Crowdfunding to Produce and Market an Audiobook

Auteurs, Adaptations, and Outsiders

            I’ve heard it said, the older you get, the less risk you take. Now, I’ve never been one to risk physical injury, although when I was a teenager, I would wait until I was at the highest point in the air, and then jump off of a swing set.

            The biggest risk that I take nowadays, other than descending the slippery stairs on a snowy day to seek out my favorite coffee shop, is putting myself out there daily on Social Media, posting photos, videos, blogs, and sharing other people’s posts.

On any given day, I juggle multiple personal projects in the hopes that the work will make me smarter. For me, the quest for knowledge is so much finer when you can use what you have learned to make something worth sharing.

            On the agenda this month, besides putting away the reminders of Christmas and Hanukah, is preparation for a talk at the Auburn Library and figuring out my next move to promote my crowdfunding campaign. If you have gotten this far, you have probably figured out that this blog is my next move.

            Why did I decide to do a crowdfunding campaign?

When I discovered that Kindle Direct Publishing offered an option to easily turn my eBook, Auteurs, Adaptations, and Outsiders, into a paperback book, I took it. Turning my movie related blog posts into an eBook was exciting, but turning the eBook into a paperback book would take things to the next level. Then, I discovered an option to make the book into an audiobook. I love audiobooks. I “read” more audiobooks than eBooks and real books.

            My first thought was that I might just record the book on my phone. When I made a video a few years ago, I locked myself in the closet and recorded the narration on my iPhone. It didn’t turn out too bad. You can check it out here.  But then I looked at the audio specifications for iTunes and Audible recordings and I realized that I would need more control over the recording and editing process. If I was going to make a proper audiobook, it would have to be made in a controlled environment and overseen by a Professional Producer/Director/Engineer.

            A great audiobook usually requires opening and closing music, plus transitional music between chapters. You can’t just use whatever music you happen to like. The rights have to be licensed, whether it’s already recorded or you have someone come up with an original score.

            Obviously, this stuff costs money.

            Over the years, I have self-produced hundreds of projects: radio shows, TV shows, photo exhibitions, concerts, and comedy shows. This is something I would love to do, but I’m not in the financial position to produce an audiobook on my own at this time. I need help.

            If you can’t help now, maybe you know someone who can. Share the link to my GoFundMe campaign or share a link to this blog. If you would like to own the eBook or the paperback version of Auteurs, Adaptations, and Outsiders, here’s a link to my Amazon Author Page.

Thanks!

I’ll keep you posted on my progress.