Jan. 7, 2025

From Hollywood to Audiobooks Robert Lane's Transformational Journey

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In this episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, Curveball sits down with Robert A. Lane, an experienced author, transformationalist, and audiobook coach. Discover how Robert transitioned from a 30-year career in the entertainment industry to founding Robert Lane Coaching, helping nonfiction authors bring their stories to life through audiobooks. Learn about the importance of authors narrating their own work, the key components of producing a compelling audiobook, and the distribution channels that maximize reach. Robert shares insights from his coaching program, designed to guide authors through every step of the audiobook creation process. Tune in for an inspiring conversation filled with personal anecdotes and practical advice for aspiring authors.
www.robertlanecoaching.com
Want to be a guest on Living the Dream with Curveball? Send Curtis Jackson a message on PodM atch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1628631536976x919760049303001600

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Welcome, um, to the Living the Dream podcast with Curveball. Uh, if you believe you can achieve cheap, cheap.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Welcome to the Living the Dream with Curveball Podcast, a, uh, show where I interview guests that teach, motivate and inspire.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Today I am joined by author, transformationalist, audiobook coach and producer, Robert A. Lane.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Robert founded Robert lane coaching in 2020. He spent 30 plus years in the entertainment industry.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Now he's a life and career coach and he focuses on helping nonfiction authors get their audiobook out there. So Robert, thank you so much for joining me today.

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> Robert A. Lane>Oh, thank you. Uh, it's a pleasure to be here and just excited to uh, chat with you today.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

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> Robert A. Lane>Um, sure. Uh, well, let me go back a little bit. Um, my background is I worked 30 plus years in the entertainment industry and uh, when I left the business, that's when I started Robert Lynn Coaching. It was a great opportunity to reinvent, uh, myself and kind of start from scratch. So that's how the uh, Robert Lynn Coaching started. And I did start off as a career coach, uh, life coach. And from there that did lead to, uh, the book that I published which is called Lights, Action youn.

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> Robert A. Lane>And from that, uh, of course I did, uh, the audiobook version of that. Uh, my background, I do a lot of audio work.

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> Robert A. Lane>Uh, and plus, I mean I've done a variety of, um, different types of jobs in the entertainment business from, you know, on camera, off camera production, corporate, of course, working, uh, in the corporate world. Um, but I do a lot of audio. So it just made sense for me to turn my book into an audiobook. And after I did that, I had other authors approaching me saying I'd love to have help on how to turn my book into an audiobook. So I, uh, expanded, uh, Robert Lane Coaching to uh, create an audiobook coaching program to help nonfiction authors through the entire process of creating an audiobook. Uh, the fine art of narration, how to be engaging and compelling, and then help them get published, uh, on Audible, Amazon and Apple Books, those being the most popular distribution platforms for authors. And uh, of course if there are any other distribution platforms that they wanted to be on, I'd help them uh, get published there as well.

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> Robert A. Lane>But, uh, that's uh, kind of the short version of where I am today.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Well, tell us about, talk about some of the 30 plus years of your entertainment career. You know, kind of tell us why you got into it and what you were doing.

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> Robert A. Lane>Um, yeah, I would love to, um, when I started off in the entertainment business.

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> Robert A. Lane>Uh I started off in radio so I was already you know attracted to the audio world.

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> Robert A. Lane>And uh, I hosted uh talk shows and music shows and did audio production and uh, matter of fact I even hosted uh a jazz radio show which I love doing. Uh this was in Los Angeles. And uh, that actually grew uh into getting um involved with the Los Angeles Jazz Society and uh, had a great opportunity to interview some, some fabulous jazz musicians uh which was uh just a wonderful thing. Uh I really really love doing that. Uh and then as my career uh continued on I uh eventually got a job as an audio engineer for for Playboy Radio of all places. They uh, had a radio show that was on, was on XM Radio. This was back in the day before Sirius XM even Sirius didn't exist yet so it was just XM Radio. And uh, so I was the audio engineer for uh, for the radio show there. And then um, again you know we talk about the ebbs and flows of, of our life and our business and when uh my time ended at Playboy it was because they didn't want to. I uh was an independent contractor and they didn't want to pay the money so so they, they let me go uh the day before Thanksgiving so I was out of a job so I had to figure out what was I going to do.

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> Robert A. Lane>So I eventually uh went back to study audio engineering to just gain more skills which led to uh doing uh an internship at a couple of places in Hollywood. One place was in Burbank where I learned more post production skills and how to utilize some uh, of the programs like pro tools and things of that nature that are industry standard. And then uh I got a job at a post house in Hollywood which eventually led to um, a job at 20th Century Fox working at the uh studio uh on the studio lot in Los Angeles. And I spent oh geez, I would say about my last 14 years of working in the business was spent at Fox. And while I was over there I was a feature project manager. So I oversaw uh, um all their features, the current features, their catalog. As we were at that time converting all their movies into digital files as uh streaming of course became a thing. And so uh, what I did was manage all those uh projects to create audio files for the Netflixes of the world and uh, you know do we had to do movies uh not only in English but in multiple languages and then send those, those uh files out to all bunch of different vendors and distributors and uh, you know like I say like the Netflixes of the world um so then from that moment, Disney had cut a deal with Fox, where Disney was buying Fox, and that had impacted the department that I worked in, uh, very much so.

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> Robert A. Lane>So either they kept you and you worked for Disney, or they let you go and, you know, you got a severance package and you were done.

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> Robert A. Lane>So, uh, I was actually on the, uh, the first round of firings, so I knew that, uh, I would be making another career change. Uh, so, uh, it was obviously a blessing in disguise. And uh, you know, I mentioned this because we all go through these, uh, as I mentioned, ebbs and flows in our life, in our career. And what may seem like something that, uh, you know, that shuts the door is really just moving something aside for something better to open up. And that's the way I looked at it. I knew that I didn't want to go back to the corporate world.

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> Robert A. Lane>Uh, so I thought about what can I do that I would feel more fulfilled and that I can do something that can help other people as well. And so that's when I decided to create Robert Lane Coaching from scratch and, you know, study and take all my experience in the career that I had and become a career coach and life coach so that I can help other people being able to navigate through any type of work environment and still love their job and love what they do and uh, you know, and be able to handle any tough situations.

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> Robert A. Lane>So that's where Robert Lane Coaching started.

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> Robert A. Lane>And like I mentioned earlier, that did lead to the book that I wrote. It's called Lights, Action, you.

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> Robert A. Lane>And the book is actually, um, a collection of experiences and stories from working in the entertainment business. But with each story, I wanted to give. Give something of value. So every story has a, has a tool or a technique or a lesson, uh, that, that I would teach in the career coaching aspect so that people can be entertained with the story, but then they can also get some value out of it as well. And then of course, that did lead to creating the audiobook coaching program that I teach now to help authors narrate their own audiobook. Uh, so, you know, being an entrepreneur, of course, is a very hard profession because you are the CEO of you, so you're the boss. And the decisions that you make, uh, good or bad, you know, the, uh, buck stops with you. So, you know, if you try something and it fails, you just have to learn from that lesson and figure out another way to accomplish the goals that you want to accomplish. Uh, so, um, you know, never give up is something that I always tell people. Never give up because you never know when you will come across that one thing that will allow you to reach all the goals that you've set for yourself.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Wow. Why do you feel as if nonfiction authors should narrate their own books?

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> Robert A. Lane>Uh, that is a great question. Um, nonfiction authors, uh, and I'm a firm believer that, uh, all nonfiction authors need to narrate their own audiobook because it's. It's their story. A lot of the authors that I work with are, uh, have written books, uh, more like memoirs and experiences and things that they've gone through and, And. And incredible, uh, events that they were able to overcome and. And change their life for the better. And. And so it's very personal and a, uh, nonfiction author telling their story. There's nobody on the planet that can tell their story better than them because they lived it.

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> Robert A. Lane>They've breathed it. This is their life story. There was, um, a, you know, there was a core reason of why they needed to write this book in the first place. And it even applies to, uh, entrepreneurs or. Excuse me. Or coaches or educators or, you know, uh, people of that nature who have something to offer.

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> Robert A. Lane>It's so important for the author to tell their story in their own voice because, uh, even if you had another narrator, uh, for example, if, you know, I could have. I would have loved to had, uh, Morgan Freeman narrate my. My book. He would have been awesome. Such a great voice. Love his voice. But again, it's still Morgan Freeman's interpretation. It wouldn't be my interpretation. So no matter how great a narrator is, it being.

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> Robert A. Lane>Their interpretation may not be what the author would interpret or how the author would tell it. You know, there's certain subtleties and nuances of how the author speaks and maybe concepts that they wouldn't express it in the way that the narrator did. It was like. Well, I wouldn't say it that way. I would say it this way. So that's why it's just so important to preserve the integrity of the author's story by having them narrate their own audiobook.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So talk about the two main important audio components that you need to create a compelling audiobook.

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> Robert A. Lane>Well, there are two factors. Um, there's the practical aspect, and then there's the intangibles. Now, the practical aspect of narrating your own audiobook would be mic, uh, placement, making sure your levels are consistent, body posture, being, um, hydrated, keeping, uh, your voice healthy, keeping your body actually just staying healthy is really, uh, something that you need to do. So there's that aspect of It. And then what I feel is even more important and is the intangibles. And what the intangibles are, are what the author brings to the table, which is their emotion, their energy. Again, uh, tapping into to the core reason of why they wrote this book in the first place.

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> Robert A. Lane>Because they're going to bring their voice, which is already in their written word. They're going to bring it to life in their own voice. But really being conversational and probably the most important aspect is being your authentic self, telling your story in your own voice, not trying to sound like somebody else, not trying to act like somebody else. You want to be you, because when you are authentic, that's what allows you to stand out in the crowd. You know, if you're, um, for example, maybe you are a relationship coach or a weight loss coach and you've written a book, you know, and there's, you know, 30 or 40 books out there, let's say audiobooks, and by you narrating your own book, you're going to stand out because no one can express yourself better than you.

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> Robert A. Lane>So, uh, that is such an important component, the intangibles. But, uh, again, the practical aspects of course are important, but the intangibles are just as important.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>What's the best place for those trying to distribute their audio books to be distributed them at?

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> Robert A. Lane>Um, that's. Yeah, another great question.

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> Robert A. Lane>Audiobook distribution is really important.

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> Robert A. Lane>I focus in my audiobook coaching program to help authors get published on Audible, Amazon and Apple. I call it the aaa. You have to be on Audible, Amazon and Apple.

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> Robert A. Lane>Reason being is that most people know what Audible is. Most people get their audiobooks from Audible. So it really is important for the author to be distributed on, uh, that platform. So Audible, Amazon and Apple are the three that you definitely need to be on. Uh, so when I, when I speak with authors, uh, before I enroll anybody, you know, I want to talk with them and find out more about their book and, and what their, uh, goals are. Maybe their marketing strategies are because that is a factor in regards to distribution. Uh, now of course I'll get them on Audible, Amazon and Apple, but if they are distributing their book and it's very successful and uh, maybe it's on Barnes and Noble or maybe it's on, uh, there's like, you know, at least 40 other distribution platforms. If one of those other platforms are working well for them, then I of course encourage them to make sure that their audiobook is also on those distribution platforms as well.

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> Robert A. Lane>But this is something that we talk about, uh, before they go through the program so that there's a clear vision and a clear path as to what's going to work best for the author. But again, Audible, Amazon, and Apple really are non, uh, negotiables in a sense when it comes to distribution, because, again, the general public goes there first.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So what kind of speaking experience does a person need to be able to narrate an audiobook?

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> Robert A. Lane>You know, there are some authors who have done speaking engagements, and so they have a little bit of, uh, experience, though, uh, they have found out that when you do a speaking engagement, that, that's one thing, but when you're recording an audiobook, it really is like a whole other experience. And I remember I had an, uh, author who was like, oh, you know, I do speaking all the time. This is, this will be a piece of cake. And then she realized, she's like, wow, this is a whole other beast. This is like o whole different thing. And it's just, it's just a different mindset. But I encourage authors to not worry about whether they have a ton of speaking experience or not, because as a coach, that's part of what I help them in regards to being able to do a great narration. You don't have to have tons of speaking experience. Matter, uh, of fact, the first lesson that, uh, I go over with authors is a mindset lesson, because that's where it starts. It starts with being focused, being grounded, being in the present moment, not allowing you to worry about the past or the future. You know, really be in the present moment. But more importantly, because, uh, I come across this quite a bit with a lot of authors, and that is they don't like their voice or they don't think they have what it takes, or they hate how they sound. And that's a false belief that we need to crush. Because your voice is great. You should love and embrace your voice. And we talk about this and we do, uh, exercises to build confidence because that is a key factor.

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> Robert A. Lane>Love and embrace this wonderful sound that comes out of your body because that's part of who you are and that's part of what makes you so unique. Your voice. It's not only just your written word, but how you speak, how you express yourself. You know, Curtis, your. Your author brand is everything that encompasses who you are, because you are a brand. If you've written a book and you've published your book, you're an entrepreneur. You really are. And you should love and embrace your author brand because the way you were brought up, your sense of humor, your Personality, your, your belief systems, your, your morals and values, everything that encompasses who you're all who you are. And your voice, of course, that's what creates your author brand. And that's again what makes you so unique, so loving and embracing. This wonderful voice that you have is, is so crucial and so important and that will allow you to do a great narration. You know, uh, it really just comes down to that. So you don't have to have years of professional speaking experience to narrate a great audiobook.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Well, about how long does it take to produce an audio book?

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> Robert A. Lane>Well, the program that I have is designed for six weeks. So there's basically three phases. The first phase is set up and preparation. And then the second phase is where we do a really deep dive into how to do a great audiobook narration.

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> Robert A. Lane>And then after that you have to have your audiobook edited and cleaned up. All your audio files need to be cleaned.

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> Robert A. Lane>And that's where uh, you know, my coaching hat comes off and the editing hat comes on.

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> Robert A. Lane>And uh, as the author is recording their audio files, they send them to me and I do all the audio post production work on it. Because you have to make sure that your audio files meet the exact specifications for publication. And uh, I've seen it happen where authors gone to a studio but their audiobook didn't meet the specs that were uh, required for publication. And I've seen authors get rejected uh, from Audible, Amazon and Apple and we don't want that to happen. So I make sure that their audio files are in tip top shape and we talk about other marketing strategies. But you can really get this done in six weeks? You really can.

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> Robert A. Lane>Um, so that's the timeline. Uh, now of course I understand that life happens and sometimes I've uh, had authors who travel a lot so it may take a little bit longer but that's okay because I don't, you know, as long as you're doing the work, I will work with you until your audiobook is published.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So tell us about any upcoming projects that you're working on that listeners need to be aware of.

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> Robert A. Lane>Um, I just finished a book that just got published. Uh, and it's an incredible book that uh, uh, this author talks about uh, how she was uh, pulled into a uh, cult and how she was able to get out and change her life around. It's an incredible story. Uh, I have another author who shares her journey, uh, with uh, being diagnosed with breast cancer and how she uh, was able to overcome this, this disease and, and now she lives a healthy Life and she shares her experience with, uh, with other author or not authors, but like other cancer patients. So it's, it's a great thing just to see when, when authors take their book and then after they do their audiobook, they're out there doing speaking engagements and they're helping other people and sharing their story and inspiring others. Uh, that's, that's such a wonderful thing. Such a wonderful thing.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Oh, I should contact info. So, you know, if somebody's out there want, wanting to get their book, ah, published audiobook, they can do so.

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> Robert A. Lane>Um, yeah, so I would love to speak to any, any author. And the reason why I work with nonfiction authors is because again, it's, it's, it's your story. No one can tell your story better than you. Uh, in regards to fiction, it depends on how the story is written. I mean, if you have a, uh, space fantasy story with a whole bunch of different characters and you have different accents and dialects, uh, and you really want to bring that book to life, then hire a professional voiceover artist who can do voices, who can make characters come to life. Uh, so, you know, that's why I don't really do fiction because, uh, I want the author to narrate their own book. Uh, and usually non fiction is the category that it falls into.

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> Robert A. Lane>Um, but if you are a non fiction author or, you know, if, even if you are a fiction author and you've written a book that's more of like a memoir style, you can still narrate it. Uh, you know, by all means, I would love to speak with you. And uh, you can just go to robertlanecoaching.com. uh, that's my website.

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> Robert A. Lane>It tells you more about the, uh, audiobook coaching program. And uh, the first step is just to book a call with me. Uh, there's plenty of places where it says book a call. You just click the button. It goes directly to my calendar. You will speak with me directly and you will work with me directly. And I just feel it's really important that we have a conversation because we're going to be working together and I want to make sure that I resonate with you and that you resonate with me. And if you're ready to go, we'll get you enrolled. And six weeks later, guess what? You have a great audiobook that's ready for publication. All.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Uh, right. Close us out with some final thoughts. Maybe if that was something I forgot to talk about that you would like to touch on or any final thoughts you have for the listeners.

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> Robert A. Lane>I, uh, would say, be your authentic self. Love who you are, embrace who you are and just be you. Because nobody can be you better than you.

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> Robert A. Lane>You are unique.

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> Robert A. Lane>So embrace your uniqueness.

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> Robert A. Lane>And you do have talent and you do have skills, no matter what they are. Love what you do and be passionate about what you do.

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> Robert A. Lane>And don't be afraid to, uh, help other people and, uh, to share some joy, because there's never enough of that out in the world. So, you know, always tell everybody, be good humans.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>All right, ladies and gentlemen, robertlanecoaching.com I know some of my listeners out there want to get an audiobook completed, so contact Robert for that information.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Jump on your favorite podcast app, follow rate, review, share the episode to as many people as possible. If you have any guest or suggestion topics, Curtis Jackson 1978@att.net is the place to send them. Thank you for listening and supporting the show, Robert. Thank you for all that you do and thank you for joining us.

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> Robert A. Lane>Well, thank you so much, Curtis.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>For more information on the Living the Dream podcast, visit www.djcurveball.com.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>until next time, stay focused on Living the Dream.