For those who are interested, here is an update on progress for ‘Tied With A Yellow Bow’.
- The text of the book is finished
- The audiobook is recorded
- The eBook is available for pre-order here
- Author copies have been pre-ordered
- I have added a small AI disclaimer (see end of this update why)
I knew the text wouldn’t be finished until I had recorded the audiobook, as reading it aloud and performing it this way would highlight things I wanted to change. Mostly, it was a matter of the odd word here and there. In one case, I changed part of a story (what happened to something in The Eclectic Chair, as I realised I had been a little repetitive in using a particular trope across too many stories)
Now the job begins of editing and mastering the audiobook. This means a lot of listening to my own voice (the book comes out at about 5 and a half hours), and there is no rush here, so I will be doing one or two stories a day to ensure it is complete by the end of August. I intend to release the audiobook through Audible and some related partners. This depends on passing Audible’s requirements, which it should, although I won’t know until I submit it after mastering everything. However, if it doesn’t (worst-case scenario), I will still be releasing it for sale through my website. I can only realistically do one or the other. Obviously, I have recorded audio before for various projects, but this is something new, and definitely a learning experience. It is also exhausting performing, so I am quite glad it is done, although there may be some overdubs when I am doing the final editing/mastering.
Interestingly, you cannot start producing an audiobook for Amazon/Audible (I have learned this) until you have set up the ebook. The ebook is now complete and available for pre-order. I have created many ebooks for Amazon using their Kindle Create software, but because they are academic textbooks with very particular charts and tables, I have always used the ‘Print Replica’ setting. Using the ‘Reflowable’ setting has meant more editing in the final creation process, so again, something new learned. Amazon processes around independently/self-published works means that it is not possible to pre-order printed copies.
Completing the text means that I have been able to order ‘author copies’ from Amazon. That order has been placed, and I expect to receive it next week, which I will use to start more video-based promotion. I will then have 25 copies that I can sell at the launch event on 11th September, 3 days before general release.
Finally, I have put a short AI disclaimer at the very end of the book. The stories are entirely human-created and written, and I am proud of that. However, I created four images (black & white, pencil drawing style) for the text. I would have much preferred to have a human artist create them, but the cost of a good artist would be too prohibitive. That is not (and this is very important) because artists are too expensive – they are well worth their money, but I am not expecting to make much money from this book, if any, and this would have almost certainly led to me making a loss. I do, however, still feel a bit funny about it, and so wanted to ‘come forward’, be honest about it, and explain why I have used them in this situation, hoping people will understand rather than complain.