Casting the right narrator for your book
The narrator decides whether a listener stays for chapter two. A warm, steady voice suits a memoir or self-help book, while a fantasy epic may need someone who can voice many characters distinctly. We write a casting brief from your book, your readers, and your preferences, then shortlist narrators and arrange auditions using a passage from your own text. You listen and choose, so the final voice is a decision you made yourself. Nothing is booked without your sign-off on a sample.
Pronunciation matters more than most authors expect. Before recording starts, we compile a guide for names, places, foreign words, and technical terms, and you confirm the correct readings. Narrators then record against that guide, which avoids expensive re-records later. If you want to narrate your own book, we can talk through the demands honestly, since a long recording takes stamina and a proper recording space. Authors often forget how many unusual names appear in a long book. A list prepared in advance saves narrator time and keeps your fee predictable.
Prepare your text for the ear before casting. Some material reads well on a page and badly aloud: long footnotes, tables, bullet lists, charts, and sentences that depend on italics. Nonfiction often needs a short note on what to do with each, such as describing a chart in a sentence or moving a list into the flow of speech. Dialogue tags can be trimmed when a skilled narrator already makes the speaker clear. We review the script with you so those decisions are made before recording, not during it.
Recording, editing, and mastering to ACX standards
ACX has firm technical rules, and files that miss them are rejected. Audio must be 192 kbps constant bitrate MP3 at 44.1 kHz. Overall loudness must sit between minus 23 and minus 18 dB RMS, peaks must stay below minus 3 dB, and the noise floor must be no higher than minus 60 dB RMS. Each chapter is its own file, with room tone at the start and end, and each chapter file must stay under 120 minutes. These numbers are checked by software, not by ear.
We record in a treated space, then edit out breaths, mouth noise, and stumbles, correct mispronunciations, and master the audio to those specs. Opening and closing credits are added, along with a retail sample. You get a proof listen of the first chapters and then the full book, with a chance to flag errors. Audible also needs square cover art at 2400 by 2400 pixels, which we can prepare if you need it. We correct any errors you flag before anything is submitted to ACX.
Consistency across hours of audio is the real challenge. A narrator's voice shifts with fatigue, mic distance, and time of day, and listeners notice when chapter ten sounds different from chapter one. Recording in measured sessions, keeping the same room and microphone setup, and matching levels during editing all help. We also listen to the whole book on ordinary headphones, not only on studio monitors, because that is how most people will hear it. Problems that studio gear hides often show up there.
Distribution, royalties, and keeping your rights
Once the files pass, you choose how to distribute. ACX offers exclusive terms for Audible, Amazon, and Apple, and non-exclusive terms that let you sell elsewhere, with different royalty rates for each. Other audiobook retailers and library platforms are reached through separate services. We explain how each option affects your income and your freedom, so the decision is yours and not a default. Also confirm whether your contract with any print publisher leaves audio rights with you, because some do not. Many authors discover this late, so check before you commission anything.
You keep your audio rights, and you upload under your own account, so payments go directly from the retailer to you. Narrators can be paid per finished hour up front, or you can use a royalty-share arrangement through ACX, where available. Neither guarantees sales, and we do not claim any. Costs, narrator availability, and timelines are agreed in writing before a single minute is recorded. On ACX, the retail price is set by Audible, not by you, so plan your income around that.
Plan the audiobook alongside the rest of your catalog. Link the audio edition to your print and ebook listings so shoppers can find all three, and mention it in your email list and on your author website. Ask the narrator whether they will help promote the release, which many do. Remember that your audiobook needs its own ISBN requirements only if a retailer asks for one, and ACX assigns its own identifier. A good audiobook can reach readers who would never open the ebook, but we cannot promise any level of sales.
How We Run A Audiobook Production Project
- 1
Script and casting brief
We read your manuscript for length and voice requirements, prepare a pronunciation list, and write a casting brief describing the tone and style your listeners will expect. Material that does not read well aloud, such as tables, is flagged for your decision.
- 2
Auditions and selection
Shortlisted narrators record a passage from your book. You listen, compare, and choose, and we confirm schedule and terms with the narrator in writing. If no audition fits, we widen the search before any money changes hands. Terms cover hours, pay, and deadlines.
- 3
Recording and editing
The narrator records chapter by chapter. We edit out noise and errors, check against the script, and send you early chapters to approve before the rest is finished, so any change of pace or pronunciation is caught before it repeats.
- 4
Mastering and upload
We master the audio to ACX levels, check each file against the technical checklist, and prepare cover art. You upload under your account, and we help with any rejection notes, then match the listing details to your other editions. Final files are yours to keep.
Who This Service Is For
Authors with an existing readership
Your print and ebook editions are doing well and readers have asked for audio. An audiobook reaches people who listen instead of reading, including commuters, drivers, and others who rarely sit down with a book. We make sure the audio matches your brand.
Memoirists and nonfiction authors
Your voice and story translate well to audio, and listeners often prefer it. We help you choose between narrating yourself and hiring a professional, and we arrange a test recording so you can judge before committing. A short sample recording shows how you sound.
Series and genre fiction writers
Audio fans binge series. A consistent narrator across your books builds loyalty, and we plan casting with the whole series in mind, including whether one narrator can sustain every volume and every returning character. Returning characters keep the same voice, which fans notice and appreciate.