How to Dictate a Book: Author Level Up, #14

By M.L. Ronn

Have you heard that dictation supercharges your word counts, but are you frustrated with it?

 

You're not alone. Many writers attempt dictation, only to quit because it doesn't get them the results they hear so much about. Fortunately, there is a way to do it correctly.

 

In this writer's guide, prolific author M.L. Ronn will teach you how to unlock the power of dictation using the methods he's used to dictate over 30 books of fiction & nonfiction.

 

You'll learn:

* How to dictate (and why you should)

* The tools and equipment you'll need

* How to set Dragon up for success

* The 3 types of dictation (the 2nd one will blow your mind)

* How to dictate cleanly the first time so that you don't have to spend as much time editing

* And more

 

This book also comes with a video companion course where you can see the author dictate sections from this very book.

 

If you're ready to become a dictation master, then click the buy button and speak your way to writing nirvana!

 

V1.0

• Language: English
• Publisher: Author Level Up LLC
• Release date: Oct 3, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201473624

M.L. Ronn

Science fiction and fantasy on the wild side! M.L. Ronn (Michael La Ronn) is the author of many science fiction and fantasy novels including the Modern Necromancy, The Last Dragon Lord, and Sword Bear Chronicle series. In 2012, a life-threatening illness made him realize that storytelling was his #1 passion. He’s devoted his life to writing ever since, making up whatever story makes him fall out of his chair laughing the hardest. Every day.

Book preview

How to Dictate a Book

How to Dictate a Book

The Author’s Guide to Effortless Dictation

M.L. Ronn

Copyright 2021 © M.L. Ronn. All rights reserved.

Published by Author Level Up LLC.

Version 2.0

Cover Design by Pixelstudio.

Covert Art © vec.stock / Depositphotos

Editing by BZ Hercules and Audrey Weinbrecht.

Special thank you to the following people on Patreon who supported this book: Zhade Barnet, Stephen Frans, Michael Guishard, Jon Howard, Beth Jackson, Megan Mong, Lynda Washington, and Etta Welk.

Some links in this book contain affiliate links. If you purchase books and services through these links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. You are under no obligation to use these links, but thank you if you do!

Want to check out my dictation gear? Learn more at www.authorlevelup.com/kit.

For more helpful writing tips and advice, subscribe to the Author Level Up YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/authorlevelup.

Contents

Introduction

The Benefits of Dictation

Dictation Methods and Styles

The Tools of Dictation

A Few Words on the Future of Dragon

Start Watching the Companion Video Course

Setting Up Dragon: Pro Tips

Before You Start: Calculating Your Accuracy and Speed

Overcoming the Mental Roadblocks of Dictation

Dictating Your Book

The Traditional Method

The Pikachu Method

The Expensive Method

Editing Your Dictated Text

Parting Words

Read Next: Advanced Author Editing

More Books by M.L. Ronn

Meet M.L. Ronn

Introduction

Let's talk about what you're going to learn in this book:

You are going to learn the benefits of dictation.

You are going to learn how to get started and feel comfortable speaking your stories.

You are going to learn how to use Dragon like a pro.

You are going to learn how to address the mental roadblocks that often stop people from unlocking the true powers of dictation.

You are going to learn some intermediate and advanced dictation techniques to help you dictate cleanly.

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My name is Michael La Ronn and I am the author of over 60 science fiction and fantasy novels and self-help books for writers. I also run the popular YouTube channel Author Level Up, where I give writing and publishing advice. I have been published in Writer’s Digest, and I’ve spoken to crowds of over 1,000 writers about writing and productivity.

Dictation is a way of life for me—I have dictated over half of my books. I've encountered many of the problems that new dictators (yes, I said it!) experience when learning this technique. I want to help you avoid those pitfalls.

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My Dictation Story

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I started dictating in 2015 after hearing someone talk about it in an interview. I thought it was an interesting idea at the time, and I was also fascinated by doubling and tripling my word counts.

I first started dictating on my smartphone assistant, but it produced terrible results.

Then I heard about a program called Dragon by Nuance Software. At the time, Dragon had a (inferior) Mac version that I bought for $500. I didn't have a Windows computer at the time, so I wasn't aware of just how bad the Mac version of Dragon was. It was not pleasant and I found myself cleaning up my text a lot—way more than I liked. I bought in to the myth that dictation has to be sloppy, and that you should use it only for your first draft.

So, like many people who try dictation for the first time, I quit. Sure, I could write 5,000 words in an hour, but it wasn't worth it if I had to spend two hours cleaning up those words! I'm all about efficiency and practicality, and that type of technique is just not efficient or practical.

Plus, the Mac version of Dragon wasn't as accurate as the Windows version. Over time, Nuance stopped supporting the Mac version, and it got worse and worse. Eventually, it stopped working altogether, and I had wasted $500 on an app that didn't get me results.

Fast forward to 2019. I bought a new Mac computer that was powerful enough