Forum: Author Hangout

Narrating for AudioBooks

BookHungryMechanic 🚫

As an avid reader on SOL, I often find myself wishing for audiobook form. I've been told repeatedly by friends and family that I've got a knack for narration and should try doing audiobooks. Any authors here interested in some sort of small sample? I'd like to eventually build a profile on ACX, but I'm not entirely sure where to start. I've got a fairly neutral tenor/baritone voice, and can easily do a variety of characters or various dialects (English/American/Western-European) and would be interested to voice a chapter or two as a sample work for some of my favorite stories or authors here. Hopefully find a little guidance in the process. Anyone done anything like this before?

For discussion purposes, my favorites here include RefuseNik, Al Steiner, RLFJ, and perhaps most of all, GWResearch. Magestic is a masterpiece. Please discuss.

Replies: StarFleet Carl Baltimore Rogers

StarFleet Carl 🚫

@BookHungryMechanic

If you can read aloud, "His hungry heat seeking moisture missile flew straight and true into her dripping cockpit of love" and NOT laugh, narrating pornographic audio books may be for you.

Replies: joyR

joyR 🚫

@StarFleet Carl

If you can read aloud, "His hungry heat seeking moisture missile flew straight and true into her dripping cockpit of love" and NOT laugh, narrating pornographic audio books may be for you.

Damn..!! I couldn't write that without laughing... Best pack away my crayons.

Baltimore Rogers 🚫

@BookHungryMechanic

Al Steiner AND rlfj? Wow! Broad interests indeed! You can't get much more politically opposite than "Greenies" and "A Fresh Start"!

BookHungryMechanic 🚫

Morgan Freeman I am not, but I can indeed successfully read that passage with sincerity and gravitas. As for the politics, i harbor an odd mix of views. Socially liberal with a deep hate for corruption and unchecked oligarchy. Basically resurrect teddy Roosevelt, lock him in a room with Bernie Sanders and Ron Paul, and they'll probably come up with something I'd approve of. But those authors' stories are much more than politics. Steiner writes genuine can't-put-it-down page-turners. And the nerd in me loves the detail-heavy specificity you get in Epics like A Fresh Start and Magestic

Vincent Berg 🚫

I actually looked into audio books (several sites list it an additional submission option), but (for most uses) it's prohibitively expensive.

If you've got the equipment, and a good reading voice, it's simple enough to record your own, but for those of us who don't qualify, a standard 60,000 word book (at two passes reading and another recording), the per-hour charge becomes VERY expensive. Add to that the fact that audiobooks are generally priced MUCH less than print or even ebooks, and there's little chance of recouping your expenses, especially if you've got a limited readership.

However, if you are offering, I'll give it a try. My books range from 40,000 to 280,000 words (they generally average around 80,000 to 140,000).

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Forum: Author Hangout

Narrating for AudioBooks

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