I Found a Book, but don't know if I should read it

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 10th, 2020, 8:55 pm

I found a book through Project Gutenberg, and it hasn't been cataloged yet. It seems interesting, but it seems like it would take a long time to read. I have never read a book with long texts like that(except for one time), and I don't know if I would be able to finish it. What happens if I start it but then can't keep reading mid-book?

Thanks!

Post by **annise** » October 10th, 2020, 9:43 pm

Really hard to answer that without seeing the text because I'm not sure what "hard" and "long" mean to you.
What happens to solos that aren't finished because the reader gives up, disappears or real-life steps in - they are put on hold and placed in the "discontinued Solos" list until someone comes along that wants to finish them. Whether that happens also depends

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=22757

Anne
But we really do prefer soloists to finish their solos - how about trying some longer sections in the readers wanted ?

Post by **mightyfelix** » October 10th, 2020, 9:50 pm

If you start a book but then change your mind partway through and don't want to (or can't) finish, then any sections you had already submitted would be filed away and the project would become "abandoned." At that point, other readers would be free to pick it up and finish whatever still remained to be done, either by themselves or as BC of a group project. Of course, there's no guarantee that anyone ever would do so. So there's a chance that your recordings would sit and gather dust until the end of time.

My advice to you if you really think you want to do this book (although you didn't ask for advice, so of course you're free to ignore it) would be to finish out any other major projects you may have going on right now before you start something big like that. Too many big projects usually means none of them get done.

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 10th, 2020, 11:01 pm

Ok, thanks, everyone. I think that if I start it; I'll finish it, but it might take around a month or so. I want to do a book by Amanda Minnie Douglas, preferably one of her "Little Girl" works, that hasn't been cataloged yet. I have a list of books by her that I might want to do. I think I'll go with what annise said, I'll try another long work in the Readers Wanted and see how it goes. Thanks again!

schrm · Post by **schrm** » October 11th, 2020, 6:33 am

i want to answer additonally as a bc, who just tried to bc rather early.
and i want to encourage you!

as example book: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41526/41526-h/41526-h.htm

the chapters are rather long:
chapter 1 3477 words
chapter 2 4270 words

...this book has 22 chapters

--> as a bc you are free to decide wether you want to keep the structure of the book, or try to do so.
--> and as a bc and the soloist you are even more free to make a structure, you find easy to follow and record.
please, do so!

if you don't want to read chapters=sections because you have an average duration of 20 to 30 minutes per section, divide them up!
me, myself, i prefer to read ten minute sections (and shorter), and even in my group projects, that is what i try to reach.
i think, that is easier in english and it is easier in german.
others think the exact opposite is their truth, they prefer to read 20 to 30 minutes sections.

but please, do bc to your liking and please do help us to fulfill our motto:
Librivox - Acoustical liberation of books in the public domain.

and in short: what i want to express is...after trying to read a longer section, in case you are feeling overwhelmed... (for me it is like this: hours and days of editing for half an hour section...) --> please don't give up and don't reject the book as a project.

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 11th, 2020, 11:16 am

Thanks, schrm! I think the same as you; more than 3200 words and it's a little bit longer. I wouldn't think of dividing the chapters, but maybe I could pause the recording and take breaks? I think I am going to go for this, but first try another long chapter in the Readers Wanted, and then see. The example book you gave me was by the author I want to read from!

Post by **Darvinia** » October 12th, 2020, 10:34 am

spatel2 wrote: ↑
October 10th, 2020, 11:01 pm
Ok, thanks, everyone. I think that if I start it; I'll finish it, but it might take around a month or so.

That's quick! My longest solo took me a year and a half. As soloist it doesn't matter how long you take as long as you check in once a month to let your MC know that you're still around and planning to finish it.

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 12th, 2020, 10:53 am

Oh wow! I didn't know there was no limit to how long a project will take me! Thanks.

Post by **mightyfelix** » October 12th, 2020, 10:54 am

Hah! That's nothing! I just finished a solo that took me three years!

Not that the book was really that long, I just kept getting distracted and focusing on other projects instead!

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 12th, 2020, 10:56 am

mightyfelix wrote: ↑
October 12th, 2020, 10:54 am
Hah! That's nothing! I just finished a solo that took me three years! Not that the book was really that long, I just kept getting distracted and focusing on other projects instead!

Wow! I agree with the distraction, cause there are always new books that seem fun to read; but the ones that you already claimed still need to done.

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 16th, 2020, 4:31 pm

I started it in the new projects launch pad..

Post by **TriciaG** » October 16th, 2020, 4:41 pm

spatel2 wrote: ↑
October 12th, 2020, 10:53 am
Oh wow! I didn't know there was no limit to how long a project will take me! Thanks.

EXCEPT you should post updates in the thread every month or so, if you're not actively working on it. See the "Note to soloist" (or some such wording) in the first post of the solo threads.

We do want people to show progress on their solos, but we realize that life gets in the way of recording sometimes.

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 16th, 2020, 4:41 pm

I posted it yesterday..I'm a bit confused...

Wait nevermind I understand what you mean...

Post by **TriciaG** » October 16th, 2020, 4:44 pm

Basically, there's no time limit to finish a solo project, but if you leave it alone for a month, please post in the solo project thread saying something like, "I'm still here and interested in this project!" so we know you're still working on it.

The note in the first post of your newly started thread, the part that is right under the text source link and the type of PL required and starts with "IMPORTANT - soloist, please note" talks about this.

spatel2 · Post by **spatel2** » October 16th, 2020, 4:45 pm

Oh, ok. Yeah, that makes sense. Thanks. I did read that part as well