IamA Full-time Professional Audiobook Narrator, AMA!

so it seems that audiobooks have really taken off lately, but the majority still seem to be one person reading the book.

some folks are great at having different "voices" for different characters, but it can be jarring (thinking of roy dotrice reading a sex scene as daenerys targaryan).

my question is: why don't we see more productions that are set up like plays, one person narrates and a cast of people read the dialogue as individual characters? (his dark materials did this with the author as narrator)

thanks!

I am still undecided on which style I prefer. A single narrator does feel the most like reading a book myself. More than one narrator, but not necessarily a different narrator for each character is quite nice. As you said it can sometimes be jarring for that narrator to voice certain characters. As for the full on play, especially if they include sound effects, it's not that it's bad but it feels like listening to a play, not a book. That's not a bad thing but it is a different way to tell a story.

I do suspect that the reason we don't see more of the play style is likely cost.

thanks for the reply, i don't think i've heard sound effects in an audiobook since a few star wars legends novels from back in the day (but those sounds are so iconic, i was thinking them in my head anyway)

i would imagine that the cost of a full cast might be mitigated by the volume of reading each person has to do. a minor character with a few lines might pay less, since it takes less time to record them.

are you typically paid by volume or by the job? does a longer book pay more? would you welcome a job with fewer lines, less time reading, if it meant less pay?

Audiobooks are typically paid Per Finished Hour. If your contribution is very small you still get the one hour minimum, but depending on the content you might have put in a ton of work for that one hour so a small job might not be financially… productive. But variety is good. It really depends!

As other wise people have mentioned it is likely just cost & complication. But I personally like both. I think I said that in reply to another question…

There are some great narrators, heath Miller, Travis Baldree, Michael Kramer, Brian Wiggins, John Lee, Ralph Lister, Vivienne Lehney, Andrea Parsnue.

My top 5 would be Parsnue, Baldree, Kramer, Miller, and Lehney.

It's more jarring to me to have different narrators in my opinion, I'm sure it can be done well but I have not heard it done yet. The stormlight archive has 2 and I always preferred Kramer more.

If it was one narrator, and each character had a single voice/narrator that stayed consistent it might be good. But then the costs would go up substantially I'd imagine. I'm already paying 20-50$ a book.

(honoured to be in that list! what a list!)

How did you get that job and how do you keep it? I'm a teacher and think my reading voice would be great but where do you start and how do you keep getting work?

Good question! Well, it's not really one you can apply for, it is essentially a book by book basis (though I am currently doing a series which is some measure of job security, heh). If you are looking for somewhere to start then I would recommend taking a look at https://www.narratorsroadmap.com/ for a ton of links and articles. I personally got started by recording some short stories on podcasts, but I have been an actor all my life, went to college for it etc etc so this was a different direction of a job I have always done. After doing some short stories I did a book through ACX (audiobook creation exchange) and then started (very sporadically) doing books for publishers. I also had a headstart as my wife is an author and I have recorded a few of her books over the years. You don't need to marry an author though, I promise. I mean I am not saying DON'T marry one. It just isn't mandatory.

Just curious, how does it help that your wife is an author? Was she the one paying you for those audiobooks? Or was she able to recommend you to her publisher, who then hired you to make the audiobook?

This is a good question! I am not going to try to pretend that having a partner (we weren’t married then) who was an author wasn’t a definite plus in terms of making my way into this field. That said, no she has never directly hired me. Just suggested. I’ve only done a few of her books. The first one I did I had to submit several samples as I didn’t have a track record yet. And honestly if I wasn’t able to show the publisher that I had been a working actor for many many years I probably wouldn’t have got that job. And I though that book went well enough I didn’t directly get any more work from it or that publisher. Had to do podcasts & smaller independent jobs and try to network through various organizations etc etc to get more work. Which took years. But it was definitely at least something I could point to as ‘hey I did one book’. It has definitely helped!

TLDR: nepotism helps but isn’t necessarily as effective as you might like 😂

Also teachers rock.

From your Twitter I know you've invested in a recording booth and equipment for your home. Is it possible to succeed without that setup? How do, say, apartment dwellers manage?

Yes there has been many dollars spent - though I was incredibly lucky in that the internet chipped in and helped pay for my current booth! I KNOW. But in answer to your question you start with what you have. I recorded a bunch of professional books in a converted closet with much more affordable gear and before that I was in just a regular closet with a USB microphone and a laptop recording some short stories etc. There are lots of forums on facebook and elsewhere where people discuss their set ups. Here is one I like https://www.facebook.com/groups/2117683811849990 (and people do it in apartments in big cities, it just takes some creativity and compromises and... patience when you are starting out.)

Huh, I thought the publisher would provide a studio for you. Do any do that?

EDIT: as a lovely studio person jumped in to mention, lots of audiobooks still being recorded in studios.

WELL. That is a very interesting topic. They used to! And they still do in some places. But it is getting to not necessarily be the standard, particularly after COVID helped it along. Some professionals still record in studios. But other prolific award winning narrators have literally never been INSIDE a professional recording studio. I know several.

I run a studio. I am hired by publishers all the time, like Harper Collins for example, to record audio books.

Hello waves See, there you go! Still lots of folk going into studios. Especially if it is an author read or a celebrity. But I would respectfully argue that an increasing amount is being done from home studios across the board. I love studios FWIW, just trying to be realistic/honest about trends.

Especially if it is an author read or a celebrity

Yup. Mostly its the NON professional readers- mostly when the author themselves wants to do the read and they need serious help with performance, and the technical side of recording and editing.

You are 100% home studios are totally acceptable in this area-however, many authors don't have the time or skill to set up a mic, record, edit mistakes, and spit out the correct file for publishing.

I am also starting to see an interesting swing not only in voice over but especially in music-- people are now so used to hearing lower quality mp3 type home recordings with poor engineering and edits recorded on lower end gear, that when they now hear a professionally produced protect they can hear the difference. Im seeing a lot of people come back to the studio because their home made projects are no where near as good as the stuff they used to do in the studio and they are finally realizing that engineering, mixing, editing, and performance are not the same skill set as being a singer-songwriter or an author.

I am confused here. Are you saying authors or celebrities don’t go into pro studios? I was saying they do….

Like I said, I love pro studios. And I agree with most of what you say. Long may studios thrive!

How often do you have to make pauses and cuts, roughly? Audiobooks always come off as inhumanly smooth!

How much are you studying the text beforehand? Obviously it varies by the text, but mapping the right inflection is so huge...really the reason an audiobook can keep readers from struggling.

What makes the right book right for you?

I’ve seen editing methods where if you make a mistake, you pause for a moment, go back to a starting point before the mistake, and then delete the bad portion.

Commonly referred to as ‘punch & roll’ and yes that is what I do’!

What's the best way to train your mouth not to make incidental little noises, like saliva in your mouth or a small smack from your lips?

If you ever figure out the perfect method please let me know.

There are ENDLESS discussions about this on narrator forums. People recommend hydration, certain foods, not eating other certain foods, bargains with supernatural entities... the list is long.

Neil Gaiman once said something about how it feels to step into a recording booth, shut the door, and suddenly discover every single disgusting sound your body makes on a constant basis.

As always, Neil is wise and speaks many truths.

So, does it actually pay really well?
And are you extra careful with you voice now. i.e. Don't scream at concerts or ball games, etc.

Well, paying well is all comparative. Some people can make it pay well! It is a complicated question, because you get paid Per Finished Hour (PFH) so whether or not it 'pays well' essentially depends on how much time you spend getting a finished hour of audio. In terms of reading through the book, making notes, doing research, deciding on any character voices, checking pronunciations, and how much time it takes you to record an hour of audio. Your 'ratio' as it were. It definitely isn't 'easy money' it is work, but many folks have it all worked out so it makes them a good living. I am trying to get there myself.

Re: voice. Yeah sometimes you gotta decide not to go to a bar or talk to your brother in Australia at top volume so you will have a voice to record with the next day.

What would you say is a typical PFH rate?

It varies as the union SAG/AFTRA negotiate individual rates with individual publishers and there is of course non union work too. I would say $250 pfh is around standard from a professional publisher. Of course a celebrity or very very well regarded narrator might expect more. But you would be surprised how many experienced veterans with awards under their belt are working for the same as everyone else. It’s not a job you get into for the riches.

I'd that Aussy dollar? I've chatted with a few narrator's about this and their ranges were between $350 to $1100 pfh.

US dollars. I am talking what is known as ‘raw’ rate as one might provide to publishers. So no editing or mastering or anything, that would cost more. If your narrators are making $350 to $1100 then good for them!

Do you read through first and then record? Or are you recording from the first read?

No first read for me is reading and making notes OR if I have time just reading it once through first THEN a second time to make notes THEN I get to record. (That doesn’t happen as often as I’d like but definitely always read first for me 👍🏻)

Can you post a picture of your recording studio?

That is a very good and reasonable question. Let me try to find some. I mean I could link you to my tik tok where you would see it briefly but surely I can do better than that... I'll get back to you. https://www.tiktok.com/@vheathmiller/video/7031417357683690758?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

I haven't done audiobooks, but I do training material, telephone trees, even some commercial spots. I'm looking to upgrade my soundproofing. What do you use?

I have a Studiobricks. But I used to work in a converted closet. It can be tricky but there is lots of information to be found online!

edit: I found the ‘producers choice’ blankets quite helpful & versatile.

So, it happens to the best of us: You're about to start recording something, and you realize that you're slightly dehydrated. This state is making itself evident in the too-loud mouth-smacking noises that you keep hearing when you try to enunciate. You go to say "negligent," for instance, and each syllable is accompanied by a sound which vaguely resembles that of some Jell-o being squished around.

You could just down some water, wait half an hour, and then get working... but in this hypothetical scenario, you're on a pretty tight deadline. That brings me to my question:

What's your go-to trick for quickly mitigating mouth-smacking?

I just record the line again. If it is persistent well... I rarely have time to wait! If the click isn't too terrible software can take it out. Either mine or the publishers.

What is it like to win a Super Bowl, Heath Miller?

Seriously, though, how do you work on your speaking to reduce the number of times you need to redo things?

You got me I am a former Steeler who gets his kicks pretending to be an audiobook narrator.

Well I personally haven’t ever had any audiobook coaching- (I totally recommend it however) but I’ve been acting & doing voice training all my life so there is that. I still make tons of mistakes though. Or think ‘hmmm that could have been better’ and re-record. Boring answer but I recommend practice!

Love your work. About to finish Book 4 of HWFWM. Have you considered taking your talents to video game VO work?

Thanks for listening! I would LOVE to do game VO. It is incredibly competitive & the industry operates very differently from audiobooks but maybe one day. Some of my colleagues do both.

How good is your "in a world..."?

Well movie trailers are their own thing. It is INSANELY competitive. So I’ve certainly never done one. I do say it around the house though…

Fellow Audiobook narrator here.

What percentage of your work comes from ACX vs private publishers? Can you describe your transition from ACX to publishers? Are there other platforms you would recommend besides ACX?

The consensus is that getting out of the ACX slog and working direct with publishers is the way to make money and waste less time in the industry. I'm still in the ACX portion of my journey, and man if they don't make life unpleasant sometimes.

waves hello fellow narrator. I’ve only done one ACX book, very early on. It was a learning experience definitely, and I don’t regret it. It also paid pretty well over time. Some of my colleagues still do only ACX books, they have relationships with authors, they have streamlined their process and it works for them. Some started on ACX & now only do publishers. Or a mix. Others started with publishers! I don’t really have platforms to recommend. I’d recommend joining the APA. Going to virtual or in person events, trying to contact/meet producers/casting people from the publishers.

I did a stint on a college radio station reading books in the public domain live on air and I immensely enjoyed reading children’s books because I liked doing different voices for different characters. However, because I only had two hours every week, my voices would sometimes be inconsistent from one week to the next. Do you or any other narrators you know record all the lines of dialogue separately for each character, then edit them in so that the voices remain consistent? Or is this just something you have to practice?

That sounds very cool, the radio thing. No I don’t know any narrators who do it that way, with the edit. It would be so time consuming. Maybe someone somewhere does! And yes just practice.

I never thought I’d be such a huge fan of a voice narrator! Have you thought of doing Cameo for the throngs of hungry HWFWM fans (specifically myself 😂) who would like a friendly message from you?

So actually a couple of fans asked me if they could book me through cameo so I tried to sign up AND WAS REJECTED. laughs Not famous enough. True story.

Fiver?? 😂🙈

Is that a question? The website? I am confused

EDIT: okay I understand yeah I guess I should sign up for fivver :)

I’m so glad you enjoy listening to ‘em! I enjoy recording em.

How do you keep track of what voices go with different characters? Do you just read the book straight through and do different voices as you go or do you record all of a character's lines at the same time and then edit it?

Yeah, just read straight through. I make notes about character voices though, both when preparing the script and when actually recording. I also often make little voice recordings for reference, so I can (try) to be consistent.

I love listening to audiobooks, but I feel rather spoiled having listened to ones produced by GraphicAudio these days. Why do you think more audiobook companies don't adopt the "movie in your mind" style? Is it just reluctance to introduce more VAs. I would think it would be great opportunity for more VAs to have work.

Graphic Audio are great! I can't speak for the whole industry but I think it is just time and money? So much more work! I love multi-voiced stuff with sound and music etc. Audible had success with their high profile movie-star-featuring The Sandman. Radio plays have been a thing for a long time! That said if the music or sound effects aren't to your taste or less than quality it can take you right out of it. I like both. Both as in just vanilla audiobooks, being read a story by a talented narrator and also more fully produced things.

If you are doing a book with another reader do you compare notes on pronunciations? I have been annoyed by fantasy books with multiple readers pronouncing things differently.

We do yes. We talk on the phone, send voice clips etc.

I’ve been an audio engineer in the music industry for years and lately in the past 5 years most of my clients have been Podcast clients. Really interested to dig into editing/mixing for audiobooks. Is there a network I could join that you would recommend where people are looking for editors/mixers?

I may be overthinking it, but I feel like the audiobook world is a little bit like sound design for games where it’s like a secret cult to try and get into lol.

Great question! I am searching for a post I saw about just this topic but can’t find it. Will keep looking.

Beyond your background, how did you break past the lowballing thats rampent across platforms like ACX? As someone who studied VO for a year or two but fell into another career i found the majority of the work i was finding 'per finished minute' was paying somewhere around federal minimum wage or worse.

It can be tough. As you say, my background is paid acting so I tried to approach it keeping 'what I was worth' firmly in mind. For me the path was to work for publishers rather than ACX, but that said as I have noted elsewhere, audiobooks definitely isn't a thing people do for the money. Other voice acting can be more lucrative (commercial, etc) but also competitive and the same issues with 'lowballing' as you say.

Hi, thx for this AMA, how did you find a job doing this? I know and everybody tells me I have a deep and good voice, and I tell a lot of stories for my girlfriend and family, how can I join this career, and use my voice?

I’ve answered this a little here and in my previous ama but short answer is I have been an actor all my life then moved to a small island off the coast of Maine and had to find some way to make a living acting! Did podcasts, independent stuff and had help as my wife is an author. As to how you might get started I’d recommend looking at https://www.narratorsroadmap.com/

Do you sing songs in novels? How does that process work? Do you contact the author and get input on what the beat/tune should be?

How much input do you get from authors on pronunciation? Fantasy novels are notoriously full of literal non-words and constructed languages. Do you just do your best? Are there phonetic explanations on your copy of the book? Does the author send you examples of how they want a name pronounced?

As you're doing a series, do you have some kind of system to keep track of character accents/voices between books? How is it done? Do you have clips saved, or do you listen to the previous books prior to starting the new one?

Have you heard anything by Graphic Audio? I'm curious, from a narrator standpoint, what you think of their work. If you're unfamiliar with it, they have a cast that trade off reading characters and include music+Foley as appropriate.

What, exactly, is a LitRPG? I've seen the term prior to this AMA on Audible, but I have no idea what the difference is between that and a novel.

Well actually publishers almost NEVER want you to sing. Because of copyright issues. I had to campaign to get to in the two books I sang in and convince them you aren't singing anything in copyright. And yes, was in collaboration with the author. Some authors send notes. Some don't. I do have clips saved AND I do listen to previous books. Graphic Audio are swell! LitRPG is hmmm not sure I just record one of them. A book with stats and progession? whispers Ask google see what it says.

I love Grover Gardner’s narration. Have you listened to any of his work?

I have he is great!

Why is HWFwM Book 5 not out yet? Where is HWFwM Book 5 now? When are we going to get HWFwM Book5? and so on, and so forth.

Out next month! Not long now. I enjoyed your phrasing though :)

What was your favorite book you did audio for?

This changes depending on the day! Today I think it’s Radiance. I got to sing a duet about holes in the space time continuum as an animated mongoose & octopus.

So many fantastic questions! Gotta pause to Parent but will get back to it ASAP and keep answering.

No way! I'm literally listening to book 3 of he who fights with monsters right now! Your narrations are excellent! You female voices are passable you have a wide range of characters and it's easy to tell one person's voice from another. You, Travis buldree, and Jeff hays and Luke Daniels are my favorite narrators. If I could ask you a question it would be who is your favorite narrator? And what is your favorite audiobook series?

Thanks for listening & glad you like it! I have lots of favorite narrators as there are so many fantastic ones but Nigel Planer who read 20+ of Terry Pratchett Discworld books (sadly now unavailable on audible in the USA) is a standout and that answers ‘favorite series’ too.

Absolutely love the HWFwM series and the way how you audiobooked them is a big part of that so huge thanks for you!

When you get a new book to record how many times do you need to read it through and rehearse before you start the actual recording process? And on average calendar time how much time does it actually take to record a single book (such as HWF…)?

Thanks for listening, glad you like em! The HWFWM books are chonky bois so unlike some other books I only go through them once, both reading & making lists of characters, notes etc etc. As to how much calendar time, what a good question! Different narrators record at different speeds. I’m sure I’m more ‘efficient’ than some and I know I’m way way way less efficient than others. Plus there are other demands on my time (e.g my 3 year old son) and life sometimes gets in the way of your well thought out recording schedule. A HWFWM book takes me about a month, approximately if I am honest - as I try to be!

Hello! I joined ACX some time ago and read one book on a royalty basis. It was fun, but editing and producing the audio took a lot of time. I didn't make any money on the book, which was not surprising—it was really a vanity project for a 1st time author. I stopped after reading an article that suggested that a really good reader and fast editor can expect to make $25/hour, which is too low of an hourly rate to make it worthwhile for me. Do you concur with this hourly rate expectation? Thanks!

Yes, producing a book like that (preparation, recording, editing etc) is very time consuming so even if it is the 'high' end of PFH it can work out to $25 or less for your work. Or it could be 'royalty share' which might pay much less. Or if you are lucky/clever much more! The good thing about working for publishers if you can is that you don't have to do all the proofing/editing/mastering. As I have said elsewhere many times though, it isn't something you get into for the wads of cash.

I’ve always wondered and didn’t see this question anywhere unless I missed it…do you read a book on your own before recording or do you record it as you’re reading it for the first time?

Also, does it ever take multiple reads or takes? I work in advertising and the amount of VO takes we do for TV and radio is insane. Wondering if you have to deal with that?

I always read it before yes, and make notes.

Yes it can definitely take multiple reads or takes. I work self-directed so basically if I make a mistake or if I just think something could have been better, well then I do it again. The realities of only getting paid per hour of FINISHED audio however, means I cannot do it all that often or the book won’t get done and the electricity bill won’t get paid…

Omg, I've been thinking about doing this in my freetime in order to someday get paid. If you've already answered this question, feel free to skip.

Do you think Fiverr and other gig sites are a solid way to get yourself out there and known?

I personally don’t have any experience with the gig websites so I couldn’t answer that!

Is it possible to: 1. Read/narrate any books of my choosing, and 2. make money out of it?

Well the answer to that question can be either very short or incredibly long!

1. yes

2. yes

Is the glib version. The longer version is basically all of my other responses to all the other questions .

AKA it is complicated, like many jobs it requires a certain set of skills & making connections & getting gear & probably training depending on your background. It definitely isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme or a lucrative side hustle 🤷‍♂️

I want to get started in this business. Where do I begin?

https://www.narratorsroadmap.com/ is a great place to start!

Been binging HWFWM, so I am excited for book 5. I was wondering, as someone who searches for new books on Audible by narrator (good narrator can make a mediocre book great, and a bad narrator can make a great book a steaming pile of dung), I was wondering...do the other narrators want to gang up on Luke Daniels because he gets so many gigs, or do they fan-girl over him?

Ha! I don’t personally know Luke Daniels but I’ve heard lots of praise for his work, and yes he sure is prolific!

I love reading aloud to my boyfriend, but for some weird reason, I yawn uncontrollably the entire time, every time, regardless of how well-rested I am.

Have you ever heard of this, and if so, do you have any tips to combat it?

Yawning is good for your voice & breathing but I get it is hard to read while you are doing it! Not sure what to suggest here…

What kind of prep do you do to understand the book before recording? Is it important to understand plot points and character progression ahead of time? Or do you just kinda wing it?

I read the book beforehand, make notes about characters & any vocal descriptions. Obviously I’m only speaking for my process but yes DEFINITELY need to know how plot & character develop before I start recording.

How many books did you do for librevox?

I’ve never done a librivox book. Think its great it exists though!

How often do you press pause and record. And do you do a lot of editing? What's the type of book (genre) you don't like to work with

The pause button gets a pretty good work out unfortunately. Though it depends on the book. I don’t really have any genres I don’t like though plenty I haven’t tried yet!

I've always dreamed of that job. But I'm old now, and a software developer.

Is there any way I could get into the industry?

Well it just so happens one of my very favorite narrators was a software developer before he became a narrator so I say anything is possible. There are many fields where its incredibly difficult to break in beyond a certain age but audiobooks isn’t one of them in my opinion. Good luck!

check out narrators roadmap (google it) as a good place to start

Whats your preferred hardware/tech stack for doing this?

I use a Neumann TLM 103, a dbx 286 & a Presonus 2/6 interface. I record in Studio One.

(I try not to get too obsessed/distracted by the gear, though that is easier now I have some decent stuff all up and working!)

Are the books annotated or processed for ease of narration when you get them? e.g., different characters’ dialogue highlighted in different colors, phonetics for unusual pronunciations, direction on how to deliver a particular line, etc.

I wish! laughs No we basically get the book as is, and its up to a narrator to mark it up & do research. Some publishers might provide some research or pronunciations, it does vary. But in my experience at least, nope just the book & then you get to work!

Reading (listening) he who fights book 3 now. Thank you for helping this mailman pass the time. Did you really have to read each ? In the series or did you just loop it? Seems tedious.

Ha! I read every single question mark. Each one fresh and unique for you. Sorry if it was tedious 😂

Thanks for listening & thank you for your work. Mail carrier is a noble occupation!

My daughter loved The Boy Who Lost Fairyland, and she's very excited for Osmo Unknown and the Eightpenny Woods (preordered for next month!). She has 2 questions: 1) what was your favorite book as a child? and 2) if you could choose any children's book to narrate, which would you choose?

Hooray! Boy Who Lost was my first audiobook! Hello wonderful daughter! 1) My favorite book as a child was probably The Hobbit. Predictable but true. 2) Oooh I mean all the classics I can’t imagine without the narrators who did them. Hmmm. Osmo Unknown is my official answer! 😊

I see the book that is releasing soon is roughly 21 hours long, how long would you say it took you to actually voice it? And what preperations do you take? I assume you read the full book or meet with the Author?

I’ve partially answered this elsewhere, but yes I read the book before. I can talk to the author through the publisher if I have questions. This particular book took about a month to do, some narrators would do it quicker, I am sure!

Your Top 5 Favorite Albums?

Love this question! So unrelated yet necessary. Also CHALLENGING will just list without thinking

1) Ok Computer - Radiohead

2) Wonders - SJ Tucker

3) The Downward Spiral - NIN

4) Changeling - Camille O’ Sullivan

5) Monty Python Sings - Monty Python

Can you get me Scott Brick's autograph?

Yes

Lol, thanks man. You're cool. I was just being a tool!

Well now I’m not going to ask you who to get Scott to make it out to 😉