MY FIRST AUDIOBOOK
I have always planned to release my novels as audiobooks. From the old days of cassette tapes, I have always loved listening to audiobooks, especially on long journeys. Today they are downloadable on your phone and devices.
Although my reading is multi genre my favourite audiobooks were Tony Robinson reading Terry Pratchett's disc world novels. Although he did many TV roles you may know him as Baldrick in Blackadder. He brought the multiple characters alive with an amazing variety of different voices.
Unfortunately it is very hard to get these recordings now, as the narrator has been changed. I managed to get an edition of one of my favourites on eBay on cassette tape but had to buy a portable player to listen to it.
Creating my audiobook has been very enjoyable. A great company called Findaway Voices enable the whole process, helping you find the right narrator to produce your audiobook and bring it to the world. The journey started by establishing the genre and pulse of my novella, The Lift. It's a humorous wholesome romance science fiction adventure, and that's not a phrase you hear everyday.
Findaway sent me a selection of eleven voice actors with their résumés and samples of their work. It was great fun listening to them all looking for the one who was going to bring my heroes and heroines to life. You can choose up to six to audition. Straight away I knew the one for me. His variety of different voices reminded me of Tony Robinson's versatility, although a little edgier. Disc world is pure good vibe fantasy, whereas my stories do have an element of mayhem about them.
There was one other narrator who was very good too. I had to select 700 words of my book for the auditions and within a day or two the sample readings arrived.
Blew me away. They were both great but straightaway I knew that Greg Patmore, was the narrator to bring my audio-novel to the world.
Still, both auditions were fantastic. Only the author can access the auditions so I recorded them on my iPhone and sent them out to my team. I have half a dozen or so close friends I bounce off sometimes and I sent them the samples and labelled them simply Apples and Pears, to see which one they liked. It was fifty fifty. Basically I was just sharing the magic because I had decided the first few seconds I heard Greg's voice.
Next stage was a pre final recording twenty five minute sample to make sure all was as I had envisioned. One of the things that impressed me with Greg's audition was how he had such a great feel for the story. Early on we discussed the tone of one character who I felt was more laconic and laid back, but after that I went with Greg's interpretation and loved it.
I love listening to audiobooks. It is a pretty surreal feeling when you are listening to all these amazing voices and the story is your own. When the final finished recording arrived I was thrilled and delighted. No one's heard it yet, and I'm really looking forward to seeing if my friends and readers enjoy it as much as I have.
Findaway Voices have been busy bringing it to all the different platforms and libraries around the world. It is now live, and you can listen to a sample at your local Amazon Store.
COPYRIGHT RICHARD WEALE ©2021
