How did you go about producing your audiobook? What was your process?

Jim Vuksic The final, polished manuscript for Levels contained 126,000 words. The copy and conceptual editing process reduced the published novel to 111,000 words. It was released in paperback and e-book formats Aug. 9, 2011.

The publisher's standard requirement for producing the audio format of a first-time, unknown author required that it not exceed 8 hours listening time. I had to review the print format and then create an abridged version that made sense and flowed smoothly. This required deleting entire sentences and occasionally a paragraph and then re-writing the scene so that continuity would be flawlessly sustained and the listener would not notice any perceptible break or disruption. The abridged work contains 85,000 words.

The publisher then provided brief audio samples of three professional narrators' previous works for me to evaluate and choose one whose style I felt was best suited to narrate Levels . I chose Stephen Rozzell and have never regretted it. If you ever listen to the audio book, you will understand why.

Throughout the work-in-progress, I had to listen to each chapter and point out errors or dialogue which I felt did not express the emotion intended. The narrator had to return to the studio to re-record that particular part. After three weeks of this, production of the 9-disc audio book was underway and I was sent a complimentary copy by the publisher. It was released commercially on Aug. 14, 2011.

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