Help Please! Possibly a new direction for me

[Lex Black]

Hey, everyone.

The idea has been put to me that I should take some of my older material I've never been able to find a traditional publishing home for (insert profanity-filled frustrated tirade here) and record some of it as audio books or something similar. I was at first thinking of using Amazon, but feedback from people a LOT wiser than I am suggests YouTube is a better starting point.

So...any advice? Questions, comments, death threats? I've received a lot of support in my thoughts on doing this, and while I've never understood the overwhelming and frankly flattering reactions my old readings on Pop-Ups got, I'm not above trying to exploit that sort of thing.

If I take a novel, and say, read it one chapter at a time and put it up on some kind of regular basis, what then? I've already done some research on this but I can't pretend to be well-informed and I'm open to any help you care to give. After all, I can use all the help I can get.

 

[JohnBertel]

Oh yes, you should make audiobooks. But, sorry, I have no experience to share.
Good luck!

 

[LJ Beck]

I have no advice on the audio side.

However, for the one-chapter-at-a-time thing, have you looked into Royal Road? Home | Royal Road
It's set up for just that, and you can attach a patreon account so that people can pay for advance chapters, or even buy the book directly from you after being hooked with the first few chapters.

Sorry, not what you asked about, but thought I'd mention it.

Good luck! Sounds like a great new direction!

 

[BrianY]

Lex, if you are reading out loud in an interesting place - it could be your jumbled desk or a seat at a really cool bar for example - YouTube could work really well.

 

[RK Wallis]

I also don't have advice having not having done audio or YouTube, but you have an exciting idea and I'm keen to be your first subscriber. Have you asked Google or YouTube? I bet there's plenty of info out there

 

[Jonny]

Good idea, Lex. Also YouTube would allow you to do this a lot easier than Amazon / Audible.

Audible's standards for audio quality are pretty exacting. I remember @Paul Whybrow sharing his learning curve on this when he began serialising his Cornish Detective books a few years back. He may have some helpful insights here.

 

[Lex Black]

Thanks for the kind words and thoughts, folks! To address a general point:

Have you asked Google or YouTube? I bet there's plenty of info out there

The short answer is I'm asking everyone and everything. I've followed a LOT of content creators for a lot of years, so I know this won't be easy or quick. I'm watching videos and reading content by creators about the process, seeking advice, talking to a former YouTube creator I personally know, etc. As I said, I need all the help I can get.

Also:

I'm keen to be your first subscriber.

Stop making me blush! The walls are bleeding now!

 

[MattScho]

If you need a really new direction. what about Wast, Nouth or Sest. or Sestwast

 

[Lex Black]

If you need a really new direction. what about Wast, Nouth or Sest. or Sestwast

I tried those. The walls are bleeding again.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Lex check out those doing Irish myths and stories on You tube. Shanachie is still a thing here. You need a bit of patter to lead into it. Your usual schtick would work quite well on you tube. Just never appear on screen. I like it when there is a cool picture to look at maybe each chapter, but I'm usually working at something else while listening so not vital.

 

[Lex Black]

Your usual schtick would work quite well on you tube. Just never appear on screen.

...what schtick?

 

[Peyton Stafford]

Procrastination is no one's friend. Just do it. One book at a time.