Rings of Value was written Timothy M. Beglin, with book design and marketing Graham Publishing
As writers, we are hearing more people sound the praises of listening to an audio book rather than reading the print or e-book version. “I can listen while I’m driving.” “An audio book is great while I’m exercising.” “I listen to audio books now instead of watching television.”
This trend is only going to grow, so let’s talk about how you can bring your story to life with an audio book.
Point One: Audio books are not just for novels. People are also listening to biographies and memoirs, self-help and how-to books, and diet and health books. At Graham Publishing Group, we are even helping people convert their business books.
Point Two: Creating an audio book takes time. It needs to be done correctly. For starters, the way we read silently is not the same as reading out loud. You have to decide up front whether you will read your own book or hire a specialist to do it for you.
Point Three: It is a very good idea to retool your book slightly to know where to pause, what words you want emphasized, and where natural inflections are. In a sense, you are almost creating a script.
Point Four: You have to practice. Then you have to practice some more. You have to record yourself, listen, and learn. Then continue to practice.
Point Five: Who is going to publish your audio book? If you self-publish, you will want a version available online. You will want it available on your website. At Graham Publishing Group, making the audio book available and gaining exposure for it are just as important as creating a great audio version of your book.
Point Six: The production and post-production of your audio book are crucial. No use doing an audio version if it is not high quality. Find the right people to work with.
Point Seven: Emotion. An audio book is meant to express all of the emotion that you put into your print and e-book versions: humor, anger, passion. The works. Don’t hold back.
Point Nine: Know your market. Where can you make your audio book available? At Graham Publishing Group, we know how important it is to tap into Amazon, iTunes, and services like Audible, Overdrive, and Bookshare.
Point Ten: Enjoy the process. Don’t be intimidated.