COMMON  QUESTIONS

How do I know if the final product will be any good?
          Don't just take my word for it.  Check out these sample passages from a variety of book genres.

How long after I place my order will I have to wait?
          This could take anywhere from ten days to several weeks, depending mostly upon three factors:
     1) Availability of the source material.  If I need to order a book to get my hands on a reading copy, I have to rely on the the efficiency of whatever vendors have the book.  While I will always try to order from vendors who have it in stock, you can still expect the acquisition process to add 7-10 days to a project.
     2) The book's length.  This one is obvious.  The longer the book, the longer it takes to record it and edit it.
     3) The number of outstanding orders.  OwnMade AudioBooks is at this stage a modest operation.  I complete orders on a first-come first-served basis, though I will occasionally squeeze in smaller "rush" projects.  If you have a can't-miss deadline, just ask if I can meet it.  I will tell you if I can't.

Isn't this kind of expensive?
          Fact is, it's extremely inexpensive. Consider for one thing the simple cost of scale.  Even commercially produced audio books carry a pretty steep price tag, and they are produced to sell thousands of copies.  If you consider that my per-recorded-hour reading fee encompasses the costs of the production equipment, advertising, web hosting, answering email, the CD-R media, shipping, and a custom unabridged audio book, you're actually getting an enormous bargain.  Estimates for the cost of audiobook production at most professional studios range from $500 to $5000 per completed hour. OwnMade AudioBooks exists to record the many great books that the commercial marketplace has overlooked, as well as the original and specialized materials that commercial publishers ignore.  I do this at an extremely steep discount for three reasons: 1) I can select the projects I choose to work on; 2) I sincerely admire people with the courage to write and to publish; and 3) because self-published authors simply can't afford professional studio rates.

How can I find out if a book is already available in audiobook format?
          There are a number of online retailers that carry a substantial stock of audio books.  To help you, I have posted a list of reliable sellers here.  When considering whether to order a commercially available audio book, be sure to factor in such added costs as shipping.  You should also determine whether the commercially produced product is abridged--many inexpensive recordings cut out thousands of words that the author wanted you to hear.

Will you record books that are available commercially through an audio book retailer?
          Because mass produced recordings are so much cheaper, in most instances it wouldn't make any sense to ask me to make an audio book for you.  However, in unique circumstances -- which I would ask you to elaborate -- I will certainly consider it.  Perhaps the book is available only in an abridged version;  maybe you want to replace a main character's name with that of your young child;  or perhaps you find the reader's voice on a commercial product to be unacceptably grating (Carol Channing reading Madeleine comes to mind).  Of course, you should first confirm that you do not find my voice to be even more unnerving!

What happens if the book that I want recorded is out of print?
           If you can't find it, leave it to me. I will attempt to track down any hard-to-find favorites by scouring online used book merchants.  As I do charge for the direct cost of a reading copy in such cases, I always try to find one that's reasonably priced.

Why do you charge more to record onto audiocassettes?
          Unlike compact discs -- which can be copied digitally in fairly short order -- I have to record onto audiocassettes in real time.  Where I can burn an hour-long CD in about four minutes, recording the same hour onto an audiocassette requires . . . an hour!  In effect, my audiocassette fee is a service fee for the hours required to babysit the tape deck.

Is there a way to get an estimate for what a complete project might cost?
          Absolutely!  The easiest way is to fill out this form.  Please keep in mind that no estimate will be exact because the only way to precisely determine a project's final length is to actually record it.  Meanwhile, if you don't like online forms, you can always just ask me pretty much anything.

Okay, I want my OwnMade AudioBook! How do I place my order?
          That's the easy part. Just fill out this form.  But again, if forms drive you crazy, just tell me what you need.

When and how do I pay?
          Because I can't determine a project's final cost until I know its final playing time, I ask for payment in two parts.  To begin, I require a deposit of half the estimated cost.  Upon accepting a project, I will inform you of that amount, if I haven't addressed it already in an estimate.  Upon completing the recording -- and calculating the final bill -- I require the remainder of your payment before I ship the CDs.  My preferred payment method is a personal check, but I will also accept money orders, and credit card payments through PayPal.