How To Narrate Your Own Book:
Finding Your Voice and Recording And Editing Your Audio
(Lesson 2)
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(YOU’RE WATCHING: LESSON 2) Finding Your Voice and Recording and Editing Your Audiobook
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Welcome to the second of three free video lessons in How To Narrate Your Own Book!
Feel free to ask your questions here…I am ready to answer them and help you begin your journey as an author who is also the narrator of their audiobook titles, for Audible and for any other production platform or publisher you want to work with.
And remember, if you miss one of the videos, you can click on the little image of that video below the main video on this page, and it will take you to that video that you missed.
So…Just post your questions below.
I’ve played around with recording in Audacity. I can record and re-record in a single setting and everything transitions great. But if I find a mistake later and go back into my closet studio to re-record, it always sounds subtly different. I haven’t changed recording levels, and I think the mic is positioned the same way. So I don’t know what is going on or how to fix it.
Are you listening to the previous “mistake” recording just before you record the pickup (the correction)? So you can mimic and match the energy and pace of the original and drop the correction right in? That’s the key, so you have it fresh in your mind as you voice the pickup.
And although it’s ideal to have the pick up, match perfectly, it’s not a cardinal sin, for it not to match perfectly. In many best selling audiobooks, you can clearly hear the pick ups. Again, not ideal, but not against the law.
And, not being able to hear what you’re ending up with, it may be that you’re being a bit too hard on yourself. But see if the whole “review right before voicing” thing helps you out.
Hope that helps!
Hi David — Thank you for Lesson 1. I learned a heckuva lot. Never thought much about doing an audiobook, but now you you have me hooked on the idea.
I’m one of what you call “the lucky ones.” I have a basement with a corner that would be perfect for recording. But I have a question about whether my voice would work. For years, people have told me, “You sound just like Sam Elliot.” Do you honestly think listeners would put up with a voice like that for an entire book?
Thanks again. Looking forward to Lesson 2.
George
Basement. Ooooooohhhhh. Jealous I am.
And as to your Sam Elliot voice…I think you damn well know the answer to your question. You rockstar.
I’ve used the AT2020 to record all my podcast episodes and everything else for several years – I love it!!
Question about the prep phase … it sounds like I need to have the audiobook version available for sale before doing the ACX version, correct? (Mine is a business book with lots of sidebars, charts & such, so will take quite a bit of converting from the print version.)
Thank you for all the insights & tool tips – will come in handy for all my audio projects!
I’m pretty sure you don’t mean the “audiobook version”, but rather the print/e-book version available for sale. And no, you don’t have to have it actually on sale, but you do have to have it, at the very least started as a project on KDP to be able to claim it. You can create a simultaneous release, if you work with ACX and KTP to coordinate the release dates.
Yes, I meant the ebook version. 🙂 Right now my book is print-only (for sale on AZ, but not through KDP), so I guess I’ll need to work on converting it to a Kindle version before I get too excited about creating the audio version.
I am curious … do you have any titles you recommend I listen to so I can hear how you handle “non-linear text” (like sidebars & charts) in an audio version? That’s one challenge that’s been holding me back.
Thanks!
That process is part of the “audiobook-ifying” of the manuscript we describe in lesson one. You get to choose where you want those special parts narrated and you move them there, inline, before you start narrating. And you might want to consider a related PDF for the items that would add no value to be listened to.
Great question!!
Hi David,
My book is almost ready for release on Amazon KDP as a paperback and then will be released as an EBook.
I actually did voice over in LA. I’m a member os SAG-AFTRA since 2003 (Still SAG back then).
I would love to use my own voice for narrating my book, and I think it’s just knowing where to start.
Thanks so much for providing this wonderful training!
Cheers,
Ann
Hi David,
I may just not have found it but how much does the course cost?
You haven’t missed anything! We’ll be sharing all those details after we finish this free set of lessons.
Your course is wonderful and is inspiring me to re-record my audio books.
Thank you for all the effort and expertise you have put into these videos.
According to Audio Technica the microphone you recommend/supply is no longer in production.
Have you changed your offering to be the new Audio Technica AT2020USBXP USB Condenser Mic, with DSP, Black?
It is listed at $169.00. Still a bargain I am sure…especially if you endorse it.
Thank you!
I have not. They have plenty in stock and we’re currently evaluating the X, but not really happy with it, so we’re also looking at other manufacturers’ models. We’ll update when we’re sure we’re recommending the right mic, but for now we’re sticking with the USB+.
Thank you very much for your quick reply.
I am eager to see how much your course costs and equally interested in your next choice of a microphone.
I am retired and paused everything due to health issues, so I am not a strong candidate for your courses, but I love clean brilliant presentations and pitches like yours.
Have a great weekend!
We’ll be sticking with the AT2020 USB Plus and will be sending it to all students who join us for this inaugural cohort. I wouldn’t be looking to a new mic just yet when this classic mic will work well into the future. All the details coming on Sunday.
For the “whole enchilada,” what is the schedule like? Is it “asynchronous” (I learned that from my daughter in college), or do you have to be live and in person at certain times? I ask because I’ll be moving soon, driving Route 66, and also going to Norway and Scotland, just the usual life stuff.
Oooohhh…I just used the word “asynchronous” in my video recording for tomorrow, so that might give you a clue! Stand by!
I thought Audacity could export AS mp3. Why start with wav?
It certainly can. But the MP3 you upload to ACX isn’t the typical MP3 that Audacity exports. It must be one that meets ACX and Audible’s tech standards. The initial WAV file is where it begins to guarantee that compliance.
All is explained as you keep watching the lessons. I promise.