Tracking down podcast novelists
It’s no big secret that we’re trying to build the largest collection of free audiobooks available in podcast form. I figure we’re already there with nearly 100 titles as of right now, but there’s always room for improvement. And believe it or not, new authors decide to try this without realizing that we’re here and what we have to offer. As in WE DO THE WORK FOR FREE type stuff.
To that end, I have a few different “ego filters” to scour the blogosphere and notify me if someone new comes along. When they do, I reach out to them and tell them what we’ve got going on. But those filters aren’t fool proof, and directories are another good, if not time-consuming, way to mine for current podcast novelists.
Tonight, I decided to search through Podcasting News. A year or so ago, someone was maintaining a rather extensive list of freely available audiobooks. As you might imagine, out titles made up the bulk. But it had been a while, so I took a peek.
Holy Hanna.
There are a lot of folks out there doing this on their own. I really need to pay closer attention. So being a good little aggregator of content, I took a few hours and contacted each and every one of them. My message is simple: I want your book on Podiobooks.com so it can join the other 100 or so titles we have right now. Wanna play?
So enter phase two of my plan. Some of these folks might need some convincing. And who better to convince them than you, the loyal listening audience. On the surface, my deal looks too good to be true. Free hosting. Free to listen. 75% of donations. No catches. Yeah, sounds fishy to me. But you folks have been here long enough to know that it’s not fishy at all. Just a little crazy. And whole lot of fun.
So with that, I present the list. Here’s everyone I reached out to today. As they get back in contact with me and we start moving forward, I’ll cross them off the list. Not that I’m suggesting you start persuading people to come on board if you see their names her for a while… but if you wanna, go ahead.
-
In Seach of #6 by Damon Timm
If I’ve missed anyone, please let me know. Better yet, contact that author, tell them about us, and then let me know.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Not releasing the full book = waste of time that no one will listen to unless it is a short story collection.
“Thanks, but I think I’m sufficiently listed” = mistake.
Hunting Elf sounds good!
Someone I notice who is not and definitely should be on the list is William Shunn and his memoir “The Accidental Terrorist” which I listened to quite a bit of and which is extremely well written. http://www.shunn.net/
March 3rd, 2007 at 1:06 pm
I’m interested! My book Prayer at Rumayla got pretty good reviews in 2001 and I have a new one coming out this year. I’ve just started podcasting the first one, and am interested in getting listed!
March 3rd, 2007 at 2:57 pm
OK, CS-M… We’re interested in having you on the site as well! Check out our Interested Authors page (specifically the Submission Guidlines) and ping us when you are ready.
March 3rd, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Evo, I sent you an e-mail this morning. I’m currently in deadline hell and need to get my dratted ms finished until the end of March. But *then* I’ll have time! And then I’ll definitely look into podiobooks.
Cheers, Sandy
March 3rd, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Evo, you’re the man!
March 3rd, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Searching for #6 was a good listen. Not at all what I imagined from the title!
March 4th, 2007 at 4:51 am
All right, I’m on the bandwagon. Traffic to Hunting Elf increased 70% yesterday…the day of the blog posting. You convinced me, Evo, that even an old fart like me can handle the technical details to meet your standards. I converted the first chapter to stereo, etc. Now all I need is a decent ID3 tag editor that matches what you want. Any suggestions?
BTW, I’m on deadline for three different magazines this week, so this ain’t gonna happen overnight. But I’m convinced. Look for the first chapter soon.
March 4th, 2007 at 6:56 am
Dave?
I used the iTunes thing.
> install the iTunes software
> add a file to your library
> select the audio file
> right-click and pick “Get Info”
> Cover art is on the last tab
> Everything else is on the second tab
I had to add Podcast as a type in mine, but it let me just type over the genre that was there and when I clicked “OK” it all got resolved.
March 4th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Update: I have nagged Damon of “In search of #6″ and he says it will be here soon.
Brownie point for me!
March 4th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Welcome also to “Hunting Elf,” which I listened to late last year, I think. I’ve been rather immersed. I enjoyed that very much, the imagery is with me still! Go, Dave!
March 4th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
Well - what about audiobooks in other languages? Shouldn’t there be a section? Would be pretty neat if you ask me - but, sigh, who asks me about anything?
Ad Astra
March 4th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
I’d love to have audiobooks in languages other than English. Alas, none have come forward with the offer. And we can’t very well have an empty category, now can we?
March 5th, 2007 at 12:59 am
Other languages, hm? What about a poetry collection in German? I’ve got tons of old poems of mine, which aren’t too bad, I think. (I think.) For a selection just click on my name.
March 5th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Hi Evo,
Last week I read Podcasting for Dummies, went out and bought a Blue Snowball, studied the Podiobooks Author Submission guide, and got to work. I emailed the fruit of my labors, chapter one of my new novel, The Flown Sky, to Tee on Friday. I hope that was the right thing to do.
I’ve posted the chapter one podcast on the novel’s official website, www.theflownsky.com. I invite you to check it out. The Flown Sky is a fantasy for clever 8-12-year olds. The book launch is on Thursday, so the timing couldn’t be better!
Please let me know what else I need to do to bring the podcast to your attention.
All the best,
Matthew
March 5th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Independentbook.com has some great authors that might be worth checking out. There are a number of stuff to sift through but the bulk of the fiction would make great additions to the podiobooks line-up. Here is a list of some faves that I can think of off of the top of my head: -
1. Gemrins Bane by Don Anderson (now a paperback at Lulu)
2. Empire Series by Richard Stotts
I’d also check out some of the ‘free’ stuff for download at lulu as well. There are a lot of forgotten authors that have barely had exposure so podiobooks might help get some recognition for good writing. Also, I’d recommend that some of the members involve themselves in websites like Libri Vox. There are hundreds of classic literature still not made into audiobooks. And finally, try out www.thoughtaudio.com as well. The website that produces high quality audiobooks free for download.
I’d like to see some anime-esque stuff on the website as well in the near future. Perhaps some religious texts, history books and manuals would offer something more as well to a website offering a catalogue comprised mainly of non-reference books.
March 5th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
I forgot to add the following to the group: http://www.slappedbyanangel.com.au/ The book came out on Valentine’s Day and has a lot of potential.
March 6th, 2007 at 1:46 am
Jim Munroe wrote a book called Flyby Action Figure Comes With Gasmask (now on www.manybooks.net) some years back and has a website if you’d like to contact him. http://nomediakings.org/
March 6th, 2007 at 6:25 am
Thanks, Gail. Glad the imagery of Hunting Elf stuck with you. Our carpet still has stains from the little bugger, too. Look for chapter 1 on podiobooks soon.
Dave
March 6th, 2007 at 6:47 am
Dianne,
Thanks for the suggestions. Please feel free to reach out to these authors you are so fond of and let them know about our site. At this point, I’m limiting my search to folks who are already producing audio versions of their books. However, I welcome you (or others) to make that suggestion to other novelists.
March 6th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I’ll send out an email to JM in a moment and try to find a contact for the others. Hopefully any contact that I do make will gain some interest from these authors. I’ll update you when I find out more.
March 6th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Dave, the images are of grown persons, after imbibing more or less alcohol, skulking through the shrubbery with flashlights, and of the extreme cuteness of this pup I only heard described. (The stains seemed incidental. Besides, they weren’t my rugs!!)
March 7th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
I sent out several messages and the first author has replied back. So far I am trying to help problem-solve some problems that are being faced. Hopefully the other authors will get back to me quite soon.
March 8th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
http://mickaloha.com/fpn/
http://www.freepodcastnovel.com
Here is another person that offers his own free podcasts, he has a few.
I have also sent him your info.
April 1st, 2007 at 5:43 pm
http://www.childrenofthegods.net/
I believe they would make a great addition to podiobooks.com
May 11th, 2007 at 9:58 am
I’d love to get my serialized novel THE VEINGEL up at Podiobooks.com, but so far, two of my emails have gone unanswered. Maybe posting a comment in this thread will help?
May 13th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Hi Jeremy,
Wonder why Tee hasn’t gotten back with you? We’ll do some track-down and get that answered. Thanks for your tenaciousness!
E.