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Brenda Smith

Creating an Audiobook

Brenda in her walk-in closet studio. Photo by Tim Woitowitz

WHY? - Soon after I released my print and ebook versions of Becoming Fearless: Finding Courage in the African Wilderness, several readers asked if I had an audiobook version of my story. After a quick internet search, I discovered audiobooks are the fastest growing segment of the book market!


WHO? - I also realized that without an audiobook version to offer, I could miss out on sharing my story with the specific niche of audiobook-only buyers. This includes readers with compromised eyesight, readers who want to be entertained while commuting to work or taking long trips, others who do their reading in the gym while working out, and cozy readers who prefer to have a story read to them rather than read it themselves.


HOW? - Artificial Intelligence software now provides cheap options for selecting a voice from a catalogue, then having it read a manuscript. However, I've yet to find one that doesn't sound like a robot. I made a personal decision to spend more on a high-quality product. After researching several audiobook producers and speaking with CEO David Wolf, I hired Audivita Studios, which specializes in producing audiobooks and podcasts.


WHERE? - Although Audivita is based in New Mexico, they use software that enables the narrator, using a good quality microphone, to record live online with an expert producer from wherever they choose. In my case, I turned my walk-in closet into a cozy home studio on the coast of Maine.


From his studio, 2,500 miles away, Mark Shipman, Audivita's Director of Audiobook Production, gently coached me on setting up and working with my equipment using Squad Cast's online recording platform. To give you an idea of the process, I asked Mark to explain in more detail how we worked together on my audiobook.


Brenda: How does Audivita evaluate whether an author or professional voice actor should record a book?


Mark: That decision belongs to the author or publisher. Nobody knows the story better, and it is compelling and engaging to hear an author tell their own story. But we will accommodate either choice.


Brenda: What is your approach when working with a first-time author who has never recorded an audiobook?


Mark: 99% of the authors I work with have never recorded an audiobook. We always start with a pre-production meeting, which is an opportunity to build rapport and establish trust. It’s not easy to narrate your book. First, it’s an odd situation–you’re in a recording session sharing your heartfelt story, core beliefs, or passionate idea with someone you just met. Second, you’ll stumble, make mistakes, mispronounce words, etc. It’s like being in second grade and reading in front of the class all over again. Third, narrating is hard work. You’ve got to 1) read well, 2) enunciate clearly, 3) watch your pace, and 4) do all that while being an engaging storyteller. All of that becomes much more comfortable when you discover that, while it's work, it can be engaging, enlightening and fun.


Brenda: I certainly felt challenged by all those expectations. Going into my first recording session, I felt so anxious and wondered if I'd made the right decision to do it myself.


Mark: Here’s the good news: as your producer, it's my job and pleasure to support, guide, and watch over you through the entire process. I may have corrected your pronunciation, offered an alternative reading, or asked for another take, but I never judged. Having worked in audio for over 50 years (yes, I started in the womb), I've produced nearly 400 audiobooks. I’m used to folks needing multiple takes to get a line just right. We took the time to talk through any concerns or questions you had. Working together, I wanted to help you produce the best audiobook we could.


Brenda: And I so appreciated all your advice and encouragement. As our sessions continued, my confidence in being a narrator grew, and though it took effort and lots of water breaks, I actually looked forward to more recording more. So while I was reading (or at times mangling my words), as my producer, what were you doing?


Mark: While you narrated, I annotated the manuscript by marking stumbles, retakes, and any word changes or ad-libs. My annotations are included in the files I send to the editors to help them identify specific areas that may require various types of corrections. Here's a page from your book that shows some of my annotations. The underlined sentences indicate lines with multiple takes


Brenda: We did my recording in 90-minute sessions. What makes 90 minutes the "optimum" length for narrating audiobooks?


Mark: On average, ninety minutes seems to be a reasonable amount of time for narrators to maintain their energy and focus. Some authors can go longer, while others prefer shorter sessions. We accommodate whatever works best for each author.


Brenda: I've read that as a first step, some audiobook producers read the book they'll be producing before narration starts. Yet you prefer NOT to read the book in advance. What do you find is the benefit of NOT reading the book in advance?


Mark: Even though I record audiobooks for a living and listen to lots of them for pleasure, I still enjoy reading books. I’m a very slow, detailed reader. If I had to read all the books I record beforehand, I’d never have time to record them. Also, I don’t want to form an opinion ahead of time about “How this book should sound.” No one knows the story better than the author. I wouldn’t want my “preview” to color my experience of the author’s narration.

Finally, it’s more powerful to experience the story in the moment. As I focus on the flow, I know that anything that pulls me out of the story (a mistake, a mispronunciation, a slurred word, etc.) is an opportunity for a retake.


Brenda: You've mentioned that some authors find it beneficial to record their manuscript as an audiobook before submitting the final draft for printing. Why is that useful?


Mark: I should caution that publishers don’t necessarily support creating the audiobook before the final draft. The average time to complete an author-read audiobook is about twelve weeks. Most publishers don’t want to postpone their process for three months.

On the other hand, the benefits can be substantial. No matter how many editors and proofreaders review the manuscript, typos, omissions, and grammar errors remain, which we can pick up from reading the manuscript aloud.

The more significant benefit comes from the act of narrating when authors recognize that just because the language is grammatically correct, it doesn't flow or “sing” the way they’d hoped. I’ve lost count of the authors who, at the end of their last recording session, have told me, “I’m never releasing another book in print until I’ve recorded the audiobook!” It’s a powerful and enlightening proofing process.


Brenda: Once the narration process is complete, an editor must make hundreds of corrections of many types to the audio file. How much interaction do you have with the editor during that process?


Mark: Our editors are experienced audio professionals, some with decades of experience. They work independently and bring their skills and experience to every project. Besides the annotated manuscript, we've created comprehensive guidelines and an extensive checklist for editors to follow. Of course, I'm always there to address questions they may have.


Brenda: What should a listener expect from a well-produced, high-quality audiobook?


Mark: Nobody likes the sound of their recorded voice. And we can't all speak with the rich diction of James Earl Jones or Helen Mirren, but my goal is that every audiobook we produce sounds like the author is sitting across the table from the listener, sharing their story in an engaging (if one-sided) conversation. The narration should have a clear, well-balanced delivery and consistent pacing.


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