BIBLIOPHONE. your words. heard.
Congratulations! You’ve taken the first step towards getting your words out there. Perhaps you’ve got a short story to tell, some poetry to recite, or a full length novel that simply has to be heard. In any case, you’re in the right place.
Here at Bibliophone we make it easy for you to turn your words into sound. But what’s even better, we make it easy for listeners to access those words. No software to download, no trial periods, no costs. Just search, click and listen.
With your words just a button press away though, it’s important to offer a great listener experience. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an established author or just finding your way in the world of words, if you have something to say you want to make sure your listeners keep listening.
The good news is that making a quality audio recording is easy. And you don’t need a recording studio or banks of audio equipment to do it. In fact all you need is a microphone and some free audio software, and you’re ready to go!
equipment.
When it comes to equipment you’ll need a microphone and, ideally, a set of headphones. The microphone is essential, but a set of over-ear headphones also makes for a better recording and playback experience. This is because you want to hear your voice as you speak, so that you know roughly how it’s going to sound when you’re finished, but you don’t want it coming through speakers because the microphone will pick that up, as well as your own voice, and the result can be undesirable. There are, literally, hundreds of options out there to choose from. And yes, they range in price. For the most part, you get what you pay for. But the fact is you really don’t need to spend a fortune to find good quality microphones and headphones. At Bibliophone we’re not affiliated with any manufacturers, but a quick search online will tell you the best ones for your budget. And remember, find a site where you can read reviews of the product you’re going to buy. There are plenty of microphones and headphones at twice the price of their competitors and half as good, so don’t take the first option that comes along.
software.
As with your headphones and microphones, your options for audio recording software are broad. The best news is though that many of them are free. Audacity is a great example* of free software which is extremely versatile and also incredibly popular. Meaning there is no end of resources online you can turn to for guidance on how to get started and how to make the most of its features. Of course you can use software that comes built in to your desktop, laptop or device, but bear in mind you want to try and create a nice clean, professional sound to your audio file so check the features against some of the other options available.
technique.
So you’re all set up. You’ve had a look round your software, your microphone is plugged in and switched on. You’re ready to go! How do you actually go about the business of recording your words? Perhaps you’ve employed the services of an actor or voiceover specialist, but what if you want to record your words in your voice?
To start with you need to get comfortable. Some advise standing up in order to open up the larynx and better project your voice, but bear in mind you need to be able to read your material, whether that be in printed form or from a screen. In any case, you should be relaxed of posture and of mind! To that end, you’ll need some privacy and to free yourself from distraction. Perhaps you live in a quiet home, but if not you might want to wait until everyone has gone out. And think about other noises too: telephones, mobiles, alarms. Your listeners don’t want their imaginations distracted from a death-defying chase through the Guyanese rain forest by the sound of your text notification!
Do a few tests before you get started on your story or poem. That’s the part where you hear live bands warming up playing random notes and saying things like ‘Testing one two three.’ Play it back and make sure you’re happy with the levels and quality. You don’t want to get to the end of an hour’s session only to find you barely hear your voice.
Familiarise yourself with your work. Chances are, if you wrote it, you know the emotional tone of every line. But if it’s something you penned a while ago you might want to remind yourself of where the surprises are, the tear-jerker moments, the laughter. If you’re reading from a screen, think about using different font colours to signify moods. Red for passion, yellow for light-hearted, blue for…well blue. You get the picture. And if you’re reading from printed notes, why not make use of some coloured pencils?
Once you’re ready to read, relax, take a breath, and start. Don’t worry about making mistakes – you can edit those out afterwards. But do remember not to rush. It’s a common trap most people fall into. Take your time, breathe easily, and let the words come out. And breathe. Did we mention that? Try not to think about your breathing, just let it come as it would if you were chatting to friends or family. Because as soon as you start to think about it, you start holding it. And then your words come out all squashed and every ten seconds or so there’s a long, loud, shaky inhalation.
If you mangle your words, sneeze, or cough just pause and start from the beginning of the paragraph or sentence again. You can go back and edit out the problem area later. For that reason, it’s sometimes easier to record your work in manageable chunks – especially if it’s a long piece. Say a chapter at a time. Or if your chapters are fifty pages each, then consider twenty minutes per session. Whatever you feel comfortable with. Then when you’ve finished a section, you can go back and tidy it up. But make sure you save your project to a single .mp3 file before uploading to Bibliophone.
Finally, you should set yourself a limit with just how perfect you want your work to sound. The more professional it comes across, the more listeners will want to find out more about you and your work. But we all need to stop somewhere. Try to define a level before you begin that you would be happy with, and when you’ve achieved that – stop!
That’s it. If you have any questions please email us. We’re working on a blog site whereby users will be able to contribute their experiences and offer advice too, so watch this space!
*There are many great free software packages to assist you with creating an audio file. Bibliophone is not affiliated with any of these, whether mentioned or not, and cannot be responsible for support, faults, errors or any issues arising from their application or download. When downloading software please remember to use a trustworthy source.