About AudioBooks. Some Tips to New-Comer Narrators by Lita Marson

I have worked at the Latvian Library for the Blind for twelve years. Every day, I gave out audiobooks to readers who could not read books in a printed format. The Latvian Library for the Blind also creates books in Accessible Formats: audio, Braille, and large print books. 

I have regularly read articles and books in the Sound Recording Studio. So now I want to share my experience as a narrator. Perhaps my personal experience will be useful to authors who are considering making a recording of their books themselves. 

Audiobooks are a very convenient format for those who cannot read printed books and for those who combine listening to a book with other activities (for example, cooking, cleaning, and knitting). However, you should remember that making an audiobook is not the same as simply reading your books out loud. 

The job of a narrator is more difficult than it might seem. It is necessary to always keep water or other drinks with you because your throat gets very dry. It is advisable to ensure complete soundproofing of the room. 

While reading, do not rock on your chair, do not drum your fingers, or make any noise at all. Extraneous sounds greatly distract the reader (listener) and interfere with perception. 

If you plan to process the book file after recording and cut out all the pauses, then I advise you to adhere to a very important rule: do not read while turning the pages. 

Having finished one page, you need to stop reading, turn the page, find the right place, and continue reading. Otherwise, the rustling of the pages will drown out some of the text. 

Readers with vision problems often express their opinions about the quality of the text they read. Some of them like narrators who read with great expression, others prefer monotonous and even reading. The point is that if the narrator reads with expression, it turns out to be a small performance. If the narrator reads smoothly, then the reader himself places emphasis on the text. After all, every reader looks at the text or listens to the text through the prism of his own perception. Therefore, the accents of the narrator and the listener may differ greatly.

You should remember that when listening, rewinding is more difficult than turning the page, it is more difficult to find the right place where you left off, especially if the person have vision problems. Therefore, it is important to pause before starting the next chapter or section. If, at the beginning of the text or chapter, there are introductory words, the year or place of action is indicated, then these indicating words should be properly emphasized in a voice, and after them, a short pause should be made. 

In general, making a record of a book takes some getting used to. This is not that difficult, but it is a labor-intensive process during which you should not be distracted. Most often, the narrator almost does not remember the story of the book he or she has read in a studio because the narrator pays attention to correctly pronouncing words and placing accents correctly, watching intonation and pronunciation, and not on plot twists. However, creating audiobooks is a huge and noble work, so if you feel a calling and want to do it, go for it. Good luck to you!

Author bio.

I live in Riga, Latvia, and writing has been my biggest hobby since childhood. I love books in any format, and I always wanted to create my own worlds. Characters and ideas just came to me, so I literally had no choice. I started to write, and I understood that I liked it. My entire life has been connected with books because I have a degree in library science, and I have worked in a library for many years.