Get Into Audiobook Recording

How I'd do it if I were starting today

This week I spent my second day in a local recording studio recording the audiobook for The Elements of Humor (pre-order your copy today!). One more day and we’ll have it in the can.

I’ve recorded a lot of audiobooks and normally, I read my own books. This time was almost different. The publisher of The Elements of Humor (Wiley), was the first publisher I’d ever worked with who didn’t automatically agree to let me read my own book. I had to submit an audition to be approved for reading.

To make sure I aced the audition, I recorded a five-minute section of the book that met the exact specs of a professional audiobook. They gave me the okay.

What are those specs, and how do you do that? And how can you get some side work recording audiobooks?

Reading audiobooks can be a lucrative subset of voicework, and in this post, I’ll give you the lowdown on how to break into it—at least, how I’d break into it today if I were starting off with no experience.

First, competence in front of the mic is critical. Get a decent microphone and practice. Mics pic up everything so what you’re practicing is vocal control.

What kind of microphone should you get, and how do you practice? A USB mic is barely adequate. A decent dynamic mic with a separate computer interface device is the next step up, and that will be adequate to start. The pros use a condenser mic. There are many, many mics. The Audio-Technica At2020 and the Shure SM7B are two stand-bys for a beginner.

Next, you need a soundproof environment to record in. I use my closet at home. I used to have my own recording studio. The great thing about audio work is that the listener can’t tell the difference. It just has to sound good.

You’ll need some audio editing software. Audacity is free and works fine. I use Pro Tools, which is the industry standard and has mastering tools that are very handy for meeting audiobook specs.

The technical specs for recording audiobooks for Audible (the same as with anywhere) are here.

To get work, there are three primary places I’d go.

1. Create an account with acx.com, which has the largest pool of audiobook jobs available. Go here.

2. Create a profile on fiverr.com to put out a shingle for freelance work. Compare with other audiobook readers to settle on a fair rate and upsell strategy.

3. Look up recording studios in your area and ask if they record audiobooks. If they do, ask how they book their talent. Make sure you send them a sample file of you reading a book.

Good luck!