Tag: Tips

Audiobooks, narration

Three tips for audiobook narrators from Megan Carter…

Elodie

Megan’s narration has been called “top-notch” and “fantastic”. And I couldn’t agree more. 

Megan is a London-based actor from Kansas City, USA. She received her MA in Classical Acting from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. She also holds a BA in Theatre from Loyola University Chicago, with minors in in Musical Theatre, Dance, and Shakespeare Studies. When not working, Megan enjoys reading, running, and practicing yoga. She loves a good road trip, and has been on one hundred and one roller coasters.

For more information about Megan and her work: www.megancarter.net

Here are her three tips for audiobook narrators:

Transcript from the audio file:

Hello, listeners! This is Megan Carter, the narrator of Fear Me, Fear Me Not, and these are my top 3 tips for narrators!

  1. Try to pick projects you love! Don’t be shy about asking to read the whole book before you sign a contract. If you like what you’re doing, you’ll enjoy the process more and create a better product.
  2. Keep track of your characters! I use a spreadsheet with timestamps for each voice. If you have a minor character that appears in chapter 3 and doesn’t come back until chapter 17, you want to remember exactly what he sounds like!
  3. Take care of yourself! Sitting in one place and using your voice all day can be really hard on your body! I warm up before, take breaks during, and I’ve bookmarked a few favourite yoga videos on Youtube for a great neck and shoulder release after. And make sure to hydrate!

Thanks for listening – talk to you soon!

Do you have any questions for Megan? You can add them into the comments and maybe we’ll select one or two to answer in the next few weeks. 

And here’s an excerpt of FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT narrated by Megan in case you haven’t listened to her amazing narration yet. 🙂

First minute of FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT narrated by Megan Carter. Available soon.

If you want to know when FEAR ME, FEAR ME NOT becomes available for sale and get an exclusive scene narrated by Megan, you can either sign up for my newsletter or fill out this Google form. With the Google form, you’ll receive only ONE email from me, instead of somewhat more regular updates when you sign up for the newsletter.

Another way to keep updated is to sign up to my blog (see below). I post on here way more often than I send newsletters. Or you can follow me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Thanks for reading! ❤

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Observations, Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tips For New Bloggers

Elodie

This Top Ten Tuesday feature is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and I first came across it on Jaime´s blog. It´s a lot of fun and they  post the topics way in advance!

This week´s topic: Top Ten Tips For New Book Bloggers…which I am twisting to Top Ten Tips For New Bloggers 😀

                                                                                                                                                    Source: vetsforpets.net via Vera on Pinterest

 

So, I have been blogging for less than a year. When is the status of “new blogger” over? 😀

From a newbie to another one, or from a somewhat less new blogger to another one…here are my Top Ten Tips for New Bloggers:

1. Choose what you want to blog about: This may come naturally. Right now you may be thinking: I already know what I want to blog about (e.g. books) but it may take awhile to actually get your groove. When I look back at my first posts, it seems that I thought I´d write much more about my commuting than what I do. Plus there are many ways to write about books: Do you want to only write reviews about books you really enjoyed? (this is what I do :D) or do you want to have a point system? or talk about covers, about characters, about the swoon-factor? about the plot? do you want to organize them per topics? do you want to talk about everything?

2. Choose the format: Do you want a recurring theme? Do you sometimes want to do a vlog? Do you want to link your posts to any of your other “online” persona aka Twitter, Facebook, Google +?

3. Check the platform you want to use: There are many choices out there. Personally, I like WordPress but it was more of a “lucky” moment than anything else. If you´re more peculiar about the features/style you want to have, I think it could be useful to check out which one you really prefer before spending too much time of your blog.

4. Stick to a schedule (especially at the beginning): It helps you to know what works and what doesn´t work for you and it helps for people to know that you´re a regular blogger.

5. Make sure people can “follow” you: See on my right? You can follow me by email, via google reader, via RSS feed, via WordPress…When I travel the blogosphere, it happens that I cannot find a way to easily get updated. Sure I could always copy the link and add it to my Google Reader but I don´t necessarily have the reflex or I am not on my computer but on my phone…

6. Use visuals: I always find it enticing when there is at least one picture/gif in the post.

7. Be yourself: There are blogs where you really have the feeling you get to know the person because their voice and spirit jump out of the page.

                                                                                              Source: Uploaded by user via Bernadette on Pinterest

8. Discuss, connect, make friends:  Leave comments  on other people´s blogs, try to reply to the ones you get (I for example now send an email to the person on top of the comment if they´re not on WordPress.) What I found also helped greatly along the way was connecting with bloggers/writers on Twitter. Don´t be shy! People do love to get comments on their blogs, especially ones where you also share your views, your experience…

9. Participate in blog fests, in challenges, in online book clubs: It is another way to connect and to have a blast along the way. If you´re active in forums, let people know that you created a blog…

and……another very important point:

10. Have fun with it!: You´ll get to discuss topics you love with wonderful people from all around the world, you´ll learn a lot from them and from writing your own blog and maybe make long lasting connections along the way!