For Authors
Audio Book: Orientation Guide
A few details about how I work and how we can achieve the best end product.
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I can do 3 hours of completed audio a week (i.e., if your book is 11 hours, I can send it off to my editor in 3 weeks to a month). Completed audio includes not just narration but also re-reviewing all audio for pacing, any missed words from your original text and other proofing details.
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I will need all pronunciations for any names or words that would be considered out of the ordinary, before I begin. Many authors will give me a sheet to work off of, however, to ensure that your pronunciations will be correct, the safest way is to send me a voice memo. You likely have a voice memo app built right into your cell phone, iPhone instructions LINK and Android instructions LINK. Additionally, before we begin, I will need any added material that needs to be recorded like the book dedication, opening and closing credits or an epilogue.
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I will complete the first 15 mins of the book and send it to you for approval (per ACX requirements). This is your opportunity to ask questions or provide feedback and also for me to make sure that I am capturing your intent.
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Once the first 15 minutes are approved, I will move ahead with recording the complete book. As a reminder, you will not receive any chapters or previews to hear during this process.
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The audio is not done when I am done. After I re-review the entire book it is then sent to my editor and he will remove any sounds, breathes and will master the entire book so that the sound quality is consistent throughout. My fee of $300 PFH (per finished hour) includes the fee ($60/PFH) that I pay to have a live editor review and master the audio file. I do not work with a digital (non-human) editor.
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The editor takes approximately two days. This includes preparing the book for the format required by the Audible platform and all other online retailers.
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I only upload the book to the ACX website when I have finished and it has been mastered. It is important that all of the chapters have the same mastering and that can only happen if they are mastered as a group, at the same exact time.
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After I have uploaded to ACX, it will then be ready for you to review. I will gladly fix any mistakes. I have never needed more than that and the author has always walked away with a finished product they are pleased with. I will expect that the author listens to the book in a timely manner, so that we can complete the book and get it to market as quickly as possible.
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For any required changes, I will need a spread sheet sent to me in the following format (Download template)
Note: If the change is a mistake in the pronunciation or a word, please write out the entire sentence, and bold the word that I made a mistake on. Insert the correct pronunciation in the next column.
If there is a change requested for “tone” or you don’t feel the character’s voice is showing enough at one particular moment, I would ask that before changing it, you listen back to the whole chapter, and see if it truly will make a difference in the quality of the book in its entirety. The less we can edit and drop in sentences the better. And it’s important to remember that people are often listening on the go- in their cars, on a walk, or making dinner, because of this, an individual line will not be remembered, what will be remembered is the overall feel and quality.
You words deserve to be heard. Let's collaborate and bring them to life.