistakes, stumbling, and getting frustrated. Fine, I thought. I'd do several 10-minute sessions instead.
In the meantime, I took those initial files I had created and taught myself to work with them. How do I cut out mistakes? How do I insert a pause? The learning curve was steep, but I was determined to master these technical aspects of audiobook production.
Refining the Setup
I bought a microphone stand with a tray to hold my 4-track recorder (essentially a tiny little podcasting studio). I attached a crossbar to the top of the stand and hung a thick moving blanket from it to block echoes. Still adhering to my original plan, I recorded every single day, eventually working myself up to 20-minute sessions.
Required loudness was an issue. I had to speak a bit louder and open the microphone gain - without capturing the birds outside. When I had read through my book for the first time, I was still disappointed with the final files. It didn't sound "right"; it didn't sound like the story had in my head when I wrote it.
Persistence Pays Off
So I started over again. I realized that putting recording equipment away every day and bringing it out again the next created subtle differences in the recording that were unacceptable. I searched for a spot in my house where I could leave my recording equipment up constantly. The guest room? Good choice.
I also learned to 'watch my back' - recording in front of a solid wall or window will create weird echoes and sound reflections. Then I found the ideal spot: In front of a large sliding door closet stuffed with out-of-season winter coats. Slide open the door - and I am speaking in front of a nice softly cushioned background. This was it, and that is the setup I use today.
Even the second read-through of my book was not 100% what I was looking for - the third one was finally "it". I was creating files I felt I could ask my brother to process for ACX, the audiobook exchange. I knew how to re-speak a sentence I was not happy with and cut it out relatively quickly. This is the version you hear today when you listen to the audiobook.
Meanwhile, my brother created a custom processing preset that includes several steps of EQ and compression, tailored specifically for my setup and speaking style.
The Final Stretch
My brother worked out how to process my files to meet the requirements of the audiobook exchange (ACX), which was no small feat despite all of his experience and training. There was a moment when he had processed the sound "too clean" - we learned that ACX actually prefers a small amount of background noise rather than absolute silence.
Meanwhile, I prepared the visual aspect, squaring up my book
cover to meet ACX specifications. With all elements in place, I uploaded my
files and entered a ten-day waiting period.
Publication and Celebration
There was one final hurdle: I had to make an adjustment in the intro, removing a one-liner summary of the book that apparently wasn't allowed. After making this last-minute edit, I resubmitted and waited anxiously.
Finally, the moment arrived - I received notice that all files were approved and ready for sale on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. "Whispers in the Attic," book one in the Magical Papillon series of cozy mysteries, was now available as an audiobook!
The journey from concept to published audiobook was a long 4 months and filled with challenges, but the satisfaction of hearing my words brought to life made it all worthwhile. To anyone considering this path: it's a lot of work, but it's also incredibly rewarding. Don't be afraid to learn, adapt, and most importantly, keep going even when things get tough.
Check it out and let me know what you think!
"Whispers in the Attic", Book one in the magical Papillon series of Cozy Mysteries, now as an Audiobook on Amazon, Audible and Itunes.
(Remember to update the links to your country specific store if you are outside of the US)
If you are an Author...
After my success in going from zero to audio hero my brother and I decided to offer the process the equipment list, the advice and the audio processing as a service. If you are an author interested going down that road, drop me a line! We can always have an initial zoom call to see if and how we could help you achieve the same.
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