The Audio Book

As part of the pre-production process, I have been recording a sample version of the audio book. This will be available through our agent to industry professionals. It sounds fabulous! Almost ready for retail. I have been doing the voices of the characters just as a way to give it diversity. I can imagine how much better it will sound when we use more individuals doing the voices (like an actual female instead of my rather... different sounding Ferny)

So, the audio book is being set-up as a companion to the Illustrated e-Storybook. I'm not sure how to present those two items together. Clearly, the best economic approach is to sell the two items separately. but that poses a problem of complicating the product, requiring downloads or integration by the customer. I do think it would be much better to design the layout so the customer does not have to do anything in that regard. But the reality is that the expense of setting the products up and then integrating them, ought to be recouped. If the e-Storybook and the Audio Book are integrated, then the cost of the product should be higher. The issue there is that the market will only bear so much. I may offer the integrated version at a discounted price of what it would cost to buy the two separately, but by that time what's the point? Nobody is going to want the e-Storybook without the Audio book attached. In all likelihood, the conjoined product will be a better product for parents to use to keep their kids busy, because the reading will already be there, in the event that the folks don't have the time to sit down and read it, or if the kids want to hear it read later on after their folks read it to them.

We will be doing coloring books so I may publish a version of the coloring book that matches the e-Storybook, although I have to admit that the wide scenes might be more fun to color. I do think that the coloring book layout should also match the audio book, because then the kids can listen as they color.

So these are some thoughts about what we are doing. I still have the goal of setting up the production lines for manufacturing, the only thing that will stop that from happening is if someone ends up buying the whole magillia.

Well, since I happened to be online today I though I'd offer some thoughts. The Audio Book is great, but that's not any easier than the rest of it. AG

Update

Some thoughts on this project were posted on The Image of the Mind Studios Virtual Studio. Check there for the update. I am still using image.of.the.mind.studios@gmail.com as my primary email, but I only check that occasionally. Use snail mail if it is important and involves any kind of real industry activity or funding. AG