Other Considerations

I recently had a listener for one of my audible books complain about the narrator. She said, "The narration I did not enjoy. His character voices were silly and a bit like a couple of kids playing dolls." I don't agree with her, and no one else has complained. In fact, I like his expressive voice, and other listeners have indicated they do, too.

But what most listeners don't realize is that there're other important factors in choosing a narrator. I have some horror stories to tell among the fourteen books I've put on Audible so far. One narrator took over six months to produce a book that shouldn't even have taken six weeks. He did an excellent job, but I thought he was never going to complete it, although I kept encouraging him to do so. Needless to say, I never ask him to record another one.

Then, on a more recent book, I had promised another producer the last book in a series because of his strong audition on the book the reviewer complained about. I was excited about the new narrator, both his audition and his strong communication skills, so I sent him a contract which he accepted. He submitted, and I approved his first fifteen minutes, but then, I didn't hear from him for two weeks. I messaged and asked him for an update, and he blew up as if he were highly offended. After many messages of explanations, he asked if he could withdraw from the project.

Producing an audio-book in this way is a partnership. It's important that the author and the producer be able to work together and develop a trust. It helps to find a good narrator and stick with him or her. That way, you understand each other and know what to expect. There's certainly more to consider than a good voice, although that is important, too.

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