The Apps I Use To Edit My Audiobook

I finally finished chapter 1 of Urban Punk. Took much longer than I expected, but that’s because I was choosing images to include in the video. They were tough to come by. Pexels.com and Pixabay.com were instrumental for helping me get proper imagery. They’re not just great for book covers, but awesome for quality stock shots all for free ninety nine.

The Nikon Z 30 is my preferred camera for video content

My Nikon Z 30 is an amazing little camera. It works perfectly for the image I want to create for my videos. It also has a microphone jack for plugging in my Rode Wireless Go 2, giving me high quality sound without having to worry about cords being in the way. I can also plug the transmitter into my PC, and use microphone as a dedicated input for sound. Even if you choose not to record your audiobook as a video like I did, I still highly recommend the Rode Wireless Go 2 microphones for recording yourself.

VLLO is a great reasonably priced video editor for Android phones

Again, I am using a video editing app to edit my audio/video. VLLO is simple, easy, and intuitive to use for simple clipping and cutting of videos. Spend a little money on the app and you get access to a ton of features to help perfect your video. If you are focusing on audio, you can use a program like Lexis Audio Editor or Wavepad Audio Editor that are designed specifically for audio.

Video to Mp3 converter is great for ripping audio from your videos

Video To Mp3 Converter is another simple, easy to use application that is free. It does exactly what the name suggests and rips the audio from your videos, leaving you with a high quality sound file to upload and edit.

The last application I use is a free web app from Adobe. Adobe Podcast makes it simple to get great quality sound from my original audio. It took tinny, hollow sounding audio and made it sound rich and full, all with a couple clicks of a button. And that’s how I edited the video above, and the programs I’ll use to help me convert it to an audiobook.

Creating your own audio book (Cover Reveal for Urban Punk audio book)

I’ve been working on Urban Punk recently, to publish it and release the audio book at the same time.

I’ll admit, audio is still the most difficult part. Even if you believe you have a good audio setup, it’s probably not good enough. At least I know in my case, using the budget setup that I have, I’m not going to get perfect audio.

I don’t have a professional microphone, at least not for anything like recording a book. I have microphones that I use with my videos, but are they going to be good enough quality for an audiobook?

There’s only one way to find out, and so I’m going to start recording Urban Punk chapter 1.

I’m going to make it into a video, and I believe I’m going to try and share the whole process with you.

The process will be posted here, as pictures, because I’ll admit I’m too lazy to edit a video like that. I enjoy my cameras, I do not enjoy editing videos.

I really hope I’m able to help someone else in the same spot as I am. Or someone who’s just starting, and trying to figure it all out.

The equipment I’ll be using is a Rode Wireless Go 2, And that will be plugged into my Nikon z30. I need to get some better soundproofing, in order to make my tone sound richer and fuller, but for a basic setup this will work.

My soundproofing is not expensive. It’s simply a box with egg foam on the inside. A thicker denser one that absorbs the sound. That makes it easier to tear it up and put it down, since it’s not something I plan on leaving up all the time.

I will attempt to share how I do all my editing, even the video editing, on my phone. And hopefully, I’ll end up with a halfway decent audiobook at the end of it.

I hope you guys had a good day today, and I hope your evening is even better. Y’all have a good one!

Come and get your #FREE and #DISCOUNT #BOOKS! #SIAFBB #ASMSG #IARTG #IAN1

There’s a ton of books being offered, and now is your chance to find your new favorite author! Formed from the members of the Support Indie Authors board on Goodreads, we have something for every taste! From high fantasy to contemperary romance, if you’ve got a reading itch, we aim to scratch it! Check it out today, with more books coming tomorrow!

#RileyAmosGetsReviewed got 2 new ones yesterday!

So I’ve been spending this past week writing to EVERY single frickin’ horror book blogger that I can find, since I’m trying to get 100 reviews of Everyone Dies At The End before the ebook releases next year, and everything else is slacking a bit. Including this place. I have to apologize for that, I’m not trying to ignore you guys.

But I’m back for today! Even if it is only for a little shameless self-promo.

I received two new reviews last night, both of them the kind that makes ya feel good inside.

The first is from Christina McMullen, a wonderful author in her own right. (Seriously, if you enjoy a sarcastic wit, read her works.)

A brief disclaimer: I am typically not a fan of fantasy that doesn’t involve the words ‘urban’ or ‘contemporary.’ That being said, I have been branching out into more sword and sorcery as of late and I find that the hardest part for me to reconcile is plain and even base English in a fantastical setting. Here, the language is very modern and at times, incredibly base. But somehow, where this has been jarring to me in other books, it works brilliantly here.

I imagine that this book reads much like the Lord of the Rings books would to someone who loves Tolkien. I am not a fan of Tolkien, but I rather enjoyed this tale. It is an epic adventure that follows Lov, a half dragon-half elf who is an adolescent when his home, land, and family is destroyed by the Titans, the very constructs that were meant to protect them. The characters are well written and there is an overall humor that carries the heavier parts of the story. I do admit some slight confusion in that I inferred that Lov’s mother, who is a dragon, was an orphan, but his dragon grandfather shows up to train him. It is possible I misinterpreted this or there is something that gets explained later on, so it is a minor nitpick at best.

I can’t wait to continue on with the rest of this series!

And the next one is from Charles, a reviewer at Blue Ink Review. (Don’t worry, I didn’t pay for it, and this isn’t going in their normal queue that I’m aware of.)

This is a vividly imagined tale of elves, orcs, halflings, dragons, fairies, Titans, and other amazing creatures. The hero, a sixteen year old half-dragon, Lovonian, goes out hunting with his uncle on his sixteenth birthday, only to empathically feel terrible things happening to his family and village. He sets out on a trail of revenge where he learns more about the elemental, magical side of his heritage while engaging in tests and mortal combat that takes him through imagination-stretching realms.

I want to thank both of them for leaving me reviews! Every one of them is appreciated, but it’s always nice to see when another enjoys the work you poured your heart into. Thank you both, and may the rest of you have a wonderful weekend!

#EveryoneDiesAtTheEnd part 10! “Damned Dirty Fun!” #Bookboost #RRBC #ASMSG #IARTG #IAN1 #Booklove #SupportIndieAuthors!

So, how many of you are wondering what’s going to happen to Earl?

You know what time it is! It’s the weekly dose of shameless self promotion!

Are you guys tired of hearing from me yet? Don’t worry, only six more weeks in Everyone Dies At The End. Here’s this weeks episode for your enjoyment.

And don’t forget, I’m holding a giveaway on Goodreads for Breath of the Titans. It ends April 27th, so jump on it while you still can!

#RRBC #IARTG #BOOKBOOST #Ebkrtwt #EveryoneDiesAtTheEnd on Bigworldnetwork.com FREE AUDIO VERSION

WOOT! Release day for the first chapter! Looking forward to seeing people’s responses to it. So, if you’re interested, take the time to pop on over to BigWorldNetwork, and feel free to drop me a line about it. I have yet to meet an author who doesn’t LOVE to talk about their books!

Woot! I’ve sold my first two books EVER!

And I haven’t even been able to format them right for the premium catalog!

Now I really feel like an author. To the two people who bought my book, thank you(BTW, could you leave me a review on the first one? Lol)! Sara and I should be posting the last one on smashwords soon, then I need to find some help formatting them correctly for their catalog. Stupid TOC, they won’t accept it into their catalog unless I have one.

Been a pain in the ass editing this last book from my phone. I feel like Missy is sitting on my shoulder, whispering in my one good ear that the book isn’t done, running down to my thumbs and putting them to work on this android keyboard! Now I know why Nord hates fairies, they’re annoying!

And Sara will have her weekly post up tommorrow. We’ve both been fighting the head cold from hell! Anyways, time for the special post, I hope you all enjoy!

Mangoes:

I’be always liked mangoes, though with how I grew up, we never had them. It wasn’t until I was 25 that I tried my first ones. Dried and prepackaged, they were a gift from a phillipino coworker. They’d been coated in singer, and were delicious!

Now that I’m making my life changes, I’ve gone back to eating them. And since they’re perfectly sweet already, I buy frozen, no sugar added.

Pros:

Full of vitamins! Lots of vitamin A, E, C, K, and B6.

Filling! One cup is equal to only 110 calories.

Fiber! As an American, I can say we as a nation do NOT eat enough fiber, the good carb!

Cons:

High in sugar! 25 grams in a cup.

Low in vitamin B12! Going to have to keep the supplements close for that mid day boost.

A pain in the ass to peel! Mangoes are dense, full of water, and have a slick outer coating. These fruit are an accident waiting to happen if you don’t know how to peel them safely. That’s why I suggest buying frozen, just way less of a hassle.

Recipes:

Mango salsa

2 cups sliced mangoes

2 cups sliced peaches

2 cloves garlic

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger

1/4 cup basil

2 chilli peppers

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Make sure your stuff is diced to a size you like. Mix it all together and place in the fridge overnight. Nice healthy additive free salsa!

Curried mango chicken:

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast

3 Tablespoons curry paste

2 cups diced mangoes

Melt olive oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic, sautee until onions are see through. Add chicken, turning to brown the meat. Add curry paste and coat chicken. Toss in the mangoes and cook until chicken is done.

Best place to buy!

Honestly, your local grocery store. I usually just buy frozen, no need to peel them! $4.50 a pound at Safeway here in Washington.