Having experienced one of his brilliant audiobook workshops, I know of what he speaks.

On FaceBook?

Watch the video HERE.

CourVO

The general word right now is that the AudioBook Publishing industry is fertile ground for new work, ’cause the medium of audiobooks (helped along by iTunes) is booming.

A newsletter the other day from James Adams offered an especially cogent assessment of the AudioBook Publishing industry, and I’m repurposing most of it below, with the express permission of Mr. Adams.

Here’s his resume’:  James Adams is the former Managing Editor of the London Sunday Times, CEO of United Press International, founder and CEO of iDEFENSE, a cyber intelligence company, Board member at the National Security Agency and NCIS, author of 13 bestselling books on warfare and intelligence and currently Chairman of ADRevolution http://adrevolution.com.

Yeah, I know…pretty impressive.  You’ll concur after reading his articles below.

Please pay special attention to the final article:  WHAT PRICE NARRATORS?

Thanks James!

CourVO

IN A TIME OF SO MUCH TURMOIL in the publishing business, the one constant theme in all our lives is that of change. Everyone in the media is confronted with either the collapse of their existing business model or with the need for radical transformation with technology as the forcing function. No time is this more true than with the introduction this month of the iPad from Apple. While I may not buy one, there is no doubt that Tablets are going to be part of all our publishing futures whatever medium we happen to personally use. What does that mean for us? Well, more change for sure and as you will see below, some folks have some pretty radical ideas about what that change might look like. Whatever the answersmay be, we’ve all got to keep moving at warp speed if we are to survive and prosper. A fun challenge to embrace.

With best wishes,  James Adams

——————————————————–

APPS: THE NEW COMMODITY

Just last year when I was talking to some folks about developing apps for the iPhone and Android, the fairly standard quote seemed to be around $10k. Today, the price has tumbled as the whole app market has become commoditized, and now I can get a great working app for digital audio for less than $500. And the prices continue to fall.

Recognizing that the next step will be the effective elimination of the app as a cost, I started looking for a software tool that could create apps using a drag and drop tool on the desktop. I wanted one that could create the audio, store that in a database and then use the tool to create an app for any platform and then automatically post it to the location you want. At the same time, widgets associated with the software can place ads or audio links in the audio file to generate revenue.

Since Apple started offering apps for sale for the iPhone in 2008, more than $2.7 billion apps have been sold and 150,000 are available. However, it seems to me that the days of being able to charge anything to the consumer for access to an app are drawing to a close. Instead, revenue will come from ads and click throughs.

In its search for a different model, the Hearst Corporation has established a team that creates dozens of apps created around sports and news that aggregate existing web content and package it in what it hopes will be interesting and appealing new ways. Hearst expects to offer thousands of apps at 99 cents a pop. But, as apps become accessible to everyone – both the creator and the consumer – and the cost of entry falls ever closer to zero, charging for an app is no longer going to be viable.

As with so much about web 2.0, it’s the multiplication of revenue streams rather than the dependence on a single source that is going to dictate the future. Those who see every offer as an opportunity to connect in many different ways with other creators and consumers of content will make money. Those who can only see one way of making money will fail.

———————————————————–

iPad yPad

(editor’s note: this article written before the release of the iPad by Apple)
The Big Day is almost upon us: the launch of Apple’s iPad which must surely be one of the most hyped technology events of all time – even by Steve Job’s exacting standards.

The question for us who live and work in the world of audio is just what, if anything, may be the significance. Certainly, the form factor is cool and the eBook experience will be much better than the Kindle or the Nook but I’m not clear just why I want to own the device. And I say that as one who never knowingly passes up an opportunity to spend money on a new gizmo.

Much of the debate has been the tussle over eBook prices with Apple agreeing to publishers’ demands for a higher price and a different business model than that imposed on a reluctant market by Amazon. It now looks like the iPad’s ebook price is going to settle at around $14.99 compared with Amazon’s $9.99.

While the publishing industry is seeing this as a reprieve for its profit margins, the public wants to know just why publishers are insisting that an eBook is somehow just as expensive to produce as a regular hardcover. The answer lies in the overhead which is roughly the same for both types of book. And the reason for that is that publishers have been terrified to make the kind of changes that will be necessary to accommodate the digital universe.

This reluctance in the face of the inevitability of change will do nothing but damage to the publishing industry. Look at newspapers. They have resisted change for a generation and now their business is falling off a cliff. Apple, long seen as an innovator, has become an enabler of the status quo with the iPad. When the cliff edge finally comes, there will be blood on the floor of the whole publishing industry with famous names shuttered and hundreds of layoffs. Meanwhile, the self-publishing industry will continue to take market share and the digital download audio business will boom.

————————————————————–

VOOK ANYONE?

That said, it is very clear that the arrival of the iPad is acting as a forcing function in whole areas of digital industry. Not only are other big players like HP and Dell working on their own versions, but much of the book industry seems to see the iPad and its imitators as the tipping point for a whole new generation of reading and listening.

Brad Inman is a former journalist and serial entrepreneur who has created several successful ventures. His latest is a company called Vook that will combine a digital book with audio, video, and hyperlinks to enrich the whole reading/listening/watching experience. This is similar to a project over at Google and another that is being launched by Penguin specifically for the iPad.

What this means to me is that while the future business model is unclear, a multi-media experience attached to any book is certain. What is also certain is that the days of the audio CD are almost over, either as a retail product or for sale to libraries. The consumer wants more than an expensive stand alone shrink wrapped audio experience and these days, what the consumer wants, he or she gets.

—————————————————————

BOOKSTORES RIP?

I was talking the other day to the owners of a small bookstore about how they see their future. By any standards, it’s a successful local store, and the folks who run it have consistently made money. They stock a wide variety of books and a small selection of audiobooks. Like everyone else in that business, the last year or two has been tough with revenue down and margins cut.

They are hoping that the upturn in the economy will trickle down to them and that they will be able to settle back into a model that has worked for them for many years. I take a more pessimistic view and think that they are digging their own grave.

The days when the bookseller had any kind of control over what the consumer should read are over. Today, power truly has been transferred to the consumer and any supplier of content has to recognize the new reality in order to prosper. What does that mean? First, it means that hard and soft cover books are only one way of getting the written word, second, that the stranglehold that the publishing industry has held over authors has been loosened by the self-publishing industry, and third, that all content will be made available as consumers want it. That means hard and soft copy, audio as CD or digital downloads, apps, will be made available through any media the consumer wants. And at a price that the market dictates.

To me, that means a bookseller needs to offer traditional books, have a stellar website, a print-on-demand self-publishing outlet, and audio, both as a download for that impulse buy as well as on CD. Every bookseller who fails to accommodate this new market reality will go the wall.

—————————————————————–

THE FOUR Vs

Volume, Velocity, Variety and Veracity. Those are the four principal challenges that exist for all of us who are trying to play in the digital arena. Not only is the volume and variety continuing to grow exponentially (60% compound annual growth and accelerating) but trying to distinguish good data from bad gets more difficult every day.

According to The Economist, Wal-Mart handles more than one million transactions every hour, feeding databases that hold more than 2.5 petabytes, which is the equivalent of 167 times the number of books in the Library of Congress. Or, for another example, decoding the human genome took one year the first time it was done, and the same process can now be replicated in one week. So the volume of data and the velocity at which it moves continues to grow at almost unimaginable speed.

All this data flying around creates a tremendous amount of noise, and for everyone involved in the creation of content, the principal challenge is how to stand out from the crowd when everyone else is also shouting as loud as they can.

So, how can this be done in the audio world? Let’s say there’s an audiofile that contains thirty different 20-minute exercises, one for each day of the month. You offer an app or a digital download that might have an ad for Nike and Luna energy bars embedded within it. Every time the audiofile is accessed, that provides information about the consumer and his or her interests can be cross-referenced with other, already publicly available data. For example, the person interested in the exercise audio might also have recently had a child or is getting married. That aggregated information is valuable and provides multiple marketing opportunities and additional potential revenue streams.

Of course, companies like Amazon and Google do this already. What will be different going forward is that all content creators will have to learn to mine data, and the most well rewarded job will be that of the statistician.

————————————————————–

WHAT PRICE NARRATORS?

There have always been more narrators than there are books to narrate and so that should create a buyers’ market driving down the finished hour cost to hire a decent voice. For years, the reality has been different, with the per finished hour price point for narrators varying widely and usually with no discernible relationship to the market or sales. Rather, prices have been set by a small group of friends, most of whom have known each other for years, and they take care of each other as friends should do.

But a cold wave of reality is sweeping through the narration business. As publishers have hit hard times, they have been cutting costs and poorly run companies have had their leadership replaced so sentiment is now at a premium.

Narrators are now being forced to record at home – why pay for an expensive studio and engineer when the quality can be matched by ProTools and a good mic? – and many of them are having to cut their prices to reflect the new market reality. I began BeeAudio with a view that a fixed flat rate for all narrators, including myself, was what the market needed and that seems to be borne out by what I’m hearing from publishers around the world.

Margy Bauman at Redwood Audiobooks has taken things a step further. Margy is one of the nicest and most respected figures in the business, and she has always been an innovator. Now, she has cut deals with some of the best names in publishing where, rather than paying them up front, she will split the net income with them. This means that narrators, too, will forgo cash in favor of a royalty over time.

It’s an interesting approach, and it’s too early to say whether it will work or not, or whether narrators will end up earning more or less under this structure. What is interesting though, is just how many of the top names have signed up to find out.

Hillary has not only done a ton of AudioBooks, but is a veteran of live announcing for the Emmy’s, and People’s Choice awards, among other achievements in VO. (see bio below)

I had the honor of studying with Hillary at a Pat Fraley audiobook workshop/weekend, and learned SO MUCH.

Knowing Nancy and Anna, this March 31st event will cover all the audiobook bases and more.

I’ve taken the liberty of reprinting their newsletter/annoucement below so you can see the straight story.  It has all the links you need to sign-up.

If this is where you want to go in voice-acting, you need to be on this call!

CourVO

Break Into Audiobooks with Special Guest Hillary Huber!

Our Break Into Animation Part 1 Teleseminar was such a hit, we’re at it again–but this time with Audiobook Superstar Hillary Huber!

Join us for Break Into Audiobooks on Wed March 31, 2010 - 6 pm PST/ 9 pm EST.

With us, our special guest and audiobook veteran Hillary Huber gives thorough, no-BS insider answers to all of your audiobook questions.

From business to craft to all the details in between, Hillary’s gonna spill the beans on everything audiobook.

Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your space on the call (includes a studio quality MP3 of the teleseminar as well).

Just a few of the great questions to be answered:

• Do you read the whole book?  Do different people read different parts and characters?
• How do you get into audiobooks?  It seems so mysterious…do I need to know book publishers and authors?
• Do I need a specific audiobook demo? Are there audiobook agents?
• How could I even keep track of recording a whole book by myself in my home studio?
• I’ve been listening to a ton of audiobooks, and I KNOW I’m ready to break in, so tell me the action steps I can take NOW to get the audiobook gigs coming my way!

Go to Break Into Voice Over–$49 buys you a seat on the call and a studio quality MP3 copy as well.

More About Special Guest Hillary Huber

Hillary Huber has been working steadily as a voice over talent for 15 years.  She has done hundreds of commercials for clients such as Toyota, McDonalds, Tylenol, Coffeemate, Boeing, Subaru, Ford, Taco Bell, Walmart and countless others; promos for WE, CBS and the E! Network; and live announcing for The People’s Choice Awards, The Family Television Awards, and The Emmys. She discovered audiobooks in 2006, when her research, perseverance, and creative thinking resulted in a flourishing and profitable career in audiobooks. She now records books on a regular basis for major publishers such as Harper, Macmillan, Random House and Scribner. Some titles include Skinny Bastard and Light in the Piazze.  Her next project is Tell-All by best selling author Chuck Palahniuk.  Her narration consistently garners both critical acclaim and industry awards, including several Audie Award nominations.

“Hillary Huber’s narration is lyrical enough to be set to music.”
-Audiofile Magazine

Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your seat!

This statement from Becca Price, of the AudioBook Publishing ListServ:

October was a good month for book sales.  Nearly every category saw a positive increase.  The increase in adult hardcover is probably attributable to Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol.

    * Adult paperback increased 37.5% to $130.4 million.
    * Children’s/YA hardcover fell 0.5% to $87.9 million.
    * Children’s/YA paperback increased 20.2% to $52.7 million.
    * Adult hardcover rose 6.3% to $259.9 million.
    * Adult mass market was down 1.8% to $61.2 million.
    * Audiobooks dropped 1.8% to $19.7 million.
    * Ebooks were up 254% to $18.5 miillon.

Note the next-to-the-last line, re: drop in AudioBooks.

BTW, you might find LOTS of interesting tips about the AudioBook Publishing industry on that ListServ.  Send a note asking for a subscription to this address:  audiobooks-owner@list.audiodiversions.com.

Also, the quote Becca makes above was gleaned from an article on a blog written by a collection of readers who love fiction called:  “Dear Author,….”

You can find it HERE.

CourVO

Check it out…there’s a nice explanation here of the different types of mics regardless of whether you’re into long-format narration or not.

CourVO

I’m sure it has something to do with my OCD tendencies, or  maybe it’s my inherited pack-rat genes, but there’s something about a list that seems so….tidy.

Well, I’ve been at it again, and this is a list you may want to follow on Twitter, especially if you’re interested in being an audiobook narrator.

But let’s recap:

First, I created the Twittgroup for VoiceActors VOICETWITTER…which is now almost 300 strong and has some very helpful ways of gleaning information from all of those who signed-up.

Then…when Twitter started allowing lists to it’s general API, I started the VOICEOVERISTS list, which has about 430 profiles of voice over people and a few studios.  This list is currently being followed by almost 80 people.

Last night, I started my 3rd list…for people and publishers in the business of audiobooks.  You’ll find that list HERE.  So far, it is following almost 40 Twitter profiles.

For the Twitter lists, all you have to do is get to that link, and follow the list like you would any person’s profile on Twitter.

Hey, I did all the work…all you have to do is sign-up or follow along to reap the benefits.

See?  My craziness works in your favor!

CourVO

That topic is traditionally disdained by a group so dedicated to the finer nuances of a good read. These are serious audio-book listeners who celebrate the various human narrators, and the interpretation each one brings to a narrative.

But something new and improved has surfaced, and it’s making some converts even among this hard-core group of those favoring the real human voice.

So listen to the samples at LOQUENDO and then I’ll finish up below.  It’s an international site, so you have to scroll down to hear the US/English samples.

——————————

So….whadya think?  I agree, it’s the best computer generated voice I’ve ever heard.

Much of the give ‘n’ take on this forum moved into the realm of where the artistry is in this sort of software solution…and how would the audiobook publisher business model change.  Beyond that, the discussion also addressed who has rights, and what is the revenue stream.  Can a programmer replace a narrator?  How labor-intensive and artistry-intensive is that?

This hard-core group of audiobook aficionados, agrees this is the best “fake” voice they’ve heard, but also agree it’s not there…yet.

Which, of course prompts the question: “When?”.

Text-to-Speech and voice recognition programs (eg. Dragon Naturally Speaking) have always been reliant on complex formulas or algorithms that incorporate the finer points of artificial intelligence.  They’ve steadily gotten better with each new jump in computer speed and function.

It’s likely that we’re not far from a computer-generated voice accomplished enough to satisfy a sector of buyers who aren’t as discerning as the audiobook group mentioned above.

So now, I’ll state the question that has already likely bubbled-up in your own mind:  “Is this likely to hurt yet another sector of jobs/clients now available to us as voice-actors?”

Your thoughts?

CourVO

Alan Sklar is certainly one of the most highly-recognized and respected voice-ACTORS in the business of audiobooks.  Spending a session with him – I’d reckon – would be worth the tire tread getting there.

Here’s the info as provided to me by John:

Alan Sklar’s workshop – Mastering Audiobook Narrations – in NYC on Nov. 7.

Alan is a dynamic individual – former Shakespearan actor and businessman, who definitely makes a lasting impression on people … all for the better.

I’ve published an article revealing some of the traits that make him a great narrator – and also explain the workshop. Here’s the link:

http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=ur2kmges

CourVO

BTW….Sklar is such a unique surname, that I couldn’t help but wonder if Alan was in any way related to the celebrated bass guitar player Leland Sklar.  Anyone?

You can see that first-hand attending one of his many workshops.  He’s holding one in the middle of Oct. in LA for budding AudioBook narrators, and all the info is below.

Also, check out the Edge Studio newsletter above where you’ll find that Marc is also holding an Audiobook workshop on the East coast. 

A good rule of thumb is to seek some sort of coaching once a month…even if it’s the valued opinion of a peer your respect (I know budgets are tight all around).

CourVO

                                                   ANNOUNCING

A SPECIAL ONE-DAY

Los Angeles WORKSHOP:

                                              THE ART AND SKILL

                                        OF AUDIOBOOK NARRATION

If a 30-second spot is like running a 50-yard dash

and a 60-second spot is like running a 100-yard dash,

narrating an audiobook is like running a marathon!

It’s the ultimate in long-form narration—

the one area of voice acting that will outlive you

and be a legacy for your descendants to hear.

It takes a lot of specialized skill-sets to pull it off.

Want to know how to break into audiobooks?

How to sustain your voice for hundreds of pages?

How to develop characters and remember them?

Want to be directed by one of the top audiobook

   director/producers in the U.S.?

This one-day workshop is your chance to be in front of

Bob Deyan of Deyan Audio.

He’ll be in the studio directing you on actual

audiobook passages that he uses to audition new talent,

and show you exactly what you need to know

to make it in the competitive arena of audiobook narration.

“I want to tell you how much I enjoyed your Audiobook Workshop.

The pace was excellent and the instructional and informational content

  was shrink-wrapped into the eight hours

(there was so much ‘good stuff it might take me six hours to transcribe my notes).

I went to your training thinking: ‘There’s no way I could ever do an audiobook,

but perhaps the training will help develop my acting ability for other V-O work.’

I came away thinking: ‘Hey, maybe I could do this!’

  I will happily attend again the next time you offer it.” —Mike Dunahee

                 Want to find out if you’ve got what it takes?

                    THE ART AND SKILL OF AUDIOBOOK

                             NARRATION WORKSHOP

                           is an intensive full day for

                advanced, part-time and full-time voice actors

                who want a thorough understanding of the

              tips, tricks and techniques of audiobook narrators.

                This one-day workshop will show you how to:

                       -Narrate fiction vs. non-fiction

-Develop characters

              -Keep characters consistent throughout a story

-Prepare for an audiobook audition

-Prepare for an audiobook session

-Make an audiobook demo and where to submit it.

"I have had the honor of taking several of Marc’s workshops, all of which were just great and got me work! This one did not disappoint. Marc is such a blessing as a teacher and award-winning talent, that you cannot help but excel, not to mention be infected by his enthusiasm for the art. Bringing in Bob Deyan from Deyan Audio to give us his expert opinion and critique was great, plus it gave us a real opportunity to see where we stand and expose us to real work opportunity! That literally pays for the class!” –Patty Mattson

THE ART AND SKILL OF AUDIOBOOK NARRATION

will give you objective, critical feedback on your performance abilities and is limited to just ten participants!

It’s scheduled for:

Saturday, October 17th, from 10AM to 6PM,

at Voicetrax West in Studio City, CA

and breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided.

The cost: just $395.

“Thanks for the fabulous class. I learned a lot. Your direction was great and it was nice to get a perspective about it all from a real voiceover actor/director. I also really enjoyed having Bob Deyan (guest director from Deyan Audio) for the class too. Between the two of you, one couldn’t ask for a better education on audiobooks. I look forward to more.” –Darlene Koldenhoven

Marc Cashman, narrator of over 50 audiobooks

and named by AudioFile Magazine as

Best Voice of the Year in Non-Fiction & Culture,

will be taking you through your paces

with some challenging audiobook exercises,

followed by a one-on-one directing session with

Bob Deyan of Deyan Audio,

one of the biggest independent producers

of audiobooks in the U.S.

Bob has produced over 1,000 audiobooks,

and has directed hundreds of narrators and celebrities,

such as Dudley Moore, Juliet Mills, Ed Asner,

Patrick McNee, Bill Cosby and many, many more.

(You can find out more about Deyan Audio

at www.deyanaudio.com)

"When I first spoke to Marc Cashman about his Audiobook Workshop, I had been recording books back to back for the last six months. I decided that it was beneficial to me to give it a shot and see if I could learn anything new before I started my next project. During the workshop I got so much information, that I wish I would have taken this workshop six months ago! Audiobooks can often be long and exhausting process, and this class was fun, inspiring and packed with information. Marc’s instruction (plus his incredible guest director) has given me the tools to bring my audio narration to the next level." —Cynthia Holloway

To reserve your seat, call 661-222-9300

and leave your name and number clearly.

We’ll then confirm and give you directions to the studio.

And to read what people have to say about this special workshop,

open the attached information!

Yes, we’re still alive — thanks to everyone who checked in on us, just to make sure — and the judges are still plowing through all the entries we received for the Share the Experience contest to celebrate Scott’s 10th year as an audiobook narrator. Check out Scott’s update right here:
http://www.scottbrickpresents.com/wordpress/
Know someone who wants to keep up with the contest? Send them to this link to subscribe to Scott’s newsletter:
http://www.scottbrickpresents.com/wordpress/subscribe-to-my-newsletter/

CourVO