Making an Audio Book

Jesse, whose mother and sister are in my story, says he’ll "read" Climbing Back when it’s an audio book. Several other friends listen to books while they drive. And there are some who never enjoyed reading, people whose sight is failing, and others who have trouble after brain injury.

So I want to make an audio book of my memoir.

A woman agreed to produce my book through an Amazon subsidiary. I wondered could she pronounce difficult names right. I worried that she would over-dramatize my story, not understanding the restraint and quiet tone some reviewers have praised.

I wished I could do the recording myself.

The Amazon producer communicated sporadically, became ill, and needed more time. Once again, an obstacle suggested a new path. I found a recording engineer in Santa Fe, and began working with him. My broadcast-savvy daughter suggested starting mid-book, so that when we got to the first chapters, I’d be at my best.

​I’m finding that English is easier to read silently than out loud, noticing how certain consonant pairings don’t dance trippingly on the tongue, and wondering if other languages are easier. Still, the recording equipment, and the wizard in the control room, make me sound good. 
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I finished recording yesterday, and now the editing process begins.