Find a narrator

First determine what kind of narration your book needs. Multicast, dual, duet, or solo?

1

Solo - One narrator reading the whole book.

Dual - Two narrators reading chapters, usually from a main character’s point of view.

Duet - Two narrators who read all their character’s dialogue regardless of chapter or POV throughout the entirety of the book.

Multicast - A full cast of narrators, each voicing a different character. Music, sound effects, and other audio editing are often used.

Choose an audition piece from your book.

2

Your audition piece should be an excerpt from your book that features your main character(s), and is 1-3 pages long. If the scene does not give the needed context you can provide it in a message to the narrator. This would include the basic facts of who the characters are, where they are, what they are doing, and any needed accents.

Remember it's OK to pull from more than one scene, and it doesn't need to be from the first few pages of the book.

Find narrators to request an audition from.

3

A few good places to look for narrators are:

AudioFile listings
ACX samples and profiles
Social Media
Fellow author’s recommendations
Searching Audible within your book’s genre
Audiobook awards such as Earphones Awards and Audie Awards

But what do I look for in a narrator?

Professionalism: Their profiles, website, and social media all convey respect for themselves and their work, are clear, edited, and updated.

Great samples: Studio-quality audio with professional-level storytelling. Bonus points if they have samples you love in the genre you write in.

A good fit for your main character: Does this narrator share a gender identity, ethnic background, culture, passion, vocation, or personality with your main character?

Evaluate the auditions and choose a narrator.

4

Acting ability - Did it draw you in and hold you? Did you believe the performance?

Audio quality - Did the audio quality sound professional, and if not (which is OK) do they have previous experience and access to a professional-level recording studio?

Professionalism - Was the audion on time? Did you have good communication? Did they follow the audition brief?

What questions should I ask them?

When are they available to begin recording?
Roughly how long until the book is complete?
What payment models do they accept, and what are their rates?

Sign a contract with your narrator

Signing a contract with your chosen narrator is a very good idea. It makes sure all expectations are clear and protects both sides. It doesn't need to be overly complicated or long, and sample contracts are available online to edit/ alter for your needs.

Send your narrator the final manuscript

Once you sign the contract, the narrator will need the final manuscript. If a finished, fully edited manuscript isn't ready, that's OK. Just let your narrator know when you approach them with the project. Hopefully you can work out a timeframe that works for both parties. Some narrators will hold time in their schedule if given a deposit.

Contracts and Manuscript

5