Audiobook Connection - Behind the Scenes with the Creative Teams

In this episode Becky delves into the pre-Production phase of audiobooks, pointing out some of the lodes of gold that are so often overlooked. Whether you’re an author of nonfiction or fiction, there are opportunities that most authors miss. And most audiobook producers are more focused on just delivering a voiced narrative of your book than on helping you achieve your goals. Learn more about your...

If there were just one key question to ask yourself for which the answer is likely to be life-changing, what would that be? There is such a question, and a follow-up adjunct question to pair it with. This is a question to answer not just once, but throughout your life. Yes, it relates to your audiobook, but it goes WAY beyond it as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...

When it comes to recording your own memoir, is it a given that the author should narrate? Will it be weird to have someone else read it as if they are you? What are the key questions to ask when making that decision? In this episode Becky Parker Geist guides us through the decision process and points out when it may be a good idea to record it yourself—and when it may not be. Learn more about your...

With book marketing, we focus a lot on metadata, especially on Amazon, where there are more tools and information available to help us make good choices for categories and keywords. Audiobooks, especially for those of us who are wanting to get the widest distribution, can still utilize Amazon tools for our audiobooks, then apply what we learn to our metadata with our audiobook digital distributor....

Becky released her novel The Left Turn: Two Lives, Worlds Apart this year and shares her journey with the project from inception to completion to audio production and audio-first release to ebook and print release. The ebook is on a free ebook promotion on the day of this episode release at: https://amzn.to/3AqzZmq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Becky for an engaging interview with Joy Imboden Overstreet, author of The Cherry Pie Paradox: The Surprising Path to Diet Freedom and Lasting Weight Loss, and her narrator Melanie Carey. This project involved exercises and meditations, and was a very personal story for the author. Learn why she chose to have a pro narrator, how this book is distinctly different from other diet books, and how...

More than ever since the pandemic hit, we need to factor into our planning what to do if delays happen. A narrator illness can delay a project days or weeks depending on the severity. How can you protect yourself from loss of marketing dollars when you’re being proactive during production and then get hit with the news that there are delays? What can you do to turn the obstacle into an opportunity...

In this episode Becky interviews composer/audio engineer/musician Julian Blackmore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your audiobook is an asset, not just another format. But most authors don’t recognize how they can leverage that asset in their overall marketing for their books and platform. Join host Becky Parker Geist as she walks you through the details on how to select audio clips from your audiobook and how to use them once you have them. Whether you are a DIY person or want to hire someone to handle the pi...

Jarryd first went through the audiobook production process as a client, getting his father’s book into audio with Pro Audio Voices (PAV). Now as a PAV Project Manager for other authors, he’s experiencing the other side of the process. Join us for a peek behind the scenes into the world of audiobook project management, hear about some of the complications that can come up, and get a feel for the ma...

Got tables? Maybe you are assuming you need to omit them for the audio. If you are, put that decision on hold until you listen to this episode packed with valuable information and what you need to know! What questions do you need to ask yourself before you begin? How do you keep your listener clear on where they are in the table? What if your table is full of statistics or numbers? Join Becky as s...

The tables are turned when our host is interviewed as the author of The Left Turn: Two Lives, Worlds Apart (book 1 in the Split Universe Series). Join Jarryd Chambers as the interviewer and Becky and her co-narrator JS Arquin for this fun interview on a dual narrator project that just launched audio first. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes peek from the perspectives of author, narrators and project m...

Does your book include writing exercises? How should you handle those in an audiobook? Is there a way to do them that works in audio? Should you just put them on your website and leave them out? Or are they opportunities instead of obstacles? Host Becky Parker Geist discusses what to consider in your decisions, how to handle writing exercises, how to leverage those, and samples of instructions you...

Join host Becky Parker Geist for a discussion about mastering audiobook files with two-time Grammy™ award winning audio engineer Michael Reaves. From studio to microphone technique, from single narrator to full cast, with or without music and SFX, learn what it means for your audiobook to be properly mastered. It’s not only about passing QC required specifications for distribution. The art of mast...

Audiobook versions of graphic novels are growing in popularity, but as a distinctly visual format, how that works may not be easy to figure out. Host Becky Parker Geist provides tips to help you save lots of money in the process, while also helping you get the best version of your graphic novel audiobook. From the elements to include in the scripting, to the kinds of sound effects and how to ident...

Titan Book Award-winning author William McGinnis joins Becky Parker Geist to discuss his Adam Weldon Thriller series, now with four books, the first three launched in audio and the fourth in production. Learn more about his journey as a successful nonfiction writer who has turned to fiction, and tips on what he has learned in the publishing process. Learn more about William McGinnis at WilliamMcGi...

If you have a book series, or even a single audiobook that is very long, we’ve got some tips for you! What if you could stay in front of your customers so that as they finish listening to each of your audiobooks, they are back for the next one? And if you only have one of your books in audio, have you thought about how to still get the message out about the next one? Or whatever else is next in yo...

Using the AMPlify program offered by Pro Audio Voices, you can regain or maintain control of your audiobook launch timing, pricing, promotions, discount codes, customer info and so much more while dramatically increasing your royalties! Becky will talk you through the program, what it offers, and also how to maximize its use with your audiobook. This marketing program used to be exclusive to Pro A...

Join Becky Parker Geist and Jim Parker, owner of Riverview Studios, as they have a behind-the-scenes chat about Colla Voce, a new play by Larry Klein that premieres May 7, 2022. Bringing a play to life in film, including filming in a confined space, creates opportunities and challenges for the entire production team. From lighting to sound to resident dogs, the five-day shoot and months of post-pr...

Behind the scenes with author Jacqui Burnett you’ll get to hear about casting decisions and why it was critical to find the narrator who could effectively characterize a few key players in this memoir of growing up in South Africa during apartheid. This book and audiobook are part of a Dare to Be Love platform for healing. Learn about how this project helps raise awareness for #DareToBeLove and so...

If you have a play or screenplay, this is an episode you’ll want to hear! Learn about the elements of the process of turning a theatre playscript or screenplay into an audiobook. You’ll need to think through the visual messages inherent in the original format to adapt the script to the audio-only format. Host Becky Parker Geist also covers music and sound effects—how to determine what is needed an...

Join us for a fascinating interview with Liz Rosner who was one of three narrators for her book, The Speed of Light. Get a behind the scenes peek at some of the challenges and joys of this kind of approach. What were some of the surprise discoveries that emerged out of the audiobook production process? Why the re-release of this title in audio after twenty-one years? In this episode, you’ll hear a...

Host Becky Parker Geist interviews marketing strategist Todd Walker on the top items that make websites effective or lose their visitors and potential customers. What path do you want your website visitors to take? How do you get them to walk that path? Learn how to get started to get your website to work for you, regardless of the size of your budget. These are small but powerful things you can d...

You’ve finished your manuscript and are ready to start the audiobook production process. But then when listening to the recording you hear things that you’d like to change. Unlike making changes in a word document, where changing a word here and there is no big deal—just cut and paste, in the audio arena it’s a very different beast. Look behind the scenes and dive into what that means, whether it’...

This powerful memoir delves into the controversial world of the Catholic Church and what happened to Joan’s brother Tim, the only one willing to publicly speak about what happened to him as a boy. The abuse he suffered and ongoing effects into adulthood are the central focus of his sister Joan’s memoir. Joan is a Senior Assistant Attorney General for the State of Alaska. Hear about the effect of t...