How did you get into narrating books?
I’m a professional actor and have worked in the theater all my life.
I had just opened in a professional production when the pandemic hit and theaters were closed down and quarantine went into effect. I didn’t realize how depressing and debilitating that would be. Not being able to express myself creatively was a real downer.
I had been toying with the idea of narrating audiobooks for years but never really pursued it until the pandemic. It seemed like a natural solution to the problem. I could work from home, after turning a walk-in closet into a recording booth. It was a major investment and a steep learning curve, but I eventually settled in and learned the process.
Now, all I want to do it narrate audiobooks. I’m a lot less interested in performing on stage anymore. Though, as of this writing, I am booked to play the lead in another professional production here in my hometown of Columbus, Ohio, at the end of May.
What genres of books do you narrate? And why is this your preference?
I’m open to narrating just about any genre. So far though, I’ve narrated mostly Romance. Though I have done Historical Fiction, Thrillers, and a new category, Romance Thrillers, for which I just won a Best Narrator award in 2023 from AudiobookReviewer.com for a book called UNRAVELING, by Rick R. Reed.
I don’t necessarily prefer Romance but I tend to gravitate toward it. Not sure exactly why.
How many books have you narrated?
I’ve got 14 book currently available on Audible with 1 about to be released and another 2 that I am working on in production. That will bring the total to 17 shortly.
Are you able to read the books in advance to get their personalities? And how long do you have to prepare?
You absolutely must read the book in advance before commencing narration. There’s no other way to get a bird’s eye view of the arc of the story and who the people are that you will portraying, if indeed you are ‘performing’ the book instead of just ‘reading’ it.
A narrator also needs to clearly understand the author’s intent for each character and each subplot and storyline. You can’t ‘wing it’ or leave it to whim.
I can read a book in a few days depending on the length, but it may take me a week or more to prepare for the actual narration. That includes discovering the character voices, understanding their personalities, and bringing into focus their objectives as they pertain to the plot.
Do you do anything special to get into character when you are narrating?
Because of my many years of theatrical training, it’s relatively easy for me to ‘get into character.’ I can slip in and out of different people’s skin very easily and enjoy doing so.
At this point, it just comes naturally, and I don’t even have to think about it too much. Once I’m clear on ‘who’ they are, I assume their character like I’m donning a piece of wardrobe.
It’s most fun during impassioned discussions and arguments where the dialogue is fast and furious. Switching back and forth between voices, temperaments, personalities, ages, etc., in the heat of a repartee is an exciting exercise that I enjoy very much.
Do you narrate in different dialects? If so, what do you find to be your best research tool for accents?
I do narrate in different dialects. Some, I’m very well acquainted with and use with fluidity. Others, that are more obscure or unfamiliar to me, I have to research.
For instance, in one book I was narrating, the author introduced the Thai grandmother of the protagonist. Doing an Asian accent can be very tricky because there are so many variations based on location. I feared I would not be able to do it justice. But I got very lucky. I went on YouTube and found a young Asian-American woman doing her grandmother’s Thai accent. It was a God-send. I studied her and worked on the pronunciations and inflections and was able to perform the Thai grandmother (who had delightfully feisty and comedic dialogue) to the author’s delight and amazement.
Tell me something about yourself outside of narrating. Jobs, accomplishments, family, quirky trait... what led to you being you?
After graduating from Florida State University in Tallahassee, and the National Shakespeare Conservatory in New York City, I worked in regional theatre for many years as an actor and director, and earned my membership in Actors' Equity Association.
I continue to act in, direct, and occasionally stage manage professional local and regional theatrical productions in my home state of Ohio. But acting and directing alone were never sufficiently remunerative to provide the stable lifestyle I desired. So, I entered the corporate world.
There I found my niche in Destination Management, a place where I could express myself creatively and still provide for my lifestyle comfortably. I traveled a lot for my work, but I have also traveled extensively for pleasure, all my life, all over the world.
I’ve worked as a graphic designer, script writer, actor, and producer for many corporate events, and eventually became a marketing communications director for a company which focused on special events and logistics for corporate travel, with offices in Fort Lauderdale, The Bahamas, and Puerto Rico. I spent many happy years in Destination Management working with marvelous people I still have as friends to this day.
Who have you partnered with in narrating?
I have not yet taken part in any multi-cast narrations, though I would very much like to, and hope to, in the near future.
However, I recently completed the narration of a magnificent book called, I SURVIVED GETTYSBURG, that Audible will be releasing shortly. The author introduced a new character three chapters from the end of the book. He described her as ‘a young girl.’ Now, I can do a lot with my voice, but I am after all a man with a naturally deep, gravelly voice. I can do women by speaking in a higher register and sometimes using a pitch-shifter (which is a tool on some DAWS – Digital Audio Workstations).
After I recorded the chapter (she appears in only one yet tells a significant story that leads to the denouement), I was unhappy with the way I sounded. I wasn’t young, fresh and innocent enough to my own ears to be faithful to the author’s character description. So, I called an actress friend of mine and asked her if she would be willing to perform the role of this young girl and she readily agreed and did a terrific job. I was happy. The author was happy. And the actress was happy.
I hope all the listeners of I SURVIVED GETTYSBURG, by Mark Pieper, will be happy too.
When you narrate a book, do you narrate with your book partner or do they record separately?
Ideally, all the narrators in a scene would be in the same room, under a studio-controlled environment overseen by professional sound engineers.
But that’s a rare occasion, unless one is recording in a major metropolis like New York or LA and working for a major production or publishing house.
In the one experience which I speak of in the previous answer, the actress, recorded the lines alone in my sound booth, which only fits one person comfortably at a time. I then spliced the lines in where appropriate.
Can you take us through your typical day at work? I would guess that you are in a sound studio. How does that work?
There are no typical workdays for me. I’m an artist. A creative. I move when the Muse calls me.
How long does it typically take to narrate a novel?
For me, it depends. It’s different for each narrator. I don’t churn novels out like an Espresso Book Machine. It can be a matter of weeks or a matter of months depending upon the circumstances, the length of the book, and my agreement with the author or Rights Holder.
I invest a great deal of myself into the production of an audiobook and don’t rush the process. I consider each novel I narrate, a unique masterpiece that deserves the application of every bit of expertise I have at my disposal.
What advice would you give to an aspiring narrator?
Don’t try to teach yourself. You will learn the wrong way to do things and it will take you longer to get where you want to be, and it will be harder to break bad habits.
There are lots of great teachers, coaches, and classes out there – available at varying price points. Do some research, get to know people who are working in the industry, and seek their advice. Start by joining Facebook groups for narrators.
It’s WORTH IT to pay for coaching. Not only coaching in acting, but the technical aspect of producing audiobooks is critical, specific, and detailed.
You MUST learn the correct way to do your job. The industry demands it. And you will be so glad you did not cut corners – which will only frustrate you in the long run.
Every new narrator should start at the Narrators Roadmap and pay for the membership – it’s invaluable. The information provided here is worth its weight in gold. https://www.narratorsroadmap.com/.
How do you deal and process negative reviews?
Negative reviews can be so debilitating. Primarily when they are just mean-spirited and insulting. Some people enjoy giving negative reviews and take pride in the nasty things they can say about something. There’s a way to say things constructively without ripping the artist’s heart out.
Nothing is so bad that it merits cruelty on the part of the reviewer. These days with the prevalence of online reviews, businesses of all kinds are at the mercy of any invisible voice that chooses to spout venom. Remember there is a human being on the other end of that review, and there is enormous power in the spoken/written word.
That being said, how do I deal with it, you ask. I’ll be honest. It hurts. We may get thirty great, glowing reviews, but one or two bad ones. Rather than obsessing on it, I force myself to re-read all the glowing ones. And depending on how the negative review is worded, I will either take the criticism under advisement and adjust accordingly or realize there is simply a very damaged person writing it who feels the need to lash out and hurt others. I then forget about it and wish them well.
What do you need to keep you focused?
Rest. If I’m tired, I can’t focus.
What is the most difficult part of narrating?
I used to think it was editing, but that’s just time-consuming. Now I think the most difficult part of narrating is walking into the recording booth.
There are so many outside influences demanding attention. We must force ourselves to say – “No, this time is for me and my work,” and actually put everything else on hold while we allow ourselves the bliss of storytelling on our own for all the world to hear.
If you could spend a day with a popular author, whom would you choose? And why?
Without a doubt, Colleen Hoover. The Queen of Romance Thrillers. I just want to get to know her and spend some time with her. I think she’s brilliant.
I’d love to take her to lunch, dinner, or afternoon tea and talk about the million different things that make her such a phenomenal author.
Is there an author that you would love to narrate for?
Colleen Hoover
What is your kryptonite as a narrator? What totally puts you off your game?
Bad writing. I can’t begin to tell you what bliss it is to narrate/perform the work of brilliant writers. And I can honestly say that every author whose work I’ve narrated is brilliant. I just won’t do it if the writing is bad.
I can tell that before I audition for a book. I won’t audition or accept a contract for a book that is poorly written.
Is there such a thing as a narrator’s blooper reel?
I don’t have one. I don’t keep mistakes to go back and visit. Mistakes be gone! Only the perfect remains.
Do you have a hard time keeping a straight face when you read? If so, what sets you off?
No, I don’t have a hard time keeping a straight face. But that’s the result of eons of theatre work and training.
In fact, if a scene is funny, I will enjoy it thoroughly off-mic, and laugh to myself. But when the mic is on, it is time for me to perform the humor so that it is funny to the listener, not me.
How do you keep your game face (voice lol)?
I keep my voice rested when I am not recording. I don’t yell, I don’t cheer, I don’t strain it for any reason. I don’t smoke and I don’t drink alcohol. My voice is my instrument. It is my Stradivarius. And I treat it as such.
To keep my focus on winning in general, I allow myself to be inspired by my many peers in the industry. There are so many talented voice artists out there and in the past two years I’ve really begun interacting with them on a social level by attending conventions and workshops. It’s an extremely supportive and tight-knit community. Becoming active in it, is tremendously rewarding for me.
I hope you enjoyed this interview!
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