What it's like to Record an Audiobook

“I’ve tried 3 different professional-level mikes, I recorded in my closet, I consulted an audio professional, and I just can’t get it to sound right. It’s gonna be like $900 to work with a studio and I’ve already spent thousands on this project, so f*** it. I don’t need an audiobook. I can just sell the audio rights later or something.”

“Absolutely not. So what if it’s $900? This is your dream!”

Thank God for my sister. Those words echoed in me—are still echoing. This is your dream. If there’s been any time in my life to go big and swing for the stars, this is it. (And yes, I’m so thankful for the privilege of having another $900 to spend, on top of the thousands I’ve already spent on graphics and trailers, which I’ll detail in another post.)

So I did the thing. I contacted a recording studio here in Huntsville, AL. And got to have the amazing experience of working with an audio engineer, in a studio. LIKE A PROFESSIONAL!!!

The studio was gorgeous. Very modern, very trendy.

Here’s the recording box where I sat to talk. The studio owner, Justin, worked from the editing booth a few windows away, but we communicated through the headphones:

After recording the first three chapters MULTIPLE TIMES from home using the software Audacity, I’d practiced enough to develop a rhythm for speaking and breathing.

It sounds simple. We breathe and speak all the time, right? Yeah, but we don’t monologue at people very often (hopefully) and certainly not while being highly aware of all the little mouth sounds and breath sounds we’re making.

Let me tell you… I had no idea how many distracting, gross mouth sounds I could make while talking. I warned Justin before beginning that he’d have to really work with me on that issue… except, come to find out, apparently I don’t have more mouth sounds than the normal person. Audio mixing is just very, very difficult.

Audio mixing is one of those topics I don’t have an interest in, so I was more than happy (and relieved) to let Justin mix and adjust to his heart’s content. “You’re the professional,” I’m fond of saying to people I commission for work. “I trust you.”

So here’s how it works: I sit in the chair, microphone just inches from my face. I read from the manuscript on my phone. I can see Justin’s desktop from the monitor in the room, so I can easily see when he’s recording or not.

I take a breath… and I start speaking. If I mess up a line, I take a pause, then restart the line from the beginning. Justin marks the file so he knows where to go back and clean up the file later (he completed editing outside of our studio sessions).

A THOUSAND TIMES YES! Through his audio wizardry, Justin was able to make the recording sound… good. No mouth pops, no mouth noises, no heavy breathing, just me sharing the story the way I hear it in my mind.

Okay, it’s not that simple. I have to be mindful of vocal fry, enunciate carefully (but not too much! I definitely have the American habit of slurring my words), decide how much acting I want to put into each character’s voice, and control my breathing.

I fall into the bad habit of inhaling a lot so I can speak for a long period of time, but then carbon dioxide builds up in my lungs and I’m not actually expelling it fast enough, so I feel like I have to breathe in more and more, and my lungs get so expanded but I don’t have enough oxygen and my chest gets so full WHAT IS HAPPENING!!!

It’s a skill, for sure.

The other major thing I have to worry about is keeping my mouth and throat hydrated. This means not taking my prescribed Adderall on the days I record, because it dries out my mouth. As you can see in the video above, I learned to keep savory products with me, like a Celsius energy drink, sour patch kids, and Slim Jims. I could take a quick sip of Celsius to refresh my flesh (sorry, had to take the joke), and on longer breaks chew a Sour Patch Kid or take a bite of Slim Jim.

Speaking of breaks… Justin wisely scheduled me for 3-hour blocks of time. My voice really couldn’t last much longer than that. We fell into a routine of recording for an hour and fifteen to thirty minutes, a five minute break for stretching, walking around, and rehydrating, then driving forward until my voice hit its breaking point.

The manuscript is just shy of 91,400 words.

The first day, during which we spent about half an hour just setting up and testing various settings, I recorded 20,400 words. The second day, almost 30k. The third day, 23,800, and on the fourth day I finished the last 17,200 words, plus recorded the audio for the forthcoming book trailer (!!!)

That’s a total of four sessions of 3 hours each, or 12 hours of commissioned work + the time Justin spent editing.

Honestly? I decided to make a conscious choice not to give in to Imposter Syndrome.

It would be so easy to feel… inadequate. Like, how dare I commission a professional and spend all this time and money on my indie press book? Would Justin be cringing the entire time, listening to me? Will readers be cringing at my voice, or my acting?

It would be safer to avoid all these risks and discomfort altogether, and simply not self-record my audiobook.

But again, my sister’s words echoed in me: This is your dream.

And I don’t want to spend this time not enjoying the fulfillment of the dream and passion I’ve had as a child. I’ve read enough personal accounts from published authors, and authors with long careers, to know that all this will become just part of doing business. Not exactly routine, but… within the scope of a writer’s wheelhouse.

Additionally, having an audiobook makes this story available to readers who struggle to physically read. My sister, her boyfriend, and my partner Steve will never experience this story unless it’s made available in audiobook format. Even if no one else buys it, I’m happy I did this for them. It’s worth it, to me.

With all this in mind, I concentrated on not apologizing every time I messed something up. Justin doesn’t need to hear me say ‘sorry’ dozens of times in a session. I just pause… and restart.

I showed up to these sessions with the mindset that I was the Client, albeit (I hope) an easy-going and collaborative client. And I wanted to make a good product.

I wondered about Justin’s reaction to the story, but ultimately he’s not my target audience, so it doesn’t matter if he enjoys listening to the story or not. (Also, he’d previously only recorded non-fiction and religious audiobooks, so AWAKENED had to be more entertaining than that, right?)

Did I feel awkward reading romantic moments I’d written out loud to a strange man? Absolutely. But that’s just another form of putting my work out there into the world, for it to be judged and discussed. I can’t cocoon myself from being seen any longer.

Publishing a book means stepping outside the safety of the dream of publishing. The dream of how people will react to the story. Like all authors taking this step, I’m exposing myself to discomfort. I can’t even say ‘potential’ discomfort, because this will be uncomfortable.

Telling people about my book and encouraging them to preorder is uncomfortable. Approaching bookstore managers to discuss signings is uncomfortable. Promoting on social media is uncomfortable (and so time-consuming).

But what I want is on the other side of that discomfort. So that’s where we’re going. And I’m so grateful to my sister for encouraging me and reminding me of that fact. Ciera is ten years younger than me, but she inspires and motivates me with her own courage and wisdom of experience. She started her own small business, Ciera Foley Dressage, in an industry similar to writing in that it’s very difficult to break in, and the margins are slim. But she works passionately at her job, and she hustles like a girlboss (sorry, I’m a millenial).

Just look at this content she made to honor one of her sponsors! (That I filmed by the way :-) )

All in all, I’m so glad I had the money, time, vocal capability, and encouragement to get down to the studio and record the audiobook. And I can’t wait to make it available for you to enjoy :-)

June 9th is the tentative publishing date. I’m still finalizing full cover art and text formatting, but I have my ISBNs and a functioning IngramSpark account.

So it’s happening. It’s really, really happening.

<3, Savannah

On the way to the studio! No, the car was not moving when I took this. Yes, I’m still rocking pink hair :-)