Should You Turn Your Novel Into An Audio Book?

As the owner of an “indie” recording studio called Straight to Audio Productions, I'm often approached by writers who want to know if they should turn their novels into audio books. The popularity of audio books is on the rise so there is definitely an audience for this form of media. However, there are a couple of things I would encourage writers to consider before heading down this path.

Authors who are working with an agent or publisher should consult with their representatives before making any plans to produce an audio book. For self-published writers or those who don't have a broker, there are a few key matters to deliberate. First, decide who your audience is. This might sound like a silly issue, but the answer will give you a better understanding of how to best proceed. For example, if you have written a short story which may only be of interest to a small group of listeners, you might want to record it yourself. If you believe your story has mass appeal and you're willing to invest some money, you could hire a professional to produce it for you. Chances are, there is a studio in your home town which can help you accomplish this, or you can utilize some of the services available on line.

The good news for do-it-yourselfers is that the cost of producing audio books has dropped dramatically. Like many studios, I use ProTools to edit my productions. ProTools is remarkably user-friendly and offers lots of features to help editors achieve broadcast quality audio. Want to try before you buy? Check out the free editing programs offered by Audacity www.audacity.com or Cool Edit Pro www.softpedia.com.

If you're not oriented towards audio editing, there are lots of great companies to do it for you. I highly recommend ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) www.acx.com. ACX connects writers with narrators and studios. This is a great place to listen to potential narrators and shop around for the best studio to produce your audio book. Better yet, if your product meets the standards of ACX, you can apply to sell you work as an mp3 download on Audible.com www.audible.com.

Once you have hired the talent to voice your project and a studio to produce it, the next thing is to figure out is how to deliver your audio book to listeners. With Jitters-A Quirky Little Audio Book, I produced it in “wave” format which any cd player will recognize. Jitters was 6.5 hours long which meant it required six cds to accommodate the wave format. The discs were professionally replicated and professionally packaged. The product looked fantastic, but this was an expensive route to take.

When I produced Yikes! Another Quirky Audio Book, I tried a different approach. Once again, I had my product professionally manufactured, but this time I did it in mp3 format which greatly reduced my cost. Yikes! is10.5 hours long which would have required at least ten discs to be available in wave format. I believe many audio book fans are listening on devices like iPods so making Yikes! available as an mp3 seemed to make more sense anyway.

There's never been a better time than the present to turn a novel into an audio book. The cost of producing audio books had gone down while the quality of sound has improved. Through programs like Audible.com and Amazon.com it's easy to make the finished product available to the public. Better still, both Audible.com and Amazon.com offer lots of free tutorials to help you increase the size of your audience. The only other piece of advice I can offer is this: enjoy the journey! 

A Few of My Favorite Things

Books and audio books have always played a big role in my life.  Here are a few of the titles I've enjoyed most.

Young Adult Genre

The Great Brain Series by John D. Fitzgerald

These stories offered everything that appealed to me as a child – humor and unique adventures, all beautifully illustrated by Mercer Mayer. I was so intrigued by The Great Brain Series it made me want to visit Utah – now I live here!

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

These stories by C.S. Lewis were delightfully intriguing! The Magician's Nephew was my favorite, although I read each book several times. I was happy when they stated making some of the books into movies.

Favorite Novels

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

I was in high school the first time I read this book. I was enamored by the love story between Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. I didn't get a chance to see the movie until after I had read the book at least two times.

Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins

It's hard to select a favorite book written by Robbins. All his work expertly combines humor with a profound and sometimes profane commentary on the human condition. In Jitterbug Perfume, Robbins outlines a delectable recipe for a long and happy life. I liked all the ingredients except for the beets!

Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book released by Moore, but Coyote Blue stood out for me because it was infused with aspects of the Native American culture. Moore has a very unique sense of humor which has me laughing out loud when I read his work.

Business Books

Do You: 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success by Russell Simmons.

This book advocates using a spiritual element in the workplace to create an inspired sense of purpose. The cornerstone of my personal business plan involves talking to God and having fun – ideas promoted by Simmons.

The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz.

Schwartz offers a lot of practical ideas for anyone in business. This book covers a combination of good business practices along with advice on how to adjust attitudes to affect a positive outcome.

Audio Books

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

“Brangelina” can't hold a candle to the love triangle involving Fisher's parents, Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, with Elizabeth Taylor starring as “the other woman.”

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield, read by Lynn Redgrave and Ruthie Henshall

This gothic style story featured many interesting characters and unexpected twists. The ending caught me completely off guard. In addition to being a great story, the narration was wonderful!

Spiritual Books

The Four Agreements by Don Miquel Ruiz

Based Toltec beliefs, this book explains how to live a life filled with love and peace. The best part is, I only have to remember four things!

The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff

The mystery of Taoism is unlocked as Hoff describes this Eastern philosophy in terms of characters from Winnie the Pooh. The book illustrates how the characters from The Hundred Acre Wood represent different personality types. For example, Owl collects knowledge but isn't wise; Eyore sees the glass as half empty or knocked over altogether. Pooh, on the other hand, simply is! 

Book Marketing in Five

The wonderful thing about the Internet is that it enables you to get top notch help and advice from people all over the world. Eunice Nisbett is the Book Marketing Strategist and Author's Coach at who supports authors globally from the Caribbean. 

Authors seeking to increase their online presence can take advantage of Nisbett's extensive work background through her online book marketing program. Eunice partners with authors to provide them with the administrative and online book marketing support, including virtual book tours. This service allows writers to use their time to focus on their writing. Additionally, Eunice offers a coaching program for authors called Create Your BestSeller on a Shoe$tring.

 Eunice hosts a number of virtual events including webinars, podcasts, and an Internet radio show called Book Marketing in Five at  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/savvybestsellers

Her radio show features bestselling authors and book marketing industry experts who share their best seller gems on how to market and promote their books, and create best sellers. Eunice also shares book marketing strategies and tips on her blog http://www.savvyvirtuals.co/bookmarketing/blog/ and through her newsletter, Best Seller Gems.

Book that Author with Linda Leon

If you've written a book and are wondering what to do next, Linda Leon has a few suggestions Linda has over 20 years experience working in television broadcasting. Now she owns a production and media promotions company called Book Marketing Professionals www.bookmarketingprofessionals.com.

Linda's menu of services to authors includes manuscript evaluation, editing, and design consultation. Once a book is ready for readers, Linda can help with publication and distribution.

Linda has written a few books of her own including Rock Star Marketing for the Emerging Author http://www.bookmarketingprofessionals.com/portfolio/rock-star-marketing-2/

and Publishing and Publicity for Smart People http://www.bookmarketingprofessionals.com/portfolio/publishing-and-publicity-for-smart-people/

Linda goes one step further to help authors by hosting a Podcast called Book That Author. Writers can tune in to hear how others in their field are promoting their products. Linda is a gracious host and her show is full of lively and timely marketing tips. I was honored to be a recent guest on Book that Author http://www.blogtalkradio.com/book-that-author/2013/04/25/selling-audio-book-and-creating-pro-audio-on-bta

January Jones sharing Success Stories

The first rule in the world of writer and talk show hostess January Jones is this: Thou Shalt Not Whine. That's also the title of January's book which reached a #1 ranking at amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Thou-Shalt-Not-Whine-Commandment/dp/0825305799

Styled after the hilarious and iconic writer, Erma Bombeck, Thous Shalt Not Whine . . . The Eleventh Commandment examines what we whine about, why we do it, and most importantly, how to stop it!

As a writer, January strikes a more series tone in Jackie Ari & Jack: The Tragic Love Triangle, a book which examines a new theory in the assassination of John F. Kennedy http://www.amazon.com/Jackie-Ari-Jack-Tragic-Triangle/dp/0966295129/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366660817&sr=8-1&keywords=jackie+Ari+and+jack. The book reveals that Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy were romantically involved before the murder. January's book outlines a motive which involves a need for money on Jackie Kennedy's part and a desire for class and stature on the part of Aristotle Onassis.

A Kennedy aficionado, January has penned two other books about the Kennedys and the Onassis Family called Oh, No. . . Jackie-O and The Christina: The Onassis Odyssey.

January enjoys a busy career in broadcasting, working as a Reality TV Golf Personality with World High Stakes Golf on HD Net. January also has a syndicated radio show called January Jones sharing Success Stories which has more than 20 million listeners in the US and 195 other countries. I had the honor of being January's guest on April 22, 2013. Take a listen! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/januaryjones

Get Behind Me, Now Stay There!

For the past two years, a podcast called Get Behind Me, Now Stay There http://www.justimagineitink.com/this-just-in-blog.html has been a comfortable gathering place for authors, musicians and other artistic types. In addition to the podcast, Get Behind Me, Now Stay There is also aired on 89.5 KSKQ in Ashland, Oregon. Listeners can take advantage of a free app on itunes if they want to hear to hear the station live.

The show begins with “The News You Want to Know.” Charlie Stanton, Cyrus Emerson, Maya Seligman and Jerry Renfrow offer a roundtable discussion of interesting and unusual stories involving those in the entertainment business. Chrissy McIntyre, a voice-over artist from New York City, adds humor to the commentary chrissymcintyre.com.

A second segment hosted by Jerry Renfrow called “And Now You Know” is a hotspot for trivia enthusiasts. For example, Renfrow examines the origins of words such as juggernaut. Who knew this word on the move had such a storied past?

Interviews with writers, musicians, poets and artists fill out the show. Music clips representing an array of genres give the show an extra sparkle. Some of the guests who have appeared on Get Behind Me, Now Stay There include Patrick Swazye's brother, Don, who was interviewed about his movie Heathens and Thieves as well as his work on Hawaii Five O. Other guests have included Black Panthers Party Founder Bobby Seale and author John Dodds.

All of the hosts on Get Behind Me, Now Stay There have ties to Blackstone Audio www.blackstoneaudio.com. In addition to producing a huge library of well known audio books, Blackstone Audio has expanded to include an mp3 download service called Downpour www.downpour.com. Charlie Stanton, father of Blackstone Audio CEO Josh Stanton, has expanded his work to include an e-publishing service called Just Imagine It Ink www.justimagineitink.com. This company provides independent writers with a professional way to get their content out to readers.

Not only do the hosts of Get Behind Me, Now Stay There work in the audio book business, but many of them are writers themselves. Cyrus Emerson has penned two novels, Lost Angel and Fear and Loathing in the State of Jefferson. Lost Angel is also available as an audio book, wonderfully narrated and produced by Blackstone Audio and available for sale on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Lost-Angel-Cyrus-Emerson/dp/1433203871.

As an audio book producer myself, it was truly an honor for me to be welcomed so warmly by the crew on Get Behind Me, Now Stay There. The episode is available on line at http://www.justimagineitink.com/this-just-in-blog.html.

The Next Internet Sensation

Hey, World! Once in a while I come across a YouTube video that I think is just outstanding and this particular one involves Jesse Pepe, an actor who worked on Yikes! Another Quirky Audio Book. Jesse grew up in Utah where he launched a pretty amazing career in theater. Now he's in Hollywood working as an actor and singer. Check out his latest work:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS9KPwfylmg

I have to wonder if I didn't help set Jesse on this path by casting him to be a polygamist in drag! Here's a sample of Jesse's work “Utah Style.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPotQyyPsuo&feature=g-upl

Help make Jesse an internet sensation by liking his videos and sharing them with your friends. Good luck, Jesse! We'll be watching for you on the big screen!