turn your WRITTEN book
into an
AUDIOBOOK
my curated recommendation for doing this professionally
naomi rose, book developer & creative midwife
Turn Your Written Book Into an Audiobook
Reaching Your Readers’ Minds & Hearts through Their Ears
In addition to helping you bring your book to life as a Book Developer & Creative Midwife and editor, I'm delighted to open you into the world of professionally produced audiobooks.
Your book deserves no less.
The Magic of the Spoken Word
Can you remember being told a bedtime story as a child?
You’d close your eyes, and the sound of a voice bringing its gifts to your receptive listening would open up inner worlds. A hazy landscape would come into view in all its bustling lushness; a rushing river would open up inside your mind’s eye, tumbling swiftly over the rocks. Heroes and villains would come to life in remarkable detail, much of that filled in by your own innately fertile imagination.
I grew up with radio stories, before TV was common and long before the Internet existed. My father wrote scripts for radio, so I understood early how voices carry not just words but also an atmosphere that nourishes us. The music of voices—their inflections, rhythms, tone, and pitch—entered not only my mind but the cells of my body, allowing my imagination to come into full flower, which is every child’s birthright.
It's been said that "the eye grabs but the ear receives." We're so accustomed to taking in information with our eyes that we may not realize how listening affects our experience differently. The ear is more receptive — and when what we receive through listening has value, we take it in more deeply.
Three Formats for Your Book
Once you have written a book, or shortly before it comes to completion, especially if you’re self-publishing you’ll want to consider which formats to make available to your readers:
PRINT BOOKS have an authority that thrills authors and gets readers to take them seriously. The front cover, with its illustration, title, and author’s name . . . the spine with the title and author’s name visible on a bookshelf . . . and the back cover, with compelling copy — all this gives an authority and sense of realness to what was once "just" a dream. Plus the obvious benefits to readers: the comforting tactility, the ability to linger over pages, and the option to turn back to earlier sections to deepen understanding.
E-BOOKS allow readers to access your book on computers, tablets, phones — anywhere, really. While the familiar bodily sense of holding a physical book in your hand and turning its pages is missing, the compensation is ease, portability, instant download, and lower cost than print.
AUDIOBOOKS offer a format that people can receptively take in through their ears instead of their eyes, allowing their minds to enter a more relaxed, diffuse mode. As neuropsychiatrist Srini Pillay explains in his book Tinker, Dabble, Doodle, Try, this actually helps people be more productive while at the same time being good for them.
Imagine your book as a spoken book . . . your words coming from the narrator's inflected voice into the listener's ears. Imagine transmitting the heart of what was in you when you wrote to the listener's heart in a more bodily, side-door, conscious-plus-subconscious way.
Imagine people listening to your book — lying down on a couch or in bed; sitting in a chair; as they drive their car; sitting under a tree; taking a walk; or giving your book their exclusive attention, not doing anything else at the same time, because they are so into it.
This is one real way your book can affect your readers: by entering through their ears.
Why Audiobooks Are Worth Creating
Your wonderful book deserves to reach people fully. You have poured yourself into writing your book—invested not only time and funds, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually, energetically. You've given of yourself from every level, hoping your book would hold the energy, passion, clarity, and healing that comes from writing from the deeper Self. All this lives on the page like a treasure chest, available when readers open to receiving it. I'm convinced that what came from you vibrates from the page when readers open to it.
Audiobooks are very popular. They appeal to many readers, with sales up and not likely to go down. According to industry reports, audiobook sales are the fastest-growing sector of publishing by far, with almost one in five Americans having listened to an audiobook in the past year. Some authors are even skipping print and writing exclusive audio content.
Audiobooks offer inclusivity by opening your book to a more diverse population. Book-lovers who have physical reading disabilities can take in your book by ear, making it easy for them to enjoy what you have to share.
Having audiobook options opens doors to format preferences. Some readers prefer print, some prefer e-books, and some prefer audiobooks. Making your book available in all three formats tells your potential readers, "Any way you like to take in a book is just fine. My book comes in all three formats. Take your pick."
Really: imagine people listening to your book — lying down on a couch or in bed; sitting in a chair; as they drive their car; sitting under a tree; taking a walk; or giving your book their exclusive attention, not doing anything else at the same time, because they are so into it.
This is one real way your book can affect your readers: by entering through their ears.
The Research-Backed Benefits
It's good for the brain. There are scientifically proven benefits of listening to audiobooks. Research shows that listening can help our brains better imagine what's in the book, improve our comprehension and vocabulary, help us attach deeper meaning to phrases, and bring about more emotional response than reading with the eyes. It offers a welcome alternative to readers who have trouble with the physical act of reading, and stimulates the same brain areas as reading print, so listening isn't "cheating." Listening to a book also improves memory and cognitive abilities.
It stimulates wellness. Audiobooks benefit us on both mental and physical levels. Listening to them builds crucial listening skills, helps reduce negative thinking, relaxes the eyes after screen time, can benefit sleep (though avoid suspenseful thrillers at bedtime), stretches available time by allowing multitasking while listening, increases literacy skills, and immerses us in other worlds, thereby strengthening our imagination.
There are real reasons for the growing popularity of audiobooks. Audiobooks help us with our daily and nightly lives. Some people use them to fall asleep after stressful days, while others listen while walking or caring for babies. An actor's voice can provide musical information that helps our long-term recall just as well as the visual and tactile information in a printed book about where a passage lies. For people who may not easily find the time to sit down with a print book, audiobooks offer a way to immerse themselves in books to encounter new ideas and experiences.
Should you narrate your book yourself
or use a professional narrator?
This depends on two key factors: the genre of your book and the nature of your spoken voice.
1. The Genre Matters
If your book is nonfiction, memoir, or narrative nonfiction, you might be the best person to narrate it. You know the territory intimately and can bring out the emphases important to you. At the same time, professional narrators are trained to bring the spoken word to life, so you'll need to determine what's best for your book.
If your book is fiction, whether you’re the one to narrate it depends on how good a speaker you are. (Not as in “public speaking” — there’s no audience involved in narrating your book, and you will definitely have a “script” to read from, word for word.) Are you the best person to speak your book aloud? Or would it serve you to have a professional narrator do it? This, in turn, depends largely on #2.
2. The Quality of Your Voice Is Crucial
There is music in the spoken voice—inflections, rhythms, tone, pitch, volume—and some voices are simply more musical than others. Professional narrators (often actors) have this talent and training. Some authors of wonderful books are just not good at reading aloud. Their voice flattens the affect, dampening a reader's ability to engage in the writing rather than igniting it.
You need to take an honest assessment of your ability to convey your book aloud. If you don't currently have that facility, whatever your book's genre, you'd be doing yourself a favor to have a professional narrator instead. And you want the best person to do it, because look at how much of yourself you've already invested in your book.
If You Narrate, Yourself
The Audivita staff coaches you through the process and sets you up with technology. You can actually do the narrating remotely from home, using a special Internet-based platform. They'll tell you which microphone to buy for excellent sound quality. As you read aloud, a staff person will coach you nonverbally with visual cues so you know what to do and how you're doing. You are not alone in this — you have support and expert guidance.
Narrating happens in 90-minute sessions. When one session is done, the Audivita editors work on that section, while you narrate the next. If you're not happy with certain parts, they'll create a "punch list" for retakes until you're satisfied.
If You Want a Voice Professional to Narrate
Sometimes the author isn't the best person to read their book aloud. There are vocal inflections, breathing patterns, rhythms, and emphases involved that the author may not have in their expressive vocabulary. But these enlivening qualities exist in potential within the book and deserve someone who can do them justice.
If you decide to use a narrator, the casting team meets with you to find out what you're looking for. They'll audition potential narrators, then offer you at least three choices. As David told me, "The author gets to be very involved."
My Partnership with Audivita
I've partnered as an affiliate with Audivita, a full-service audiobook production company that will turn your written book into an audiobook from start to finish, including distribution to all major audio outlets. That means recording, production (including editing), casting — if you want a narrator other than yourself, or they'll set you up technologically to do your own narration — and distribution to the "big 3" online retailers (Amazon, Audible, iTunes) plus up to 35 other distribution channels.
The Recording Process
Meet David Wolf, Founder and CEO—a really good fit for authors who work with me. David is a warm, supportive, knowledgeable person. I could say "You'll be in good hands" and leave it at that, but I want to tell you why I feel well-partnered:
Their professionalism and experience. My reputation is on the line when I recommend a colleague, so I wanted any outfit I recommended to put as much skill and know-how into producing a sterling product as I do into my clients' books. After a lengthy interview with David, I came away satisfied and excited that my clients would be in good hands. He brings years of professional expertise as a music producer to spoken-word work, and his team fully supports this mission.
Audivita cares about the author's experience just as much as I do. "How we make people feel is as important as the product we produce," is how David puts it. They seek warm, caring relationships with clients and even have someone on their team especially to hand-hold the authors.
Authors are not just allowed to be involved in the process of recording their book — they are actively encouraged. Just as creative input is a primary reason to self-publish a print book, Audivita agrees when it comes to your audiobook. You can be as involved as you like.
While you could contact Audivita directly, my participation will smooth rough edges and make your experience easier and potentially more accurate. I've recorded my own writing and understand what's needed to be at ease.
For example, my client Jerry Gin opted for a professional narrator for each of his two audiobooks done to complement his print books (The Teacher and the Seeker of Light and Science, Subtle Energies, and Spirituality). I helped him choose the best narrator, and compared the final recording against the written text for accuracy, phrasing, and pronunciation. You can listen to samples here.
How It Works
I'll introduce you to the production team based on my knowledge of your book. You can meet the founder, casting director, hand-holder, audio editor, and others. If you want me involved, we can have collaborative conversations about your book (you, me, and David — possibly others, too) so you know what you need to know. This will ease you into enjoying the process and doing a good job of it, whatever your level of involvement. If you want to take things from there, I’ll give you my blessing and gently exit.
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NOTE: Rest assured that you won’t be paying extra to make this connection through me. My affiliate commission comes directly from the recording company, and they don’t charge their customers extra for this introduction to them.
What Authors* Who Did Their Audiobooks through Audivita Have to Say
* These were not my clients.
from authors who narrated their books themselves
"As an author who wanted to voice my own book, I was so thrilled to find David and be able to work with someone of his caliber and experience. He made the whole process seamless, and even fun, of generating my audio version of my book. He is an absolute professional, and guided me every step of the way. We completed the recording quickly, with David managing all the details and ensuring everything was in order. I highly recommend his service." — Jennifer Brown, author, Inclusion: Diversity, the New Workplace & the Will to Change
"If you want your audio book to sound its best, that requires you as the author at your best. David's expertise extends far beyond his technical skills to coaching to make sure I gave the 'best read' of each and every phrase. He makes the process smooth and easy and I'm thrilled with the results. I highly recommend you have his listening in as you record to make sure you are on point." — Jon Livesay, author, Better Selling through Storytelling
from authors who chose to use a professional narrator
"Working with David Wolf, from beginning to end of my audiobook project, was astonishing. From our first call David helped me make the right decisions — utilizing my own voice or utilizing a voice actor. He brought the voice auditions and quickly we selected the best, and in weeks the audiobook was back to me done from review. I was blown away by the speed and efficiency of the project: the result exceeded my expectations. Working with David put me squarely in the driver's seat. His professionalism, ability to listen and respect for my needs was superb." — Tom Dutta, author, The Way of the Quiet Warrior: 90 Days to the Life You Desire
"Wow, what a seamless experience working with David and his team on my audiobook! Recorded it right from my home and they did all the rest! Professional, easy and affordable. Thank you for making me sound great!" — Mark Eaten, author, The Four Commitments of a Winning Team
"David Wolf was integral in coordinating the production of my audiobook for Powerful Beyond Measure. He was able to recruit many voices that were a good fit for my genre. David was interactive, responsive, and supportive to both the author and the narrator. His quick response allowed the process to flow effortlessly with a remarkable end product. Communication is the key to any successful project, and David excelled at this." — Cynthia E. Mazzaferro, author, Powerful Beyond Measure: 3 Steps to Claim your Power Within for a Happy & Healthy Life (Foreword by Marci Shimoff)
Ready to Begin?
Having an audiobook is valuable for you and your listeners-to-come because:
Along with print and ebook, it widens your book's reach.
It lets listeners enter what you wrote through a different and deeply rewarding portal.
It enables you to benefit from audiobooks' current and growing popularity.
It gives a wider bandwidth of readers access to your book.
It gives readers who appreciate choice the option to listen as well as read.
It's an extremely viable way to get your book into the world and become known for what's in it.
It's a service of great magnitude to transmit to your readers' minds and hearts what was in your mind and heart when you wrote your book, directly through their ears as well as eyes.
So, reader by reader, listener by listener,
your book helps to heal the world.
(And do good things for you too, in the process.)
CONTACT ME to begin the process of turning your written book into a spoken book. It's fun, and your listeners will be grateful!
