You\u2019re not sure what you\u2019re doing. A producer getting paid via royalties will have an increased interest in creating a quality product.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nBut before you advertise for a producer, you need to be ready. And what needs to be most ready is your manuscript.<\/p>\n
Prepare Your Manuscript<\/h2>\n
First, your book needs to be finished. If it is not finished, but you want it to be narrated as well as available on the page, then consider how your words would sound aloud. For example, asides in parentheses, although they work well in print, don\u2019t translate easily to narration where your audience can\u2019t see the punctuation. At any rate, your story must be done before you offer it.<\/p>\n
Second, you need the rights for audio production. If you have self-published, you have the rights, unless you somehow gave them away. If you work with others, clarify the matter with your agent, publisher or co-author, and get those rights in writing.<\/p>\n
Third, if you have several novels available, you have to make a choice. Sometimes the choice is obvious. If you have a series, you have to begin with the first. Otherwise, you should probably go with the most successful (you\u2019re more likely to acquire a producer and it will generate the most royalties) and\/or the shortest (you might as well start with a shorter project).<\/p>\n
Fourth, you\u2019ll need to choose a sample for the audition. The audition sample, only a few pages long, should consist of one or more of your novel\u2019s passages, which will allow you to judge potential producers, especially with tricky pronunciation or voices given to important characters.<\/p>\n
When you\u2019ve done all this, you\u2019re ready to enter ACX and start the process. You\u2019ll have to do some bookkeeping with them, submit your project and guarantee that you have the rights, then post your audition sample and wait. You can also specify that your producer must meet certain criteria, such as gender or accent.<\/p>\n
Evaluating potential producers<\/h2>\n
Auditions may take a while to arrive, or they may appear at once. The first audition I received for\u00a0The<\/em>\u00a0Meryton Murders\u00a0<\/em>arrived only a few hours after I posted, before Audible even had time to approve my financial forms, but the first audition for\u00a0Jocasta\u00a0<\/em>did not appear for a couple of weeks. When an audition arrives, you need to listen to the recording and decide if you wish to move to the next step. Here are some things to consider:<\/p>\n\n- How well can that person say what is needed?<\/li>\n
- Do you like the voices of the characters?<\/li>\n
- Has the producer done other projects? You can see by searching on the producer\u2019s name at Audible. Experience is always a good sign. Also, check the reviews.<\/li>\n
- If the potential producer has done other projects, does it fit in with your genre and target market? There\u2019s nothing like cross sales. On the other hand, if your novel is being used by Roman Catholic high schools and your potential producer narrates erotic literature, you may want to reconsider. Note that something like this does not have to be an automatic disqualifier, but you may want to specify that your producer appear under a different name.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Meet Your Producer<\/h2>\n
You can proceed without meeting your producer, but a conversation is a good idea. You don\u2019t have to do this in person \u2013 he or she is probably somewhere else on the planet \u2013 but try to arrange a phone call. After all, you\u2019re considering a partnership with this person \u2013 a partnership that could earn you both plenty of money!<\/p>\n
Here are points worth discussing during your conversation<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n- How long will the book take to produce? Some producers do this full time and can turn around a project quickly. For others, narration is weekend work. Also, producers may have other projects they need to finish before starting yours.<\/li>\n
- Why is the potential producer interested in your project? You want someone who loves your story nearly as much as you do.<\/li>\n
- Is your producer willing to edit your audio files? For example, if you wish to record the Author\u2019s Note yourself, can the producer give you feedback and improve the quality?<\/li>\n
- How should you exchange files? Although ACX provides a method for doing this, you may want to use another platform, such as Dropbox.<\/li>\n
- Does your producer have any ideas for promotion? Is he or she willing to participate in promotional efforts?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Here are points worth considering, even if you don\u2019t discuss them<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n- Does the producer seem professional?<\/li>\n
- Do you like how the producer sounds?<\/li>\n
- Do you trust the producer?<\/li>\n
- Do you like the producer?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you feel good about your answers (and the producer feels good as well), you\u2019re ready to move to the next step, which is making an offer to the producer at ACX.<\/p>\n
Production and Direction<\/h2>\n
After your offer has been accepted, you need to send the producer your story. Consider what exactly you want read aloud. Of course you want the story narrated, but what about the dedication? The Author\u2019s Note? Acknowledgments? Since listeners won\u2019t be able to see what is on the printed page, do you want to direct them to a website where they can see illustrations or maps? Should any of these items be read by you instead?<\/p>\n
Your producer will start work; audio files will appear in your account, and it is your job to listen. This task is as important as copyediting. Pay special attention to the following:<\/p>\n
\n- Did the producer read everything?<\/li>\n
- Are pronunciations correct?<\/li>\n
- Do you like the interpretation? If you\u2019re not certain, get a third person to listen, and see how he or she reacts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Note that it\u2019s better to give feedback sooner rather than later, especially during the beginning of a project, so that your producer can apply your direction to future scenes as well. Also, when you give feedback about something specific, indicate exactly where in the audio file the problem is located. The producer is responsible for volume and audible quality control, but if something sounds wrong, report that, too.<\/p>\n
Prepare for Release<\/h2>\n
In a short while you\u2019ll have a book on Audible, so you have to get ready. Here are must-do and should-do tasks:<\/p>\n
\n- Create a cover. Because Audible thumbnails have different dimensions than regular books, you\u2019ll need a new cover. It should evoke the cover of your novel, and should include the name of your producer.<\/li>\n
- Make some buzz. The release of the Audible book is news, meaning this is an opportunity to promote. Find outlets that might be interested and prepare a strategy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Not only is the extra revenue you\u2019ll receive welcome, having your book read aloud \u2013 knowing that others can listen to it \u2013 is an incredible experience. Your story, narrated by another, will have a life of its own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","categories":[20,39,19],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/291"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/refiction.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}