# Audio books



## TAGallant (Mar 21, 2016)

Not really sure which subforum to post this subject. This seems as good as any.

Curious if any members have published audiobooks. If so, did you narrate your own, or do you have a narrator you worked with (and are glad you did)?


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## CupofJoe (Mar 22, 2016)

I've helped others make audio books...
Narration is a lot harder than it looks.
Unless you have [and know you have] a talent for speaking aloud at an even pace, get a professional narrator.
We spent half a day recording an author and then had to prove to them how badly paced their reading was before we waisted more time. They would speed up when they got excited and slow down for the next sentence or for a quieter piece. IT felt natural to them but was very hard to listen to. It was all but impossible to edit and piece together a coherent page or two let alone a chapter because of these speed changes and even changes in their voice. I didn't know than a voice tends to drop a little in tone during the day...
The author relented and paid expenses only an actor they knew [with radio narration credits, so we were doubly lucky there] and we got most of the book done in 2 days. It was a fairly short technical piece rather than fiction and we had to make an audio version for accessibility reasons.
The best audio books I've heard have been by the HPLHS. The HP Lovecraft Historical Society do the most amazing audio tales that are more like films without the pictures.


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## MichaelSullivan (Mar 22, 2016)

TAGallant said:


> Not really sure which subforum to post this subject. This seems as good as any.
> 
> Curious if any members have published audiobooks. If so, did you narrate your own, or do you have a narrator you worked with (and are glad you did)?



Yes, all my books are in audio - as well as some of my shorts. I've used two different narrators.  Jonathan Davis for my science fiction and Tim Gerard Reynolds for my fantasy. 

I couldn't be happier with how my audio books have done. It's a HUGE part of the discoverability of my books.


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## MichaelSullivan (Mar 22, 2016)

CupofJoe said:


> Narration is a lot harder than it looks. Unless you have [and know you have] a talent for speaking aloud at an even pace, get a professional narrator.



Agreed 100%


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## Steerpike (Mar 22, 2016)

I haven't narrated any. I listen to a lot of audiobooks. The narrator can make or break the experience. A bad narrator can ruin what is otherwise a good book. A great narrator will make a good book shine that much more. Unless you really know what you're doing and are good at narration, I wouldn't do it yourself. You're going to do more harm than good.


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## Russ (Mar 22, 2016)

I have many friends who have audio books out, non of them narrated their own.

As an interesting twist, one of my friends last audio book had a special feature in which the author would give a super short, but interesting "behind the scenes commentary" for each chapter on a separate track, so one could either listen to the commentaries as they read, or skip it and listen to them all later.

The response both critically and in sales was very good.

Just an idea to think about.


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## Steerpike (Mar 22, 2016)

Yes, I'm listening to an audiobook by James Enge now, and he provides some commentary at the beginning of it, which is cool. He doesn't try to narrate the book himself.


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## TWErvin2 (Mar 22, 2016)

All of my books are available via audio, except for the most recent, which is being recorded. My publisher has taken care of finding the narrators, although I was given the opportunity to give a thumbs up or down to auditions.

Currently, the main venue to get your work into audiobook format, especially if you self-publish, is via Audible.com, owned by Amazon. If distributed through Audible, it becomes available via Audible, Amazon and iTunes for digital download.

In brief: You can hire a narrator, who can both record and produce the final product, or you can attempt to get a royalty share deal through Audible. Check out the website and it will give you more details about the process and contracts. It is more difficult to get a royalty share contract if your works don't have a solid track record of sales, but not impossible.


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## TAGallant (Mar 24, 2016)

Thanks for all your thoughts, guys. I have decades of experience in public speaking, but I would love to afford a professional narrator, for sure. Even aside from the fact that narration is not the same sort of thing as the speaking I've done, I'm not sure I have the ideal voice for what I'd like.

On the other hand, $$ are an issue, and as TWErvin implied, it might be tough to get anyone (good) to go on royalty share if you don't have a good sales history. I already spent a couple hours identifying potential narrators at ACX (came up with five), but haven't reached out to any of them, given that fact.


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## TAGallant (Mar 24, 2016)

Michael, I appreciate that you gave names. Will look them up.

I said I found five at ACX, but on another listen, one tends to dip a bit too low, so I think he would be difficult to hear for folks who are driving or whatever. The rest ... I probably can't afford.


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