I have written much of my operations manuals for my company this way and I must say Dina is right, you can do it, but it takes a hell of a lot of editing to make it work, so in the end you may not be saving as much time as you think. But, it does improve efficiency once you get good at using it. Think on all this, I recommend using it as an assist to help you with typing if you are a slower typer.

Esmerelda, Thanks for the info that Aythor;s Den is already offering audio. It;s one more place Edward could try in addition to his own site for the purpose of comparison - directory vs homesite. I think yo should tell Author;s den what you just told us. You could get exactly what you want.

Cathy, Interviews are a great Idea. I have made up a few “A Chat With Osama” and “A Chat with Saddam” I had more fun writing them than anything else I’ve writte. It reall stimultes the imagination and the creative juices. Just imagine the interviews you would like to do and imagine the result. It;s a great writing device and I;m going to do more of it. Maybe a “Chat With George Bush or Christopher Knight. :-) Now, using a close friend or someone on the same wavelength to play the role of the person interviewed would produce a whole different result than if the writer plays both parts. Do it both ways and pick the one you like best.

I recently reviewed a book that was created from audio using over fifty quotes from various experts that were transcribed and incorporated into the text. I noticed immediately that the book seemed to completely lack the logical argument and natural progression that every *good* book has. Although the situation is slightly different because we’re talking about articles in this case, I still see some parallels. To create a good solid chunk of audio that teaches something and seems cohesive and organized, you’d have to write it down first and then read it out loud, I would think. Being a visual more than auditory person, I have a lot of trouble imagining that anyone can just “speak” an article - but who knows, maybe it can be done? Don’t public speakers typically start with notes; and if you’re going to write notes, why not just send the NOTES and have THOSE made into articles, saving yourself the time of paying someone to listen to the audio and the challenge of the writer trying to weed out the best parts? :)

In fact, if I owned this site, I would include an audio section as well!

On the other hand, wouldn’t an audio article directory be a great tool for those of us who would love to read our articles to the blind, the visually impaired, or people on the go? Audio indexes would allow one to pause and select from ant list of titles and authors in any category. Portable information. Load your Ipod and hit the road.