Being an audiobook narrator - Part one

[@patrickquinn-zz1nl]

I take my hat off to you. I'm blind and love audio books

[@writerinrwanda]

Emma narrated one of my books and she's brilliant, she even learned to sing in Farsi for it! Thanks so much for sharing your process. Very envious of the beautiful recording booth.

[@waynefarrellvoiceovers]

30,000 words recorded and still managed to talk for another 45 minutes (about 7000 more!) Great video, Emma! 🙏

[@abotrehpatience6059]

Hello Emma. I am a poet and musician from Ghana. Recently I had the chance to study Sound Engineering. And I wish to start audiobook making journey. Please wish me well...

[@emmettobrian1874]

Very useful, I've been thinking about recording my books because I keep running into people that say "I don't really read books, but I listen to audiobooks." So I'm thinking of building a recording booth in my basement. It might be a terrible idea, but when has that ever stopped me?

[@michellevanderbliek]

Hi Emma, I found this incredibly informative on what being a narrator is actually like. I am dipping my toes into this industry this year, and would love that follow up video about becoming a narrator and the skills you need if you are ever able to do that. I can imagine you are very busy these days :) xx

[@HLBear]

Thank you for showing the challenges and good things voice artists go through. Very interesting!

[@hypatia4754]

As an aspiring audiobook narrator, I would love to see a part two to this video. Thanks for the insightful information!

[@andynattrass543]

Totally loved this video from one of the best Audio Book Narrators on the planet!! No one brings characters an stories to life quite like Emma Newman. This is a great insight to a genius at work….. Keep up the good work Emma!!

[@drdesmo8489]

I love your voice and wish to listen to your audiobooks. Where can I listen to them. Are any on you tube ? Many thanks for your beautiful voice and time to take on what it’s like doing it 🙏❤️

[@Xechor]

Thank you for all the great insights into this profession! I'm just getting started and will say sight reading, sound editing, and clever voicing are indeed super important.

[@toniparis1699]

My name is Murielle and i just wanted to say a big Thankyou to you for being strong, brave and very courageous in sharing your story and your Beautiful spiritual journey which lifts our spirits and also gives others like myself to never stop fighting and believing in yourself, Sending you big healing hugz, God's Abundant love, infinite light and blessings from the wee Island of Arran, Scotland God bless🙏💜💜💜💜💜😇

[@tiegrsidesignsandstudio4794]

I was so excited about finding this video. I've wanted to be an audiobook narrator for a long time but never had any idea of where to start or what the process was like. This video is immensely helpful, as I am currently changing careers and this information will put me in a better position to find work as a narrator.

[@kristinamoss7181]

Very interesting video Emma. I look forward to future videos on this subject, particularly about how to become an audio book narrator and the skills and aptitudes required.

[@anatolieleven]

In a previous career I worked as an audio producer (back in the days of tape). I really enjoyed your video. How times have changed! If I ever finish my story(s), I'll certainly look you up!

[@richardbarnett1917]

thank you, Emma.

[@butterpecanrican_]

This was fascinating, thank you! I'm a book lover who can no longer read physical books because the act of reading puts me to sleep. It's heartbreaking for me :( Audiobooks have opened the world of reading back up for me, I can't thank you guys enough 😭 Edited to add: the unexpected Dr McCoy quote at the end made my little Trekkie heart sing 👏👏👏👏

[@TheBobbu]

That ending was adorable! Really interesting learning about the whole process. I have no idea how you can possibly not realise your voice is lovely, though!

[@stephiroth2176]

The only thing i could focus on the for the first few minutes of the video was how manky those headphone cushions look. Brilliant video by the way Emma :). I just booked my first acx gig so this was very helpful to know.

[@androod6211]

Thank you for your clarity and transparency. I have been asked to do narration for corporate videos for where I work (for free), which came out better than anticipated, and wondered whether I could move on to audiobooks. I am practising both narrating and editing, with a cheap microphone and Adobe Audition, to see if I can cope. I plan to start with shorter books (2-3 hours) to get my tongue in (ew!), and take it from there. Just subscribed on Patreon, so thank again!

[@EmmaNewmanAuthor]

Sounds like an excellent plan! I hope the part two video is helpful too! Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it :)

[@chrisderochie3415]

I laughed out loud at your "3 main weapons" comment - I got your Spanish Inquisition quote from Monty Python! 😅

[@Tomaslaravo]

Thank you Emma. This is pure gold.

[@winterrenes1249]

This was very insightful, thank you for sharing 😊

[@cogitus73]

Brilliant. Thank you for sharing.

[@daniellee1722]

My dream is to narrate an audiobook especially one that helps people. Crossing my fingers after doing explainer and tv commercial vo. Thank you for this insightful video!

[@pbweill]

Very helpful! Thank you Emma.

[@Phoebe197]

I love your voice! 😊 thanks for sharing!

[@sebrofniloc]

Thanks so much. Super informative.

[@ooigniss]

That was such an informative video; thank you. It's subs line a very difficult job!

[@TheNecrovoid]

I love this so much! 😊 I listen to a lot of books on Audible and you're my favorite narrator. It's really cool to see some behind the scenes stuff and hear about your process and experiences!

[@robvanpraag4774]

Sight reading? I understand that to be cold reading of sorts after setting accent changes for various characters, after breaking book down to cast, chapters, etc. as an actor I always felt my auditions, many times cold readings, were my best performance once I had a vague understanding of the character I took on. Being hired after a great audition was always frightening because often I had no idea where my spur of the moment thinking had taken me. With inexperienced directors it became sink or swim. Is that sort of sight reading?

[@EmmaNewmanAuthor]

In part two I give you a demonstration of sight reading. It is all about being able to read a sentence or two ahead while delivering your line so that you make fewer errors in delivery, e.g. getting the emotion or intonation correct.

[@Miss.S.S]

This is so helpful, thank you for sharing this. It’s my first time ❤

[@mattboscan]

I loved this Emma. Thank you so much. x

[@voiceover-jack]

thanks for sharing your story.

[@LunaciaBooks]

This was a super interesting video. Thank you!

[@johneastman7117]

Very useful, thank you!

[@rowels]

Hi Emma Thanks for a very instructive video. One question: do you read through the books aloud when doing your preparation?

[@EmmaNewmanAuthor]

I missed this, sorry to answer so late! I don't, no, unless there is an accent that I need to learn / practise. In that case I read those lines of dialogue out loud A LOT!

[@CraigPMiller]

Great task breakdown! 🤔👍

[@claudiavaldes2578]

Thank you for your very informative video. I do however, have a question; how do you think Artificial Intelligence will affect the narrator landscape?

[@EmmaNewmanAuthor]

A recording studio I work with is very confident it will have minimal impact on high quality professionally produced audio books. I, however, fear this job will not exist in 5 years time if things continue the way they are.

[@chloegood4134]

This was incredibly informative! How did you make the audio booth as a kid? I’d like to make my own little studio too Please do more 🙏

[@HalfPastSleep]

You are so lovely and that was a great video - very informative!

[@roc4014]

Fascinating! Thank you for this.

[@nightshadeaudio]

Great video with lots of interesting advice and insights. I just hope that you're not going to do a George RR Martin with regards to part two! Also, you have a lovely voice. Happy reading!!

[@thekarmafarmer608]

Hi Emma. I am setting up a space for recording, similar to yours. Although I have a great PC, the fan sometimes kicks in and would spoil a recording. I wonder if you use a tablet for reading AND recording? I`m happy to buy a tablet if I need one. Thank you for any help. Bit of a nervous start for me.

[@EmmaNewmanAuthor]

When I record from home, I have a separate e-reader for the manuscript, so that my mic can be protected from fan sounds by the acoustic panels I put around my reading desk, which is a couple of metres away from my main computer that I record upon. I have a longer cable from my mic to my pre-amp (which is next to my computer) to accommodate this.

[@thekarmafarmer608]

@@EmmaNewmanAuthor I see. I`ve hidden my PC in the bowels of the desk but can still hear it firing up, every so often. I`ve bought an SSD drive which doesn`t need cooling but still find the PC setting off the fan, sometimes. Thank you for your help. I think I may have to consider your recommendation.

[@beausoop4718]

so proud of you

[@GabrielRodriguesYT]

The John Travolta moment was priceless 😂

[@matthewgalloway912]

Very interesting. :)

[@adventureswithwool-johanne7755]

Well, there is a big difference between you driving to a studio that is already setup and all the editing is done by sound engineer and doing the whole job by youself. There is ALOT to narrating alone, but even more to setup the booth and editing. Yes, I hear a roughness or croaking sound in your voice. As for the headphones to her directors mic, ditch it. It's too much if a brain fry to hear your voice right after you've said it. It's too much. Just do 20 mins at a time. Then ask director if you need to punch in to redo

[@catherineblair1221]

I listen to a lot of audiobooks and I don't like it when a narrator does characters in different voices. When a man does a woman's voice he just sounds stupid. And when the narrator tries to do an accent that is not natural to them, to me, the mimicking sounds mocking. It's an annoying distraction. These days I understand there are Al voice changers and maybe those will sound more authentic. But I just prefer the book be read in the same way I would read it. Then I could use my imagination for the voices. So i hope to land gigs where I don't have to do voices. Because a lot of audiobooks don't use them. Right now I am at this robot-sounding stage during reading practice, and I won't pursue this career if I don't advance beyond this level. I love to read though.

[@ratboyrich]

Would love to see your actual recording space and not the green screen superimposed version you have here

[@drblaze3850]

What are talking about? She touches everything in view, including the walls

[@goohber1]

do u know of online community promoting audiobooks where narrator is fake voice ( or synthesized )? i would rather listen to a boring monotone narrator than hear annoying dramatics like when a male narrator simulates a little girl's or woman's voice, so annoying. just read the damn story, that's my motto. if I wanted to hear dramatics, I will watch TV or a movie, but dramatics in audiobooks just doesn't fit, it spoils the desire to hear an audiobook, that's why I have not been able to finish at least 1 modern audiobook. I have listened to some classic audiobooks in monotone fake voices, but I want something more modern like a smut novel or modern horror, dark fantasy, grimdark, or science fiction.

[@malcomflibbleghast8140]

Are you really evil or are the eyebrows accidental?

[@GoddessStone]

Get your shit together, Malcom