Hey everyone God bless you!  I’ve been playing around with the idea of doing the narration for the Realm of the Dead myself for a while now, and wanted to give you all a listen, and get some feed back.

So yours truly has taken it upon himself to record a sample audio for the possible project.

I’d like to know and get your honest feedback.  So if you would take my survey and let me know what you think I should do let me know.

Let me give you some background on the audiobook making process.

It takes over a thirteen hundred dollars to produce an audiobook like mine.  This cost includes the cover design, and the narrator.  Now for some, perhaps this is not a large sum.  But for me it is.  It requires a significant investment on my part, that typically takes about 4 months in sales to get back.  As an independent publisher I don’t have (yet) the luxury of certain other authors.

While the narrator is indeed worth his weight in gold for the wonderful narration.  He’s still not free and deserves to be paid for his time and talent.  So as any businessperson I have to determine if the cost is worth it.  And more importantly do I have the funds.

If I pay the narrator if will be some time before I can release this book on audio.  My fans need to be aware of that.  The funds at this time are simply not there.

So my options are few, but as I see them, they are as follows.

1. Produce the book with the original narrator later in the year or as funds avail themselves.
2. Produce the book myself.
3. To pay for narration by utilizing some type of crowdfunding campaign with the thought that my fan base is wiling and large enough to help fund it.

Option 3 while possible still really delays when the book can be released.  It would be October at the earliest before it was available, and that assumes the narrator can produce it in that time frame.  Also I have misgivings about asking my fans to support me in this way.

Option 1: Is doable, but it’s all about time and money.  Raising the money and giving the narrator the time he needs to get it done.

Option 2. If I do it myself I save quite of bit of upfront costs, and am able to probably have the book out in about 2 weeks maybe less.  I’d like to think that I am a pretty good voice actor, and of course have an idea of how the book should sound. I also recognize that some people wouldn’t mind having the story read to them by the author.  Yet, I also recognize it would be a break halfway through the series to have a new narrator.  Even if it is me.  And some fans might be disappointed to hear a new voice. If I do this book I would do the final book in the series as well.

So I’m looking for your feedback and I will make a decision by the end of the month.  It was fun doing the audio, but also challenging as well.

Let me know your thoughts—oh I hope you enjoy the demo!

Here’s the link to the survey!  Thanks again for you help in making this decision.

Donovan