Audible! For Free!

A friend of mine lost his job because of AI. I think of AI a lot like Walmart. I don't feel good shopping at Walmart but I do, because it's cheap and convenient. I know that the existence of Walmart has killed many small businesses. If I had the money, I would pay a fair price for what I need ...

When I first started marketing my book, I contacted and paid four people through Fiverr, had them read the book and write a synopsis. I synthesized the 4 into something I liked. Today, I could dump my entire manuscript into ChatGPT and get the same thing. Would it be as good? I don't think so. Because AI would not react to what I wrote or empathize.

So, it was with grave misgivings that I dumped my manuscript into the Amazon KDP AI and let it spit out an audible. If I had had the money, I would have paid several hundred dollars for someone to read the book, analyze the content determine tone of voice, and ACT my book. But the KDP AI Audible generator was free. It's hard to pass up "free".

I loaded my manuscript around 6pm. By 8pm, it was available for sale. Given that I paid nothing to generate it, it didn't seem right to overprice it. $3.99.

I stopped marketing the book last Christmas. I've gotten 3 sales this year. But I'm always an easy mark for a good scam. In February, a review of my book with an author interview appeared on a never-heard-of website and in a $36 book that no one would buy. I was also supposed to get a press release. That's when they ghosted me. I did get a meaningless award. More recently, someone came at me with a gimmick/scam last week to get the book read by some book clubs. Evidently too good to be true. They want it marked down. As each day goes by, I will feel less and less angst about the money I gave them.

My book is a hobby. Like a boat. Throwing money into the water like a bottomless pit. Now that I accept this, I lose no sleep.

I may never sell an audible copy of the book. And I'm okay with this.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBBGLD2W