Recording an audiobook is an interesting way of editing!
When I wrote Dirt a couple of years back now, I had not even considered recording the audiobook version.
Although I have had a lot of involvement in audiobooks over the years, it used to be a very expensive exercise and was rather low down on my list of priorities.
That has all changed. I am currently editing the audiobook version of Dirt to be released in a few weeks, with any luck.
While recording it, I decided to edit it to make it a little easier to read out loud, but in the process, I ended up changing the first three chapters of the book.
I have removed chapter two entirely and the story from that chapter is now incorporated into the what was chapters one and three.
Some of it has vanished, though nothing very important, and I have made a few things a little clearer, for instance why Geezen is able to just storm into the ruler's palace without getting arrested.
With a project as vast as Dirt, the history and the back story are, of necessity, very complicated. I planned most of it before writing, but over the last couple of years that back story has been refined and a few kinks sorted out. This was particularly important for series two where some of the history of Dirt is discovered by the characters, and it is even more important for series three (currently in planning) where everything will be revealed ... probably!
Although there were no terrible plot problems in Dirt, I felt a few things could be made a little clearer and less confused.
Another example is where I talk about magicians. In the original version, I mention lesser magicians like rat-finders, menders and so on, but I never again talked about them. So, I have removed that reference and just talk about the main magicians important to the story - finders, healers and speakers. (By the way, the other assorted magicians are all charlatans anyway, so no great loss to society.)
So, the book is a little shorter, a lot neater and lots of the remaining proofing errors have now gone. Oh, I have no doubt there are still some in there, but that is the nature of the beast. My mother is currently reading the print paperback books of Cadfael, and she tells me there are little mistakes all over the place. Makes me feel a bit better.
Amazon have made the update available for free. Just log in to your account on Amazon, go to your account and Content and Devices. Wander through your list of books till you find Dirt and hit the update button. I think you might have to restart your kindle or something - not sure.
Other retailers like Smashwords offer the update anyway without me asking, I think.
You cant miss the new version, it says Third Edition on the copyright page together with a short note.
Hope you enjoy it - I am having a lot of fun recording it.
CC