Speaker 1: Creating an audio version of your book is one of the smartest things you can do as a self-publishing, non-fiction author to create even more credibility, have a book that stands out in more search engines, and will connect with even more people. Because there are a lot of people who won't read your book, but they will listen to it. So how do you create a killer audiobook for Audible without hiring voice talent and totally breaking the bank? Stick around, I've got six tips for you. I'm Julie, the book broad with booklaunchers.com. All right, you're a smart author, and you know that more and more people want to listen to your book and not read it. And some folks like to read it and listen, which does mean you can sell your book twice. Although with programs like WhisperSync by Amazon, it reduces the rate for the second sale. But still, it's more money for your book. Yay. All right, so how do you create a fantastic audio version of your book? First, you need to know the standards for getting your book approved. You can't just get a mic, open VoiceNote on your iPhone, and start recording. Second, you have to know that if you get your book on Audible, you will be rated on performance, story, and the overall book. In other words, you don't want your book to get panned in the reviews just because you tried to do your audiobook on the cheap and didn't get it edited. Right? Right. So I've got six tips to create a fantastic audiobook that's worthy of five stars on Audible. Number one, set up your own studio or arrange a studio rental. If you're going to use the equipment again or you live in a remote place, setting up a home studio is easier than you think and recommended. If you're a podcaster or you're going to create online courses, it makes sense for you to do this anyways. I did it for my book, The New Brand U, with the help of an awesome audio voice coach, with the help of an awesome audio coach and editor. It cost me about $300 Canadian, but I did need to find a small room where I could basically make it a padded room to lock myself in. A closet would work or you can even buy little boxes that will provide the kind of soundproofing you need. Lots of options. The big thing is to do some sound tests, run them by an editor to make sure you don't have too many issues that will make editing really expensive. Basically I'm saying take the time to set it up right or shop around for a great sound studio in your area. You can often rent spaces for $60 to $100 an hour and most books can be recorded in less than 30 hours, unless you're terrible. But that leads nicely into point number two, practice. And I don't just mean speak away and say you've practiced.

Speaker 2: So I was telling my friend, I was saying, listen, Bob, this is really important that are you even listening to me? I have to practice my voice because I'm going to do an audible book.

Speaker 1: I don't just mean practice talking. I mean, read your book out loud at least once, but better to do it twice. A paid professional would read your book out loud two to three times before sitting down in a studio to record it. You're not a professional, which means even though it's your book, you probably need even more practice reading out loud in an engaging way. So you should absolutely be practicing reading your book. Number three, while you're reading, record 30 minutes of it and send it to a voice coach. Google voice coach, and I'm sure you'll find many ideally one that specializes in audio books or just hire a book launchers. And we have a multiple award-winning sound editor who will coach you. She's taken home the Canadian equivalent of an Oscar twice for her sound work. So she's pretty awesome. She also helped me with the new brand view. If you want to hear what she did for my voice, anyway, send 30 minutes of your work to a coach and get some coaching. There are definitely things you're doing that will detract from your performance. And guess what? I already mentioned audible listeners, rate your book based on performance as well as overall quality. And of course it's story. The good news is when it comes to nonfiction, audible listeners are a lot more forgiving. When it comes to fiction, they expect you to be a professional actor. When it's nonfiction, I think they're just happy to hear it from the author themselves. Number four, hire a professional sound editor. Generally speaking, 10 hours of a book will take 30 hours to edit. This is audible's guidelines and the suggestion of my audio book editor. You can hire audio book editors on upwork.com, guru.com, lots of different places. Generally audio books will cost about $300 per finished hour of product. If you want to guesstimate how long your book will be, use this tool that you can download at booklaunchers.com forward slash timer tool. You'll see the link right here. Tip number five, keep audible's rating system in mind when you're making your audio book. Success is a balance between a good recording, strong pacing, and great editing with good mastering. And if you don't know what any of that means, that means you need help. Final tip number six, prepare for pickups. What are these? These are spots where it's faster for an editor to replace your voice than it is to try to clean up the mess you made. I need pickups for my house. I thought I was done. When I finished my book, I'd spent hours in my padded room that I created and then I was told I had to go back and record more. The pickups were easy, but just know you can't take down that studio right away. You're going to have to go back to the drawing board and re-record some sentences, some even just sometimes two or three words. All of this might feel a little overwhelming, but you just might find that it's really fun to create an audio book. I know, I loved it. And the really cool part is none of my other author friends have done it. So it's pretty cool to have done something most people, even those who have written a book haven't done and do it well. All right, friends, got a question? If you do, go ahead and post it in the comments below. I always reply. And if it's a question others will benefit from, I'll shoot a video to help you with it. Make sure you subscribe to my channel and of course, smash that thumbs up button makes me happy and lets me know I should shoot some more videos to help you. See you in the next video.