Ten Mistakes Every Audio Book Narrator Must Avoid with Dialogue

Dialogue forms a vital part of audio book narration and getting it wrong could spell loss of book sales. Audio book narration is broadly split in two: describing the inner thoughts of characters, and then the dialogue. Both require a separate set of skills.

Take a listen to an excerpt from my audio book Falling Awake by Charles J Harwood narrated by Violet North comprising discourse between 2 characters: Gemma and Terry, her father in law. Gemma has exposed a ring of crooks that had almost killed her husband, but Gemma refuses to pursue the matter further with Terry. He feels let down by his daughter in law. Notice how we can easily tell who is speaking. Terry has a gruff voice with clipped edges. We can also hear the anguish in his voice. Gemma sounds slightly hoarse and contrite.

Audio Book Dialogue Mistakes

A book narrator might have a beautiful voice, but if she cannot get to grips the character voices, the audio book could get bad reviews or returns. Such issues include the following:

Speaking the character voices in the same voice as the general narration itself, so the listener cannot tell if anyone is speaking or not. Always make it clear whether someone is speaking in the narration.

Speaking character voices with the same voice, so the listener cannot tell who is speaking. Always differentiate between character voices via tone of voice, inflection or accent. This will add colour to the narration.

Not practicing the accents of different characters. For example not giving a supposed Scot or Aussie an accent at all, resulting in a lack of conviction in the reading. The secret to accents is to be subtle. Unless you are 100% confident with an accent (or you are a native), ladle it on as thick as you like. My mother came from London so I feel reasonably confident with the cockney accent.

Going too far with accents, resulting in a parody or a cartoonish sound to the character voice. No one wants to hear a Welsh person sounding like Ruth Maddox from Hi-de-Hi. (See above). Often, it is better to be subtle with accents you are not familiar with. Not every word spoken has to be coloured with an accent. Listening to YouTube clips of people with accents I am trying to emulate (particularly famous people) has helped.

Male narrators squeaking to emulate the voice of a little girl or females digging deep to reach the deep tones of a male character. If the pitch cannot be reached, don’t force it. Keep the voice within vocal range and aim for subtle. Keep it natural.

Listeners appreciate the extra effort of the narrator. Character voices can be differentiated other than the pitch and dialect. Some voices are gruff (like Terry’s) others are smooth, shrill, muffled or clipped. There are many ways a character voice can be unique.

Not injecting any expression into the words uttered. Dialogue spoken as though by a robot will not create compelling narrative. Sometimes I will put myself into the character’s shoes or to think of a situation I have been in to rouse the emotion sought after. This helps with character acting.

Mistakes to Avoid in Audio Book Narration: When the Narrator Reads too Fast or Slow

The most important thing about an audiobook is the words read out. The second most important thing about an audio book is the spaces between. Consideration should be given to the length of pauses and the pacing of the reading as the words are spoken.

How to Audio Book Narrate

A book that is read in a galloping pace throughout is the audible equivalent to being bludgeoned over the ears. Beautifully written prose is nothing if it is read like a robot or without feeling. This is why heeding the spaces between the words is so important.

Take a listen to this excerpt from my audio book the Shuttered Room by Charles J Harwood, narrated by Rachel Shirley. The main character, Jess has been abducted and is pursued through the woods. The slight shifts in pace reflects the suspense build-up as Jess hides in the woods. But we suspect something explosive is about to happen, and the acceleration in pace is saved for when it is needed.

Pacing the Book Reading

Often, I will read the script with pacing in mind, but often, pacing will require tweaking in the sound editing process. This means lengthening or shortening the silences between the wave patterns that are spoken aloud.

When it comes to audio book narration, the following needs bearing in mind:

When a sentence requires emphasis, a pause is often required. A character might reveal a secret, answer an important question or express deep emotion. Pauses are everything in such scenes. These longer-than-average pauses differentiate themselves from the rest of the narration.

When it comes to narrating action scenes, a faster pace is often required. This might be a chase, a gambling scene or a fight in the street.

When it comes to suspense, shifts in pace are often required. The moment before an explosive event might be slow, and then quicken once action commences.

Pacing in dialogue is another matter to consider. People speak in different speeds in different situations. A revelation of a secret might require emphasis between certain words and therefore pauses. A panicked person trying to communicate important information is likely to talk at a faster pace. Some characters might speak more slowly than others, and this can reflect who is speaking without having to use attributives.

How to Pace your Narration in an Audio Book

Instinct and the inner ear is important when fine-tuning the pacing of your audio book. It is also a good idea to listen to other audio books and pay attention to the pacing of the reading. Is yours faster than the norm? Does yours sound too slow after listening to a few audio books? Take a listen to lauded narrators with good reviews. How does your pacing sound by comparison? If undecided, I find it a good idea to do about three listening of each chapter. I always find a section of recording where the pause was far too short or where a piece of dialogue was rattled off too quickly. In such cases, I can adjust the pauses between the sentences or words.

Most recording software (I use Audacity) has a function where you can adjust the tempo of a recording without affecting the pitch. But use it sparingly. I will notch up or down the speed slightly. It can make all the difference to the spoken word. Always listen to the recording in context once the tweaking is done, to make sure it sounds right.

Be prepared to re-record the section if it continues to sounds wrong. The problem will continue to niggle, and will likely be picked up by the audio book listener.

Mistakes to Avoid in Writing the Audio Book Script: Read Before Audio Narrating

Reading a book aloud is different to reading the sentences within the head. When I began audio book production, I learned that my ‘word perfect’ novel needed yet another redraft. There are various reasons for redrafting your novels for the audio book market.

How to Prepare the Audio Book Script

Authors may redraft their novels for the audio book market for several reasons. These might be:

Certain sentences are too long. Reading long sentences without a breath is not only uncomfortable for the reader, but also the listener. Who wants to hear an endless sentence being read out to the last puff of air? Some audio book producers even edit out the pauses, which sounds wrong. I will cut a sentence in half, shorten it or add pauses via commas.

Tips for Audio Book Narrators

The writing style sounds overformal. The Queen’s English is vital in many cases, but over-correctness can stifle all expression from a reading. Words chosen for the inner thoughts of characters need to sound natural, human, so that the narrator can inject expression into the reading. Good narration is vital for audio book sales, but even the best narrator can do little with a script that permits no expression.

This short excerpt from one of my audio books, Nora by Charles J Harwood narrated by Violet North uses words to permit some expression into the heroine’s inner thoughts. Here, the main character, Nancy has broken into the home of Vince, a celebrity playboy. As she tampers with his security system, she suffers a flashback of the crashed limo that had almost been her coffin.

Avoid Repetition in a Novel

A receptive element within the text. This might be a recurring word or recurring sequence of words within a short space of time. It is surprising how much repetition can sneak into a novel until it is read aloud. I had some ‘weeding’ and rewording to do when I read passages aloud, not realising I have over-favoured words and phrases.

Character Dialogue Sounds Strained

Discourse within scenes do not sound convincing. This is a biggie. Watch out for character speech that sounds forced, unnatural or simply wrong. Putting words into a character’s mouth requires instinct and intuition. This means keeping faith to the lingo that a person would use, so that the listener knows who is speaking.

But crafting dialogue also means making it sound natural. Avoid forcing dialogue simply as a device to move the plot along. It will show up in the audio book recording. No one wants to listen to chitchat or stilted dialogue in an audio book.

Passages that Go On and On

Cut, cut and cut again if necessary. Some sentences don’t add anything or take too long to get to the point. Reading aloud means retaining the listener’s attention. Give the listener no reason to press ‘pause’ or worse, the off button. Keep the novel tight and moving along so that the listener is captivated and curious.

To Enable Whisperync for Voice

All corrections you make in your audio script must be reflected in your novel, or Audible’s Whispersync cannot be enabled. The technicians at ACX listen through your audio book recording to ensure the words are at least 98% faithful to the Kindle book. This means anyone purchasing your book can switch between reading and listening to it.

How to Eliminate Plosives in Your Audio Recording

Plosives can make your recording sound amateurish if afflicted with that horrid explosive sound every time a harsh consonant is expressed. A plosive is a small explosive sound when a narrator expresses Ps, Bs, or any word that requires a little blast of air. The mic sounds like it is recoiling in anguish at the sudden detonation from the lips. Here are some quick tips on how to get rid of plosives in your audio recording.

What is a Pop Filter?

What a Plosive Looks Like

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, a peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked... Yes we know the rhyme, but takes added significance when testing the recording for plosives. Take a look at a plosive on the waveform and it will have the appearance of a long hook.

What can be done to get rid of plosives?

Firstly, you can get a pop filter. A pop filter is tightly-woven mesh stretched over a hoop and placed in front of a mic. Do not go cheap and make one yourself. I tried stretching a pair of tights over a coat hanger, and it is not as good as a proper pop filter. The Rode comes complete with a studio standard pop filter that has two layers, stretched tightly over a frame. It also sits nicely in front of the mic and breaks up the air that explodes from the mouth. A pop filter also protects the mic from moisture from the breath and the force of the words themselves.

A sample of my audio book The Shuttered Room

Placement of the Voice over the Mic

Don’t stand too close to the mic when audio narrating, unless to achieve a particular effect. I will place the mic at least ten inches away and place it slightly to one side of the mouth, so that my breaths will not hit the mic directly. Audio book narration is often in mono, so the recording should not be affected.

How to Erase Plosives from your Recording

Plosive Correction on Equalizer

You can eliminate the odd plosive that gets onto your recording by equalizing them out. You can easily do this by going onto the equalization of whatever recording software you are using. The example I am using here is Audacity, free sound editing software. Click on ‘effects’ and then on ‘equalization.’

When the equalization grid comes up, decrease the lower frequencies in a gradual way, leaving the higher frequencies in a flat line. The result will be a sort of sloping plateau as shown on the image. You can save the setting under ‘manage curves’ and call it something, such as ‘plosive elimination’ to save having to adjust the frequencies again every time you want to eradicate plosives.

Before and After Equalization: the Hooked Plosive has Gone

Highlight the section of recording that contains the plosive and then press OK. You will notice the hooked shape of the plosive will flatten out. Play the recording back and there will a subtle but definite difference in sound. The explosive sound has gone.

Plosive Correction

Sometimes, a mic can be at fault. My first mic recorded plosives from the gentlest consonants, no matter what I did. Needless to say, I exchanged my mic for the Rode and the problem was solved. The lesson here is, don’t go cheap on the mic. Get the best you can afford and the niggles such as plosives will no longer be a problem in your recordings.

How Not to Gift Audible Promo Codes from ACX: Scam Authors to Be Aware of

When an author completes her audio book and uploads it onto ACX, Audible will give away 25 complimentary vouchercodes for promotion purposes and to garner reviews. I was thrilled with this, believing at first that the vouchercodes could only be redeemed on my books alone, but I was mistaken. This is what the author should avoid doing when giving away Audible voucher codes.

Complimentary Audible Voucher Codes from ACX

Redeeming Promo Codes on Audible

The author on completion of an audio book will receive around 25 vouchercodes from Audible, so that free copies of you audio book can be given away to willing listeners in exchange for a review. It is important to note that these vouchercodes can be redeemed for any book on Audible, not just yours.

How to Use Promo Codes from ACX Wisely

I gave a few of mine away, hoping to get reviews in return, then nothing happened. I soon learned there is a scam going on, where pretenders masquerading as potential reviewers are using author’s promo codes to upload other people’s audio books and even selling vouchercodes on the internet. This is a scam audio book authors should watch out for.

Rather than give vouchercodes away, it is best to ‘gift’ your book, so that the person receiving your book has no promo code to play with. This is how:

1 First, sign into your Audible account (.co.uk or .com).

2 Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find ‘redeem a promo code.’

3 Copy one of your promo codes and paste it into ‘redeem your promo code’ box.

Click ‘redeem.’

4 Once redeemed, you will notice you will have 1 credit available on your Audible account.

5 In the search bar, find your book.

6 Once on your book page, locate the link ‘give as a gift’ on the right.

7 You will be prompted to ‘wrap your gift’. I prefer to click ‘Audible’ to keep it plain. You can also leave a short note with a call to action: hope you enjoy my book and look forward to reading your review.

8 Put in the email of the person you are sending it to. Make sure it is the email attached to their Audible account. Put your name in the ‘from’ box.

9 Preview your message then send.

Note: Vouchercodes are differentiated by 2 regions: US and non-US. Be sure to use a US vouchercode for a person living in the states, and a non-US voucher code for someone, for instance who lives in the UK. If you do not, the person cannot get your book and you will have wasted a voucher code.

If you are living in one region, and the potential reviewer in the other, Audible will prompt confirmation of your address once you have redeemed one of your promo codes. This ensures the person can use your code to get your book.

These steps ensure your Audible promo vouchers can only be redeemed for your book and your book alone.

What Can Ruin your Voice: Things Audio Book Narrators Must Avoid

Narrating audiobooks has provided hard but valuable lessons on how to use the voice effectively. Experience has shown what can make my voice husky, croaky or seize up altogether. These tips will prove beneficial for your voice when it comes to audio book narration.

Things to Avoid when Narrating Audio Books

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Vocal care is essential if you want to narrate books as a career, and some things are so obvious, they are almost not worth mentioning: avoid smoking, excessive alcohol, mucous-producing foods such as dairy and irritants such as hot spices, stress, get plenty of rest and so forth. Other things are not so obvious.

I have learned the limitations of my voice when narrating audio books, and what to avoid if you want your voice to perform at its best. Here is what I have learned:

How to Take Care of Your Voice

My voice performs at its best after a rest, so I will conduct the most challenging sections of my narration first. This might be a dynamic scene or character voices that lie at the limitations of my vocal range. A deep male voice or a shrill woman’s voice, for instance.

My vocals start to seize up after about 40 minutes of narrating. The extremes of my vocal range get increasingly husky as my voice gets progressively less supple and tired. There is no point in pushing things. The voice is a stubborn organ when it wants. When it’s had enough, you have to rest your voice until the next session.

Another thing I have learned is to avoid carby foods and excessive drinks before narrating. My stomach gets growly and hiccups are likely.

Don’t Narrate If

Do not narrate if you going down with a cold, having a cold or getting over a cold. You will sound nasally regardless of taking cold cures or blowing that nose. Be patient and wait at least a week after the cold has gone. The mic never lies, even if you think you don’t sound nasally during the narration.

My voice likes to narrate in a warm, not-too-dry room. Cold air makes my vocals seize up, and I will therefore avoid going out on a cold day before narrating, and of taking peppermint sweets, Fishermen’s Friend or lozenges (although some recommend this). Personally, I find the vapors chill my vocals making them go husky.

Avoid chatting too long on the phone before narrating, as the voice will get tired and husky before you even start. This goes for pushing the voice to the limits of its range before recording. So avoid having an argument, screaming or bellowing for any reason. Also avoid strenuous exercise, as labouring breaths could strain the throat.

Voice Narrating Tips

Before narrating, conduct some gentle vocal exercises. You don’t have to sing through the octaves, simply read aloud a short excerpt of your script, changing pitch. Don’t push your range too far or strain your voice.

Also give the nose a good blow and sip a little water to hydrate the mouth. This will reduce clicks and slapping sounds of the mouth. Don’t down pints, as this can actually strip the away the natural saliva, causing a dry mouth.

Also worth remembering is that the voice is affected by hormones: the time of day as well as the time of the month. Both will affect the dryness of the mouth and the vocal range. Sometimes, I can hit those lower notes better than others.

Choosing the Audio Sample of Your Audio Book for Audible: Mistakes to Avoid

Audible permits up to five minutes of recording time to be sampled by the listener on the site. The audio sample is a vital part of audio book marketing, along with the book blurb and the cover art. What is the best sample to use for your audio book?

Sampling an Audio Book

Selecting your Audio Sample

You have completed and mastered up to ten hours listening time of your audio novel. You have uploaded your sound files, cover art and blurb onto ACX. But what about the audio retail sample? Choosing the wrong sample could cost you sales. So what is the best sample to choose from such a lengthy recording?

Consider choosing a sample that could be listened in isolation yet still make sense to the listener. Remember that the listener does not know the story or the characters like you do. Ask a friend or trusted colleague who knows nothing about your book to help you choose. If the sample makes some sense to them, it will likely make sense to a potential customer on Audible who chances upon your audio book for the first time.

Audio Retail Sample on ACX

Consider selecting a self-contained mini scene that has a beginning, middle and an end, yet still leaves questions unanswered. The listener will understand what is going on yet will experience curiosity about what is going to happen next. Take a listen to the audio retail sample of Nora, by Charles J Harwood narrated by Rachel Shirley describing the events after a big night out.

We are thrown into the troubled thoughts of Nancy who once worked in a care home. We instantly learn that dubious things went on that forms the tip of the iceberg. Nancy has neglected to make a police statement after experiencing a horrendous car crash.

The sample closes with the revelation she has done something, but we are unsure of what. Questions arise: What is the full story of the care home? What was Nancy’s involvement with the dubious goings on there? How did the car crash come about? Who was she with? Why is she postponing writing the police statement? What is the significance of this ‘dagger?’ And what is the connection between the care home and the something that she has done?

Consider also the following possibilities:

A scene including two or more people engaged in dialogue, whether it be an argument, confession or telling a secret. Tensions might exist in subtext that may spur the listener to find out more.

A description of a key scene, which might spur an emotional response. This might be the main character facing a fear such as taking exams or meeting her father for the first time.

Or poignant thought processes of a character that may spur the listener to question the trust of the source or question how the character came to these set of beliefs. What has happened to the character to bring her to this point, and how will this impact upon the story?

Don’t Make These Mistakes in Audio Book Marketing

I have heard book samples that include pieces of music, sound effects, the narrator sounding out which chapter we are listening to, and even the copyright details. Don’t waste valuable recording time on these things. An audio book is all about telling a story, whether fact or fiction.

Avoid using a key climactic scene or one that exists near the end of the book. These may act as spoilers that will ruin the story for the listener. Avoid also of choosing a sample that makes no sense to the listener in isolation. Questions must always arise from the sample. This will pique the curiosity of the listener and increase the chances of uploads.

Find out more about Nora by Charles J Harwood on my other site