Text To Speech
For those that would rather listen to eBooks and text instead of reading them.
There are a series of steps that must be taken to in order to listen to an eBook or text on your smartphone or computer. I'm sure there are many other ways to get there but this is the process I recommend along with what tools you will need at each step of the process.
***Note*** These are recommendations for PC/android users. I also realize there are many Apple/iPhone/Unix/Linux/ users. If this is you simply search for alternative apps to the ones I am recommending for PC/Android users.
1) Get an eBook. eBook sources in the order I recommended:
2) Pick the file format you want all books in your library to be.
There are a lot of opinions on file formats. I'll make this one easy for you if your would like my advice I recommend using the EPUB file format. If the eBook is not in this format you need a simple tool to get it there called calibre:
http://calibre-ebook.com
Calibre is a lot more that just a eBook file converter. Many people use it as the database of their eBook library.
***Note*** If the eBook you would like read is without DRM (Digital Rights Management) the information that follows is not needed. However, that is also unlikely unless it is original content that has been created instead of purchased somewhere else. If DRM removal is needed you can learn more about it here: https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com/ along with acquiring the tools needed for this part of the process.
3) Pick a text to speech reader for Android
Moon+ Reader Pro - This is my favorite eBook reader/ text to speech reader
IVONA Text-to-Speech HQ (Please note this is what I use but it is not longer available from the play store If this is a concern for you I will offer you an option B from the play store.) - This is my favorite text to speech engine. This is required to make the text to speech reader (Moon+ Reader Pro) work.
IVONA Amy UK English (Please note this is what I use but it is not longer available from the play store If this is a concern for you I will offer you an option B from the play store.) - This is my favorite text to speech voice. There are lots of voices out there but this one to me actually sounds very close to a real person reading eBooks which is pretty amazing.
Option B - For those would would a text to speech app for android from the office play store. I would recommend reading this article:
The 7 Best Text-to-Speech Apps for Android
and choosing an app that you feel would best meet your needs.
Enjoy having your eBooks read once you get to this point!
4) If you need to listen to non-ebook content on your android device (see the list below):
Listen to the app reading aloud or read on screen web pages, news articles, long emails, TXT, PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, OpenOffice documens, EPUB, MOBI, PRC, AZW and FB2 ebooks and more. It's an HTML reader, document reader and ebook reader all in one, both for reading on-screen, or listening when your eyes hurt, malfunction or are busy elsewhere.
Then I highly recommend picking up the app @Voice Aloud Reader you can get here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hyperionics.avar
***Note*** One of the major benefits to using Moon+ Reader Pro to listen to your books is the ability to highlight your favorite passages as you go and then export them all to a word doc in a few steps. At any point in the reading of the eBook you can then touch the share icon. I then share my highlights using the app evernote you can get it here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evernote
I then open my PC evernote app that you can get here:
https://evernote.com/sign-up/
Then sync my notes. From there I typically copy and past all my highlights from the book into my favorite word processor. I use: http://www.libreoffice.org
Then use you notes as you like. Using this methods combines the best of audio listening and adding the key written takeaways, action items, or notes you want to use from the book you have read. It is simply an amazing tool!
5) Pick a text to speech reader for PC
TextAloud can be purchase from this website https://nextup.com/ They have a nice browser plugin for chrome and if you use Word there is a nice plug in for word.
You can use the default voice however this is recommended since it does not sound the best. The voice I recommend can be purchase here:
https://nextup.com/ivona/
In the drop downs choose:
English, British
Amy
Before purchasing I strongly recommend listening to the various voices and choosing the one you enjoy the best.
***Note*** These are recommendations for PC/android users. I also realize there are many Apple/iPhone/Unix/Linux/ users. If this is you simply search for alternative apps to the ones I am recommending for PC/Android users.
1) Get an eBook. eBook sources in the order I recommended:
- EBook Lending Libraries - (Generally in your State all eBooks and AudioBooks you get here will be free.) - Click on your state and sigh up online for a library card to all library's you have interest in accessing (tip the more and bigger libraries you sign up for the better chance you can get the eBook or audio books you want for for free).
- Amazon
- Google play
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- There are times when an eBook is not available and that is when I use Blueleaf Book Scanning to turn the book into an eBook. I only go this route if the book is the "best of the best" because even when using this service it is a very labor intensive process to get the converted book in optimal shape. Depending on many factors it usually takes from 4 - 12 hours to get a book in a state where is reads smoothly and is indexed properly with a good table of contents. They have both NON-DESTRUCTIVE scanning (Your get the original book back) and DESTRUCTIVE scanning (you do not get the original book back). I have used this service for years and probably converted around 50 books. They are hands down the best service for this purpose I have found!
- If I use Blueleaf Book Scanning service I finish off editing the book by copying the text from the pdf eBook and paste into http://www.libreoffice.org writer and use the Writer2ePub plugin for libre office to convert the doc into the ePub format.
2) Pick the file format you want all books in your library to be.
There are a lot of opinions on file formats. I'll make this one easy for you if your would like my advice I recommend using the EPUB file format. If the eBook is not in this format you need a simple tool to get it there called calibre:
http://calibre-ebook.com
Calibre is a lot more that just a eBook file converter. Many people use it as the database of their eBook library.
***Note*** If the eBook you would like read is without DRM (Digital Rights Management) the information that follows is not needed. However, that is also unlikely unless it is original content that has been created instead of purchased somewhere else. If DRM removal is needed you can learn more about it here: https://apprenticealf.wordpress.com/ along with acquiring the tools needed for this part of the process.
3) Pick a text to speech reader for Android
Moon+ Reader Pro - This is my favorite eBook reader/ text to speech reader
IVONA Text-to-Speech HQ (Please note this is what I use but it is not longer available from the play store If this is a concern for you I will offer you an option B from the play store.) - This is my favorite text to speech engine. This is required to make the text to speech reader (Moon+ Reader Pro) work.
IVONA Amy UK English (Please note this is what I use but it is not longer available from the play store If this is a concern for you I will offer you an option B from the play store.) - This is my favorite text to speech voice. There are lots of voices out there but this one to me actually sounds very close to a real person reading eBooks which is pretty amazing.
Option B - For those would would a text to speech app for android from the office play store. I would recommend reading this article:
The 7 Best Text-to-Speech Apps for Android
and choosing an app that you feel would best meet your needs.
Enjoy having your eBooks read once you get to this point!
4) If you need to listen to non-ebook content on your android device (see the list below):
Listen to the app reading aloud or read on screen web pages, news articles, long emails, TXT, PDF, DOC, DOCX, RTF, OpenOffice documens, EPUB, MOBI, PRC, AZW and FB2 ebooks and more. It's an HTML reader, document reader and ebook reader all in one, both for reading on-screen, or listening when your eyes hurt, malfunction or are busy elsewhere.
Then I highly recommend picking up the app @Voice Aloud Reader you can get here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hyperionics.avar
***Note*** One of the major benefits to using Moon+ Reader Pro to listen to your books is the ability to highlight your favorite passages as you go and then export them all to a word doc in a few steps. At any point in the reading of the eBook you can then touch the share icon. I then share my highlights using the app evernote you can get it here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.evernote
I then open my PC evernote app that you can get here:
https://evernote.com/sign-up/
Then sync my notes. From there I typically copy and past all my highlights from the book into my favorite word processor. I use: http://www.libreoffice.org
Then use you notes as you like. Using this methods combines the best of audio listening and adding the key written takeaways, action items, or notes you want to use from the book you have read. It is simply an amazing tool!
5) Pick a text to speech reader for PC
TextAloud can be purchase from this website https://nextup.com/ They have a nice browser plugin for chrome and if you use Word there is a nice plug in for word.
You can use the default voice however this is recommended since it does not sound the best. The voice I recommend can be purchase here:
https://nextup.com/ivona/
In the drop downs choose:
English, British
Amy
Before purchasing I strongly recommend listening to the various voices and choosing the one you enjoy the best.
We are always happy to help.
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