Yesterday I finished and uploaded the audio version of Cheechako. That's right, the entire book, unabridged as a sound recording. I understand it takes a week or so for the Audible folks to do their thing and then the sound files should be easily available, along with the Kindle and paperback versions, right on the Amazon site.
Oddly, it was a whole different experience to read aloud, and then to hear it, my own words and my own book. I think it must hit in a different part of the brain than when my eyes process it in. Some scenes, some glimpses proved very emotional for me. Old memories–the Coghill's store scene–played surprisingly real in my mind's eye and well, the truth is, kind of choked me up as I was reading. Suddenly very vivid.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning that recording your book for sale by Audible or another sound recording service so far seems a worthwhile endeavor. If you're not a reader, check out ACX, which has a variety of relatively painless (inexpensive or as a share of profits) ways to get your book voiced, produced, uploaded and for sale. Check it out: www.acx.com.
Oddly, it was a whole different experience to read aloud, and then to hear it, my own words and my own book. I think it must hit in a different part of the brain than when my eyes process it in. Some scenes, some glimpses proved very emotional for me. Old memories–the Coghill's store scene–played surprisingly real in my mind's eye and well, the truth is, kind of choked me up as I was reading. Suddenly very vivid.
Reading Aloud, A Lost Art?
If you don't have kids or grandkids handy, do you read aloud? I think we get out of the habit.
Years ago, after I had taken in a foster son, one of his relatives told me that this was the first time in his entire life that he'd had regular showers, a regular bedtime, breakfast, hugs ... and the first time anyone had every read to him consistently.
Reading aloud is how we can connect with our kids, how we can pass on qualities and experiences we value. How we can pacify ... my mother read to my brothers and me as we did our nightly chore, washing the dishes. She knew if she didn't distract us we would pound on each other.
She read "The Wind in the Willows," all the Narnia books, the C.S.Lewis adult science fiction ... "Out of the Silent Planet," and others, and I no longer know what all.
Somehow all three of us survived, all read, and all read to children when we can.
Test Your Writing by Reading Aloud
Before you put a page to bed, read it aloud. Does it work? Does it flow? Does the sound of it make sense in the way you thought it did when it was just staring at you meekly, dumbly from the page. If you're a very faster reader and skimmer as I am, reading aloud forces you to consider the individual words and your probability of catching typos is also much greater. It's a good way to proof.
Your Book on Audible
Lastly, it's worth mentioning that recording your book for sale by Audible or another sound recording service so far seems a worthwhile endeavor. If you're not a reader, check out ACX, which has a variety of relatively painless (inexpensive or as a share of profits) ways to get your book voiced, produced, uploaded and for sale. Check it out: www.acx.com.
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