My Audiobook Journey - Reviewing ... & an Update

Part 4

Click here for Part 1, Getting Started
Click here for Part 2, Finding My Producer

Click here for Part 3, The Audition

So. you've signed with your narrator, and the process of production has begun. There are different ways for your producer to submit the product for your approval.

1. Wait to submit the entire audiobook.

2. Submit the chapters one at a time or in smaller batches. My narrator, Tristan Hunt (aka Jason Downs), did it this way, and I loved it.

Either way you'll need to listen to your audiobook--with the manuscript open before you. Getting the chapters in smaller batches made it easy for me to go through a few chapters after work and get back any feedback. By the time he submitted the last of the book, it was almost ready to be reviewed by ACX before going live.

Something to consider--what if once in a while your narrator reads the words a little bit differently from how you wrote them? What if he uses a contraction when you didn't? You can certainly request that s/he fix it. Bear in mind that ACX allows a small percentage of differences between the ebook and the audiobook. Maybe 3%, I think Jason said. I forget the details.

Prior to starting this process, I'd seen a discussion where an author chose to accept some of those variations and changed her manuscript instead. I kept this in mind. I chose to be flexible and made several small changes to the ebook manuscript. There were some that I had him change back to the way I'd written them. So, it was a give and take.

Remember, you are the author. This is your story. But the audiobook is a collaborative effort. If you've got a good narrator who's "getting" your story and your characters, be open minded. If it makes for a better end product, you might decide to accept a few changes.

I'll conclude with an excerpt from one of the early reviews because the third sentence made smile:

I really enjoyed both the story and the narrator. He added a lot of personality to Jori by just the tone of his voice. I might have a little bit of a crush. ;)
     ~K.R. Patterson

Next week, I'll be sharing an interview with Tristan, and you'll get to hear a sample of his work. 

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Update - Operation Underground Railroad

Source: ourrescue.org

Last month I posted about the tough issue of child sex slavery. I'm excited to see the movement is gaining momentum now that Timothy Ballard has become a spokesman for the program of rescuing these poor kids.

There's a great post here, I would recommend you check out. I love the concept of the Abolitionist Moms. She's got some great suggestions for ways to help. One is by joining the Facebook Group where various events to raise money to help free these children will be posted.

The words of Edmund Burke were never so true:

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil

is for good men to do nothing."

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What I'm currently listening to is White Dragon by Rebecca Shelley. This is the second book in Shelley's Dragonbound series. It continues the adventures of Kanvar from Blue Dragon. 

What do I think? Holy smoking volcanoes but there's a lot of action in this book. It's got me sitting right on the edge of my seat as I listen. Tren Sparks, the narrator, does a great job handling the mental communication between Kanvar and his dragon.

While Kanvar searches for his grandfather, Kumar Raza faces a savage Great White dragon that attacks his village. With no armor and only a fishing spear, Raza fights the white dragon but is mortally wounded in the battle. Raza's youngest son, Denali, must find a way to save his father and bring him safely out of the frozen wasteland. Lost in a blizzard, hunted by a pack of wolves, followed by a Great White dragon hatchling, Denali must use all his wit and skill to survive.

What have you been up?

Have you ever become involved in a social movement like Operation Underground Railroad?

  

Operation Underground Railroad (OUR)

I'm taking a break from my usual posts to talk about a serious subject.

One of the many things I do in my day job is serve as a US passport acceptance agent. We're like the front line in observing the people who want to get a passport and reviewing their documents. Before giving them the oath, we have them review a section called "Acts and Conditions." Part of it includes this:

Furthermore, I have not been convicted of a federal or state drug offense or convicted of a "sex tourism" crimes statute, 

The first time I read that, I was like, "What the heck is that?" We hear that same response from a lot from people who've also never heard of it. I finally looked it up.

the act of travelling to another country for the purpose of paying to have sex, especially with children.

 Are you sick yet?

That term bothers me. Sex Tourism. It's too mild a term for what it really is: child sexual slavery.

I'd never heard the term sex tourism on the news either, until a few months ago when this story broke:

It's bad enough that children are being bought and sold and raped.

But there's a freaking market for it!! It's one of the fastest growing criminal industries around today. And one of the most lucrative. Billions of dollars.

Those poor babies. *takes a deep breath*

Children are frequently sold into slavery by family members. Once the kids are rescued, they can't be returned home.

Timothy Ballard, founder of Operation Underground Railroad, decided to leave his undercover CIA work because he was distressed about the children being left behind. As government agents, they could only take action where there was an American interest. By going private, they have a broader reach.

He also decided not to do the undercover work himself anymore, so he could talk about. I'm glad it's getting press coverage. I'm grateful there are organizations like OUR to help lead the way. After the sting done in the video above, the Colombian government had the confidence to conduct similar raids on their own.

Had you ever heard of this?