How to Dictate a Book: The ULTIMATE Guide

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How to Dictate a Book: The ULTIMATE Guide

Рет қаралды 10,838

Күн бұрын

In this video (as part of the 2023 AuthorTube Writing Conference), I’ll be covering how to dictate a book. Dictation for authors is a hot topic, and apps like Dragon helping writers double their word counts and productivity, you should consider it.
I’ll cover the benefits of dictation, how to get started, and how to overcome the most common roadblocks.
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Intro
0:45 About Michael La Ronn
1:49 Overview
3:20 Why should you dictate?
7:19 Disclaimers
8:26 Choosing the right equipment for dictation
10:48 Choosing the right app for dictation
18:44 What you need to know about Dragon
22:14 Dictating on your phone
24:30 Dictating (and transcribing) with a voice recorder
26:59 The pros and cons of different dictation styles
31:21 Common roadblocks with dictation
33:32 How dictate cleanly and avoid tons of editing
40:40 A neat trick to help you with editing
42:27 Apps to help you edit dictated text quickly and cheaply
45:40 Recap
47:09 My book on dictation + other helpful resources for you
48:16 Bonus Round Q&A
49:03 What is Michael's dictation setup and equipment?
50:41 What does Michael think about various services?
51:15 I don't like the sound of my voice. How do I get over it?
52:48 Can I dictate while driving?
54:14 Will editors charge more for dictated text?
55:19 What about voice-activated voice recorders?
56:06 What about paying for a human transcriptionist instead of using an app?
57:02 Any secret Dragon tips?
58:21 Wrap and thank you
📚Link to my book and other resources: www.authorleve...
⚙ Get my dictation gear: www.authorleve...
💻 Paul Beverley Macros: • FRedit for Beginners P...
✏️ Get FREdit by Paul Beverley: www.archivepub...
All stock media in this presentation was sourced from DepositPhotos. All product photos of specific products are official product photos from the manufacturers. No AI Art was used in the making of this presentation.
WATCH MORE 2023 AUTHORTUBE WRITING CONFERENCE VIDEOS:
🌐 AWC Website: www.authortube...
⏩ 2023 AWC Playlist: bit.ly/2023_AW...
📝 2023 AWC Feedback Form (to enter GIVEAWAYS!): bit.ly/AWC_202...
Like this content? Join the Author Level Up Fan Club to get your FREE Writing Craft Playbook so you can write like the top 1% of authors: www.authorlevel...

Пікірлер: 57

@AuthorLevelUp Жыл бұрын

Hello all! Grab the resources I mentioned in this video at www.authorlevelup.com/dictationstuff . Thanks for watching!

@miranda8598 Ай бұрын

😊

@Nocholas 7 ай бұрын

I find speaking my stories induces a much higher level of creativity.

@mzllanay Жыл бұрын

I so needed this! I've always written or typed my books. Once before, I have heard of dictating, "I have been awaiting your review about this." Every minute was so helpful! Thank you so much, Michael! 🙏🏽

@dljworks Жыл бұрын

Just a note: for your time stamps to appear in the actual video, you have to start the first stamp at 00:00 rather than 00:45. Change it to 00:00 and the stamps will appear in the video. Just a heads up, thanks!

@AuthorLevelUp Жыл бұрын

Done. Thank you!

@katiesvegpatch 8 ай бұрын

Tip for anyone who isn’t able to buy a mic: Adobe now has a free online voice enhance tool that will convert any low quality audio to podcast effect. So far I’ve been amazed by what it can do. (Also I hate my Yeti mic. It adds a high pitched squeal to everything because it picks up any electrics noise and from the many help tutorials I’ve had to sit through, I’m not alone).

@athena03000 Жыл бұрын

Always bringing us great info. You’re truly a writer’s writer. Thank you

@Crowka274 Жыл бұрын

U r a gem of a person.

@hrelation1 Жыл бұрын

This was excellent!!! I think what helped me the most was when you discussed the fact that nobody really sounds great while dictating. I think you are absolutely right - I envisioned it sounding more like an audiobook lol. Thank you!

@sallylauper8222 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for helping me become a dictator.

@MrDjWatson91 3 күн бұрын

Great video, Michael. Your tips are just as relevant today as they were a year ago. I recently invested in a AI transcription software called Mac Whisper (or Whisper for Mac - not sure). I haven’t had time to play with it, but I think AI transcription is going to cut down clean-up time significantly.

@UncleBourban Жыл бұрын

My hero! My adhd brain has been struggling with writing lately so I wanted to try dictation, this is perfect!

@agl5132 9 ай бұрын

As I enter week six with De Quervain's tenosynovitis on my left wrist and having missed one self set writing deadline for a holiday novella this was perfect timing. I tried Otter and they do have a free package. You don't have the annoyance of adding commas, periods etc. I also have been practicing, emails and character building on my phone with Google docs. Its not bad but late at night or early morning in bed those ideas seem to flow and having my cellphone screen blast light into my face isn't fun either. I had a voice recorder years ago and will definitely be buying another one with a collar clip mic.

@DeeBlaregold Жыл бұрын

Fabulous presentation! My first I used Text to speech on my iPhone phone. What a mess! You are correct; I have never publish that book. Every time I sit to edit, It’s almost another language. L O L. Thank you for your advice.

@writerbyluck 11 ай бұрын

Love your tip about how to find your bungles! Pikachu method! That alone made this video priceless!

@gfunk425 Жыл бұрын

Very excited for this one Michael. Tried and struggled with workflow for this.

@renesbbwi 8 ай бұрын

man, i love your videos. i love the harmonica holder. I am definitely going to buy one. Thanks for sharing the idea.

@isabellecrusoe 10 ай бұрын

The issues I've had, and still have with dictation and transcribing is having to word the periods, commas, new lines and such. It takes me out of the creative mood. Other than that I would much rather dictate than write. I'm just praying for technology to catch up and know (or at least estimate with some accuracy) where this naturally happens. Great content as always. Thank you.

@mykilfremn26 Жыл бұрын

here's the one I've been waiting for

@thakiusmuckfeather1103 Жыл бұрын

Great and informative video, Ron. Thanks you!

@JP-1990 5 ай бұрын

As much as people may be uncomfortable with AI, the tech around dictation and Spellcheck and grammar is getting better and better every year.

@sbwilliams_ Жыл бұрын

Great presentation Michael! At the end you mentioned how you use Dragon's auto-transcribe folder agent. I thought I'd mention a method that works for me since I have Dragon Professional 15 on a Windows laptop but do all my work on a M1 MacBook Air or my M1 MacMini, neither of which has Parallels and Windows installed. I set up the auto-transcribe folder agent on the Windows machine with the input and output folders both configured in Dropbox. That way, I can record on my Sony or Zoom recorders, then connect it via USB to whichever Mac I'm using at the time and access the transcribed text right there in Dropbox, copying and pasting it into Scrivener. I don't get along with Windows that well, and this way, I can use Dragon transcription without having to touch my Windows machine, even when I'm away from home. It's really like magic! This is the only thing I use that machine for, all else is done on the Macs.

@AuthorLevelUp Жыл бұрын

Nice workaround! Very smart.

@karinwesterberg9438 Жыл бұрын

Agree! With a neck injury I would really benefit from making dictation my go to practice for writing, but struggle to make this into a routine. I also would love to dictate while walking outdoors, but cant find the right earplugs and software for this. So excited to see what you recommend! 😊

@AuthorLevelUp Жыл бұрын

I cover all that in the talk so stay tuned. :)

@gamingwhileitshot8040 Жыл бұрын

@@AuthorLevelUpJust saw your video (4 years ago) on how to make your hero unforgettable. Well, I'm writing my novel and wanted to know once I get a chance can I send you an early copy? I'm trying to get a few people to help out with my new hero.

@karinwesterberg9438 10 ай бұрын

Just wanted to come back to this video and say thank you now that I have implemented the work flow for dictating while on the go that you suggested. I use a voice recorder and a lapel mic and it works perfectly, even in a windy and rainy town on the Norwegian coast 😊 And it has done wonders both for productivity and for my health! So: thank you!

@AuthorLevelUp 10 ай бұрын

@karinwesterberg9438 that’s so great to hear!! Appreciate you letting me know this as it has made my day. :)

@trinleywangmo 10 ай бұрын

New subscriber here. You're a good teacher! I was hoping that the AI would help me clean up the sloppiness... but I needed help understanding that the process can be refined and improved and the results more to my liking.

@joyceharris5218 3 ай бұрын

I'm a slow typer I need to use it.

@Dorothy__4l 29 күн бұрын

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@simonajanehallevansinstagr154 9 ай бұрын

Thank you for the helpful info. I LOVE your videos. I used to be a theater performer and globetrotter, now feeling left behind navigating the tech world. I'm writing childhood memoirs from my time as an expat in the Middle East. ChatGPT aids as a proofreader and more, often suggesting improved phrases. I was told when submitting my work to potential agents, it goes through some kind of a computer scan, it might be flagged as plagiarism due to having used ChatGPT. Is this true? Thanks, Simona Evans

@AuthorLevelUp 9 ай бұрын

Depends on the agent. It’s very difficult for programs to detect work written with CharGPT right now. If you’ve written the work and are just using ChatGPT to help you improve it, you’ll probably be okay. The people agents are trying to weed out are the people who write entire novels or large sections using AI.

@DavidKnote-23 Жыл бұрын

This is great. I gotta start doing this to speed up my writing.

@TheStylesOfCupcakes 9 ай бұрын

I would love to record and have my recordings transcribed but there’s not good iPhone apps ☹️

@stevenbailey5336 Жыл бұрын

Good evening Mr. LeRon: I know you had this video up for 10 days now, maybe more, but I had a question regarding using voice recorders that you mentioned in this video on how to maximize your dictation time throughout the day. I love every part of your video in all of its aspects. My issue is that I am in a wheelchair, especially when I am out and about outside the house, and so using a traditional voice recorder in the traditional way is really not possible for me. So, I ask you. Can you give me some advice or ways that I can use a voice recorder while both of my hands are busy pushing a wheelchair. I use an iPhone that really has no plug-in for a standard lapel mic or any mic for that matter. I could use some suggestion. I have used the transcription aspect in Dragon before by recording on my internal recorder on my phone. The only issue there is that I was not pushing my wheelchair, but sitting still. For me at the moment doing it that way would not be as productive in my eyes, so I am coming to you for some advice. I hope to hear from you soon and keep up the good work with these videos. Steve

@AuthorLevelUp Жыл бұрын

Steve, I use the voice recorder when I am multitasking so you should be able to as well. Buy a cell phone clip and strap the voice recorder to your body or your wheelchair. You can buy adapters for lapel mics if you want to use your phone. A lapel mic is typically an 1/8 inch connection so you would need a 1/8 inch to USB A, C, or Lightning adapter. The goal is so that you never have to touch the recorder while you are doing what you need to do. Feel free to use my contact form and reach out if you need more help.

@stevenbailey5336 Жыл бұрын

@@AuthorLevelUp thanks. Obviously, the more hands-free I can make the process the better. Thanks again.

@cbbcbb6803 Жыл бұрын

If you have enough miney, you could hire scribe to transcribe for you. That is what the illiterate kings, queens, emperors, and others, in ancient times did. Would Dragon work with tonal languages such as Chinese or Yoruba or Vietnamese? Just curious.

@thakiusmuckfeather1103 Жыл бұрын

Some novels, like simple love stories are easier to write than technical science fiction. What about the worldbuilding or technical details for your science fiction, Ron? How do you take these along when walking the dog and dictating?

@richardkeenan3079 5 ай бұрын

thanks for this man, been writing my first epic fantasy novel, 32,000 words in, and I am going to do some dictating and try it out. Love the idea of walking with the recorder. I am a mac user and don't want Dragon so what are options that I have for getting audio transcribed for me into Scrivener, or a file I can copy and paste then into my Scrivener?

@AuthorLevelUp 5 ай бұрын

Some people are using Aiko. Look into that. Not perfect but definitely viable. Thanks for watching.

@richardkeenan3079 5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the fast reply@@AuthorLevelUp Loving going through the author videos on your channel thank you!

@richardkeenan3079 5 ай бұрын

@@AuthorLevelUp Just wanted to let you know I have been using Aiko for this transcribing my audio files all week thanks to your recommendation I have started dictating for the first time. It's so FAST haha. Been speaking into my Zoom h1n recorder with a microphone cover on the top of it for road noise. Been using Aiko to transcribe it for me. I pop the text into ChatGPT and tell it to not change anything only fix grammer and break it up into smaller logical Paragraphs for me. It does it and then I pop that output into my Scrivener chapter as the first draft content! Excited to continue to learn to dictate well! I have now been using this method for outlining as well and planning scenes. Thanks man!

@michaelwhite6353 Жыл бұрын

Extremely helpful and well done... Can transcripted text in Dragon be uploaded to Scrivener?

@AuthorLevelUp Жыл бұрын

Yes. Just copy/paste.

@michaelwhite6353 Жыл бұрын

@@AuthorLevelUp Thank you for responding...Your knowledge, willingness and dedication to help, are all greatly appreciated.

@britni-h7e 28 күн бұрын

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@Ruth__se Ай бұрын

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@hrelation1 Жыл бұрын

Do headphones help with playback? I'm looking into audiobook narration in addition to dictation. Would headphones be helpful for either? If so, can you recommend some, please?

$@fractalnomics$

@fractalnomics 6 ай бұрын

42:19

@r__b6095 10 ай бұрын

Dragon do a £20/$25 dollar usb headset. Optimised for speech dictation, works excellently, don't have to sit 2 inches from a fixed microphone. I honestly think a 200 dollar microphone is completely unnecessary and WORSE

@AuthorLevelUp 9 ай бұрын

Do what works for you. My experience has been that cheap mics often do not give you good dictation quality, and that has been true for other authors I know as well. But if you’ve stumbled upon a cheap mic that gives you 95% or better dictation accuracy, please share it so others who watch this in the future can learn about it!