“The thing is, I’m a much better lecturer than I am a writer” said one person I am coaching.
Well, then. You should start by recording yourself speaking!
Some projects will result in a blog, and go no further. Some projects will result in a podcast or vlog on YouTube, and go no further.
Some people will take what they’ve recorded in any medium, and massage it into the shape of a book.
The best news is, you don’t have to be a good writer to create a good book! Ghost writers and editors are there to help you get the words out. It’s an unusual industry: there aren’t many other jobs at which you could hire someone else to do the heavy lifting and still get the credit yourself. Unless you’re a VP, perhaps.
Two options for recording your book
- Dictation software has gotten a lot more accurate. I have used Dragon Naturally Speaking to speak a rough draft into my phone when my hands are busy. Beware that it picks up background noise such as dishes clanking, and tries to make a word out of it.
- Voice memos or any other simple audio recording. SoundCloud is an online audio sharing platform where you can store the sounds. You can record them right from your phone app or onto the website. I lost a file in progress though, and that was very frustrating.
Technology for dictating your book
Software
Recording with a program on your phone or computer is what I recommend. There are decent free programs such as iTalk, Audacity and QuickTime. And there are inexpensive programs with more features, such as Garage Band.
Hardware
Even a headset will greatly increase the quality of the sound in your recording. I bought an ATR 2100 USB mic and put a pop-filter in front of it. Hugely improved quality.
