If writing is your passion but simply do not have the time to sit down in front of your computer, or putting your thoughts and ideas to paper, then writing by dictation may be a great solution for you.
Writing by dictation is both a totally new and different experience for you. To help you get started, here are some tips and tools.
Select a digital voice recorder for writing a book
When you are considering getting a voice recorder, there are factors that you must take into account when selecting the right one for your needs.
Recording Quality – This is greatly influenced by the quality of your microphone. To have a clearer recording, get a higher bitrate.
Memory Capacity – You must have an idea of how long is the piece you want to record and store in your digital recorder. Make sure the memory capacity and storage space are adequate before starting your dictation.
Interface – A voice recorder interface should be easy to use and control. You can check out how to advance and comprehensive the controls are. Decide of you want a lot of features that come with more expensive models, or a simpler one to record conversations or just capture your ideas.
Operating System Compatibility – once you have made your recording, it is vital that you will be able to transfer them from your digital recorder to a computer. This is usually done using a USB connection. Although most recorders are designed to be will be compatible with both Windows and Apple software, it’s a good idea to double-check before you purchase.
Here are some brands of quality voice recorders
Olympus WS-852 Digital Voice Recorder – The Olympus WS-852 has a 4GB memory and records audio in MP3. This results in smaller file sizes. The WS-852 can store over 1000 hours, or an equivalent of 41 days of audio recordings.
It also has an Intelligent Auto Mode that automatically adjusts the microphone sensitivity to the volume of your voice. It has two different information modes. It has a simple mode that displays only the most pertinent information, which is helpful for anyone unaccustomed to the screen. It also has a normal mode that is suitable for advanced users who want more control over their recordings.
Sony ICD-UX533BLK Digital Voice Recorder – The Sony ICD-UX533BLK is an easy-to-use voice recorder with large buttons that are easy to read. It looks just like a remote controller, with a large menu button that lets you play your recordings and easily scroll through your menu.
The ICD-UX533BLK comes with 4 GB of stored memory that can record up to 1,073 hours of audio footage. It also has an expansion bay for a micoSD card to allow you to double or triple your recording time. This voice recorder is programmed to automatically adjust its sensitivity levels depending on your voice and on the environment. One special feature this voice recorder utilizes is stereo recording, providing richer and more detailed vocal recordings.
Using voice to text for writing books
Speech to text or voice dictation software is a speech transcription technology that can convert your spoken word to written text. It allows you to write books, emails, speeches and more just with your voice.
Try choosing from the following apps to help you.
Dictate using a book app
1. Voice Memo App – For Apple users, this app can record voice memos on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. You can then edit and share your recording. Google Docs Voice Typing
2. Google Docs –When you speak, the tool listens to your voice and transcribes what you say into a Google Doc. The feature is intended for people who cannot easily type or who prefer to dictating notes. You can also use it to reduce the time it takes to transcribe an audio recording down to approximately the same time as the actual recording. This is useful if you want to switch from voice typing to regular typing in the same document.
3. Dragon – Dragon is the leading software in dictation and it has the reputation of being one of the most accurate dictation software programs. This reputation has a cost associated with it, though. It can handle fast dictations and has a high recognition accuracy that continually improves as it adapts to your voice.
There are no time or length limits, it lets you speak as long as you want to. Dragon also comes with a robust voice formatting and editing option, including the ability to select words and sentences for editing or deletion.
Writing a novel with Dragon Naturally Speaking
Dragon NaturallySpeaking, also known as Dragon for PC, is a speech recognition software. It runs on Windows personal computers. The macOS version is called Dragon Professional Individual for Mac, also known as Dragon for Mac.
Dragon Naturally Speaking uses a minimal user interface. To show an example, dictated words will appear in a floating tooltip as they are voiced out. When the speaker pauses during the dictation, the program transcribes the words into the active window where the cursor is located.
The software has three main areas of functionality: voice recognition in dictation where the speech is transcribed as written text, recognition of spoken instructions or commands, and text-to-speech: speaking text content of the document.
These voice profiles can be accessed by different computers in a network, although the audio hardware and its configuration must be the same with the machine generating the configuration. The Professional of this software allows users to create custom commands to control the functions or programs that were not built into Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
Write a short outline for your book
After deciding on what voice recorder and app you will use, it is now time to start on your book. To make your thoughts flow faster and in a more organized manner, it is helpful to prepare and a short outline of your book. This will serve as your guide when you start your voice recordings.
Dictate your book chapter by chapter
It is also helpful to break down your book into sections or chapters. When you include the chapters you want to cover in your outline, it will help you go through the recording more smoothly and confidently. This will also ensure that you will not miss out on important points during your recording.
How to edit yourself verbally when dictating
You can edit and adapt text while dictating. For deletions during dictation; you can just say ‘scratch that’.
Keep these in mind and give book writing by dictation a try.