Writers Remedies

Ever noticed the moment you create a new blog post, the blog stats jumps into life within the next few hours? A successful blogger may show a blog stat count of over 10,000 visits per month. This may inflate the blogger’s ego. However, Google reports will show a much lower stat count regarding page views. Why do Google reports and Blogger Stats disagree and which should the webmaster believe? The Trouble with Blogger Stats Inflated Page Count of Blogger Stats When I began blogging a few years ago, I found myself checking the blogger stats and was pleased to find I was getting ‘hits’ (page views) almost immediately. For some time, I believed Blogger stats to be a representation of how many people were visiting and reading my blog posts. But I was mistaken. How to Read Blog Stats on Google The novice blogger may click on traffic sources to see where these visitors are coming from. Various sites and referring URLs may come up which might be Yahoo, Facebook or Twitte...

Certain words and phrases have leached into the literary world to provide a crutch for lazy writing, to sound breezy or perhaps modern. Some of these phrases are annoying, others meaningless fillers. This is a shame as the English language provides limitless scope for creative expression. Why not use it to the full? The act of cutting out the expressions listed below will undoubtedly improve the writing style. Use only in dialogue – and even then, sparingly. Irritating Words and Phrases in Novels Weak Words in Novels The following English words and phrases have for some reason infected modern literature. Books littered with the following expressions make me want to use that book as a draught excluder or as a discus. What a pity our bookshops are filled with such expressions. Aren’t publishing houses supposed to pride themselves on fastidious editing? Irritating Phrases Number 1: Expressions in a Roundabout Way. These are expressions supposed to form a bridge over s...

The creation of an audio book version of a Kindle book will open out new sales channels to a whole new audience. But how does the self published writer go about creating an audio book? The process of audio book creation is not straightforward but is possible when opening an account with the Audio Book Exchange (ACX). Beginner’s Guide to Creating Audio Books Self Publishing Audio Books You have written a fantastic novel or non-fiction book. You have published it on Kindle, hardback and large print. There is only one other way to go: to publish your book as an audio book. At first, the process of publishing an audio book might seem bewildering, but is possible if following each step carefully. Finding a Sound Producer for Talking Books   The first thing the writer will need to do is open an account with ACX. Standing for Audio Book Creation Exchange, this is Amazon’s website for authors, voice artists and producers in audiobooks. Books created on ACX will go on t...

Professional quality audio books rely upon the best sound equipment, which includes studio condenser microphone, audio interface, computer and recording software. Not forgetting a soundproof room lined with acoustic foam to absorb sound reflections. But when it comes to headphones, the best quality is not essential. Some voice actors don’t even like wearing them during voice acting. Quality Studio Headphones for Voice Recording What Audio Narration sounds Like The reason why some book narrators don’t wear headphones during recording is because the sound of their own puts them off. The result could be a self-conscious reading that sounds stiff and expressionless through a fear of making a mistake. One voice over artist, Bill DeWees said, ‘stop trying to sound professional’. One way out of this tendency is to try reading without headphones. The audio book reader can then concentrate upon compelling the listener rather than trying to sound perfectly polished. Best Headp...

After listening to numerous audiobooks on the Audible site, have discovered listeners will sometimes upload a book because of the narrator rather than the author. A good narrator can elevate an ordinary thriller. A bad narrator can spoil a great story. Some narrators get it right. Others can drive potential listeners away by bad practices. What are the common pet peeves caused by narrators of audio books? How to Improve Sales of Audio Books on Audible Great Book Narration A great book, good studio microphone and perfect recording are far from enough to create a good customer experience when it comes to listening to audio books. Books in audio form are complex, having gone through many stages before arriving on the audible store. The thriller must have a brilliant plot, great editing, a compelling cover design and blurb. Then there is the recording equipment. A dead room free of background noise, a studio quality microphone and sound editing software. How Not to Narrate...

A vital piece of sound equipment the audio narrator is likely to need is the best quality microphone. This means not any microphone, but a particular kind. Different microphones will bring out varying qualities of the narrator’s voice. With this in mind, how does the audio book voice actor select the best mic for voice recording? Basic Types of Microphones for Voice Acting Condenser Mics for Voice Recording Just because a microphone is of studio quality, does not mean it is the best for recording an audio book. A basic understanding of the types of mics out there will help with making the best choice. Microphones come in all shapes and sizes, beginning with the liquid microphones, carbon, fibre optic moving onto ribbon microphones, condenser mics and crystal microphones. Nowadays, the choice can be broken down to basic types. These are either battery powered (external powered) or phantom power (internally powered). Some mics will connect to an audio interface via USB t...

The creator of audiobooks might at first might think a studio microphone, earphones, power supply, computer and sound editing software are all that are needed for recording audio books, but another essential bit of kit is needed: the audio interface. But what is an audio interface? The Best USB Audio Interface for Audio Books Which Audio Interface for Narration Simply put, an audio interface is an electrical box that plugs into the USB terminal or Firewire port of the computer. It has input sockets for the mic, headphones and other sound equipment that might be needed. The interface converts the sound signal from analog to digital, a code the computer can understand prior to editing. Every computer has a built in sound card, which is really a basic type of audio interface. This might be OK for listening to podcasts, YouTube, or for basic recording, but not for audiobooks. Does the Narrator Need an Audio Interface to Create Audio Books? The answer is yes. The audio ...

Even the best recording equipment will not guarantee the best recording for the audio book. Good voice technique is vital. Many authors prefer to have a professional voice actor narrate the book for them. However, there are many advantages to narrating the book yourself. The following tips on voice narration may help. Tips for Voice Actors for Book Narration How to Narrate Books Even the best recording equipment will not guarantee great recording for audio books. Once the sound equipment has been set up and running watch out for the following when recording your audio book: Noisy clothes . Don’t wear fabric that makes a rustling sound. A good mic will be a sensitive mic and will pick up any background noise. Similarly, avoid wearing jangling jewellery. Stomach rumbles . Have a glass of water handy to avoid a dry throat. Some voice over artists chew sliced apple or pineapple to keep the mouth moist. This will prevent that off-putting smacking or crackling sound of t...