Accents in Audiobooks

Authors and narrators need to be conscious of accents in audiobooks. I recently listened to a book by a well-known author set in England in the Middle Ages, but the narrator had a distinctive American accent, and it sounded odd. I remained conscious of the accent during the entire series. As an author, I don't want my listeners pulled out of the story like this because it detracts from their enjoyment. When I chose a producer for my book set in the Middle Ages, Time-Told Tales, I selected a British narrator.


I also find light accents work best because heavy, thick ones can do the same thing -- pull the listener out of the story and make them work to understand the book. It's okay for the narrator to use a thicker accent for a minor character, but it's best not to have the entire book read in one. Jennifer Groberg did this when she narrated Mountain Mishap. The heavy Appalachian mountain dialect was only for two minor characters. Otherwise, it's tiresome for the listener, and you want them to relax and enjoy the story. Many of my books are set in the Southern United States. However, I don't want an overdone Southern accent like so many actors give. That's even a turn-off to me, and I have a Southern dialect. A light one is much better for audiobooks.

Douglas Birk from Missouri narrated Mountain Storms
where many of the characters were from Missouri.

Unless I already have a producer in mind, I usually look for a narrator from the area my book is set in. These people often have a general American accent from their experience and training with a hint of an accent from that area. As an avid listener, I want my books to be read as authentically as possible but not be weighed down in an accent I need to work to understand, and this is what I look for in a narrator, too.

___________________________