-- World of Writing - Audio Book Producer Interview --
If you are like me, you've certainly enjoyed listening to audio books while travelling, commuting, doing mundane chores or trying to sleep. I can often be found learning and being entertained while multi-tasking on other mundane chores. Many of us are churning with questions on how one goes bout turning a written book into an audiobook. We are joined today by an expert in this arena - Adele Park is an Audie Award winning voice-actor, writer, producer and editor at Straight to Audio Productions, LLC. - here to respond to our questions. Her business was founded in 2008, is a professional recording studio that works with a wide array of talent, utilizing the latest editing technology in St. George, Utah. Check out her blog, Quirky Audio Books, when you get a chance, you won't be sorry. To learn more about how to turn your work into an audio book, visit https://audiorecordingstgeorge.com.
A: Like a lot of authors, I worked tirelessly to get my work published. Publishers weren't interested because I didn't have an agent. Agents weren't interested because I hadn't been published. I asked myself why I wanted to be published in the first place and the answer was I wanted to turn my work into an audio book. In an “ah ha” moment, I realized you don't actually have to have a book in print form in order to create an audio book.
With that in mind, I established Straight to Audio Productions, LLC and built a recording studio. Since that time, I have produced four audio books using a full cast of actors. Three out of my four audio books are Audie Finalists, with Jitters-A Quirky Little Audio Book being honored with an Audie in the Multi-Voice Performance Category.
Q: Wow! That is fantastic! Congratulations on this success. A lot of authors out there want to know what they need to consider when it comes to creating an audio book. What would you like to say to them today?
A: Authors should ask themselves who will narrate the book? If the book is non-fiction, the author might consider narrating it themselves as they are presumably experts on the subject they are writing about. For fiction, Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) https://www.acx.com has tons of wonderful narrators for hire. Talent fees are determined by the narrator and generally range between $150 and $250 per finished hour.
Q: Excellent advice - it is always good to head into things with a realistic understanding of the process. Do you recommend that authors write with the intention of it becoming an audio book?
A: If an author knows for sure they want their work to be available in audio form, it may require some re-writing. When I converted Jitters into an audio format, it meant re-writing the entire novel. I did this so that each part could be presented as a first person narrative with wrap-around narration pieces.
In the case of Jitters, each chapter begins with a newscast, followed by the characters reacting to the news of the day.
Fiction writers should consider the following questions:
- Is the work going to be read by one actor doing all the voices of the characters?
- If having a multi-voiced production is the goal, how will be lines be divided up?
- If having a multi-voiced production is the goal, how will be lines be divided up?
- Who will read the parts in-between the character dialog?
Q: Let's talk about the voices behind creating the audio book. How do you handle choosing the right voice for an audio book?
A: I host auditions for each role in my multi-voiced productions. Since many of the characters in the Quirky Audio Book Series are on-going, I tend to hire the same actors over and over. However, for each project there are always new parts. The way I handle auditions is to first have the actor send in a short audio sample. If I think the voice might fit the part, I invite that actor into the studio for an in-person audition. From there, we pick the best actors for each role we are hiring for.
A: Fortunately for me, my work is fun! This makes it easy to spend the long hours required to create a full-length audio book. When I need a break, I spend time outdoors hiking, riding my bike or just going for a walk. It's amazing how a little time spent in nature can re-charge your batteries.
Q: What have you done to stand out, to offer something different and intriguing to customers?
A: At Straight to Audio Productions, we are all about inclusion and professional courtesy. This is extended to both the actors hired to work on the Quirky Audio Book Series, and the clients who book studio time in our recording booth. We believe that healthy, loving attitudes produce the best outcomes!
Great interview!
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