Audio Books: Working with a Narrator

audio book sound-495859_960_720 (002)A few years ago, I detailed my first experience with using ACX to produce an audio book of my non-fiction work. While the experience was positive, I let the lure of audio books lie fallow for quite a while. I was too busy writing, apparently. But in that writing, I hit upon an idea for a paranormal mystery series, which has become quite popular, and I began to rethink the audio book format. I know the series Outlander has done very well with audio books, so I thought, why not mine? Continue reading “Audio Books: Working with a Narrator”

Declaration of Independents ​Audiobook Contest

Declaration of Independents Audiobook ContestListenUp Audiobooks is excited to announce its first annual Declaration of Independents Contest! The winner of the contest will receive a full produced audiobook, from narration to mastering, and will retain all rights. The contest is open to all independent authors, with work that has not been previously published in audio. All genres of fiction and non-fiction stories are welcome. Eligible entries are original works of prose up to 70,000 words in length. .

Deadline: July 4, 2016

Entry fee: FREE

Prize: The winning title will be fully produced by ListenUp Audiobooks, including narration, editing, and mastering. The winner will receive master mp3 and WAV files of his or her finished audiobook. The winner will retain all rights.

For more information, please visit their website.

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Indies Unlimited is pleased to provide this contest/submissions information for the convenience of our readers.  We do not, however, endorse this or any contest/competition.  Entrants should always research a competition prior to entering.

Tips for Turning Your Book into an Audiobook with ACX.com

acx LogoA couple of years ago Melissa Bowersock wrote a helpful post on her experience with using ACX to create an audiobook. A couple of things have changed since then, so I thought it might be helpful to recap and walk through my most recent experiences with ACX.

One of the best changes is that ACX is now open to UK authors and producers. Until 2014, that wasn’t the case. In addition, while ACX has always sent U.S. authors and producers a batch of 25 free Audible coupon codes upon publication, they will now send a batch of 25 UK codes, as well, if requested. This is important, because the codes are country-specific. I recently submitted a couple of audiobooks to a review site in which reviewers are from both the U.S. and UK. It was nice to have codes that would work for all reviewers, regardless of location. Continue reading “Tips for Turning Your Book into an Audiobook with ACX.com”

Reaching New Readers With SoundCloud

soundcloud-iconIndie musicians and their fans might already know about SoundCloud, an online audio distribution platform that launched in 2007. You can listen to and share tracks on their website or with the free app version for mobile devices. What’s in it for indie authors, you might ask? How about a chance to reach new readers?

After I heard a Mash Stories podcast featuring a reading of a brilliant short story by former IU staffer David Antrobus, I stole — well, borrowed — the idea to share audio recordings of my flash fiction. But I don’t have high-tech sound editing skills or expensive equipment, so I came up with a way to make and post recordings on my own. Continue reading “Reaching New Readers With SoundCloud”