Guest contributor Beth Castrodale wrote this post.
A few years ago, I decided to do my own recording of the audiobook for my debut novel, Marion Hatley. The title character’s story had become part of me, so much so that I thought I should narrate the story myself.
Of course, finances were another (major) consideration. I learned that hiring both voice and studio talent to record an audiobook would cost $1,000 to $3,000, or more, and I was fairly certain I’d never recover that money through sales.
My DIY approach cost $200 (more on costs below). While I was happy with the results, there are pitfalls I know about now that I wish I’d avoided. In the interest of helping other potential DIY-ers avoid the same mistakes, here are the major steps of recording your own audiobook, with advice for each stage.
Decide on a Distribution Platform (or Platforms)
Although this might seem like putting the cart before the horse, you should identify your distributor—or distributors—early in the process, because you will need to follow their recording specifications.
I decided to go with ACX, which distributes audiobooks through Amazon, Audible, and Apple. Because I chose an exclusive arrangement with ACX, I get 40 percent of the royalties. If I had chosen a nonexclusive arrangement, allowing me to make the audiobook available through other distributors, like Findaway Voices, my royalty percentage would have dropped to 25 percent.
Once you decide on a distribution platform, familiarize yourself with its submission guidelines before you begin recording. The specs from ACX helped me understand the need for consistency in the sound and formatting of audio files, the acceptable volume range of files, and other requirements.
Another notable feature of ACX: If you wish to outsource the narration of your audiobook, this platform can help you find voice talent for the project. For insights into this process, check out this article.
Access Appropriate Software and Recording Equipment
I chose Audacity, open-source recording software, because it’s free and pretty intuitive, and its online tutorials and documentation offer a good amount of support for those who are new to the recording process.
I was fortunate to be able to borrow a high-quality mixer and microphone. If you lack the necessary equipment and can’t borrow it, purchasing it can cost $155 to $750, according to this excellent article, which also makes helpful recommendations for microphones, interfaces, headphones, and other recording tools. Because the equipment you use will play a vital role in the quality of your audio files, it’s worth spending time researching the available options.
Make Sure You Have the Right Recording Conditions
Also key to the quality of your audio files are the conditions under which you record them. You’ll need a reliably quiet space that’s free of any background noise—even relatively low-level sounds, like the whir of a fan or the hum of a distant dishwasher.
Some narrators record in closets, where the tight quarters provide a quiet space and reduce sound reflection and reverberation, which can reduce the quality of the audio. Other narrators record in sound-proofed, cubicle-like spaces to achieve the same ends.
I wish I had taken more steps to reduce the background noise in my recording space. Because I didn’t, the noise floor in the original audio files that I sent to ACX was deemed too high, causing the files to be rejected. Fortunately, I was able to correct the problem by paying a couple hundred dollars for sound mastering.
I also wish I had known about an Audacity plug-in, ACX Check, that allows users to check sound levels in audio files to make sure they comply with ACX standards. If you end up going with Audacity and ACX, I recommend that you use this plug-in to test audio files early on, before you get too far in the recording process. This might spare you from having to pay someone to fix the files, or in the worst-case scenario, having to re-record everything.
Additionally, to avoid recording “pops” (the plosives that can come when speaking words with b’s or p’s), breaths, and other vocal tics, don’t speak too close to the microphone, and consider using a pop filter, which you can make yourself.
Take Care with How You Read, and Consider Adding Dialogue Cues
There are a few things I learned the hard way about the best approach to reading:
When you read, bring so much emotion to the words that it almost feels cornball. Early in the recording process, I felt as if I was giving each passage and scene its emotional due. But about two-thirds of the way through the process, while playing back recorded chapters to check the sound, I hated the flatness of my voice—hated it so much that I ended up re-recording most of the completed chapters, with a lot more feeling. The strange thing was, what sounded overly emotional and dramatic while I was reading it ended up sounding just normal on playback.
Slow down. The chapters I needed to re-record also sounded rushed, as if I was trying to hustle both myself and listeners through the story. The second time around, I relaxed and tried to let the pacing of the story set the pacing and rhythm of my voice. If there was a pause in the action or dialogue, I let my voice pause, too.
Add more cues, especially in dialogue. On the printed page, paragraph breaks make it clear when dialogue is shifting from one character to another. Because there are no paragraph breaks in audio, I had to add more hints about who was saying what in conversations.
Additional Considerations
Your audiobook distributor will require you to submit a book cover that meets its specifications. I was fortunate (and grateful) that the designer of my print book’s cover was willing to produce an ACX-ready cover gratis. If you need to DIY this element of your audiobook and you’re using ACX for distribution, ACX offers tutorials for resizing print-book covers and for creating original cover art. These appear in the platform’s cover specifications.
Once your audiobook is live, the next major step is promoting it. Entire books have been devoted to this subject, but as a first step, consider consulting some of the many helpful articles on the topic, including this one, which, among other things, recommends reviews as a means of reaching readers. If you choose ACX as your distributor, it will provide you with a limited number of promotional codes after your audiobook goes live. These codes allow reviewers to access your book for free, in exchange for an honest review. For additional advice on using these codes for promotional purposes, check out this ACX blog post.
If you choose to narrate, record, and promote your own audiobook, or to DIY just part of the process, I hope that you find the endeavor rewarding. I did, despite the challenges I faced.
Beth Castrodale’s debut novel, Marion Hatley (Garland Press, 2017), was a finalist for a Nilsen Prize for a First Novel from Southeast Missouri State University Press, and an excerpt from her latest novel, In This Ground (Garland Press, 2018), was a shortlist finalist for a William Faulkner – William Wisdom Creative Writing Award. She is the founder of the book-review website Small Press Picks, which supports the work of small-press authors and publishers. |