Amazing samples; they bring life into these books.
"My next plan is to write my own books to self-publish and narrate, while providing the ambient musical background. Baby stepping forward into my future by blending all that I love to do."
This will be excellent, Jacqueline. If non-fiction is part of the plan, I'll certainly want to read a book written by you in the future.
Jacqueline I am blown away. I love reading books out loud and have thought of this as a fun job. But I never even considered the voices. This is art more than narration. I am so excited you are going to move forward with your own project. I am ready to dust mine off as well and craft something. Perhaps we can stay in touch around this? I am super excited to learn more about what you have coming.
Oh my gosh... just listened to the Werewolf part ... so well done, and erotic ... and humorous. Don't mind me, two glasses of wine ... glad you are sharing these. xoxo
hahahahahaha!!! This is the most adorable comment, ever! Thank you so much for listening and for appreciating, Michael. ❤️
I do remember that when I recorded that particular audition it was late at night, which made it easier for me to do the gravelly whiskey-coated voice of the werewolf. I was taking a chance by venturing into the more advanced book options, and probably had a glass of wine (or two) myself to muster up the courage to do it. ;)
A chance that most definitely paid off. I'm about to start book twenty-something for this same author. We have such a great working relationship. I always fall in love with her characters, and laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry, and her steamy romance scenes are HOT!!
Amazing Jacqueline! So good! Listening to a book read out loud is a whole different experience! Something tells me with your own book there would be some music in there too! Do you help others audio-ize their own books too? An audio publishing engineer! Bless you. 🙏❤️
HA! Audio-ize!! Thank you my poetic friend. It's such a joy to do this work (until the editing- necessary, but very tedious at times.)
"Something tells me with your own book there would be some music in there too!"
100%. I'm thinking along the lines of meditation, maybe mantras to contemplate, so a very ambient and organic soundtrack. I know this is nothing too 'out of the box', but I'd like to think I have my own special sauce to make my work stand out and offer something distinct- my voice. :)
"Do you help others audio-ize their own books too?"
If I can help anyone with anything, I'm happy to! I have seemingly so few useful skills that I'll take a chance to share what I can, in the hopes that it makes a difference.
From one music-maker to another, I love the Scarlett interface. I've had mine since high school and I still use it for my audio projects.
I'm curious about audiobook narration, though! It's one area I haven't touched yet. How long are your recording sessions? Do you just correct yourself in real time and cut out the mistakes?
Hey Dalton! Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment for me.
Re: recording sessions. It really depends on the book. For non-fiction books, I can read for a long amount of time comfortably, taking breaks only to takes sips of tea or stretch etc. Editing for this is minimal as it's just a straight read. In this case, I tend to correct misttakes as I go, tidy up the file. Since these books pay a lower rate than fiction, it behooves me to be as efficient as possible.
Fiction is a different beast. I tend to be able to only record a max of 3 chapters a day, as the performance takes more out of me as far as focus and emotional energy. Editing also takes longer because, if it's warranted, I'll leave up to 3 versions of a sentence in the take so I can choose the best delivery when editing. These sessions also take longer if I stumble upon an accent I have to study or I'm playing around with creating a voice for a new character. These books pay more, so I'm compensated for taking that extra time to make the audiobook the best it can be!
Thanks so much for the detailed reply! It's so interesting to hear more about your process!
PS: I really like the idea of doing audiobooks with self-produced ambient music in the background. I've totally dreamed of doing something like that too!
Enjoyed this post. What a great voice you have for it too. Good for you. It is harder than it looks. I know when I have read aloud my own poems I find myself messing up.
I’m sure you will achieve your ultimate goal of reading your own book one day xx
"It is harder than it looks" You got that right!! And I'm always conscientious of the fact that I'm voicing someone's work in which they've invested so much time and energy. I care about doing a great job.
"I’m sure you will achieve your ultimate goal of reading your own book one day"
Substack and the lot of you are certainly serving to push me in that direction. Now just to figure out what it'll be....
Very cool Jacqueline. You have a passion, and passion in your voice lol. You put a great deal into your reading and it can definitely be felt. Would you take this talent even farther and be an actor? thanks for sharing it was fun to listen to your projects and hear what you are working on.
I used to read for elementary children. I would make voice changes for all the Characters and really act the scenes out... different then adult books but not really. Less serious, but the children loved it, and I loved it too, knowing that they were really enjoying the stories. Congrats on another aspect of your career and talents!
I kinda did the acting kid in my youth, which was fun. But it was mostly commercials.
I considered it as an adult but I just can't. You and I both know how f'd up that industry is, and I could never pretend to be ok with having anything to do with it. The thing I love about books is it's making art, for the most part. I don't have to sell anything~ just be authentic in the delivery, so that the meaning of the writing is transferred to the reader.
" I would make voice changes for all the Characters and really act the scenes out..."
I love that you did this! Story-telling + being playful= joy with meaning! ❤️
oh so true about the Industry, I meant more local, theater or something, you already are a performer of your music and song writing.. But I hear you!
Yes, it encouraged a real desire to read, and to be interested in learning, with the children. As you said, the meaning of the work is transferred to the reader. I was a pre-K and Kindergarten teacher, and much of my day was spent on the floor with the kids surrounding me to listen to reading. I would even get props, that I often made myself of puppets, (either paper that I drew, or sewed) to act out the stories.
I can SO see you doing that. Your free-spirited nature would make you a great teacher and so relatable to children.
Sadly, local theatre and all arts have been so wokeified. Maybe the new revolution includes taking all art-forms back!! Make art great again. hahaahaa!! ❤️
I haven't been to a show in a long while, only music festivals. I didn't know about the theater woke, I did notice that every movie/series you watch now on Netflix and the like, includes something for the woke! but the art, yep! Tom Seibert did a good piece on the recent demonically possessed Kringe Chaz paint smear.
You have a very nice narrative style, great job on the recordings too. I think the idea of putting your talents for writing, narration and music into a single project is a natural.
At this stage of my life, I've chosen to devote all of my time to the enjoyment of creating and/or ingesting that which inspires the creating. Those 24 hours we call a day go a long way....❤️❤️❤️
ha! I may be young compared to you ;)...but still I see signs of my aging every day, and it is this observation that has me want to make the most of my time, of my life, and to not take for granted the fact that I still can run. I would to hate to live with the regret that I didn't do it while I could. ❤️
Jacqueline you have a special kind of “something”. Your amazing voice transcends just the general vocal experience. Your sound adds depth, quality and pathos to what you read. I hope for all the best for your amazing future ahead. 🤗💖✨🙏
hahahahaha!!!
Oooh - I think the Universe wanted me to read this right now! Would it be OK to message you?
(Great read as well as inspiring, by the way.)
Thank you, Katy. :)
Absolutely...message away!
Amazing samples; they bring life into these books.
"My next plan is to write my own books to self-publish and narrate, while providing the ambient musical background. Baby stepping forward into my future by blending all that I love to do."
This will be excellent, Jacqueline. If non-fiction is part of the plan, I'll certainly want to read a book written by you in the future.
Wow, what a beautifully supportive and encouraging comment. Thank you so very much, Patrick! :)
PS Being someone who has written a book successfully, I'll be sure to ask you for advice and guidance if I need it. ;)
Always welcome, Jacqueline, and thank you too.
Jacqueline I am blown away. I love reading books out loud and have thought of this as a fun job. But I never even considered the voices. This is art more than narration. I am so excited you are going to move forward with your own project. I am ready to dust mine off as well and craft something. Perhaps we can stay in touch around this? I am super excited to learn more about what you have coming.
Oh wow, what a gift of a message to wake up to!! Thank you so much, Terra. :)
"I am ready to dust mine off as well and craft something. Perhaps we can stay in touch around this?"
ABSOLUTELY!!! I'm going to need all the support I can get. ;) Let's share what we got goin' on.
"I am super excited to learn more about what you have coming."
I'm excited to learn more about it, too. ha! The exact thing is not yet clear to me.
Thank you for all the yummy love, my beautiful sister. ❤️
Oh my gosh... just listened to the Werewolf part ... so well done, and erotic ... and humorous. Don't mind me, two glasses of wine ... glad you are sharing these. xoxo
hahahahahaha!!! This is the most adorable comment, ever! Thank you so much for listening and for appreciating, Michael. ❤️
I do remember that when I recorded that particular audition it was late at night, which made it easier for me to do the gravelly whiskey-coated voice of the werewolf. I was taking a chance by venturing into the more advanced book options, and probably had a glass of wine (or two) myself to muster up the courage to do it. ;)
A chance that most definitely paid off. I'm about to start book twenty-something for this same author. We have such a great working relationship. I always fall in love with her characters, and laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry, and her steamy romance scenes are HOT!!
I was also thinking what a great gift for you to have a voice that can play with vibrations, tones, and meanings.
Yes, Michael! It’s been a thrilling and new discovery for me, to find my voice and all its dimensions. ❤️
Amazing Jacqueline! So good! Listening to a book read out loud is a whole different experience! Something tells me with your own book there would be some music in there too! Do you help others audio-ize their own books too? An audio publishing engineer! Bless you. 🙏❤️
HA! Audio-ize!! Thank you my poetic friend. It's such a joy to do this work (until the editing- necessary, but very tedious at times.)
"Something tells me with your own book there would be some music in there too!"
100%. I'm thinking along the lines of meditation, maybe mantras to contemplate, so a very ambient and organic soundtrack. I know this is nothing too 'out of the box', but I'd like to think I have my own special sauce to make my work stand out and offer something distinct- my voice. :)
"Do you help others audio-ize their own books too?"
If I can help anyone with anything, I'm happy to! I have seemingly so few useful skills that I'll take a chance to share what I can, in the hopes that it makes a difference.
Bless you, my brother! ❤️
From one music-maker to another, I love the Scarlett interface. I've had mine since high school and I still use it for my audio projects.
I'm curious about audiobook narration, though! It's one area I haven't touched yet. How long are your recording sessions? Do you just correct yourself in real time and cut out the mistakes?
Hey Dalton! Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment for me.
Re: recording sessions. It really depends on the book. For non-fiction books, I can read for a long amount of time comfortably, taking breaks only to takes sips of tea or stretch etc. Editing for this is minimal as it's just a straight read. In this case, I tend to correct misttakes as I go, tidy up the file. Since these books pay a lower rate than fiction, it behooves me to be as efficient as possible.
Fiction is a different beast. I tend to be able to only record a max of 3 chapters a day, as the performance takes more out of me as far as focus and emotional energy. Editing also takes longer because, if it's warranted, I'll leave up to 3 versions of a sentence in the take so I can choose the best delivery when editing. These sessions also take longer if I stumble upon an accent I have to study or I'm playing around with creating a voice for a new character. These books pay more, so I'm compensated for taking that extra time to make the audiobook the best it can be!
Thanks so much for the detailed reply! It's so interesting to hear more about your process!
PS: I really like the idea of doing audiobooks with self-produced ambient music in the background. I've totally dreamed of doing something like that too!
Enjoyed this post. What a great voice you have for it too. Good for you. It is harder than it looks. I know when I have read aloud my own poems I find myself messing up.
I’m sure you will achieve your ultimate goal of reading your own book one day xx
Aww, thank you so much, sister!! ❤️
"It is harder than it looks" You got that right!! And I'm always conscientious of the fact that I'm voicing someone's work in which they've invested so much time and energy. I care about doing a great job.
"I’m sure you will achieve your ultimate goal of reading your own book one day"
Substack and the lot of you are certainly serving to push me in that direction. Now just to figure out what it'll be....
Very cool Jacqueline. You have a passion, and passion in your voice lol. You put a great deal into your reading and it can definitely be felt. Would you take this talent even farther and be an actor? thanks for sharing it was fun to listen to your projects and hear what you are working on.
I used to read for elementary children. I would make voice changes for all the Characters and really act the scenes out... different then adult books but not really. Less serious, but the children loved it, and I loved it too, knowing that they were really enjoying the stories. Congrats on another aspect of your career and talents!
Thank you so much, sister! :)
I kinda did the acting kid in my youth, which was fun. But it was mostly commercials.
I considered it as an adult but I just can't. You and I both know how f'd up that industry is, and I could never pretend to be ok with having anything to do with it. The thing I love about books is it's making art, for the most part. I don't have to sell anything~ just be authentic in the delivery, so that the meaning of the writing is transferred to the reader.
" I would make voice changes for all the Characters and really act the scenes out..."
I love that you did this! Story-telling + being playful= joy with meaning! ❤️
oh so true about the Industry, I meant more local, theater or something, you already are a performer of your music and song writing.. But I hear you!
Yes, it encouraged a real desire to read, and to be interested in learning, with the children. As you said, the meaning of the work is transferred to the reader. I was a pre-K and Kindergarten teacher, and much of my day was spent on the floor with the kids surrounding me to listen to reading. I would even get props, that I often made myself of puppets, (either paper that I drew, or sewed) to act out the stories.
I can SO see you doing that. Your free-spirited nature would make you a great teacher and so relatable to children.
Sadly, local theatre and all arts have been so wokeified. Maybe the new revolution includes taking all art-forms back!! Make art great again. hahaahaa!! ❤️
I haven't been to a show in a long while, only music festivals. I didn't know about the theater woke, I did notice that every movie/series you watch now on Netflix and the like, includes something for the woke! but the art, yep! Tom Seibert did a good piece on the recent demonically possessed Kringe Chaz paint smear.
I just love this and you are SO good at it!
I am also a musician and reader and this work fascinates me!
Thank you so so much, Nina! :)
If you have any questions about it, feel free to reach out, my sister.
It's so generous of you to share your experience. Thank you for posting.
You have a very nice narrative style, great job on the recordings too. I think the idea of putting your talents for writing, narration and music into a single project is a natural.
Well, thank you so very much! I appreciate you listening and encouraging me to grow. :)
where do you find the time to do all that you do!
Ha! David!! Good morning, kind sir. :)
At this stage of my life, I've chosen to devote all of my time to the enjoyment of creating and/or ingesting that which inspires the creating. Those 24 hours we call a day go a long way....❤️❤️❤️
spoken like a true young person . . . when you’re ancient as I am, you’ll switch running for sauntering but at the moment give it all you’ve got!
ha! I may be young compared to you ;)...but still I see signs of my aging every day, and it is this observation that has me want to make the most of my time, of my life, and to not take for granted the fact that I still can run. I would to hate to live with the regret that I didn't do it while I could. ❤️
Amazing 🤩
Thank you so much!! :)
I’ve been casually interested in voice over since I found a friend does it. Now that I just read Your share…
Well…You just lit a fire 🔥
I can’t wait for Your Own collection of created works brought together into a complete project.
Please make that happen🙏🏽
"Well…You just lit a fire 🔥"
I love this so much!! And wow, your support and encouragement is lighting my fire! THANK YOU!!
Jacqueline you have a special kind of “something”. Your amazing voice transcends just the general vocal experience. Your sound adds depth, quality and pathos to what you read. I hope for all the best for your amazing future ahead. 🤗💖✨🙏