Audiobook Complete

It’s done. Breathing for Two, the Audiobook, is a wrap. You’ll find it on Audible.com here, in time for Christmas.

I’ve written in various places about my love of audio, and audiobooks. I wanted to make this one myself. I was narrator, director, recording engineer, editor, and producer.

An act of creative madness, you say? I agree. A lot more work than I planned. Listen to the sample on the Audible page and see what you think.

SPECIAL PRICE

Amazon, displaying its customary marketing shrewdness, is currently discounting the audiobook to $1.99. That’s right–it’s cheaper than the ebook. On the other hand, you can get a used version of the paperback for $999.00. You read that right: nine-hundred ninety-nine simoleons. Go figure.

None of these prices are under my control. I have no idea what they mean.

A HARD DAYS NIGHT

I recall an interview with John Lennon in Playboy, published shortly before he died. The interviewer asked him his assessment of the Beatles’ music. Lennon essentially answered that he couldn’t be objective about it, all he heard were the mistakes.

My sentiments precisely.

Were I to do this again, I would use a different microphone for starters. I would stand to record rather than sit. I would eliminate chocolate from my diet.

It would be nice to install a soundproof home studio as well, although a friend who composes for film assures me that sound studios fall short of perfection. You record in them one day, then come back on another doing everything the same, and the sound comes out completely different.

But still, I’m pleased when I look at the book’s Amazon page, which lists all three editions–Kindle, paperback, and audio. Bless me, it seems an accomplishment. Audible was pretty picky about what they’d accept–a sample file I’d sent them contained a slight buzz I’d overlooked–they told me to re-do it.

FURTHER

I think I’ll always want to do an audio version of any work I publish. I might still want to be the producer, though I’m not sure I’d cast myself as narrator again unless, like Breathing for Two, the work is non-fiction.

If you want to ask me anything about my experience of audio production, shoot me an email. And if you do pick up a copy–the recording is an hour and forty minutes–I’d be grateful if you leave a short review on Audible.

Meanwhile, I’m going to take some time off before my next project.

Share this: