Audiobooks are a create tool for any author to help promote their work. Learn how to make your audiobook engaging for an audience.
Everyone is on the go these days and people like to take their entertainment with them. While podcasts are a popular option, more people are consuming books. Well, more audiobooks than print and even e-books. And there’s a big reason why. Audiobooks are the perfect accompaniment when you’re commuting, at work, doing chores, and even when you’re exercising or playing sports.
If you’re an indie author or a publisher, creating audiobooks will open you up to more readers (or in this case, listeners). But how do you create high-quality audiobooks that will engage your listeners? Here’s some advice from the pros!
Engage Them Immediately
All writers know that they need to hook their readers in immediately with a top-notch opening.
If you’re wondering how to create an audiobook, approach it in this same manner. However, a listener is very different than a reader. A listener has to become adjusted to the narrator’s voice and how the narrator navigates the story.
There are different ways to accomplish this. Narrators should try and capture a character’s personality in their narrations. This doesn’t always mean using different voices, but subtle changes in voice can help the listener identify who is talking. If there’s a change in scene or a chapter break, use atmospheric sounds to re-adjust the listener to the next part of the story.
Not only will this help keep the listener engaged but will diversify the audio, avoiding repetition that will bore them.
Speak Clearly
Whether you, the author, are narrating your own book or if you’re hiring a professional narrator, the narration needs to be clear and concise. This is important for several reasons. When you read a book, you can always re-read a section at your leisure. You don’t have that luxury with audiobooks.
Speaking clearly will ensure the listener hears every detail of the story without reversing the audio. Plus, your listeners are likely doing something else while they’re listening to your audiobook. Speaking clearly ensures the listener hears every word while they’re going out for a walk or driving.
Audio clarity also encompasses more than voice. Ensure you or the narrator are using high-quality microphones that catch every word while eliminating background noise.
Get Help When You Need It
There’s nothing better than an author who can read a book and bring their characters to life. But not everyone is born with voice acting abilities. You could be the greatest writer in the world, but if your reading is flat, it will be less interesting and you won’t be doing your book justice. Voice actors are a great way to enhance the reading if the author thinks the book would be better served. But regardless of who reads the book, there’s still a whole other dimension to the audio.
What about the backdrop? What about the sounds that go along with the scene? Your audiobook can be experienced on a brand new level with the proper soundscaping. What is horror without scary music? What is drama without that musical buildup? Music and sound effects create a mood that can enhance what the author is writing about, the same way it’s used in the movies for dramatic effect.
There are audiobook production companies that can create high-quality audio for your work. Don’t miss out on a chance to envelop the listener’s senses with your story.
Do You Need Help With Your Audiobooks?
More people are consuming audiobooks. If you’re creating an audiobook, it’s a good idea to get professional help. We specialize in audiobook production as well as podcast production, music composition, video podcasts, and more. Contact us today to get started.