Drew Allen Brown - Audiobooks: The Definitive How To Guide

AUDIOBOOKS:

The Definitive

How To Guide

What every author needs to know

Drew Allen Brown

Contents

Introduction

My name is Drew Allen Brown, and I am an audio engineer with a passion for helping people be heard. I work in Christian Rock, Alt Rock, Voiceover, Background Music, Audio Cleanup, and Audiobooks. Ive been involved with audio for about 15 years in one form or another. A lot of my work comes from jobs that other engineers dont want to do. Why do I do it? The answer is simple - just because its not the most fun job, doesnt mean that theres no need for it to be done.

The first time I was approached by an author to record her audiobook, I started researching the requirements. I run a professional studio, so I knew I had the ability to do it; the question for me was what did I need to do to make it happen. I spent days researching the requirements and how-to tutorials trying to figure out how other engineers were making audiobooks work. Not only how to make them physically, but how to make it viable for both the client and the studio.

None of my other engineer friends had ever done an audiobook. And frankly, none of them wanted to. They werent any help and sadly, the Internet wasnt full of helpful tips either, so I started with the requirements and went from there. I tested things on my own, with my own voice, until I was able to get things to work like they should. This took quite a bit of experimentationand failures. I dont like to admit that part, but it is a part of the story.

After a while, I had things figured out and I got the author into the studio. We recorded her audiobook, and I realized that I hadnt tested everything enough. I was able to get that audiobook released, but the amount of editing was more than I ever anticipated. I had used techniques that I learned in recording audio for film, music, and voiceover, and it still wasnt enough. Audiobooks are a beast all of their own.

That one audiobook enabled me to work out the vast majority of the kinks in the process. After that, the process clicked and everything worked much more smoothly. I had the only studio in my entire valley, of over 660,000 people, that would do audiobooks! After hearing from several authors that they had the equipment and could do it themselves, I realized that they were really going to struggle with the process as this is the most tedious audio work I have ever done.

I havent heard back from those authors, but Ive looked for their audiobooks, and theyre not out there. I have a feeling it was too much for them to figure out, and they were too prideful to ask for help. Thats why I wrote this book.

This book is for every type of author, from the do it for me to the extreme do-it-yourselfers and everything in between. Taking on an audiobook project is no small feat, and much more work than most people realize. In this book well go over the different options you have to get your book made into a professional audiobook. Well even go through the equipment you need to make the recording, edit, and master your recording yourself. Its a lot of hard work, but if you are dead set on doing it yourself; this book will give you the knowledge you need to get your dream of making your book into an audiobook a reality.

If you find that you want your audiobook done professionally, your voice recorded at a professional studio, or you need to have your recording worked on, feel free to contact me. Im here to help.

Drew Allen Brown
www.DrewAllenBrown.com

What is an Audiobook?

Youve worked painstakingly to write, edit, re-write, re-edit, format, and print your masterpiece. Afterwards, you went through the heartache of realizing that you need to reformat your book for the e-book format. Now everything is finished, all is well in the world. Youve done everything you can to make your book a success. Or have you?

Todays world is full of busy people. When asked, these busy people often say they dont have time to read a book. So what do book lovers do when theyre that busy? They make the most of their time and listen to books on their commute s , while they workout, and even while they work around the house. Thats right, more and more people are listening to books rather than reading them. And what about people with disabilities that make it impossible for them to read your book?

Did you know that you can sell your book as an audiobook on Amazon, Audible, and even iTunes? Its true! You can buy the audiobook version of your favorite book on Amazon. How many people do you talk to about your book that say something like - I would love to read that, if I only had the time? Why try to convince them to make time, when you could simply say why not listen to the audiobook while youre in the car instead?

An audiobook is the spoken word of your book. Thats really what it is. This allows people to have your book read to them instead of having them hold the book and take the time to sit and read. The interesting thing with audiobooks is that many people who listen to the audiobook end up buying the physical book. Why? Because they liked it. And readers like to keep books they enjoy on their book shelves to read again later. I have 2 bookcases in my living room stuffed with books. I have more in my office, my bedroom, and even my garage. Even my kids have bookshelves in their rooms lined with books.

There is one other thing that an audiobook is. An audiobook is another income stream for your work. Lets face it; most writers dont put out books so that they can say I wrote this. They write to be heard AND to make money. Writing takes a lot of time, energy, and skill. Not everyone can write like you, and art is worth paying for. Self-help books arent the only books written to make an income.

As we touched on earlier, you probably know youre losing sales because people are too busy to read, or physically cant read your book. Giving them a copy for free doesnt change their schedule and make it easier for them to read. It can, however, make you seem desperate and make the book appear less valuable. So by offering an audiobook you open up the opportunity for people to read your book without it interfering with their schedule while maintaining its value. People like this, and you might be surprised how many people you know who are already taking advantage of this.

Is an audiobook right for you and your work? Only you can answer that. But if an audiobook is right for your book and your clients, then this is the right book for you to read, or listen to, in preparation. Were going to discuss your options and help you decide the best route for you and your book. Because every book is different, there is no one right way to make an audiobook. Well discuss the differences between doing it yourself at home, recording in a professional studio, and having it professionally produced by a third party. Theyre all viable options with pros and cons for every situation. Now, lets dig in.

Let the Professionals Handle It

Much of this book is going to be devoted to the process that it takes to create an audiobook yourself. While, in all honesty, I dont recommend doing it this way, I know that the reason youre reading this is because thats the path youre likely leaning towards. I get it, we all want to save money and feel the accomplishment of doing something on our own, but this really might not be the best method for you unless youre already an audio person who has quality recording and editing equipment.

It seems to always surprise authors when I inform them that, on average, using a single microphone in my studio means were using roughly $10K-15K worth of equipment - not to mention the years of experience, training, and experimentation with it. That doesnt mean you need that much equipment, but it is something to keep in mind.