Step-by-Step Guide for Authors to record their book using Audacity

"I'm intimidated by the software" - said almost every author I've ever worked with. If the software was easier to use, I know more authors would be willing to record their own audiobooks.

I want to break down barriers to audiobooks for authors, and it seems like many, many authors hit this particular technological barrier. One of the simplest, easiest-to-use recording programs, that has punch & roll capability, is Audacity, available at https://www.audacityteam.org

So, let's break down, step-by-step and click-by-click, how to record your audiobook, using the popular (and free!) audiobook recording software program Audacity. It's easier than you think!

In this episode you'll learn how to, using Audacity:

• Download the software
• Test your recording levels
• Push the right buttons to record, stop, and punch & roll
• Save your audio files so they don't get out of order
• Connect better with your listeners, by pacing your reading

Links for today's episode:

AudacityTeam.org (software download site)

SnowdogAudio.com (Jenny's site)

Theme music by the amazing James Zachary

What do authors want to know about audiobooks? Last weekend I sat on a panel of audiobook experts, at the world-famous WordBridge Writers Conference in Lethbridge, Alberta. Joining me to discuss current trends in audiobook production and answer burning questions from the audience of writers and publishers, were fellow audiobook professionals Heather Firth and Steve Campbell. Between us, we have over twenty-five years of audiobook production experience, fifty thousand hours of audiobooks produced, and hundreds of audiobook titles!

In today's episode, I discuss the top three questions that we were asked at our conference session - and funny enough, those are the same questions that the three of us are ALWAYS asked when we talk about audiobook production.

I give special shout-outs to authors who recorded their own books, both in their own homes and in my studio here at Snowdog Audio - check out their audiobooks for great examples of awesome audiobook narration by the author:

Norman Bacal ~ Take Charge

Dr. Caroline Brookfield ~ The Reluctant Creative

Janet Wiszowaty ~ ed., The Year the World Paused

Karen Stewart ~ Divorce the Fair Way

Wakefield Brewster ~ WakeWord

As always, please connect with me if you have any questions about audiobooks, or have a suggestion for a topic you'd like me to discuss ~ jenny@snowdogaudio.com

Happy listening :-)

In this episode, you'll get a big boost of confidence! I respond to the big objections and barriers to authors self-recording their books, and why you - yes, you! - are just like me. And if I can do it, learning at age 50 with no recording experience, then so can you! And you'll hear about some of my favourite authors that I've worked with, and how they overcame their own doubts to record great-sounding audiobooks.

I mention my book, The Dance of Success (available in print, e-book, and audiobook - of course!). Find it here

I mention these self-recording and self-published authors (there are no affiliate links here, I don't get any money for recommending them - I just really admire these authors):

Norman Bacal, author and narrator

Janet Wiszowaty, author and narrator:

Susan Sommers author and speaker:

Dr. Caroline Brookfield, author, speaker and narrator

Let me know how YOU have overcome your doubts and barriers to success!

jenny@snowdogaudio.com