The Fiona Principle

I’ve just installed webreader on my book blog. I wanted to install it here but it can’t be used on wordpress.com blogs (but it can be on wordpress.org blogs).

I’m going to have a play (and a google) and see if I can find a way to install it here. After all this is my techier blog.

Anyhoo what is webreader?

webReader is a readspeaker plugin that you can add to your blog. Visitors to your site then have the option to listen to the blogposts.

There is a widget or plugin for most popular platforms (blogger/blogspot, wordpress.org, ning, typepad etc.)

There is also a manual option where you can insert the code into the page yourself. I’ll be playing with that option tomorrow.

There are a couple of paid plans or there is a free version. The free version displays an ad when playing and the read starts with a v.short ad also.

You sign up for an account ( and specify the blog that you wish to speak). once you’ve activated your account you can choose language, and male or female. Then, depending on the platform, you are given instructions for downloading a plugin or creating a widget .

Creating the widget for blogspot was uber easy – I didn’t even need the video instruction.

Reading my book reviews the voice struggles occasionally with the nuances of the english language (I chose British English, instead of American English) – but not enough to make listening a chore – well not so far anyway.

Mind you listening to the voice read the post on James Patterson (which has several swedish words in it) it doesn’t cope too badly.

I’ll gradually add it to my other blogs – it’ll be interesting to see/hear how it handles the more technical or idiomatic phrasings.