Issue 2 - How to Get Started in Audiobook Narration with No Prior Experience

Audiobook I’m listening to right now: The End of Me by Kyle Idleman

Audiobook I’m producing right now: Dating Without the BS by L. Michelle Johnson

How many auditions I haven’t heard back from in the last month: 41

Auditions I’ve submitted since February 2024: 1,286

Productions I’ve completed since February 2024: 55 

Number of Words in This Post: 1,247

How Long It Takes Me to Read This Post Out Loud: About 10 minutes

Welcome to your very own Introduction to Audiobook Narration: Where to Start!

Even if you have ZERO experience with audiobook narration, you can get started with very little money, time, and equipment.

In this post, we’ll discuss:

1. How you know you’d be a great narrator
2. What it ACTUALLY takes to get started
3. Where to start auditioning for a low-cost trial run
4. Some ways to get BETTER, right from your own home

Okay, first things first. Answer the following 10 questions HONESTLY. No one is going to see your answers or judge you, this is an honest checkpoint for where you are right now.

1. Have you ever been told you have a great voice or do you think you sound similar to other audiobook narrators?
2. Do you enjoy reading books out loud?
3. When you’re reading out loud, can you go through at least one full sentence without making a mistake?
4. When you’re speaking in front of a few people, do you speak calmly and clearly? 
5. Do those people understand everything you’re saying? (You don’t have to repeat yourself.)
6. Can you sit in the same place for long periods of time, doing semi-monotonous work?
7. Do you enjoy learning new things and do you learn quickly? 
8. Do you take constructive criticism well?
9. Can you communicate often and explain your activities well through messaging
10. Do you take rejection well?

So, how many questions did you answer YES to? If the majority of your answers are YES, you may just be ready to begin your narration journey!

There’s so much more to being an audiobook producer than just reading books out loud.

Here are some things to consider:

• Audiobooks are dynamic retelling of stories, even if those stories are self-help books or textbooks.
• The audiobook industry is BOOMING! That means there are more producers out there than ever before and the competition is LEGIT. You’ve gotta be on the top of your game to get the highest paying jobs.
• Audio engineering is a side of audiobook producing that takes some learning, some patience, and some finesse to get right.

Ready to get started?

Here’s the equipment you’ll need:

1. A decent studio mic. You can start with any type of condenser microphone (USB or XLR) but I prefer a USB which has it’s own built-in condenser. You can find good ones for under $150 on Amazon. I use a Rode NT-USB.
2. A place to set up that mic. A quiet closet away from road noise will do the trick. Don’t use an echoey room. If your closet echos, you can use blankets or sound-deadening materials to line the walls. I’ve built my own studio in a closet out of plywood walls and soundproofing acoustic panels but it’s not necessary to start.
3. A laptop. I use a laptop for my audio software and my iPad for reading the book.
4. Audio software. Start small and free. I started with Audacity (free) and even though I’ve tried other programs, I’m so used to Audacity that I’ve stuck with it for years. It does the trick. FYI, I won’t be sharing too much on this blog about audio engineering. There are way smarter people than me who do a better job with this. Google “How to engineer audio for ACX” and you’ll get a ton of great results.

That’s pretty much it! As you move forward and do more research, you may add onto this list but this is the basics to get started.

Now you’ve got what you need, let’s talk about where to start auditioning… for FREE!

My one and only recommendation here is ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange): Audible’s platform connecting authors with producers. 

Here’s why:

• It’s free to audition, ALWAYS!
• You can choose to audition for RS (royalty share) or PFH (per finished hour) titles
  • Royalty share is when you are paid a portion of book sales. These books are often easier to get and there are more of them posted but you won’t get paid until the book sells. Really great for newbies to practice on.
  • Per finished hour is when you are paid upon completion of the production at a given rate based on the total time of the final produced files. Great for when you’re ready to start making an income.

• You can listen to other narrators on the platform to see how you compare.
• There are SO many titles and payment options (hundreds!) to choose from. I audition for up to 50 titles per week.
• The contract between an author and producer is created and upheld by ACX
• ACX has great customer service for both authors and producers
• The platform has high standards for sound quality, so you usually know that when you meet those standards through your audio platform, you’ll have a high-quality file to submit to ACX

My best advice now is to just start auditioning! Audition some more and then some more. You’ll receive a LOT of rejections but keep going. Listen to your auditions, listen to other producers, listen to audiobooks. 

And finally, my tips for getting better:

• Warm up your voice! Either have a good warmup routine or record later in the day when you’ve talked for a while. You want to have the SAME sound/timbre/quality of voice EVERY TIME you record.
• Read out loud at home EVERY DAY. You’ll get better just by practicing.
• Practice reading without making mistakes. If you make a mistake, start the sentence over.
• Practice breathing. Breath sounds are no fun to try to edit out. So try taking a good diaphragmatic breath and then reading an entire sentence without breathing again. This takes some practice and small breath sounds are okay but the rhythm of breathing while reading is an art in itself.

Here’s how I breathe:

1. Before I start recording, I take a big huge breath and hold it.
2. Start recording and read a full sentence. If I can’t read a full sentence in one breath, I’ll pause the recording at a comma or a natural spot, breathe in big, then unpause and continue.
3. Pause the recording once I run out of breath, breathe in big, then continue recording.

Again, this takes practice, especially speaking naturally with a full breath and not sounding like I’m running out of breath at the end of a sentence.

(Ask for feedback in your audition message. Every. Time. You won’t often get it but the feedback from authors that do respond is GOLD.)

Don’t feel like you can’t do this if you don’t get books right away. Just keep going. I auditioned for 40 titles before I got my first PFH offer! It takes time but you’ll get there! Stay teachable and humble.

Thanks for reading, friends!

Let me know what your biggest hurdle to getting started is.

Learning new skills? Fear of judgment? Lack of funds for supplies?

Next week, I’ll bring you a compilation of the biggest mistakes new producers make and how to fix them!

Catie