Want a free copy of The American Game?

The American Game, the story about a series of baseball games between enemy soldiers during the Civil War, is now an audio book, and I have copies to give away for free.  The only thing I need in return from you is a review on Amazon or Audible.

You can check it out on Audible here: https://adbl.co/2HLs3yR

You can learn more about the book here: https://bit.ly/2J487GA

If you would like a free copy of this audio book, leave a comment below with a way for me to reach you.

The Audiobook of The American Game is a Dream Come True for Me

I spent nearly 20 years trying to get The American Game made into a movie.  It was a story about a series of baseball games that take place between enemy soldiers during the Civil War.  It seemed like a beautiful story, an with the way people got excited about it when I told them, it seemed like it was a sure thing.

When I finally gave up, I wrote it into a book.  Though I was most proud of the book, I always felt it was a pity that I didn't get to see these characters portrayed on screen.  I didn't ever get to hear their voices.

But that changed when I partnered with Steve White to create the audiobook.  White is an actor who does an amazing array of accents and voices.  I knew as soon as I heard his voice reel that he would be able to bring these characters to life.  And he did.

Over the course of a year, he worked on the audiobook, and now it's available on Audible.  It's so amazing to hear the characters come to life, and the story become a reality.  I love the written word, but this was always meant to be seen and heard.  At least I got one of the two.

You can find The American Game on audiobook now at: https://amzn.to/2IsawuJ

You can learn more about the book at: http://www.bandwagononline.com/The-American-Game.html

Relic Worlds Book 1 is now on Audible

Relic Worlds, Book 1: Lancaster James and the Search for the Promised World, is now an audiobook available on Audible.  If you join audible, you can get the book for free!  The audio was done by a wonderful actor named Jon Ryan, who added music and some sound effects to give it the proper feeling.  You can find it at:

http://www.amazon.com/Relic-Worlds-Lancaster-Search-Promised/dp/B01AIYMH6C/ref=sr_1_1_twi_audd_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1453169725&sr=8-1&keywords=Relic+Worlds

Narrating your own book

When I decided to do my own audiobook, I dove in head first.  I didn't think it would take a really long time, so I set up my booth the way my neighbor instructed, (he was a sound engineer for Tower Records,) and started going.  It took me a year and a half to complete, (much of it being in editing, taking out my stammers.)

When I was finally ready to upload, I came across Audibles advice for authors preparing to narrate their own work.  I wish I had seen it earlier.

http://www.acx.com/help/authors-as-narrators/200626860

Putting Together an Audio Book

Audible now distributes independently published audiobooks, which is great news for us independent authors.  Now all we need to do is read our books into a microphone to distribute them, right?

Turns out, it’s a bit harder than that; at least for those of us who have a bad stammer and aren’t used to acting.

The first thing we did was made my computer cabinet into a mini studio.  My neighbor at the time I did this happened to be a semi-professional recording artist.  Though I didn’t have a recording studio, I have doors on my cabinet that can be closed in around me, and when he put blankets on each door and above me, the recording into a mic in front of my screen looked great.  I read the book off the monitor as I spoke just above the microphone.  (Staying above it reduces pops; as does having a sock over the microphone.

Reading wasn’t so difficult; although I struggled with my mild form of dyslexia, stumbling over my words constantly.  I would have to fix it in post.  This involved going through after I was completely done and cutting every point where I stammered.  Recording took weeks, but post took months; so much so that the entire process took me more than a year and a half.  Now I know why audiobooks are so expensive.

I had done this one myself instead of getting an actor because I wanted to see the whole process.  (Also, for some reason, when I started it I thought it would go faster that way.  And I’m in the book, so I figured it would sound better when I said “I” to actually be the one speaking.)  I learned partway through that you can go to Audible and hook up with a reader through them.  Audible even splits the profits between you.  That’s what I will be doing from now on.