Storyteller: How to Be An Audio Book Narrator

Storyteller: How to be an Audiobook Narrator by Lorelei King and Ali Muirden is pretty much exactly what the title says, a guide to narrating audiobooks. I purchased this audiobook (and I do want to commend these authors on creating an audiobook, it's a bit ironic to see other guidebooks about audiobook narration only available in non-audio formats...) because I'm interested in trying to combine my interests (reading and performance) to use my acting skills in another medium. In the age of COVID when theatres and film sets have been closed, slowed, or subject to increased risk it seems like a perfect pivot...or at least another opportunity to perform and perhaps earn a bit of cash. I wasn't familiar with King (who is a narrator) or Muirden (who is a producer) before listening, but they both seemed to be experts in the field and to be warm and encouraging for the listener. They describe the demands and challenges of this career and then go into some detail about a variety of subjects such as preparation, character voices, recording in studio, troubleshooting, etc. I really enjoyed the section on character voices and King's breakdown of the different layers or elements she uses to build a character voice. I also thought it was really cool to hear from both the performer and the producer on all these topics. There were a couple of weaknesses in the book. For one, they don't really discuss setting up a home studio in detail. I thought that was kind of a shame since I think a lot of folks get their start by recording themselves at home and auditioning on sites like ACX. I'm sure that some people, especially those who have voice/other acting experience and possibly an agent, are able to get their start with audiobooks recording in studio, but I do wonder if it's more of the norm for less established narrators to begin as performers/producers recording, editing, and mastering all at home on their own? So I think the lack of a chapter really going into detail about that is a weakness in this title. Additionally, though King spent some time talking about creating character voices and research/prep, she spent less time discussing how she decides on a delivery or what kind of acting techniques she applies to her work as a narrator. As a trained actor I have a variety of tools I can use, and normally I don't even like to think in terms of how I want a line to sound, instead focusing on my objective (what I want) or the intention (why I'm saying these words) behind the line. King sometimes used language that suggested she gives some thought to where to place the emphasis or otherwise “how” to read the text, and I might have enjoyed more discussion about her at-home rehearsal process. These quibbles not withstanding, I think this is an excellent introduction to narrating audiobooks. Hopefully you will be able to hear me put some of this information into practice soon! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️