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What great friends I have!
Category: Writing and Poetry
 If anyone wanted to find out how fantastic the people are on MySpace, visiting my blog would show what great friends can be found here. Mine are the best!!!!
Here are the responses I received to my first video (I've added music and made the transitions smoother and I'll be posting the result on my next blog) that helped me to produce a much better video:
~ that's a very cool clip! You know why? Because it's unpretentious and intimately takes your audience right to the source of it all in your home -- no hype, no bullshit! Yeah! How cool is that!
Bravo!
Keep rolling
~ the setting is nice and you and the book look good!
~ Lovely I really enjoyed the listening
~ Great idea Shelagh.
Could you speak a little slower and a little louder.
As a Canadian, and I am sure Americans will probably have the same problem, I had difficulty from time to time in understanding you.
Also, I believe if you would just go into the reading without the print interruption, it would have been more effective.
~ Very well done. The only thing I might change is the surroundings. Perhaps a tale told by fireside would make it a notch better. This is a good way to personalize your message to the reader.
~ Wonderful so great! wow you did great it will surly work on sales .Its Personal and respecfull too .
~ Beautiful, just beautiful! Congrats on your book. This is awesome to see someone like yourself being successful and doing all that you want to be doing. I wish you much success!!!!!!
~ It's nice!!! The only thing I would change is you look at the camera from time to time, as if you were reading it to a class of students... ya know, librarian style!!!
~ awww, I really enjoyed that! You've got a lovely voice!
~ Great job! I know this will contribution to your success!
~ Short feedback just on visuals...
1. If you're going to have text on the screen only, go ahead and fill the screen up with it, as opposed to having it at the bottom.
2. Cut around a bit as you are reading to the audience. Have some extra shots to cut to as well when you are reading. Something on the desk, a close up of the book jacket, something like that, make it more visually appealing.
~ Very nice Shelagh 
I think it's great
~ I like it!
~ Shelagh, well done!
I would have two suggestions for you:
- the intro bit had the vocals (volume and clarity wise) just right, whereas when you were reading the chapter I had to increase the volume. Not sure if it was microphone placement or something else;
- a quick summary or setup of your novel on one of the first few slides I think would be helpful as well.
~ The Video looked great Shelagh! I hope it helps you sell some books!
~ Very nice!
~ Amazing, even though it isn't the sort of novel I'd normally read I was so intrigued into it. You're a superb writer and you have a amazing voice too LOL!
~ I like it! You are so cute. I love your accent. The reading is done very well. Nice and clear. Good Job!!
~ Cool, Maybe you should investigate putting a background track on the video.
~ I felt like the text went by too fast.
The lighting was good. You might want to consider a lapel mic or off-camera condenser mics.
Keep up the work!
~ It was a delight to see you in action and I liked the quality of your voice. I think it is a novel idea. Whether or not the story is appealing to most, I think the appeal emminates from you as a person and would make one want to read your work.
So I congratulate you for your imagination and innovation.
~ Great job!!! thanks for inviting me to watch
~ I liked it. I must remember to track down that book, I would really like to read the whole thing.
~ I've fallen in love with your accent. It was a wonderful read (in my opinion.) Engaging. My only suggestion is to try and record in a room with more cloth or drapes or (I don't know) something. There's an incessant echo that's rather distracting.
Otherwise, a great video, Shelagh.
~ Good Job! Bravo 
~ Lovely read!!!!!!!! Enjoyed it!
~ Your video wasn't bad for a beginner! Some tips / suggestions for next time:
For the textual parts, maybe something more exciting than default white text on blue background? Also maybe some sort of quiet music or ambience to overcome the silence?
When you're finished producing, try normalizing the audio to maximize volume. You were a little quiet but not bad 
There were a few parts where you stared at the book cover for a little too long and it looked kind of unnatural, hehe. But you have a cute smile so I was okay with this
I did enjoy your reading voice, and your story is ace material of course. The room you filmed in looks pretty comfy too! (You should see my computer area, err, prison cell.) For next time I'd try to change the lighting so that you're brighter than the wall behind you. The sunlight was great but a liiittle too harsh. A sheer curtain might help diffuse. And then you can film with the diffused light right on your face!
~ Great Work!
~ You did that all by yourself?? You are a brave soul.
You have a softspoken voice, so it was difficult to make out all the words when you read. Also, it was a long passage. You might try using a shortened version of some of your synopsis at your next try. Have you tried finding some stock footage that you could use as part of your presentation?
Thanks for the opportunity to look at what you've done. And you are on YOU TUBE !!! You go girl!
Also, remember, opinions are just that. You are the deciding factor...you have to like what you do.
~ That video looks good. I shall have a closer look at it and indeed a great idea for book promos!
~ Thank you so much for sharing this. It has been a very special privilege for me to see you and to hear you on video after all the times we've been friends thru e-mails.
I have just one comment to make: that video is too perfect! You should feel proud
I hope you confidently share it with a bigger audience to try and give your book that much of a push to generate more sales. I would loved to have shared it with my Myspace friends by issuing a bulletin to try and help you out a bit. The sad thing is they will delete me! People are a funny bunch out there. Hey, I get people deleting me if I so much as try and change my profile picture! That's how sensitive the world is nowadays...
Anyhow, I wish you even more success for your book and writings with this YouTube promotion.
~ Wonderful, Shelagh. I enjoyed seeing it. I've got to try something like that myself someday.
~ OUTSTANDING!!!
What a teriffic marketing idea.
~ OK - I'm being totally honest as I assume you want real feedback not just "ooh that's nice" ?
1/ keep talking, ditch the break for printed words / explanation, it'll be FAR more effective for you to tell us about the story, you'll lose people if they have to read bits.
2/ read from the book - but use an auto-cue (get someone to hold the words up!) so although you have the book in your hand,only glance at it occasionally TALK TO YOUR AUDIENCE, and smile!
Reading as you are, the words are muffled and, please don't take this wrong, but its a bit dull just looking at the side of your head.
Tell us about your characters - why you wrote it - why we should buy it etc
Could you stand up perhaps, be a bit more animated - put tons more enthusiasm into it. You want me to buy this book - grab me by the throat, have me eager to want to watch the rest of the video (Ok, no don't do a striptease ) & to go straight to Amazon to order it!
~ I congratulate you on your video! Well done!!! This is the way to go. I wish you much success.
I love it when people such as yourself go all out and get things done. It sounds such a beautiful story...
It is many peoples dreams to write a book - but YOU have made that dream a reality. This is success!!!
~ I thought it was great.
Seeing you on the video is cool. Nice job Shelagh..
~ FANTASTIC! I'm very impressed! I think that you did a wonderful job with it. It lends a very personal feel, seeing you reading. And you can tell from your facial expressions how much you love this book, it shines right through. Excellent effort, and I agree it will help with the books sales!
~ I liked the personal touch and hearing your voice. That was cool , but I am also a pretty hopeless drama/action person and I wanted to see a touch of that in your video. Some added pics would have been great.
~ Nice work! What a creative way to promote yourself!
~ Good stuff Shelagh - I would say a couple of things though.
I know it's hard but, when you're narrating, it's good to look up at your audience now and again, and to face the camera a little more. They need to feel engaged - after all they're the reader.
And - on the last bit, put the direct links for where to buy. Many people, whilst wanting your book, don't want the effort of looking - the easier you make it for them the more visitors you get.
I hope I have helped a wee bit, please don't take any of this as negative, you're doing great stuff.
~ That was awesome, I'm really impressed, I pray you go far with Mr Planemaker, it deserves all the respect and sales for the time and energy you have put into it...
~ Beautifully done... I could tell that you were happy with it, as you were smiling at the end. Way to go! The only thing I would say is to look into the camera more. Give the eye contact.
You rock Shelagh....
~ Just had a look at the video. Very good stuff. If I may, I'd like to make a few suggestions?
The biggest thing that struck me was the fact I couldn't see your face whilst you read. Instead of filming yourself with your head burried in the book, how about typing out your script and hanging it behind the camera, so as you read the script, you'll be looking directly at your audience? Make some huge idiot boards so you can read without looking too false. I think your audience would appreciated the sensation of you speaking directly to them. As it is at the moment, there's no connection, just the sense of looking in on you reading out loud...
Also, perhas add some stills and music to the blue screen sections? It's a bit quiet when I'm reading the text...
Just a few thoughts of mine, as you asked. I did enjoy it and I enjoyed seeing you on screen. You have a terrific voice and great diction, so that's another reason not to talk into your book.
All good stuff. If you make any adjustments, I'd be happy to see them again.
~ I thought your video was wonderful. I think, like all your work it was professional and entertaining. Keep up the good work!
P.S. I think the nicest part was getting to hear a voice behind the face.
~ I think it was great! An occasional look at the camera would make it even more personal, intimate. That helps in marketing. But your composure is excellent, the reading smooth. Good luck!
~ You look nice and your voice sounds good on the video. I would suggest that when you read from your book that you look up directly into the camera from time to time.
~ the video was great, people are as interested in the author as they are in the art - I will have to buy your book and perhaps give it as gift. You look and sound great!
~ I like how it feels like you're talking TO me rather than AT me.
~ Great job! 5/5 rating
~ Wow! I'm impressed. Very well done.
You look so relaxed. It's lovely to see you 'in the flesh', so to speak.
~ Looks as good as the book short videos I've seen:)
~ I believe that you've gotten your point accross. It was really nice hearing your voice. Just as I imagined it would be. Good luck with your new approach.
~ good to see you. I'd suggest to increase the sound recording level. Otherwise it's interesting and you come across well. Yes, you come across very well, young & fresh, despite being 99 years old, its a miracle!
~ It is great! I hope to do something like that one day about my books but have no clue. The best to you! You did a great job! I hope you sell a million books.
~ good job!!
~ Just checked it out. Very cool
~ Nice work! What a creative way to promote yourself!
~ Very nice, Shelagh! Also neat to see one of my online friends in 'real' life!
~ It was great seeing you live.
That was a good effort you put forth.
You might make the clip shorter by cutting the length of the excerpt.
~ I love your accent! And you look wonderful on video! I guess, I'd suggest that you look more into the camera when you read; face the camera, have it trained directly on your face, place the book down, just out of camera range, and read that way, looking up as much as you can into the camera directly. You really want it to be much more than just a person reading a book; you're the author, so make it more! Also, I don't know but I usually favor starting with the beginning. You can give a short synopsis of the book (you telling it, though; I'd cut down on the written stuff because I don't think most viewers of YouTube really want to read that much, they want it told to them - think of your audience and tell them why they want to read it - then start reading the first pages. I think it's always more exciting, to start at the beginning.
But that's something you have to decide, as the author - are the beginning pages captivating, something that makes someone want to keep reading the book? If they are - and given how tough it is to get readers today, they should be! - then why not start there?
~ Oh, I'm so proud of you. What a lovely promo for your book and what a wonderful speaking voice you have. I thought this was great and am very intrigued by the portion of book I heard you read. Nicely done :)
~ Great job Shelagh.
Most people wouldn't have the guts.
I'm making my first video where I actually show my face this week too.
Let me know what you think.
And remember,
You don't have to get it right, you just have to get it going.
You rock!
~ lovely! perhaps set yourself with a music stand and belt it out right into the camera...but yeah, lovely stuff!
~ very cool!
~ I liked that video. It's very informative and presents your book well.
10:28 PM
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