Arts
Episode 044 / Cozy mystery author Nikki Haverstock joins us to talk about how authors can record fiction audiobooks. This episode is packed with Nikki’s practical tips for set-up, tools, and promotion ideas. Come over and say hi to Jami and Sara in the WIKT Facebook group! You can find show notes and links at wishidknownforwriters.com. In this podcast episode, you’ll discover: How Nikki learned she didn’t need a special dispensation to be a writer--that it’s more about hard work Why Nikki wishes she’d known that it’s okay that writing is hard How Nikki gives away some of her work get her books in front of the right people Why finding readers of your genre is critical for getting good feedback Why sometimes it's okay to make “bad” business decisions on the basis of personal growth Why Nikki decided to narrate her fiction books Nikki’s tips for authors who want to narrate their books Be okay with listening to your voice Be reasonably good with hunting out your own information on how to record and edit Listen to audiobooks Nikki’s recording set-up and tools: Closet Blue Yeti Music stand with Kindle app to read from Hospital (adjustable height) table Audacity ACX check Set RMS Practical tips: Records when her family is out of the house Claps when she makes a mistake so she can find it later Recommends recording a couple of minutes, then go through the whole process as if you were going to upload it Plan to set aside a few weeks to record and edit Do a visual first pass edit to remove mouth sounds and some breaths Use a standard amount of time for a scene break Do a proof listen after editing Keep three versions: raw version, edited version, and final filtered version Use Findaway Voices Set up Authors Direct storefront Genres discussed include cozy mystery and paranormal cozy mystery. Links: Nikki Haverstock's website Nikki’s Authors Direct Nikki’s Youtube channel Facebook Group: Authors who Narrate Their Own Audio Sara’s tips/set-up/editing: Audiobooks Made Easy Course from Derek Doepker (affiliate link) Audio Technica ATR2100x (affiliate link) Creative Penn Podcast interview with Derek Doepker Outsourced audio editing: reid.loessberg (at) gmail.com Findaway Voices The Big List of craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes