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Probably the most abstract concept in an audiobook, marks are what tie the audio of a book to the text. They are the time information that guides our Learning Ally solution software to the pages, headings, and sections that make up a book. When a borrower wants to skip to page 43, it's the "Page 43" mark that tells the program where to go.
How many marks are in a book? That varies from book to book but you'll always find them on headings like chapter breaks and the start of each page. In books with on-screen text, the marks may go to the paragraph level for older projects, or just pages, headings,and before and after images in more recent projects.
Narrators recording in EasyBooks are responsible for recording the mark information, usually as they record the audio although some prefer to record everything and insert marks later. Our EasyBooks software doesn't only record audio, it can record marks as well, creating a list of timings that will be used when the audio is synced to the sentence level for our VOICEtext audiobooks. Recording those marks is as easy as pressing an on-screen button (or better yet, the quieter "M" key) while recording the audio.
Notice how the mark is represented by a line that appears on the display? You can also see the mark as a length of time number in the mark list on the left. Also, note how that mark sits in a small silence. The narrator makes the mark in the pauses that naturally reflect the punctuation at the end of sentences. That means each segment of the book will have a clean start.
If the audio has been recorded with some other software, it will not have mark timings and they are added as part of the review process. The files are converted into an EasyBooks project. Then the reviewer listens to the recording, using the Mark controls to add them. If the narrator hasn't left those comfortable pauses on the ends of sentences, they need to edit in small spans of room tone from silence recorded by the narrator. This adds a lot of tedious work to reviewing, so narrators need to take care with phrasing and pace when recording.
Once the marks are in the file we can manipulate them. We can adjust the timing to perfect it, so that when the borrower skips to the second paragraph on page 43 the narrator says "I shook my head," and not "-ook my head." Making these changes is as easy as clicking and dragging the lines on the display.
One of the more complicated errors that we encounter happens when a narrator or reviewer makes a careless delete that goes over the boundaries of two marks. With no distance between them, the marks collapse to the exact same time.
The mark line in the waveform display turns into this double-arrow line, indicating two marks with no time between them. In addition, the mark index shows a zero time length:
Fortunately there is an easy fix. By clicking and dragging on the mark line, you can separate the marks. Now you just need to figure out where the marks belong and drag them into place.
Fixing a double-mark error can be especially tricky if the section has been completely recorded. After all, a stacked mark isn't gone, just hidden. It might look like the work is incomplete, but the Mark button is grayed out, meaning there are no marks left to place. In that case, the reviewer needs to look for blanks in the mark index to see where the marks have been collapsed, separate them by dragging one of the marks, and you may need to copy and paste some silence or room tone to give you the spacing you need.
For more guidance on marks and marking, including ways to move groups of marks for faster edits, refer to Storyteller Lessons 3-3, Textbook Lessons 3-1 and 3-2, and Course Resources for Checking.
Learning Ally staff are online to answer your questions live on alternating Wednesdays at 2 PM EST. You'll find links, and more information on the training site.
What do you do at Learning Ally?
I am a reader and a checker. But over the last 18 months, I have been checking more files than reading. I find that I make more mistakes reading than I want to, but I really enjoy listening to a number of excellent readers who make few if any mistakes.
How long have you volunteered at Learning Ally?
I started with RFB&D, Learning Ally's previous name, in the spring of 2009 after I retired from the maritime and oil industries. I began in the New Haven office, then transitioned to the New York office when the NH office closed. I also had occasion to record in the Upland and DC facilities when visiting my sons living near those facilities. And once Christine and Stacie even allowed me to record one (yes, that's right, one) file in the Athens office! After moving to Florida in 2014, I became part of the virtual community.
What made you want to volunteer at Learning Ally?
Certainly, part of my decision was based on the fact that my dear aunt was almost totally blind, and I wanted to "pay it forward" for her. I also had been doing "voice work" of one kind or another since I was 16, and as I was looking to volunteer somewhere after retirement, it seemed to be a "fit."
What's something most people at Learning Ally don't know about you?
In line with the previous question, I was asked by school mates to announce the music played by the school dance band, but it would be silly of me just doing the announcing. So...I pretended to play the bass during the musical numbers and then before the next musical number announce what we had just done or what was coming up. Duh! I couldn't play a lick! That's me -- the great pretender -- in the accompanying photo.
What do you like most about volunteering at Learning Ally?
A number of things: firstly, the sense that we, the volunteers, are doing something that benefits others. Secondly, working with a tremendous staff, learning from them. Thirdly, "meeting" both physically -- at times -- and virtually, other volunteers and staff. I have been very lucky that way in that I have been able to work at or visit a number of Learning Ally's brick and mortar facilities, attended a Gala dinner in Denver, been to the Princeton office, and meet once a year or so with other volunteers from the Southern California community for lunch or breakfast or whatever. That group has grown from 3 of us to a group of a dozen or more, although with time constraints, travel distances, etc., the group that actually meets is about 6 or 7, but growing.
Do you have any advice for prospective Learning Ally volunteers?
2 things: Learn the reading conventions and don't be afraid to ask questions or challenge decisions. What we do changes with the times as do the conventions.
Actually, there is a third piece of advice: don't take things personally. Edit notes are not personal attacks. They are meant to improve the overall product that we are putting out. Okay, okay, okay! One last piece of advice: thank the staff for what they do! They do a great job!
What is your favorite audiobook/book if you have any?
Books, in general, not audiobooks: I love almost anything Michael Connelly writes but there are so many other authors that I like I could fill the page with them. And I much prefer to hold the book in my hands and physically turn the pages. No Kindle or mp3 player for me.
What do you do during your free time?
Actually, I spend most of my time volunteering, whether it is with earning Ally or other reading services, tutoring at a local elementary school (2nd and 3rd graders mostly, learning to read), calling BINGO once a month, doing other non-profit voice work, etc. I am also the disembodied voice at two maritime conferences in Connecticut telling attendees where to go and what to do next and have for the last few years been the house announcer for the Orange County Children's Theater (California) reminding folks about photography, food, etc. I have also voiced several online courses for two maritime not-for-profit entities, In fact, I average about 150 hours a month of volunteer work -- when not traveling -- doing this type of "work."
When not doing that, my wife and I like to travel. We are lucky to have been able to visit about 100 countries -- for work or pleasure -- between the two of us. I envy some of the places she has been and she would definitely not like several of the places I have been.
What is your Favorite movie or TV series?
In the overall scheme of things, I don't watch "that much" TV but when I do, I binge watch programs like Chicago PD (my home town!), Law and Order SVU, or Bosch (I told you I like Michael Connelly, the writer).