Earlier this year, an email announced that a couple of Leora books were eligible if I wanted to create them into audio books with “virtual voice” narration.
I’d run into AI generated narration when I listened to an essay on Newsweek magazine’s website about WWII. Well, the narration called it “WW eye eye.” No computer narration for me!
After I’d dismissed the invitation, I noticed that an ebook of an author I respect (Dan Walsh) has an audio version narrated by a “virtual voice.” So I did more checking.
After Paul Berge’s compelling narration of Leora’s Letters, I’d hoped to have Leora’s Dexter Stories done the same way. But, because of the expenses of the editing, I may never earn what it cost to have that wonderful Audible version created. So, I’d given up on ever having more audio books.
Virtual voice through KDP costs nothing but the investment of several hours listening to my chosen computer gal (there are 8 voices to choose from) and trying to correct “her” pronunciation. “She read” the stories with welcome inflection, which I hadn’t expected. The biggest drawback to audiobooks is no photos.
Now these are available as a stand-alone audio books, or as an add-on to an ebook. If you’d like to hear what they sound like, on each audio book page there’s a link right below the book cover:
Leora’s Letters, with Paul Berge’s incredible narration
Leora’s Dexter Stories, with “virtual voice”
Leora’s Early Years, with “virtual voice”
What Leora Never Knew is not eligible for virtual voice through KDP, but I haven’t discovered why. Yet.
I think Grandma Leora would be delighted with the way “her stories” turned out, maybe especially the audio versions.
eye-eye… you just made my day! 😉
I thought their narrator sure wasn’t educated!
You’ve done Grandma Leora proud, Joy.
Bless you, GP.
Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the real human voice. It comes across as genuine rather than artificial. It transmits true emotion and provides correct inflection where needed, not a mechanical, soulless sound. (I still prefer to hold a hard copy of a book in my hands, too!) And the mechanical reading of figure captions without the ability to see the photos or illustrations leaves a lot to be desired.
I was surprised that most of it felt genuine, but I certainly prefer Paul Berge’s narration! My Kindle is about the same weight as a real book, but the heft is off. I prefer a hard copy!
I agree with you. I prefer the living, breathing human voice.
Wow…thanks for sharing all of this, Joy. Super interesting…I’m always learning from you! 🥰
Bless you, Vicki!
Xo, Joy! 🥰
I thought the virtual voice was pretty good!
A nice surprise!
Interesting. I’ve heard AI generated voices used on Youtube. I don’t listen to audiobooks, but I have many friends that do. It can get expensive to hire voice actors to read your novel so I can see the attraction of an AI service. I suspect that KDP is offering the service free to increase audiobook sales and likely “What Leora Never Knew” doesn’t meet some key metric of theirs (possible sales, length, who knows).
The ebook must have chapters to be considered, and it must have the publication process completed. WLNK has both, so I need to delve a little farther. Maybe this afternoon! (I also don’t listen to audiobooks, but before Covid hit, several people said they enjoyed listening to them commuting to their jobs.)
It would be difficult to top the narration of Paul Berge. Because of financial considerations, virtual voice is a nice option. 🙂
Thank you, Nancy. I agree!
I prefer books read by the author or a voice actor myself. But anything that gets your books read by more people is good, Joy!
I agree, Luanne, but I may never recover what the editing cost for the first one!
Yes, and it’s best to get the books read by those who might not read and would rather listen.
I don’t trust AI, have been known to call it PS (Program Stupidity) instead of AI. My hearing is so bad that I don’t do audiobooks.
I hear you, Tim! I don’t listen to them either, but have had folks ask for them to enjoy on a long trip, or even a commute to a job.
Very interesting topic! Thank you for sharing this information with us…I have mixed feelings, but there are always pros and cons to any given situation.
I still have mixed feelings, Linda! But my goal has always been for folks to get to know my courageous little grandmother, and those three sons she lost during the war, I was nudged to include it.
I don’t care for AI, Joy, but if it’s a better option for various reasons, I can understand the benefit and these samples turned out pretty good. ❤️
I agree, Lauren.
Computer=generated narration may work okay for novels and other straight text. And even straight text will need the human touch to accommodate inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies in our language. Technical materials containing equations, charts and graphs, tables, and illustrations will need heavy intervention by real people unless codes can be entered into the documents to steer the fake voice as needed.
I wouldn’t even consider technical, or even academic, writing for AI. Thank you for your comment, Keith. I wouldn’t even consider reading those as ebooks. I’d rather have a “real” book than anything, probably because I enjoy research so much. If I buy a book for research, it’s always a real one. (All four “Leora books” came about because of historical research.)