If you write educational blogs or Ebooks, or even if you’ve just been considering starting a business selling information products, you should think about the potential of producing audio books.
True, not all topics may lend themselves to audio books. For instance, an eBook on auto maintenance is likely to contain images, diagrams, or other content that simply cannot be read aloud.
There are many topics, though, that will work well in audio format, and these can offer many benefits over standard Ebooks. The ability for people to listen to your guidance and advice while on the go may be the main benefit of audio information products.
A 50 page eBook will require the reader to study a printed version or sit at their computer in order to absorb the information you provide. The beauty of digital audio is that it can be easily transferred to an MP3 player or CD so that your customer can listen to it wherever they like—in the car, while jogging, etc.
The majority of your work might already be finished if you have already written several articles or Ebooks on a specific subject. You only need to purchase a high-quality microphone if it works in audio format. These are widely available for under $100. You should be able to meet your needs with free audio editing programs like Audacity.
If you haven’t already written your information down on paper, try to write in a conversational style. Read what you have written back to yourself aloud after every few paragraphs to hear how it sounds. Justify your content by making necessary adjustments. If you’ve ever written something, you’ll probably find that it reads well on audio because generally speaking, good writing reads well when it’s spoken aloud.
You might need to make some small adjustments here and there if you are reading from an eBook you have already written. It might also be a good idea to break it up into shorter chapters that last for about 30 minutes each. Otherwise, the listener might become distracted and miss your message.
Don’t rush it; if you are instructing or teaching, your audience needs time to process the information. Similar to e-books, it is a good idea to present information in bite-sized chunks. Make sure to pause between these, adding longer breaks for any particularly challenging ideas.
Record your work in 10-minute chunks, listen to it, and make notes about how it can be improved. Retake the recording if necessary.
The sound of your own voice being played back to you can be a little unsettling if you’re unfamiliar with this. It applies to everyone, so don’t be concerned. Finding a substitute reader might be an option if you are really self-conscious about the quality of your voice.
