Writerpedia discussion

How many of you have considered publishing your book content so it's viable for the visually impaired.

This means recording readings of your writing.

Now selling tapes is difficult, but producing youtube videos or other audio mediums and embedding them on your website isn't.

I'm seriously considering creating such videos or audio files and incorporating them on my website for the visually impaired. I'm calling around to various organizations to find out the best way to accomplish this feature.

But I want to know if you've considered it?

You mean, self published audio books?

I'm considering it. My oldest son is an actor with a great voice. I've asked him if he will read my books. Of course he couldn't turn mom down, so we will figure out how to do it.

awesome.

So far it seems pretty easy to just make a simple recording but I'm still stuck on the distribution end.

Well, hate to burst your bubble there, but it's not easy to make a "simple" recording. Unless you have a soundproof room. And are used to the sound of your voice, or you hire out to have your book "read" by someone with some flair for acting.

I'm not saying it can't be done, only that it won't be as easy as it looks on the surface.

Audio books fall into the category of dramatic readings. You may or may not wish to use some music to signify breaks such as chapters or scene changes. If you make this recording at home, every single little sound you never hear day to day in your house will be picked up by the recording, unless of course you have that soundproof room I mentioned. Every stumble you make in reading your own prose will be recorded and will have to be edited. Your voice will have to be edited somewhat, unless you have one of those full round-toned voices like James Earl Jones.

Lot more work to making an audio recording than meets the eye. Just wanted to make you aware of that.

Mari

Not anymore and not with my Mic :D

here's the mic I have:
http://www.labtec.com/index.cfm/gear/...

No outside sounds. It's got a directed sound feature. In fact, while trying to duplicate the muffled and breaking sounds of a 1950s mic, I had to manipulate my recording. I spent several hours comparing the sounds before I got the right trebble to a 1950s studio recordings you'd hear on the radio.

Prior to that it was a crips clean recording using Windows Sound Recorder on my vista machine. The only trick you need to have is not to blow into the mic. You have to position the mic above your breath line.

I had a radio going on in the background too (on purpose), but could never get the recording to pick it up.

It literally took me 5 minutes to make my first recording and convert it for youtube using Windows Movie Maker. I'll post a do it yourself instruction for those who are interested.

I am using Vista, so if you guys are using another operating system such as xp it might not work as well.


When you get right down to it though, even a messed up recording with a human voice is far superior to electronic readers most blind men and women have to use in order to brows the net. So, even if you suck at reading, even if your computer sucks at recording, if you're doing it for the sole purpose of enabling accessibility for the visually impaired, it is literally better than nothing ^_^

My teeth hiss - almost like I've got a viper sitting on my shoulder saying my "S"es. I have a gap upper and lower that I can't close thanks to a jerk dentist who messed my mouth up ten years ago. But it's still better than having nobody speak at all.

Check out Librivox: great source for downloadable public domain audio works read aloud by volunteers. They give lots of advice about home recording equipment and technique. http://librivox.org/

Kevin wrote: "Not anymore and not with my Mic :D

here's the mic I have:
http://www.labtec.com/index.cfm/gear/...

No outside sounds. It's got a directed sound feat..."

Thanks for the tip - this looks really great. The 524 is available on Amazon for less than $10. Any idea how that model works? I have XP on my pc. One more question: do you use headphones? If so, which type?
Thanks again!

Don't use headphones.

I'm a real dunce when it comes to anything like audio recordings, so I really have no clue how well it works on XP. All i can say is to try it.

All I did for vista was plugged it in, and spoke into it. It came out perfect! A little TOO perfect for what I was doing lol.

But for you it'll probably be awesome.

btw, thank you for that link it's an awesome link I will save it ^_^

Thanks very much!
I love the idea of Librivox and would love to do some recordings for them, but when you look at the list of what has already been recorded, it's hard to imagine what's left! And many have been done multiple times by different people. It looks like a wonderful resource, especially for the visually impaired, although I like using audio books on long drives.
Anyway, thanks again!