The Audiobook Reviewer Interview with the Narrator of Charles Jay Harwood Thrillers

The Audio Book Reviewer gives narrators the opportunity to complete a questionnaire about their experience of book narration. Questions like how did you get into narrating audiobooks? Which narrators do you admire and what is the hardest part of narrating audiobooks gives food for thought for every narrator.

Mastering Audiobook Narration

Narrating and producing audiobooks is one of the hardest things I have ever done, particularly since I knew nothing about audiobook narration before taking up the challenge in 2015.

Challenges of Book Narration

But after filling in the questionnaire, have become aware of what I have learned after this challenge and the sort of style I have developed after narrating 7 audiobooks. Accents are tough to master, since I do not have a strong regional accent, despite coming from the Midlands. As every narrator must be aware, differentiating between characters is important, or the listener may not be sure who is supposed to be speaking. I have had to crack New York, Welsh, Cockney and others.

But the most difficult challenge I found is mastering the sound equipment from scratch. I had to learn mic technique as well as read up on how to use the hardware and the software. Experimentation was the most valuable lesson.


Mastering Sound Equipment

And then there was the sound booth to consider. I tried out various locations in the house to find the quietest room, and then built a basic sound booth, lined with blankets and a little acoustic foam. This created a dead space, where sound echoes and exterior noise can be eliminated.

But I have deleted hours of recording during the learning process and have listened to other audio book narrators to see how they have mastered the craft. I found I liked Stephen and Maya Angelou. Both have soothing voices that are easy on the ears.

It is important to eliminate anything that could be potentially annoying, such as noisy swallows, clicks or audible breaths. This ensures the listener will not be distracted from the story by the narrator.