Tag Archives: ALLi

This Week in Links: August 13 – 17

Posted on August 17, 2018 by | 1 comment

For Rights Holders:

How to Market Your Book–When You Hate Marketing – via Helping Writers Become Authors – You can admit it: you’d rather be writing your books than marketing them. Reframing how you think about marketing, however, may help you find success and enjoyment in this important aspect of (audio)book publishing.

What Makes Readers Buy Books? – via ALLi – Dig deep into the data behind reader surveys to find out why your fans make the decisions they do.

30 Fantastic Writer’s Conferences for Authors, Bloggers and Freelancers – via The Write Life – The wisdom of the crowd, the support of your peers, the happy hour drinks at the bar: there are a number of good reason to attend writer’s conferences, and you just might find the right one for you on this list.

Great Book? Or Great Marketing – via BookMarketingBuzzBlog – Read on for an eye opening look at the value of writing vs. marketing when it comes to (audio)book sales.

For Producers:

Your Weekly VO Marketing Calendar – via Dave Courvoisier – Even the best in the business can fall into the inconsistency trap. Dave’s got a handy suggestion for staying on track: mnemonics!

The Secret to Sustained Success – via Paul Strikwerda – “If you wish to have sustainable success as a freelancer, you have to start thinking long-term, and big picture.”

Deliver On Your Promises – The Most Important Voiceover Advice – via Gravy for the Brain – For freelance professionals, your reputation is invaluable. Are you making a name a good impression on your clients?

As Your Voice Ages, Training Overcomes Barriers. But More Calls Coming For ‘Seniors’ – via Voice-Over Xtra – “In many ways the microphone is much more merciful than the camera. And in other ways it’s more revealing.”

 

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This Week in Links: July 30 – August 3

Posted on August 3, 2018 by | Leave a comment

Producers:

How To Edit Voice-Over Recordings A Lot Faster – With A Gaming Mouse! – via Voice-Over Xtra – Learn how to streamline your audiobook editing with some gear you may not even have considered for your studio.

Filling In The Blanks – via Paul Strikwerda – “You can’t give a client what s/he wants to hear, if you have no clue what it is.”

The Only Thing That’s Constant… – via Dave Courvoisier – Find inspiration in the ways your VO career “enhance[s] the definition of being human.”

Hey, I Know You!: Creating and Maintaining Your Personal Brand – via ACX University – Building a strong narrator brand and marketing your ACX productions can increase your earnings and provide a “value add” for the Rights Holders you work with.

Rights Holders:

How to Recycle, Repurpose and Promote Your Publicity – via The Book Designer – As you continue to build you Author brand, get tips on how to get the best return on the exposure you’re already getting.

Authors Should Promote Books Like Street Entertainers Sell Their Talents – via BookMarketingBuzzBlog – Turns out you can find marketing inspiration in the funniest of places. Find out how two different types of creatives have more in common than you may think.

11 Ways to Simplify Your (book promotion) Life – via author marketing experts – “Simplifying for authors is different…because most of us have day jobs and for us, simplifying isn’t just about keeping things simple, it’s also about preventing that bottleneck when too many things hit at once.”

How to Use Awareness Days to Promote Your Self-published Books – via ALLi – “Awareness Days of some kind or other happen just about every day of the year. There can be few authors who can’t find at least one day that somehow chimes with their books, if only they take the time and trouble to look. But what to do when you find one that suits you?”

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This Week in Links: March 12 – 16

Posted on March 16, 2018 by | Leave a comment

For Rights Holders:

9 Types of Pitches to Use When Promoting Your Book – via The Book Designer – “The success of your book depends on approaching people, companies and groups and asking for their help to publicize, promote and sell it… Here are nine things consider when it comes time to pitch your book—before, during or after your launch.”

How To Promote Your Book Like My Self-Promoting Kid – via Book Marketing BuzzBlog – Learn how emulating 13-year-old Ben in three key ways can help you shine light on your latest audiobook project.

How to Implement the Ideal Content Strategy to Grow Your Author Brand – via ALLi – “Jyotsna Ramachamdran, founder and director of Happy Self-Publishing, asks why a carefully curated content strategy is so important for authors, and how to build and implement one.”

Is a Press Release Still a Good Book Promotion Tool? – via Author Marketing Experts – AME offers a ruling on this tried and true technique. Take note of the rules you’ll want to follow to make sure your press release breaks through the crowd.

For Producers:

A Voice Artists Shouldn’t Just Talk. Also Listen to Yourself – via Edge Studio – Read up on the value of including time to listen back to past performances in your daily practice sessions.

Let’s Talk About Your Jaw – via Dr. Ann Utterback – Stress can wreak havoc on your jaw, which in turn can disrupt your vocal performance. Never fear – the doctor’s got some exercises that can help relieve tension and build strength.

Celia Siegel’s Voiceover Achiever – via Paul Strikwerda – “The big question in our industry used to be: Do you have a beautiful voice? Do you know how to act? Those are still important. But they’re no longer enough. These days the question is: Are you brandable?”

ACX U Presents: Ahead of the Curve: Prospecting for Pros – via ACX – Audible Approved Producers Steven Jay Cohen and Neil Hellegers discuss the finer points of researching authors with books not yet in audio and bringing them to ACX to produce their audiobook.

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This Week in Links: February 5 – 9

Posted on February 9, 2018 by | Leave a comment

For Rights Holders:

Five Marketing Tools for Authors Who Hate Marketing – via Writer Unboxed – “If you’re a writer and you’re on social media, have a website, blog, or even just talk about your work with friends, you’re already marketing. So here are five inexpensive and relatively easy-to-use tools to help optimize the marketing you’re already doing.”

How to Collaborate Effectively with Other Indie Authors In Your Genre – via ALLi – Find out what happened when one author decided to stop competing with his fellow writers and start building a shared fan base.

Book Marketing (and Publicity) is not About Book Sales – via Author Marketing Experts – Learn why “exposure,” while harder to measure than unit sales, can be just as important an area of focus as the number of (audio)books you sell.

15 Ways to Strengthen Writer Courage – via Live Write Thrive – Do you suffer from Imposter Syndrome? Are there steps you’d like to take in your career, if only they didn’t seem so daunting? Read on to find ways to overcome your fears and access your inner strength.

For Producers:

Who Are Finalists For The Coveted 2018 Audio Publishers Association Audie Awards? – via Voice-Over Xtra – Audible has racked up 28 nominations, including 6 titles published by ACX Producers and Rights Holders! Check out the full list of nominees.

3 Things to Consider Before You Build Your Voice Over Studio – via Marc Scott – Follow along as the VO pro and coach shares lessons (and photos) from his own home studio construction process.

The Superbowl’s 3 Big Lessons for Voice Actors – via Dave Courvoisier – “It’s not often I find inspiration in professional sports…but there is much to be noted in the successful portrayal of the truly deserving individual who masters spectacle, excellence, and legacy.”

ACX U Presents: Beyond the Booth: Monetizing Your Voice – via ACX – Find out how to make sure the time you spend off-mic is just as lucrative as the time you spend on it.

 

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This Year in Links: 2017

Posted on December 28, 2017 by | 1 comment

All year long, we’ve been sharing audiobook production, publishing, and marketing links from around the web. Today, we’ve gathered your favorites from the past year, along with a look at the creators who published them. Read on for some great advice, and you just might find your new favorite site to bookmark.

For Producers:

Karen Commins is an Audible Approved ACX Producer, and has been a professional voiceover talent since 1999. She’s produced and recorded over 50 titles in her custom-built home studio, in addition to writing articles on audiobook production and publishing on her blog.

Dave Courvoisier is a voice actor, blogger and Emmy-winning TV news anchor. His blog features a variety of topics for VO’s, and his experience in the industry makes them worth your attention.

Paul Strikwerda is a Dutch-English voiceover pro, coach, and writer. His lengthy posts are often philosophical in nature, and tackle VO theory more than specific technical advice.

Dr. Ann Utterback is a voice specialist with more than 40 years experience working with broadcasters, voice over artists and podcasters around the world. Her blog is a great place to learn how to take care of your instrument.

For Rights Holders:

ALLi is the Alliance of Independent Authors, a non-profit professional association for authors who self-publish. Their blog focuses on teaching publishing and marketing skills to authors who don’t have the backing of a major publisher.

The Book Designer is Joel Friedlander, a man with a 40-year history in printing, graphic design, typography, book design, and advertising. His blog focuses on “researching new ways for you to get your books into print, to make them more apt to sell, and be a source of pride to both author and publisher.”

BookMarketingBuzzBlog is written by Brian Feinblum, a veteran of two decades in the industry of book publishing publicity and marketing. On his blog, you’ll discover savvy but entertaining insights on book marketing, public relations, branding, and advertising.

Our partners in publishing, CreateSpace  is the one stop shop for your print on demand needs. Their blog features bite-sized pieces of publishing and marketing wisdom, with a bit of beginner’s slant.

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This Week in Links: October 16 – 20

Posted on October 20, 2017 by | Leave a comment

It’s that time of year again. While you’re prepping for Halloween, we’re prepping for the upcoming December audiobook sales season. For the best chance for your book to be on sale in time for the 2017 holidays, we recommend your titles are approved and submitted to ACX by Friday, December 1, 2017.

Please also ensure your audiobook meets all of our Audio Submission Requirements before submitting, as your title may be delayed going on-sale if our QA team needs to reach out to you with questions. Watch our recent video on passing ACX QA, then check out our favorite links from the past week below.

For Producers:

Study Peter Coyote’s Compelling Narration In Ken Burns’ ‘The Vietnam War’ PBS Series – via Voice-Over Xtra – Listening to the narrator’s documentary and contrasting it against his audiobook performance can be an enlightening exercise.

Voiceovers, Napping, and Meditation – via Tom Dheere – “Whether it’s napping, mediating, exercise, yoga, or reading a book with a warm beverage, at some point during the day you should find time to recharge.”

The One Surefire Way to Find New Clients – via Dave Courvoisier – CourVO offers a surprisingly simple directive, for those willing to put in the effort.

The Agony Of Ignorance – via Paul Strikwerda – Read Paul’s advice for achieving “unconscious competence,” and why it’s better in the long run not to get spoon-fed easy answers.

For Rights Holders:

Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – October 2017 – via The Book Designer – Instead of hoping your friends will leave glowing reviews of your (audio)book, learn how to earn reviews from motivated readers and listeners.

Opinion: How Indie Authors Can Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Book Marketing – via Alli – “You wrote the story you needed to tell – now you need to ensure the people who need to hear it have the opportunity to do so.”

Utilize Your Blog as a Powerful Marketing Tool – via The Write Conversation – “A blog post infused with personality, well-written content, and benefit to the readers can cause them to follow your blog or explore your website. But first, you have to get them interested in your post.”

Using Physicality to Bring Your Characters (And Your Fiction) to Life – via Writer’s Digest – Add this one to the “give your narrator something awesome to say” folder.

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This Week in Links: June 26 – 30

Posted on June 30, 2017 by | Leave a comment

For Producers:

Do This Instead of Buying a New Mic – via Dave Courvoisier – Ready to add to cart? Consider whether coaching and technical training may be a better  investment for your career than new equipment.

What Is Your Computer Backup System? And Will It Work? – via Edge Studio – “Whether your computer succumbs to a malware attack, a hardware failure, or your own human error, having a backup will make the situation much less nerve-wracking, and probably far less expensive.”

Why I Don’t Listen to Fictional Audiobooks Narrated by Men – via Book Riot – One listener offers her perspective on a performance choice that drives her buying decisions.

5 Years As The VO Strategist Taught Me 3 Things – via Tom Dheere – What can you learn from Tom’s three big revelations from his time as VO coach? Find out in this milestone post.

For Rights Holders:

Use Cheat Sheets & Checklists to Entice, Engage Readers – via The Book Designer – “Readers love chunks of information they can digest easily in just a minute or two…tie the topic of your cheat sheet or checklist into your book, and you’ve got a promotional hook that reels in readers.”

How to Carry Your Book Cover Design Through to the Marketing Campaign for Your Self-published Books – ALLi – Find out how image, color, texture, and typography can be used as a theme for your (audio)book promotion.

How to Set Up Your Own Online Book Tour – via BookMarketingTools – “Whether you’re launching for the first time or hoping to drum up support for a published book, virtual tours can be incredible for building buzz, encouraging people to share your content, growing your platform, enhancing your reputation, selling books, and much more.”

An Illustrated Guide to Dynamic Characters – via Writer’s Digest – Compelling characters are a dream come true for any actor to perform. This fun infographic takes a look at what makes some of your favorite TV/movie characters so interesting.

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This Week in Links: June 5 – 9

Posted on June 9, 2017 by | Leave a comment

Audible’s Matt Thornton stops by today to fill us in on an exciting new initiative Audible has recently launched.

The mixture of words and voices that give books their power is an even more fundamental element of the audio experience, which can bring together the best of writing and narrative performance. Last week, Audible announced a $5,000,000 fund to commission and produce new works by playwrights for Audible listeners. This project elevates three areas of focus that have informed Audible’s mission from the beginning: serving listeners, serving the professional creative class, and applying the best of emergent digital technologies on behalf of listeners, actors and authors.

Audible has enlisted an advisory board of distinguished theater talent to collaborate in the selection of recipients for the grants, and will solicit submissions for fund grants immediately. Read more about this program here, and inquire about submission at AudibleTheater@audible.com.

For Producers:

Dial Down the Intensity of Your Delivery – via Dr. Ann Utterback – “The problem is that if your excitement bleeds into your delivery too much, you’re doing a disservice to your listener.”

Refresh, Reboot, Refurbish, Renew – via Dave Courvoisier – Don’t collect digital dust. Consider these aspects of your voiceover business that might be ready for an upgrade.

6 Questions About Audio Publishing – via Karen Commins – Thinking of buying audio rights and becoming an audiobook publisher? Karen answers some questions about the process you may not have considered.

For Rights Holders:

Beginners guide to Indie Author Jargon: Book Marketing Glossary – via ALLi – You’ll find multiple entries for each letter from A – Z, with recommended blog posts for every term. Bookmark this one now.

5 Skills Every Writer Should Develop – via The Book Designer – Learn the attributes a writer should attain to become a true “autherpreneur.”

Can You Sell 10 Copies Of Your Book Every Day? – via BookMarketingBuzzBlog – “Any goal that you set needs to have a number attached to it, something that’s measurable, realistic, but inspiring.”

Is Email Marketing Still Relevant? – via CreateSpace – It turns out the key to effective email marketing is… all your other forms of marketing. Who knew?

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This Week in Links: May 29 – June 2

Posted on June 2, 2017 by | Leave a comment

ACX audiobooks win three audie awards!

Last night, at the 22nd annual Audie Awards, 3 titles produced or distributed via ACX took home the coveted prize in their category. The winners were:

The Greatest: My Own Story by Muhammad Ali & Richard Durham. Narrated By Dion Graham (Autobiography/Memoir).

The Brink: Stories by Austin Bunn. Narrated By Austin Bunn, Luke Daniels, Tanya Eby, Ralph Lister, Amy McFadden, Mikael Narramore & Nick Podehl (Short Stories/Collections)

Marriage Games: The Games Duet by CD Reiss. Narrated By Elena Wolfe &  Sebastian York (Erotica).

Congratulations to all the authors and actors involved!

For Rights Holders:

Why Networking at a Writing Conference is SO Important – via The Write Conversation – Did you hit Romantic Times or BEA this past month? Planning to attend a conference later this year? Check out Bruce Brady’s example of real world networking in action.

It’s a (Mad, Mad) Marketing World – via Writer Unboxed – Find out how the plot of your story plays an important role in the marketing of your book.

Marketing Tip: Stay Organized! – via CreateSpace – “When it comes to book marketing… It doesn’t matter what system you use, as long as you use a system.”

5 Creative Book Marketing & Promotion Ideas for Indie Authors and Self-published Books – via ALLi – Find out how innocuous things like an email from Amazon or a trip to the dentist can be opportunities to market your work.

For Producers:

Recaps From 5 APAC 2017 Sessions – via Karen Commins – If you were unable to attend APAC this year, check out Karen’s roundup of the best tips shared in a handful of sessions.

Important Voiceover Work Legal Considerations – via Victoria DeAnda – “Without prior knowledge of voiceover work legal considerations, you could end up compromising years of hard work and client-list building.”

Protecting Your Voice – via Paul Strikwerda – Look after your instrument by reading Paul’s in-depth interview with Vocal Health Educator Elissa Weinzimmer.

Do You Know Craig? – via Dave Courvoisier – Have you landed any VO work via the online classified ad service Craigslist? Dave wants to know! Discuss your experience in the comments of his post, if so.

 

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This Week in Links: May 15- 19

Posted on May 19, 2017 by | Leave a comment

For Rights Holders:

Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – May 2017 – via The Book Designer – This month, the site’s lead writer shares her biggest marketing mistake: not taking her own advice.

The Key to Creating a Successful Blog: Evergreen Content – via The Write Life – Creating blog posts that are constantly wanted and searched for is a great way to attract readers through social media.

How to Form an Indie Author Collective (and Why You Should Consider Doing So) – via ALLi – [“K]nowing others are supporting you and holding you accountable puts wind in your sails.”

Branding vs. Marketing – via CreateSpace – “I’ve heard people use the terms interchangeably, and frankly, that’s just wrong. They serve the same purpose, but they are two different tools serving that purpose.”

For Producers:

On Excellence in Voiceover. Do You Dare to Push Yourself? – via Edge Studio – Where is the line between adequacy and excellence? Are you excellent enough to make the cut? And can you take pursuit of excellence too far?

2 Customer Service Examples: The Wrong Way and the Right Way – via audio’connell – Freelance VO’s need to give clients great customer service. Two anecdotes from other industries provide examples to follow.

10 Money Tips For Voiceover Freelancers – via Tom Dheere – “Make, save, and spend money like a business, not like a clueless rogue artiste.”

Tales From The Voice Booth – via People Magazine – Put some fun in your weekend with H. John Benjamin’s hilarious voiceover horror stories.

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