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Short answers to the questions authors ask most before going into production.
Source: publishersweekly.
Producing an audiobook can be intimidating. There’s A LOT of information out there on this (narrators/authors/readers, if you have a resource, please share in the comments) so instead of digging in deep, I thought I’d dig shallow, if that’s a thing. You know, like a dog trying to bury a bone in a blanket. They don’t really get far, but they seem satisfied with doing it.
I’m not sure that analogy works. Better just get to the article. Ha!
Oh, and please share this info! (I’ll keep it paywall-free.)
While royalty share is sometimes offered, I don’t think it honors the narrator’s time and effort. If your book doesn’t sell, you’ve had someone work for you for free. Post-production costs about $100 per finished hour, so if you’re doing royalty share with your narrator, you should offer to at least pay half of the post-production cost along with splitting royalties, otherwise the narrator takes on that cost as well as prepping and performing.
If you are paying your narrator(s), there’s a range of prices, but look to pay around $200-$250 per finished hour + $100 PFH for post-production. It costs a lot because for each hour produced, it takes the narrator/production team about ten hours. (Prep, research, narrating, proofing, recording fixes, inserting fixes into the audio seamlessly, mastering the book, and uploading…all using professional equipment.)
Narrating is fun, but it ain’t quick or easy.
We are everywhere. Find us by:
Posting on social media (Try a post on Threads or a reel inviting auditions.)
Listening to our books and reaching out to us
Visiting our websites, Audible or our narrator pages on AHAB (Penguin Random House), ACX, and Author’s Republic.
(You can also listen to 42 narrators on THIS post.)
Rate, availability, when can they have finished files for you.
See if they have experience doing this and their comfort level. (I always insist on doing an audition if I haven’t worked with the author before, even if an author has reached out directly to me, to make sure I’m the right fix.)
Check their listing on Audible. If they have lots of books prior to 2025, they are probably human. If they have books after 2025, dig a little deeper.
You can ask for confirmation that they aren’t using AI but know that some people (especially on ACX) will lie. ACX has a ton of scammers from fake AI books to cloned voices, so be careful.
I think it’s safer to reach out to narrators you like already.
If you’re concerned and what to confirm they’re human, ask for a quick Zoom call. You can also see which publishers they’ve recorded for. If they are working for multiple publishers, chances are strong they are human. If they are only working for ACX, dig deeper.
Choose a 2-to-3-page double spaced PDF version from your book. It works best if there’s a male and female in dialogue in the scene so you can get a sense of how the narrator handles narration and characters. If it’s a romance, choose a sexy scene. If it’s a dark title, choose an uncomfortable scene. If it’s a mystery, choose an action scene or a scene with tension. And…Yes. Really only 2 to 3 pages, maximum of 5 minutes. Narrators do auditions for free. A 15 minute or 30-page audition is not acceptable.
When you post your audition, note what gender narrator you’d prefer (if needed), what natural accent, the genre of your book (include sub-genre if applicapable), when you would like your files delivered by, how much you are paying, and if the piece calls for any accents or languages. Do not bait and switch, i.e. list your audition for $400 PFH and then tell the narrator you’ll only do royalty share. Be honest.
No. You can work directly with your narrator. They may require a partial payment especially since there are so many scams. There are many distribution platforms.
Most books you find in airports take 3 to 5 days to record for a full-time narrator. (Plus prep/research time.) Part-time narrators can take double or triple that time simply because they’re working less hours.
Some narrators are booked out so start casting a few months before your book’s release if you can.
Post-production takes about two weeks.
Your script should be complete, recordable, and offered as a PDF. Epub doesn’t work. Narrators and post-production need to make notes on the script and share that with the team. Narrators read from iPads and most use iAnnotate. A PDF is preferable.
No. Your book should be ready to go. Every change can add to the production time and create confusion in editing if there are multiple scripts. If you have text changes, your narrator should charge for that. A few line changes are okay, but more than that, please avoid. In other words, don’t create an audiobook until your book is ready.
No. That’s micromanaging, and although you might mean well, it will slow down the entire process. All your input should come before recording. Be thorough in that communication. Give your narrator details on what you’re looking for in the recording. Once you approve that first 15 minutes, you need to let go and let your narrator do their work. It’s hard not to micromanage, but your job is to hire the right narrator and then let them use their expertise and experience to bring your book to life.
The book’s title, the writer’s name, and the narrator’s name.
Yes. Look for stunning visual covers that work as squares and as small thumbnails. People do judge a book by its cover.
There are many ways to say names. Is Lanni LAH-nee, LAY-nee, or LA-nie (rhymes with Annie). Your narrator will note your character’s heritage and find pronunciation through research.
If you have characters (or places, phrases) you want pronounced a certain way, give your narrator a pronunciation key before they record.
Also, there are words you think you know how to pronounce, but a narrator will say differently. Check Miriam Webster before admonishing your narrator. Sometimes the narrator will screw up and post will miss it, but sometimes it’s a word you think you know how to say but will be shocked by how it’s actually pronounced.
Only before the production begins, and feedback on those first 15 mintes. After you approve that, you need to let go.
Yes. You will receive files to review. Please try to listen and get those changes to your narrator within a week or two.
Those changes need to be errors and not because you want to change the text.
Note the chapter the error occurs in, the time stamp of the error, the full sentence of the error, and what the error was. (A sound, mispronounced.)
A narrator who reads with a different inflection on a line is not an error. It’s just different. Narrators will not sound like you imagined. They can’t, because they’re not in your head. There are many ways to perform a book. That’s why casting is important: choose someone you trust who gets your writing.
No one knows. Some sells millions; some sell one to their mom. Rule of thumb: you might sell around 10% of your ebook/paperback in audio.
No one knows what sells books. People try social media, giveaways, narrator posts, etc. Word of mouth is the best, but the hardest, to help sell your book.
They can if they want to, but it’s not an expectation. It’s a favor. If you’re asking for a lot like videos, interaction, social media posts, consider offering payment of some kind. Their job is to record the book and provide you with files, not market the book for you.
The more experience a narrator has, the less collaboration they’ll likely want/need. Once you approve those 15 minutes, they will be off and running.
Narrators work within tight timeframes. Please respond to their questions quickly.
It’s fine/great to use a new narrator, just know there is a big learning curve for writers and narrators in audiobook production. (Everyone needs a start somewhere.) Established narrators have been through the process and can walk you through it. With a new narrator, you might be figuring it out together.
Narrators with huge followings can help sell books, but they might not. It’s not the narrator’s fault; it’s just life and business.
Review and pay promptly.
You can hire a production company, hire a producer, or see if an audiobook company will purchase your rights, and you can sit back and let production happen without the hassle of being involved. If you love being involved, that’s great.
Duet (male narrator reads all male characters and female narrator reads all female lines.) cost twice as much to produce and post-production costs more. Why? Because narrators have to prep the whole book and oftentimes be in the booth for the whole book. They should be paid for the entire run time. Engineering of duet books can take longer and cost more because they engineer has to ensure all those lines connect and run smoothly.
I hope this helps!
If you have questions, please let Tanya know.
Tanya Eby is a damn good narrator. No one in reviewland has said that, probably because they don’t swear, but she is good. She’s quirky and emotional and interesting. She’s booking projects in October and beyond and can walk you through production.
She’s also a damn good writer. No one has said that either, but Tanya is on a tear right now and she likes saying ‘damn’, but only when she’s feeling feisty…which she is right now.
FOR FURTHER READING:
“When submitting an audition for an audiobook, what should you read? How long should it be and what else should you say to secure the job?”
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