Audio Adventures: The Wonderful World of Audiobooks – Part 2

Navigating becoming a narrator.

“You’ve got a lovely voice, you should do audiobooks”

Many of us may well have been told this by friends or colleagues but is it really as simple as that?

I thought I’d break down all the different skills and elements of becoming a voice artist who narrates audiobooks which you should consider before you decide to focus on this genre of voiceover.

The Power of The Narrator

As a voiceover artist who loves to narrate books, I realise that I play a very important role in the listeners enjoyment and ultimately the success of the book. You may well have an excellently crafted book by an author, but with the wrong or badly skilled narrator, it is easy to ruin it and devalue all their hard work. I’ve had many a friend tell me they were put off an audiobook by the choice of narrator given to it; the wrong sex, the wrong accent, the wrong tone and intonation or pace. Paul Ruben discusses it well in his article in Audiofile Magazine.

I am well aware that as the narrator, I hold the power to completely engage or disinterest the listener. I learned this through my many years of experience as a primary school teacher and performer. My job was to engage and enthral my audience into wanting to listen and learn more about what I was saying to them or teaching them whether it was a new maths concept, historical facts or the next chapter in a class novel. Recently, a child I taught when they were 10 years old contacted me on Facebook at the age of 31 saying how much they remembered and enjoyed ‘storytime’ at the end of the day with me and how it has made them value reading stories to their own child at bedtime! Wow! Job done – I couldn’t think of a better compliment. You can read more about my journey here.

When not in the classroom, I also enjoyed (and still do) acting. The ability to discuss, be directed, build up and perform characters to a live audience is a fantastic way to hone your skills in voiceover and in particular audiobook narration. This is why so many famous actors become audiobook narrators on the side. They have many of the required skills already in place.

I strive to hold my listeners or audience in the palm of my hand, captivating them and transporting them to whatever world I’m in.

I love it every single day, continuing to take that passion into every project as a voiceover artist, particularly audiobooks.

 

Have you got what it takes?

Successfully narrating books takes a whole range of skills.

• You need to have an excellent understanding of the English language and the nuances of the written and spoken word.

• You need to be expressive and understand when to lean into that expression and also when to be more understated.

• You need to be able to interpret and build up believable characters with different personalities, sometimes with accents but more often by varying the tone and ‘texture’ of your voice on many levels.

  • In the case of works of non-fiction, you need to transfer the author’s passion for their subject matter into the minds of the listener – no matter how dry the topic!
  • On a technical level, breath control is essential and being able to read ahead and navigate the punctuation smoothly without stumbling is of course a bonus and saves hours of re-recording and editing.
  • And let’s not underestimate the need for consistency and stamina. Out of all the genres in voiceover, audiobooks, as longform work, is in a class of its own. Maintaining a consistent style and quality of voice for several hours over many days – possibly weeks is no mean feat.
  • You need great vocal health and a good warm up routine as a voiceover artist. Doing regular facial and voice warm ups before a recording session helps with expression, stamina and prevents voice fatigue. Exercises to look after your vocal cords is essential. Backstage suggest some good ones for singers but the principles are the same for voiceover artists too.
  • You also need to be patient and able to take criticism and feedback. Have an open mind to listen to and communicate effectively with the author, appreciating that this is their ‘baby’ and they may well have a specific voice or tone in their head that they want you to bring to life.
  • Having the technical ability to proof-read, edit, process and produce your own work is great too and cuts down costs, but if you don’t feel confident in this aspect, you can always out-source it to another professional.

Good narrators understand all this and train themselves in preparation. They familiarise themselves with the text, they analyse and mark it, they practise, they evaluate, critique and revise their performance until they are completely satisfied that they have given the book the justice it deserves.

So you have decided that you want to give this a go, but how do you get started?

What are the first steps to take?

If you are considering becoming an audiobook narrator, I would strongly recommend listening to audiobooks yourself. Decide what made that narration good (or bad) for you. Consider the elements of their performance that stood out. Then practise and try it for yourself.

  • Read aloud for 15 minutes every single day – the newspaper, a book, blogs or articles online…anything!!
  • Record yourself reading stories out loud. Find a trusted audience (even one person) who can take a listen and give you honest, constructive feedback.
  • If you do decide to go for it, get yourself a bit of training or coaching with a trusted and knowledgeable expert. A few voice coaching sessions with an experienced audiobook narrator such as Helen Lloyd or Sean Pratt (non-fiction) would be a wise investment.
  • I would also recommend joining an organisation like Gravy For The Brain. (GFTB) They are everything Voiceover and run courses to help you learn the technical and creative aspects of all VO genre including audiobooks. There are webinars to watch, expert mentors to get advice from and forums to ask any question you like that’s VO related. They will also give you advice about setting up your own recording space at home and what to buy.

In a nutshell…

In summary, I love the world of audiobooks! For those who struggle to read or who lack the time to sit down with a physical book, they offer the listener a solution that enables them to still escape into a multitude of worlds and into the lives of others. If you are a natural storyteller, they can give you the opportunity of bringing the written word to life and bring enjoyment to so many people through the role of narrator. Whichever side of the ‘book’ you want to be on, I hope you will find them as rewarding and enjoyable as I do.

In my next blog I will be giving hints and tips for budding writers who want to venture into getting their creative baby out in the audiobook marketplace. In the meantime, if you have a question, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!