i’ve been asked this a couple of times recently. i am not an expert, but here’s what works for me.

step one: get permission to record the story you have in mind, unless you are the author. some authors grant blanket permission, some may have plans already afoot to record their stuff themselves.

step two: get a program that you can record yourself with.
if you’re a mac user, your computer may already have garageband installed. people swear by audacity, though, which is free for download, and comes in both pc and mac flavors.

step three: find a place to record. you need relative quiet, but not a place that will echo. you can use the built in pick-up on your computer, or buy a mic - they run $10-30.

step four: read the fic seventy bajillion times. you want to know it really well. practice reading it aloud. record draft versions if you like.

step five: record. i like to sit and read straight through. this takes hours. i get a big glass of water and put the fic on my screen (otherwise i make paper-shuffling noises). i screw up a lot. when you screw up, stop, take a sip of water, go back to the beginning of the paragraph, stretch, start again. don’t stop the recording - you can edit out the screwups later. it’s easier to cut pieces out that to glue a bunch of files together, and if you stop and start up again later, you (and the space around you) will sound different. if you need to do it in chunks, plan where it makes sense to stop and call that the end of part one. because i do it this way, my original files are about 2x as long as the edited files.

step six: edit! then convert to mp3 if it’s not already that sort of file. then upload it to your own webspace, or to yousendit! or you can email it to me, and i will upload it and send you a link.

there are plenty of good tutorials out there:
from zabira
from temaris
from isis
from mk
from keitorin
from kHo
and the audacity tutorial for podcasters

labels: [podfic archive]

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