MinstrelI've produced a few books for indy authors on Audible (through ACX) through royalty share. *No* upfront payment. It's the obvious choice (to me) for authors who don't expect to sell a large number of books. A lot of people (including myself) are very opposed to the use of AI in this way at the moment (whatever the future holds), so that is something to bear in mind. Personally, as well, I think AI narration is just plain inferior. Not everyone may care.
Myth Weaver
MinstrelHow on earth could that be the case? Even if you sold no books, your expenses would be nil. I've done plenty of profit share books. As the narrator, I do *all* the work in producing the audiobook. There are *no* expenses incurred by the author - or shouldn't be. That's the whole point of profit share. What was your arrangement?
MinstrelInteresting to the person whose voice it is, perhaps, but it still won't be as good as a decent narrator. Or even a bad one, to be honest. Better than some random person who is bad at reading aloud, perhaps. Other people's opinions may vary.
MinstrelDual, duet and multi narration is already done, and paid for. I don't think much of it - write a play if you want a play! But there are plenty of productions that segue from standard, one person narration with no sound effects / background noise/ special effects (my personal favourite) right through to full scale play type things. You simply pay people less if they do less. That can be done with first person voice - or any voice. Simply different erm.. voices for each person in reported speech. And I would say writing the 3rd person narrator voice well is the best way of bringing it back. Or rather, simply ignoring people who say that "third person is old fashioned!" or "too many words and too much description is old-fashioned!".
MinstrelOh, hang on- you mean that you made so much money that it would have been better (for you) to have paid upfront? Well, first of all, well done and congratulations! yes, that will happen if it sells a lot. But you now know that you can risk paying up front in future! Depends on how much of a gambler you are - it simply takes away the risk, and also the problem for authors who simply don't have money to get a decent narrator.
Myth Weaver
Myth WeaverOh, hang on- you mean that you made so much money that it would have been better (for you) to have paid upfront? Well, first of all, well done and congratulations! yes, that will happen if it sells a lot. But you now know that you can risk paying up front in future! Depends on how much of a gambler you are - it simply takes away the risk, and also the problem for authors who simply don't have money to get a decent narrator.
AI narration *might* have brought the same sales. It might have brought more, It might have brought fewer. I suspect the latter. There are certainly people who would be turned off by AI narration. I think I can reasonably say many more than who would be turned on by it.
PS- Let alone using AI to produce plays for voices, we are approaching a time when people will be able to make their own films in their bedrooms starring themselves as AI avatars and others. They won't be very good either. At least for a time.
MinstrelI can't see this with narration. What particular job do you think AI could do? Altering voices is- well, naff, if you will forgive the expression. Whether it is done by human individuals or by AI. Altering mistakes, altering or inputting words? Exactly the same problems as using AI in the first place. It will sound better if done by a good narrator. I haven't seen any impressive advancements by AI myself in the field of editing. A decent mic, a decent sound space treated for sound dampening and a confident, decent narration using punch and roll. Listen back to recording to double check everything. Put through editing routine (basically a one click thing) to ensure specs for Audible (or wherever it is going). Where does AI "live" in this? What is it supposed to be doing? I *wouldn't want* a decent narrator's work altered. There should be no need for it. Yes, special effects and things can be used. As they can be used in the films made in people's bedrooms. But not only is there no need for that in narration, many people (and in my experience, [a non-scientific sample based on my small experience as a narrator) by far the majority of people who express an opinion would prefer not to have them. For an audiobook, I look for a well-written story, told by someone who has a good voice and is decent at story-telling. Anything else is excessive and... well, as I say, a bit naff. (As always, just my opinion!)
MinstrelAbsolutely fine. But the thing is, many people *don't* have the money. And this is a way of helping them get a book out. I say helping, because I have never made as much through royalty share as through payment per hour. I've literally made only pennies on some, and that's for many hours of work. I normally only do them if I like the book. It's sometimes hours of work with little reward for me, but I've always liked the spoken word, and I think books deserve a decent narration, which AI isn't. And royalty share is sometimes the only way for an author to get a decent narration of their book.
Myth Weaver
Myth Weaver
MinstrelNo, it's *exactly* what any decent audio programme is capable of now.
Any decent editor shouldn't have that problem.
Seriously, pointing out missing words is the least of the necessities for any decent narrator. That should have been sorted out at the time with punch and roll. This sort of stuff would be useful to someone doing it for the first time- or first few times perhaps - but really, that wouldn't be particularly useful, let alone a game changer, to any decent narrator.
MinstrelIt may well come that AI will be able to read a book as well as a good narrator. But it will come at the same time that AI is able to write good books. It may be sooner, it may be later. Like you, I don't think even sooner will involve me seeing it! (I think five years is far too short a time [or even ten years, and more] for *good* narration or art or writing from AI. But it *might* be within six months. We can't *know*.)
Maester
Myth Weaver
MaesterNow, give me the price in kudos, LOL
MinstrelThe last book I did I said to the author "Sod it, I'll do it for free." I knew her from a writers group, had read the book before publication for her, and liked it. She was looking to get it done as an audiobook. She wanted to pay me outright, but though I liked the book, I knew the chances of it selling enough to make any appreciable profit was minimum, and I would have felt like a vanity publisher if I had taken a notable amount of money from her. Similarly, having a half share in the profits was likely to be - well, hardly life changing!
She wanted to pay me half shares, but similarly I thought that much as I admired the writing and liked the book, I could give that up without losing sleep. I preferred to keep a friendly relationship, author to author with her and do it because I like the book.
Myth Weaver