![]() And then there are others that are somewhere in between.Įspecially when there's dialogue in fiction there should be at least some change in inflection so that the listener knows someone new is speaking. Then there are some that are just straightforward nonfiction that may not require voices at all. Some of the audiobooks we record at Listening Books, like the Murderous Maths series, benefit from really exaggerated, cartoon-like character voices. Should I do voices for all the different characters?Īgain, this is really dependent on the book (sorry!). ![]() If there are lots of characters then you'll need to keep pretty organised notes. This is also when you'll want to make character choices. ![]() Plus you need to note dialogue that isn't clearly tagged (is Harry or Sally speaking here?) and for sneaky descriptors that come after the fact - like "Come here," she hissed.Īll these things will need to be marked up in your text as you prep so that you don't get into the studio and start yelling, "COME HERE!" she hiss.oh. Yes please! You'll want to check for any words or names you don't know how to pronounce and research those for a start. If it takes that long to record, do I have to read the whole book before I start recording? On average, though, a typical novel of about 100,000 words takes four pretty intense, long days to record. It keeps things positive for everyone, and it means he doesn't get flustered, which saves time. It will take longer if you get frustrated when making mistakes - and making mistakes is frequent and inevitable! One of Listening Books' volunteers, who is also a professional voice actor, has a great habit of saying "thank you" instead of "sorry" whenever he's corrected. That will depend on the book and your experience. How long does it take to record an audiobook then? This makes for a great incentive to slow down when narrating! You're less likely to make time-consuming mistakes that way, and you're also increasing the amount of money you will be paid. In other words, no matter how long it takes you to record, you will be paid according to how long the finished audiobook is. However, it is most common for narrators to be paid per finished hour. What you will be paid depends not just on how experienced or famous you are (or aren't), but also on things like whether or not you're recording in your own studio and handling the post-production as well. How much do audiobook narrators get paid? Not all good actors are good narrators and vice versa - but there is a significant overlap! You also don't have to be a trained actor, although admittedly this can certainly help. Some freelance narrators do create their own studios, but here at Listening Books we record all our audiobooks in our own professionally equipped studio. That's why we ask you on the application form to tell us what kinds of books you prefer.ĭo I have to have my own studio or be a trained actor to become a professional audiobook narrator? When it comes to volunteering for Listening Books we are interested in both your strengths and your preferences when casting. You always have the freedom to turn down a book you don't want to narrate, but if you're trying to break into professional narration then you may find you have to cut your teeth on books you wouldn't necessarily choose to read yourself. But the answer to this question probably depends on whether or not you're pursuing narration professionally. Generally speaking, you will perform better if you enjoy the text you're reading. I do love reading - but I hate certain genres of books. It takes mental agility and stamina along with the technical skills. It's not the same as being a good speaker, or even being a good actor, although both of those things can help. They're able to sink into the text and reflect all that emotion with their voice. They understand the subtleties of language and they can quickly interpret complex sentence structures. A good audiobook narrator is a good reader. Having a voice that people like to listen will certainly help! But it isn't the only, or even the most important, quality. What makes a good audiobook narrator? I've been told I have a nice voice - will that help? She gave us some insights to help you get into the business. She has produced nonfiction books for children and young adults with volunteer narrators for Listening Books, as well as professional audiobooks with working actors for independent publishing houses. Jess is the audio producer at audiobook charity Listening Books. I spoke to Jessica Stone to ask her all the questions you want to know. You've thought about it a lot, and now you want to become an audiobook narrator.
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