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Recording an audio book




 

Having an extensive theatre background the way I do, the idea of recording my audio book didn't intimidate me as much as it should. Also, being an indie author, we're used to learning new skills on the fly.


The reason I didn't go ahead with releasing my audio book was because there was feedback that I had to re-record the entire thing. Something I could do, but then my writing would suffer as I have a limited amount of time. So I had to make a call, and I'm always going to choose my writing first. But I learned some good lessons along the way, which I felt worth sharing for anyone considering going down a similar path.


  1. Your set up is important. You will need somewhere comfortable and quiet. I got lucky with this, because our apartment has a great layout and my bedroom is super quiet.

  2. Then, you need the right equipment. In my case, this is where I got lucky again, because my husband has podcast equipment. A proper mic stand with an equalizer is what you're looking for.

  3. Your recording software is just as an important. Audacity is free open source software used for recording, and that’s what I used. (It’s worth mentioning that while I’ve never needed to, it’s also possible to edit your audio recordings on audacity if needed.)

  4. Approach it like self editing. It's highly unlikely you will get everything right in one take.

  5. When recording make sure you're close enough to the mic, but not too close, eg: if the P sound is too harsh, you know you're too close

  6. You need to speak slower than you realise

  7. Each chapter needs to be recorded separately

  8. There is an unabridged vs abridged version (one is exactly like your book, one is a shortened version)

  9. Don't forget to speak with emotion and inflection

  10. Keep a water bottle close, you're going to need it.


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