We often get asked the same questions so we have provided some answers. Feel free to ask a question that isn’t listed here though!
AUTHORS OFTEN ASK US:
1.How do I read for this site?
We attend major ( and minor) writers festivals and conferences throughout the year.
Check with either the festival organisers or your publisher to see if we are attending or contact us direct: narrativeslibrary@gmail.com to make a booking to record your read.
Check our schedule on the front page to see where we will be, or come and visit us in Byron Bay at Bay FM 99.9 .
- I can’t attend a festival can I record myself and send it to you?
Yes you can – we require an up to 5 minute read from your book – approximately! You select the passage. Recordings must have no background noise and be of good quality.
You can connect a microphone to your computer and record with simple recording software. Some authors have had good results using their iPhone recorders or an iMac. The file must be sent to us by email in MP3 format please.
Then we need a jpeg head shot, and a jpeg of the cover or a link where we can obtain these.
If the submission is not good enough quality, we will advise you on how to improve it.
Suggestion: Go to your local community radio station and ask them to make the recording.
- How do I select the right passage to read?
It can be a piece of writing that you feel shows off your ability as a writer, or it can be a ‘cliff-hanger’ that leads the listener to want to hear more,or a description of a key character, it’s up to you. Just something that gives the essence of what the book is about.
- Can someone else read it for me?
NO, we want it to be you, the author, the one who wrote the words.
- Who will hear this? How are these recordings used?
Narratives reads are listened to online and on radio. There are over 350 community radio stations around Australia.
The reads will be played on the Community Radio Network as either individual segments, or as part of a weekly national half hour program called Narratives National Edition, or selected extracts may be used in other collections .We are making Spoken Word content for those stations who can’t produce their own or who need extra material.
The online content is freely available to anyone who cares to listen to it and is worldwide. . The site works on mobile phone, tablet and desktop.
As of March 2017 there have been over 50,000 files listened to each month on this site.
- What about copyright?
When you read you sign a release form which gives us permission to use your 5 minutes on all these platforms only. The use of these recordings is restricted to the Narratives Library Project. If submitting by email we will send you the form to sign and return to us.
- Can I use this recording?
Yes of course, you have surrendered no rights!
- Are there links to my site?
No, but you can link your site to the read posted on the Narratives page. If you wish a link under your read, from our pages to your site, we require a donation ( see PayPal button on front page).
All bookcovers now link to Booktopia . This is to help support this site. If your book is not in Booktopia consider placing it with them to increase your sales ( and ours!)
- Do I have to be published author?
Your book must be available to the public, but self-published is okay.
- What genres do you accept and do you decide where my work is categorised?
We accept all the genres you see in our list, and we are creating more. We decide, but you can offer a suggestion.
- How will I know when my work is on the site / been broadcast?
We use Facebook posts to announce new material online nearly every week and send you an email to alert you to the fact you are now ‘live’. Radio broadcast could be any time, anywhere though .
Sign up as a subscriber to get the latest posts, [podcasts and news.
Check with your local Community radio station to see if they are using Narratives.
PUBLISHERS WANT TO KNOW:
- How do I get my author on this site?
We attend major ( and minor) writers festivals and conferences throughout the year.
Check with the festival publicist to see if we are attending and if they want to arrange the reading at the festival and/ or contact us direct: narrativeslibrary@gmail.com to make a booking to record your author.
Check our schedule on the front page to see where we will be, or come and visit us in Byron Bay at BayFM 99.9 .
- Can we use the read for our own publicity?
Yes, with the author’s permission
- Can we have a link on the page to our site?
Yes you can have a link back to the author’s page on your site if you make a donation to us. But we do not link to Publishing house sites.
We do however,link to Booktopia.
- Can we advertise on your site?
We are happy to list you as a supporter of the site on the front page if you make a donation ( no logo ) but we have a strong policy against carrying paid advertising on the site. Also as we work off a small grant from the Community Broadcasting Foundation, that precludes exclusive sponsorship.
This is to maintain the independence of the listings and to create a clean, quiet uncluttered design that is conducive to contemplation.
- Do you only accept current work?
No, we are happy to accept reads from any stage of an author’s catalogue.
- Who will hear this? How are the recordings used?
Narratives is how you get your author on Community Radio all over the country. Segments are broadcast weekly. The online content is freely available to anyone who cares to listen to it and is worldwide. . The site works on mobile phone, tablet and desktop. Podcasts are broadcast weekly and available online.
As of March 2017 there have been an average of 50,000 files listened to each month on this site.
READERS ASK:
- How do I find a particular author or book?
There is no Search function. Writers are listed alphabetically in the INDEX page with a link to their page read.
On the pages, book covers for each read are on a slide show. click on the book cover and it will take you to a Booktopia page where you can buy the book.
- Is this service free
Absolutely, but a donation does help to keep it all going.
- How do I know when new material has been added online?
Sign up as a subscriber – it’s free and private. We then have a mailing list of interested listeners to receive our posts. This mailing list is absolutely exclusive to Narratives and will NOT be shared.
OTHER QUESTIONS:
- Who are you?
Narratives is a two person team: Karena Wynn-Moylan and Dr. Peter Wynn-Moylan – at festivals and events, and a one person team – just Karena -at the computer. Karena is an award winning radio content producer, composer and also artist. But doesn’t want to write a book!
Dr. Peter has just finished a book – Risk and Hazard Management for Festivals and Special Events published by Taylor and Francis of Abingdon, UK! ( He hasn’t been asked to read for Narratives!)
- Why are you doing this?
Karena has been interviewing authors for many years for radio and decided there had to be a more innovative interface between authors and readers. Working in radio for so many years , she saw the need to establish a place where people could hear the stories again and again- a permanent archive and record of authors work.
- Are you paid?
We work off a very small grant from the Community Broadcasting Foundation that has to be reapplied for each year. There are no guarantees of continued funding – any donations welcome!
- Will Narratives continue?
It was our idea, everybody so far loves it, we will keep going for as long as we can!