Welcome readers, writers, authors, and bloggers!
We’re glad you’re here! It's the First Wednesday of the month; when we
celebrate IWSG Day in the form of a blog hop featuring all of the
members of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Founded by
author Alex Cavanaugh (Thank you,
Captain!) and fostered by like-minded associates, IWSG is a place to share the
fabulous views and exciting news that occurs along our fascinating writing
journeys. Check out the April newsletter here. Perusing the
many tips and resources offered here is definitely worthwhile and highly
rewarding, so pull up a comfy chair, or better yet - join us!
Our awesome co-hosts for this month's
posting of the IWSG are: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jemima Pett, Patricia Josephine, Louise - Fundy Blue, and Kim Lajevardi!
This month’s
optional question is: Have any
of your books been made into audiobooks? If so, what is the main challenge in
producing an audiobook?
Not
yet. But (funny, you should ask) I’ve been looking into the possibility lately.
Here’s what I know: It’s much more expensive than I’d imagined. Even if your
book is narrator-ready and reads like a finely honed script, a professional narrator
can charge anywhere from $28 to $480 per hour. To be fair, these people are
impressive! You can listen to samples at Upwork.com or Voices.com. Or, you can
ask a friend who sounds the most like Allan Arbus if he’s got any extra time on
his hands and upload your completed project to Amazon Audible or Apple. That’s
as far as I got on my half-hearted scout for information.
In
honor of National Poetry Month:
"The
roofs are shining from the rain,
The sparrows
twitter as they fly,
And with a windy
April grace
The little clouds
go by.
Yet the back yards
are bare and brown
With only one
unchanging tree--
I could not be so
sure of Spring
Save that it sings
in me."
- Sara
Teasdale, April
And
a new release from our fearless leader, Alex Cavanaugh:
Congratulations, Captain!
I've had one the a publisher did for me but haven't attempted it myself. Too daunting even tho the returns are pretty awesome. Love the spring poem. How appropriate for here in Michigan.
ReplyDeleteHi, Nancy!
DeleteUntil recently, I didn't know anyone created audiobooks themselves.
We're in the yellow blooms, bees, and sneezes stages of spring here in Arizona. Nice to let the fresh air in the house again.
Happy April!
The trouble with asking friends, or doing it yourself is that the standards of audio production are quite high, as they should be for a costly product.
ReplyDeleteAudible and Findaway production arrangements have a rate of 'so much per finished hour or tape' which makes it a little more predictable, although still pricey. But then, you earn more per sale, too.
Jemima
Thanks, Jemima! Good point about "more per sale" and I'd really rather leave it to professionals.
DeleteSomeone else mentioned that producing an audio book can be expensive. Maybe you'll get some good tips on how to produce one for less money.
ReplyDeleteI'm already wondering if I shouldn't just leave it to professionals (I only have one book in mind) and finish other projects first ;-)
DeleteThanks for mentioning my book!
ReplyDeleteMy publisher did all of my books, so not sure of the cost.
My pleasure, Captain!
DeleteYour publisher did a fabulous job ;-)
I can see where producing a high quality audio book would be expensive. Studio time isn't cheap by any means! And it takes a long time to read a book out loud.
ReplyDeleteArlee Bird
Tossing It Out
Hi Lee!
DeleteI can only image the time involved in reading a novel out loud. In my case, the "book" is under fifty pages, a read-aloud book for children. But even that sounds like more than I want to tackle just now ;-)
Thank you for sharing Sara Teasdale. What an evocative poem. At first, I thought you wrote it! Hope your search for an audio book producer goes more smoothly than mine! Interesting question for this month's IWSG.
ReplyDeleteHi Beth!
Delete"I thought you wrote it," Bless your heart! Not hardly ;-)
It is interesting how many of us are or have been on the same audiobook wavelength. I think I have a lot to learn.
WOW, that's an impressive hourly rate to narrator a book! I wish I ha a good voice for that sort of thing. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy!
DeleteI'm only just beginning to appreciate how much goes on "behind the scenes." It's as exciting as it is daunting ;-)
I know, it's so expensive if you're a lowly author. I don't imagine Mr. King worries about the price, eh? LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Joylene!
DeleteHaha! No, I don't guess he does.
Spring is definitely singing in me! I hope you had fun on IWSG Day, Deirdre!
ReplyDeleteHi there!
DeleteYes, I did. Always do.
Thanks for coming by ;-)