FROM PAGE TO PERFORMANCE: The Making of an Audiobook

by Guest Blogger Joanne Bischof.

Hi everyone! Joanne Bischof here, and it’s my joy to give you a bit of a peek into the process of a print book being turned into an audiobook production. For my upcoming novella, This Quiet Sky, I’ve had the privilege of teaming up with narrator Gail Shalan and today, she’s giving us a peek behind the scenes...    

 J: Welcome Gail and thank you for giving us a look into your production process! When you’re considering a project, what factors are important to you in deciding?

G: I look at a few components when deciding on a project:

  1.What is the pay scale and length of the project? I’m a freelance actor as well, and really came about narration as a delightful engagement of my various skills and talents in financial support of my acting career. I tend to work on paid-per-finished-hour rates only, unless a book has exceptional sales and marketing prospects and/or the author has a strong following, in which case I might consider a royalty-share contract or work out a small stipend between the Right’s Holder and myself.

2. Who is the Right’s Holder and what kind of artistic relationship might I develop through producing their book? I prefer to work with an author who likes to collaborate, start a conversation, give good feedback, and one who has enthusiasm for the audio book medium and shows a drive to market not only their book in general, but specifically the audio book version.

3. What is my impression of the manuscript itself? When self-publishing is attainable to virtually anyone, the quality of work can vary strongly (as can the quality of work on the narrator front in an open forum like ACX…. It does work both ways!), so I look into the manuscript with a critical eye. I always read the full manuscript before accepting a contract to make sure that there are no drastic, potentially offensive, turns or surprises. Sometimes a sample text is not always representative of the full body of work. I am mindful of my audience and my own sensibility as an artist. While they are not my words, I do speak them and put my name on the project. For me, there is nothing more offensive than poor editing or a lack thereof.

4. How much do I already have on my plate? Can I feasibly turn this project around in the desired time requested by the Rights Holder at the tiptop level of performance and production value. This is a judgment call I am learning to make with each new project.

J: Wow… so many factors to consider. Now that I’ve listened to the work you do, and with all of our back-and-forth emails, I see now what an extensive undertaking each project and performance really is. Once you have a project on the table, what kind of prep work do you do before recording even begins?

 G: When I am offered a contract, I will read the manuscript head to toe. Here I start to make notes on characters, relationships, places, time period, dialects, pronunciation, etc. Then I will do research; brush up on specific dialects, create an image board of inspiration, listen to similar audio books or films in genre and mood. I’ll touch base with the author to get their notes and ideas. Then I begin highlighting each character’s dialogue in a color-coordinated system, consistent throughout the manuscript. I also make more detailed note of any clues in the text as to pitch, cadence, contrast and dialect for each character. I might make vocal samples of characters too, so I can keep track and make sure each one is distinct from the rest. I try to create a rough production timeline for myself as well. Then I dive into recording the first fifteen-minute sample for the author to listen to.  

J: I’ve been so blessed by Gail’s attention to detail with characters and her openness to my input and even inviting me to send examples, particularly for the hero of the story, Tucker. After we chatted about his different personality traits, Gail was able to hone in on just the kind of sound Tucker might have had which was really fun. Speaking of performances … in what ways does narrating a book differ from acting on stage?

G: In many ways it is a very different form of work, although it employs many of the skills I developed via my classical acting training. The primary similarity is that I am story telling in both situations. The primary difference is that theatre is always a collaborative, social art form and narration can be rather solitary. Even when an author is very involved in the process, communication is still all by email or phone at best; it’s usually just me and all the voices in my head in the studio. It’s just a much more distant connection to your collaborators and audience than theatre is, and even more than film as well. Don’t get me wrong: even though I’m an actor because I’m a social artist, I’ve always loved reading aloud with many funny voices, especially when someone will listen. As an awkward tween, I spent many a day staring up at the ceiling of my bedroom listening to Jim Dale read the Harry Potter series, or Laura Hamilton read Judy Blume, or any fantastical fantasy I could find on audio cassette tape (!!!) at the library that week, wishing I could grow up to do exactly what those people did. So really, I’m living the dream!

J: What a fun memory! That sounds like how my kids are now with their favorite audiobooks. And what a great testimony to growing up and doing something that you love. Now with your own recordings, can you share a little about your studio space?

G: Sure! I have a home studio in a corner of my little apartment in Somerville, MA. I designed and built it myself, and tweak it with every project as I learn more about the technical aspects of recording. Although I’ve done several books, I’ve only been at this for a little over a year, and I’ve moved three times, so every space has very different acoustics and white noise that I must take into account. But basically I have a corner of a room that is in the middle of the house without windows (away from traffic) that I’ve covered with sound absorbing foam. I speak into a portable box also padded with this foam and elevated at the level of my face when I’m sitting on a back free stool. Then I’ve hung a thick canvas to block out any extra noise. Inside the box is my microphone that attaches by USB cable to my Macbook strategically placed outside of my studio to minimize computer fan noise. I use a free recording and editing software called audacity and edit most of my work myself via that program.

 J: Now I’m terribly curious: When working on a project, what are three of your must-haves?

1. A tall glass of water.
2. A mug of Throat Coat tea.
3. A proper night’s sleep.

J: Does each project come together in pretty much the same way, or were there any challenges or unique factors that arose for This Quiet Sky?

 G: We are in the beginning of production with This Quiet Sky, but so far it’s been one of my best experiences yet. The author, Joanne Bischof, is so supportive and communicative. She responds almost immediately if I have a question or when I upload a chapter, with detailed positive and critical feedback. This is a very smooth process, thus far. Every collaborator is slightly different, as is the material we are working with, but This Quiet Sky has been a dream since Joanne contacted me about auditioning for her book. This is my first project where I’ve recorded a book before it’s release in print, so I’m really excited to see how listeners/readers receive the book. 

J: Why thanks! It’s been a fantastic experience for this author! And now out of curiosity, do you have any funny quirks that appear as you work? 

G: Sometimes when I work with dialects, they will pop up in my every day. I just wrapped a workshop of a play with a Midwestern accent and I’m now onto this subtle Southern collection for This Quiet Sky, so while I’ve lived most of my life in New England, friends and family are getting a lilt-y drawl every now and again. My daily vocabulary and syntax can sometimes also reflect the manuscript I spend all day reading and listening to. Again, it’s a very solitary process. And, a lot more knitting and laundry folding get done in my house during the editing process; mindless, noiseless activities that can be put down quickly to make a cut while I listen.

J: So fun! Gail… thank you for joining all of us and for answering my questions today. It’s been a pleasure! I am so blessed to have you narrating This Quiet Sky and I’m so excited for readers and listeners to be able to enjoy your performance. And a very special thank you to Seekerville for being our host!

AND NOW ... TAKE A LISTEN TO A BRIEF EXCERPT FROM JOANNE'S NEW BOOK!

GIVEAWAY!!

A question for you readers: What do you think about the process behind an audiobook? Do you have any book-on-tape memories from your own childhood?  Leave a comment and be entered for your choice of a paperback or audiobook copy of This Quiet Sky.

***

For more on This Quiet Sky you can visit
Joanne's Website

or find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Audibook - coming this December to Amazon/Audible!

ABOUT THIS QUIET SKY:

There is nothing extraordinary about 

Tucker O’Shay’s dreams. 

Go to college. Become president. 
Fall in love. 

And pretend like he has 
enough time to get it all done. 

Sixteen-year-old Sarah Miller doesn’t expect anything out of the ordinary when she begins her first day at the one-room-school house in her new hometown of Rocky Knob. But when she meets seventeen-year-old Tucker O’Shay—the boy with the fatal illness who volunteers to tutor her in algebra—she finds herself swept up in a friendship that changes the way she sees the world and a love that changes her life. 

ABOUT JOANNE BISCHOF:

Christy Award-finalist, Joanne Bischof, has a deep passion for Appalachian culture and writing stories that shine light on God's grace and goodness. She lives in the mountains of Southern California with her husband and their three children. You can visit her website at www.joannebischof.com

Behind the Scenes of Audiobook Production

with guest Nancy Kimball.

I’m honored to be here in Seekerville today, sharing a glimpse behind the curtain at how my debut novel Chasing the Lion was brought to life on audiobook. The process was an amazing experience, even with its rather steep learning curve, and one I hope every author has the opportunity to experience at least once. Hearing your hero’s voice aloud for the first time is as surreal as holding your very first finished book in your hands. As the audiobook industry continues to grow, helped along as publishing was by the digital conversion, I believe more and more authors will have this opportunity. To minimize that learning curve for others, and because it’s just sooooooo cool, let’s walk through how Lion went from finished novel to finished audiobook. And of course give away some audiobooks too!

 

Step. 1 Welcome to ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange)

Listing my novel on ACX was very easy. The interface is simple to navigate, and all that is required is you are the rights holder and the title is available for sale at Amazon.  I selected the type of production deal I wanted, male or female narrator, voice style, and uploaded the audition script I selected. Then I awaited auditions. That’s how ACX works. Rights holders list their projects, narrators and producers search through them, looking for those they want to audition for.

Author/Publisher Tip: Choose the scene most critical to you the narrator get absolutely right. One with high emotion, dialogue from one or more characters, and has both a male and female voice represented, is even better.

Step 2. Auditions

Avid audiobook listeners know the narrator makes or breaks the audiobook. A poor fit in style and/or a poor performance will hurt even the most compelling of novels, so keep this in mind as you evaluate auditions. The first time I heard Joseph Narducci’s reading, I was rendered speechless and in awe. Joseph didn’t just completely capture the emotion of the scene, but I also sensed he just “was” my hero. I was completely BLOWN AWAY!

Author/Publisher Tip: Keep in mind that not only does the narrator need to deliver your scene and characters well, but you will likely be working closely with this individual over an extended period of time so choose someone you can also have good rapport with.

 
 Step 3. Production

Once terms are accepted and delivery deadline set through ACX, production can begin. To give you an idea of how long this part takes, ACX requires a minimum of 60 days for the narrator to produce the work. The full manuscript is delivered to the narrator, who then records the first fifteen minutes for approval. Once that step is done, the narrator will notify you when the rest of the book is complete, or when each new chapter is posted.

My narrator worked closely with me on each chapter as he recorded them, clarifying pronunciation, making certain I was happy with each new voice that was being added, auditioning options for a character’s voice or accent where needed. Joseph welcomed direction, but rarely needed it as his own interpretations were consistently in line with my vision. There were a few lines and scenes here and there I requested changes to, and one chapter we chose to completely rerecord because I hadn’t adequately articulated the first time what I wanted. These “chisels” as he called them, required patience and good communication, but yielded an even stronger final product. I was continually amazed at how Joseph brought out layers in my story and further depth to my characters than even I knew was there.

So I’m not creating an unrealistic expectation of other narrators, it’s worth noting this level of collaboration Joseph prefers is very normal for him, but well above industry standard. A quality narrator can take the text and independently produce a fine audiobook that is uploaded all at once (still in individual chapter files.)

Author/Publisher Tip: For performance feedback or direction, utilizing the comment feature in MS Word, highlighting the relevant text and commenting in the margin, similar to when critiquing/editing, is very efficient. You can save time for your narrator by also noting at what minute and second mark (time stamp) that portion of text is in the recording.

BONUS Author/Publisher Tip: Be open to the idea that when the narrator’s interpretation of a bit of dialogue or scene differs from yours, his or her version may be best for the audiobook. Your narrator is a cold reader with fresh perspective, as listeners will be, so after the shock of the difference, listen again and consider why it may have been interpreted that way before requesting a change.

 

Step 4. Finishing Touches and Release

Audiobook cover images have different size and layout requirements than ebook and print covers. I brought back my talented cover designer Alexandre Rito to design the audiobook cover for Chasing the Lion. We kept it close to the original, but included Joseph’s name and credit line. Narrators don’t expect this, but I think it very fitting to do so if the author is able.

I set aside a weekend to do one full top to bottom listen of all chapters, caught only three things to chisel, and enjoyed my audiobook start to finish for the first time. Once again, it was like watching the movie with my eyes closed. After Joseph did a final audio balance and polish, we each clicked “approved” on our respective sides of ACX and celebrated.

From that point, ACX does its own quality control and upload to the distribution channels as well as assigns all pricing. This can take several weeks so beware of committing to a specific release date on social media and publicity material. Once you get the email the book is posted for sale on Audible, let the social media and newsletter blast commence. And be VERY proud.
 

I couldn’t write an article like this without asking Joseph to be a part of it. He graciously agreed to an interview, because he’s awesome like that.

What do you find most rewarding about producing audiobooks?

As a performer, I love the process of immersing myself in the story, crafting the characters’ voices, and discovering the layers of the story through the performance as if I was in it myself. The performance plays out in my mind like a movie. It’s easy to get swept up into the work and I love it. Above all, bringing the story to life, job #1 for an audiobook narrator, is a joy for me.

What is the most challenging part of the process?

The production aspect. An incredible amount of patience is required with editing, levels, studio software, and so forth. These are the common challenges for anyone in audio production. Not to mention uncontrollable factors like outside sounds infiltrating my home studio. Barking dogs, helicopters, planes, church bells, and if my stomach growls during a session, LOL. My mic hears all things and so many times I have to recut. But as I continue to upgrade my gear and find new ways to overcome those things, the producer side continues to grow more efficient. I love the narrating side so much, they balance each other well.

What is one thing about producing an audiobook it might surprise listeners to learn?

That’s a great question. I suppose listeners might be surprised by how much time it can take to make an audiobook. I can read a chapter of a book in no time, but to craft that chapter into an audio form can take several hours from performing to producing.

***Nancy breaking in to say this is very true, and not just for Joseph. Author and narrator Becky Doughty of BraveHeart Audiobooks shared this on her blog recently. ACX estimates it requires an average of six hours to produce one finished hour of narration.

Do you have a favorite scene or character from Chasing the Lion’s audiobook?

Wow… that is a tough one. Lion took me totally by surprise. In fact in several chapters I found myself profoundly moved. This emotion at times blended with the performance in ways I couldn’t have planned. I mean, the story resonates with anyone who faces the lions in their own life. So choosing a favorite scene is tough! Without adding any spoilers, my favorite character is Jonathan. His mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual journey was just hardcore powerful. The range of his encounters, both positive and negative, coupled with his transformation was very satisfying for me both as a narrator and a person. I believed his story, and the hope found within it.


I hope you enjoyed this inside look at audio production. Are you an audiobook fan? What do you like about audiobooks? Any pet peeves you care to share? 

 

Joseph Narducci’s passion for excellence and attention to detail are evidenced in his twenty years’ experience in professional acting, voice-over and production. He is most well-known for his work with Turning Point with David Jeremiah (2005 to present), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) and To Save a Life (2009.) He enjoys reading, martial arts, and some strange fascination with garden gnomes from his home in San Diego, California.










  Author, avid reader, and shameless hero addict, Nancy Kimball loves books, Ancient Rome, and all things gladiator. She is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Contest Finalist, and former president of her local ACFW chapter, Writers on the Storm. She makes her home in Houston, Texas with one very spoiled pitbull mix named Eric T. and still doesn’t understand the point of white crayons. Visit her official website, nancykimball.com, to learn more about Chasing the Lion and hear an excerpt from the audiobook






 Leave a comment and let us know if you want your name in the lion's dish for a free download of Nancy Kimball's audiobook of Chasing the Lion. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition!

Chasing the Lion

From the blood-soaked sand of the Roman arena, a divine destiny will rise. 

For as long as Jonathan Tarquinius can remember, everyone has wanted something from him. His half brother wants him dead. His master’s wife wants his innocence. The gladiator dealers want him to fight—and die—for their greed. Rome’s most famous prostitute wants his love. And the gentle slave girl who tends the wounds on his body and the hidden ones on his soul longs for him to return to his faith.

What Jonathan wants is simple. Freedom. But God wants something from Jonathan too—something more than anyone would ever imagine. The young warrior’s journey will push him to the limits of human endurance and teach him that true freedom is found within. The greatest battle Jonathan must ever fight will not come in the arena, but deep within himself as he is forced to choose between vengeance and mercy—with the fate of an empire and the life of the woman he loves hanging in the balance.

Day of Rest/Audible.com/Valentine's Day

Sandra here with a steaming pot of chocolate velvet coffee, hot chocolate or a kettle of water on for a variety of teas to choose from.  Grab a cup and let’s chat.  I have three topics I want to discuss.

How is your new year coming so far?

One thing about January, you have made all those resolutions and you have set new goals. You are on your way to becoming the best author on the planet and you’ve written above and beyond your quota for the month.

Start of nine mile hike Picos de Europa National Park, Spain

Is anyone raising their hand?

Yes!  We are smiling just as I’m sure you are smiling.

But let me ask this question--at what cost?

The end of the month is coming up. SpeedBo is on its way. And we’re running at full speed.

But have we forgotten something?

My fervent wish for you is that you haven’t forgotten your first love.

The cross at Fatima, Portugal

And this thought seems to be the club I’m getting hit over the head with lately.

Seek HIM FIRST. Then all else will fall into place.  You know I have heard that so many times, but this month it seems to finally be sinking down from my head and into my heart.

I can write lists, check them off and keep on truckin’ but to be honest, I don’t see results unless I SIT QUIET and LISTEN and WAIT.  Which seems so opposite of what I think I must do.  And the amazing thing is, when I do SIT QUIET and LISTEN and WAIT things go so smooth that it takes my breath away.  And things happen that I don’t even plan for.  Does the story of Martha and Mary resonate with you?

So the wisdom I’m hoping to impart here is to go for your goals, but remember to stop and sit quiet and listen. This is the time to pray and meditate.

Beach at Matacanas National Preserve, Spain

“So God Blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done.”  Genesis 2:3   New American Bible

Now if God needs a day of rest--so do you.

And if you leave a comment relevant to this subject you can be included into a drawing for a copy of JESUS CALLS by Sarah Young.  This is a daily devotional that really helps me stay grounded.

Okay, now for the next topic of discussion.

Audible.com and Audible CX.

I am on such a learning curve with the audio books.  I just finished listening to Mary Connealy’s SWEPT AWAY and loved it.  I have discovered that I really love the audio books.  Mind you, they don’t replace that good time feeling you get when you have a real book in your hand, but I rarely have time for that anymore. And when I do sit down to read, I fall asleep.  Now there’s my age telling on me. chuckle

So audio books are a wonderful solution.  And as you read in an earlier post of mine, I have been in the process of putting my books into audio format.

If anyone is thinking of doing this, you will want this information I recently learned.

Typical of me, I have been learning some aspects of the program the hard way. For example, every time I go into audible.com and look up my first audio book, LOVE’S MIRACLES, it shows for sale for $1.99.  I’m thinking, wow, what a screaming deal. But I don’t know why it is at that price.  Unlike KDP (ebook indie pubbing) I don’t set the price to sell my audio.  AudioCX sets the price.  So I have been afraid to advertise that price because I have no idea how long they are going to offer at that price.  I did put it on Facebook once.  And thankfully only once.  So I thought I better call audio and find out the scoop.  Thankfully I did because the reason I can buy the audio for $1.99 is because I have the ebook.  So any of you who bought or downloaded for free the Kindle version of LOVE’S MIRACLES can get it for that price.  Actually you can get bargain prices on any audio title that you already have the ebook copy as long as you have an audible.com account.

Am I the only dummy out here or is this news to any of you?

The other information I learned is that when an audio book is published, the reviews you have for the ebook or print book do not roll into audible.com.  Audible.com wants their own reviews because not only are you getting a review for the story, but also for the narrator.  In other words the narrator is an equally important element of an audio book as the author’s story. And this is true. I have heard some audio books that might have been great books, but the narrator was so annoying I couldn’t even finish listening to the whole selection.

So when I asked the the support technician (his name was Justin and he, like the rest of his staff, was wonderful) why the reviews weren’t there and he explained the above rationale, he asked me why I didn’t get reviews.  Evidently I was supposed to get 25 free copies to send to reviewers. Because I was in Spain when my audio version came out, I didn’t get them.

Guess what?  I now have 25 codes to give away 25 free audio copies of LOVE’S MIRACLES if anyone wants to commit to writing a review.

And another exciting bit of news.  LOVE’S REFUGE  just came out in audible.com.  Now it will take a couple weeks for the pricing to sync up with Amazon so you won’t see the reduced price yet.  But all of you who downloaded a free copy of LOVE’S REFUGE will soon be able to get the audio at the reduced price also.

And since LOVE’S REFUGE is now available in audio, I have 25 free audio copies to give away to anyone who wants to commit to writing a review of it.  If you didn’t obtain a free download of the kindle version of LOVE’S REFUGE on Christmas or New Year’s it is available for free tomorrow--January 29th.  (Sorry, it was supposed to be free today but there was a glitch so it will be tomorrow-hopefully)

Just for your information, if you’ve already written a review you won’t have to rewrite the review of the story. You can use the same information, but they do want your opinion of the narrator.

Rachel Fuginiti narrated both versions.  We interviewed her on Seekerville in October in the article The World of Audio CX.  So we are both interested in those reviews.

If you would be willing to listen and write a review contact me and I will send you the promo code to obtain the free audio.

• Go to my website contact page
• Fill in Name and email (No need to fill out all the other info)
• In the comment section put down which ebook you want to review. 
• I will email you instructions and promo code to obtain free audio 

Now for the last topic of discussion.  

What wonderful romantic holiday is on the horizon?

VALENTINE’S DAY

This is a terrific holiday to give a gift to those special women in your lives. And to request a special gift from Mr. Wonderful. Its traditional to give cards. Also chocolate. And flowers.

But I have another idea.

What better gift than to give a romance novel? Well an autographed romance novel is better.

The advantages of giving that special someone a romance novel:

• It is romantic and filled with love
• It costs less than a greeting card and stamp (stamps just went up in price again)
• It lasts longer than a greeting card and stamp
• It isn’t fattening like chocolate
• It doesn’t fade away like flowers
• It puts your special someone in a good mood
• It supports your fellow authors
• It supports your industry

If you comment on this topic you will be in for a drawing of a Seeker book of your choice.  I have some print copies on hand or you can choose an ebook.

The city of Glendale really knows how to celebrate this holiday.  The weekend before Valentine's Day, they put on a wonderful fair called the Chocolate Affair.  The Carerra Chocolate Factory is located in Glendale and they sponsor booths and pass out chocolate. The Valley of the Sun RWA romance writers provide a booth to sell books and feature authors to sign them. They also provide workshops for aspiring authors.  Tina and I will be giving workshops and signing books. So if you are in the area, please stop by and pick up an autographed book for that special friend.

The Glendale Chocolate Affair

Happy writing. And happy resting.

THE WORLD OF AUDIO CX-INTERVIEW AND GIVEAWAYS

Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday to us, Happy Birthday dear Seekers, Happy Birthday to us.

Yep, this is our birthday month and I am so excited to be celebrating again.  Miss Tina advised us that the theme this month would be what I learned since getting "The Call.”  I don’t know about you, but the list is really long. So I decided on the most recent and exciting thing I learned would be the topic for today’s post.

At RWA in Atlanta this summer, I went to a workshop about audio books. I was not really that interested. I mean I haven’t really listened to audio books, but it was presented by my publisher and authors who have published audio books, so I thought I should go. It turned out to be one of the most impressive workshops I attended. And it inspired me to publish LOVE'S MIRACLES as an audio book.

The author presenters of the workshop had published several audio books with Audio CX and were touting how the audio book business was growing, largely because of the popularity of iTunes, iPods, tablets and smart phones. These electronic devices make it so easy and convenient to download and listen to an audio book. Add to that mix, the busy schedules of our purchasing population and we have a hot item. Picture these people listening to books as they commute to work, hike in the mountains, push the baby stroller in the park, jog down the lane, or bicycle along the old railroad tracks.

The presenters that work with Audio CX were personable, excited about their product and guaranteed that making an audio book was an easy process. They are correct. My part has been easy and fun. The tech support that the Audio CX team offers is excellent. They are readily available and willing to walk you through the process.

If you have the audio rights to a book, it is well worth looking into. You simply go to My Account on Amazon, find the tab “Independently Publish With US” which is way at the bottom. Then scroll to the bottom of those choices and you will find the button for Audio CX.

The webpage is extremely user friendly with precise and clear directions. I mean, I was able to follow them, so that tells you how simple and easy they are. (Keep quiet Miss Tina) Not only are the directions easy and clear, there is a tech support phone number and these people are awesome. They gladly help you with every little detail.

The first thing you need to do is find a narrator. They call them audio actors and Audio CX has hundreds listed in folders. You click on the folders and listen to recorded samples. Each artist lists their specialty genre and what they are willing to record. As you scroll through the list, you are able to click on sample narrations. I must warn you that this can be addictive. It is rather fascinating to listen to all the different voices.

When you hear the voice you think fits with your novel, you can email that person through the website and ask if they are interested in auditioning. If they say yes, you send a few sample pages and they make a sample recording for you to hear. I listened to several auditions and selected Rachel Fulginiti because I liked the deep sound of her voice and I liked the inflections she gave each of the characters. Her voice fit my images of LOVE'S MIRACLES.

Rachel Fulginiti

Working with Rachel has been the best part of the whole audio process. We signed a contract and she recorded the manuscript in three weeks. I really like how she interpreted Love’s Miracles. Rachel agreed to answer a few questions about her end of the process.

1. Can you tell us the process involved in producing (or narrating) an audio book?

Rachel:  I read the book through once for content/storyline, making notes about the characters and underlining any words I'm unfamiliar with. Next I go through the script a second time, researching pronunciations and deciding on character voices.
Then I begin recording. I engineer and direct myself as I'm recording and end up with an un-proofed but complete version of the entire book. I then send those files to a proofer to listen through while following along the script, noting any mistakes I've made or extraneous noises that make the audio unusable. The proofer creates a list of all the things that needs to be fixed, sends it back to me and I do "pickups", where I re-do any lines, as necessary. After that, post production does a finer edit and masters the tracks. Then it's a finished audiobook! 

2. You have mentioned using a production studio, can you explain why you need a production studio?

Rachel:  I don't necessarily need to use a production studio, but I choose to, mostly because of time. I'm so busy narrating that I usually don't have time to do post production. I also think it's helpful to get other "ears" on the project to check my work. They tend to hear things I might not catch. 

3.  What is involved in editing your production?  Do you take out sounds of breathing?  Outside sounds?  etc.  

Rachel:  When I'm recording in Protools I use something called a "punch and roll", which means that every time I make a mistake, I stop, put the cursor right before the mistake and the sound rolls back one and a half seconds so I can hear what just came before. I then "punch in", fixing the mistake. So, theoretically, at the end of recording the entire book, there shouldn't be any mistakes, because they're all being edited out as I record. As far as breaths, we leave most in these days for a natural sound, but very large ones are taken out by myself while recording (if I can catch it) or in post production. Outside sounds, like helicopters overhead, can sometimes be taken out in post, but sometimes they can't, so when I'm recording I have to be especially cognizant of any noises happening outside. If I hear something I have to stop and re-record the line. If I don't catch it, the proofer should, and it will be kicked back to me for pickups. 

4. Sounds like an interesting process, Rachel.  How did you get started in the audio business?

Rachel: I started out as an actress, then became a voice actor and a couple of years ago started narrating books. I've always had a passion for books so to me narrating is great fun, especially when it's a wonderful story - like Sandra's! I love being totally absorbed in a book, embodying all the characters and points of views and communicating the author's message. It's an honor.

Awww that's sweet, Rachel.  Thank you. I think the process sounds fascinating.

Rachel might pop in today and visit with us so if you have any questions for her, feel free to ask away.

By the way, the act of reading the manuscript out loud really shows up the most subtle typos and errors. Rachel found some that our copy editors missed and I had to fix them before she could read the text. Little things like whether a word was plural or singular so only an "s" was missing but certainly changed the meaning of the sentence.  Something to think about before sending off those manuscripts.

I had to contact Lena Goldfinch again because the cover had to be formatted for the square audio packet.  And we added Rachel's name as the reader.

As soon as we finalize production with Rachel, AudioCX takes over and puts the audio book on their site Audible.com. It should be available by the end of this month.

I must say that I am really into audio books now.  We just drove 1,100 miles and it was wonderful to have an audio book to listen to.

Two of our Seekers have audio books available. Their publishers produced the audio books so they weren't personally involved in the process.  But it is really nice to have this option.

Julie Lessman's A LOVE SURRENDERED is available.

Mary Connealy's  OUT OF CONTROL, OVER THE EDGE, and  SWEPT AWAY are available as audio books.

 Do any of you listen to audio books?  Do you have any insights or questions? Feel free to comment or ask.  Commenters will be put in a drawing for their choice of a Seeker audio book.  Mine (when it is available) or one of Mary's or Julie's.

Since its our birthday month, I have a big pot of Millstone chocolate velvet coffee, some Ghirardelli Double Chocolate hot cocoa and a selection of teas ready for all of you.

And what goes with this?  Birthday cake, of course.

I have a table full of cakes. All kinds of cakes. My favorite is carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. However, German chocolate is good and I have a nice big one sitting in the middle of the table. There is pineapple upside down cake, cookie cake (hubby’s favorite) and there is some lemon cake too. Another favorite of mine is Boston Crème Pie and of course cheesecakes are a must. I brought one of those boxes that have different flavors of cheesecake.  Yum

GIVEAWAY DETAILS CAN BE FOUND HERE