How You Can Prepare Your Manuscript for Audio Narration
Jen B. Green
Note: The terms reader and listener are both commonly used to refer to audiobook consumers, but to help differentiate between visual reading and audio reading, in this article, “readers” refers to visual readers.
You’ve selected your narrator or narrators, agreed to all the technical aspects of an audiobook project, and signed the contract to turn your words into an audio story for your listeners. Now what?
Despite what it may seem, even if it’s already published as a paperback or e-book, your manuscript may still need some work to get it ready for audio, according to voice actors.
When exploring audiobook formats for their work, many authors choose to use the completed manuscript as is. In this case, the original manuscript is exactly what you’ll hear in the audiobook. Others may make small changes to descriptions or dialogue in the story to make it fit the audio format better. Either way, taking a few extra steps at the start of any audio project to prepare your book can help you get the product you envision from the start and make the process run smoother for both author and narrator.
Pass Your Narrator a Note
Even if you choose not to edit your manuscript’s content before recording an audiobook, providing your narrator with cues and notes beforehand can make their work easier and limit the need for corrections down the road. “Character description and name pronunciation is a plus,” says voice actor Amy Strong. For example, you could include a thorough pronunciation guide, especially for anything made up or words that you want pronounced in a non-standard way. Narrator and producer J.S. Arquin adds, “Pronunciation guides are extremely helpful and appreciated. If you're a Fantasy or Sci-Fi author and don't know/don't care how all of your made-up things are pronounced and want to give your narrator free rein, that is fine too. Those of us who work in those genres deal with that a lot and can handle it, no problem. But if you're particular, definitely provide a pronunciation guide.”
Author Alex R. Crawford provides her narrators with links to recorded pronunciations when they are available. She also includes a list of characters and accents. “If in a series, I will refer back to where they had spoken in a previous book. Additionally, my narrator keeps a sound file of voices used.” This helps with continuity along more than one book and prompts listeners to understand who is speaking.
Another way to aid your narrator in bringing your world to life is to give them key insights into major characters. Author and narrator Elise Hoffman says, “Having a character list is really helpful—knowing which characters are important to that specific book or will be important in the future if it’s a series [and] having a general passing knowledge of their attitude or events that would influence how the author wants them to be presented.” She says giving your narrator advance notice of important or surprising events in the story may also be warranted. “Sometimes—but not always—a heads-up about big events that are system-shockers are good to know. I’ve, more than once, come upon a character death and been shell-shocked. Which can be good! It can definitely work, but if you want your narrator to know, tell them.” Otherwise, she says, the author may get some surprised messages mid-project from the narrator who got invested in the story.
Notes on future plot points in a series or a character’s planned arc can also save your narrator from undue stress as they are making up the voice or accents they will use. If, in one book, a narrator chooses a very difficult voice for a minor character, they are likely not going to be happy if that character is a major part of the next book. Some narrators, like author and narrator Cindy Gunderson, provide their own character sheet for background, pronunciation, and accent for authors to fill out. Crawford has another unique method for providing her narrator with feedback as she’s recording. “My narrator records live on social media,” Crawford says. “I'm able to watch/listen in, offering her the opportunity to ask a question, or me to provide instant feedback if there is a typo … or if there is a particularly difficult pronunciation … or any number of things.”
Audio-Friendly Manuscripts
Reading in your head and reading out loud are very different. If you have the ability, reading your prose out loud can identify repetitive or tricky phrases, such as the “soldier’s shoulders shuddered” or “too close to close the clothes hamper.” Your narrator can probably do it, but making small tweaks to your wording in certain passages can improve the recording in an audiobook. This process can also help you catch long, convoluted sentences that don’t allow for easy breathing or flow. If you can make small changes, such as removing alliteration and shortening and simplifying longer sentences, you can get your book into great audiobook shape by simply reading it out loud yourself.
Another option is audio-first writing—writing the manuscript specifically for audio as a primary format. A blend of traditional novel writing and script writing, audio-first books might avoid dialogue tags with adjectives that could be given in the performance, such as “she said angrily” or “he whispered.” Your narrator’s voice could easily convey that, so having the words as well doesn’t add much to the audio. Punctuation can also provide breathing room in the narration.
In addition, audio-first books allow the author to think about what they might show readers in a text format, like internal thoughts in italics, and how to translate those into audio, such as by muting the voice somewhat or adding another effect to differentiate between internal and external dialogue. When reading, paragraph breaks visually cue the reader that a new person is talking. Audio-first writers can move the attribution before the dialogue to indicate who is talking and help the listener know who is speaking. They can also focus on making dialogue cues more stage-direction-oriented instead of using the attribution “he said.”
Writing for audio first can also allow for easy adaptation into duet-style narration, when two narrators each read a major character in the same production, or full-cast narration, when several narrators portray individual characters rather than one narrator using different voices for each. Duet narration is especially popular in Romance, particularly when a scene or chapter is told from one perspective before switching to the other main character perspective for the next scene or chapter.
A full-cast audiobook could include many narrators and sometimes even sound effects, bringing to mind the radio shows of decades past. Perusing the audiobook bestseller lists, full-cast audiobooks are selling well in many genres. Full-cast audiobooks are likely to be more of a script in format and may require significant revisions if the story is not written for audio first. But some full-cast audiobooks are being produced for popular books alongside a single-narrator version, enabling audiobook fans to choose how they want to engage with the story.
Tip-Top Text
Once your audiobook manuscript’s content is prepared and your notes for the narrator compiled, it’s easy to format the text. “We usually record from a PDF, but delivery format doesn't matter that much, as everything is easily convertible,” Arquin says. While some narrators may choose to highlight, mark in breathing points, or take notes, others simply read through the book. Ensuring adequate time according to your narrator’s needs will allow for sufficient preparation.
Whether you are using your manuscript as is, adjusting a manuscript with small edits, or writing for audio first, listen to your audiobook narrator to find out what steps you can take as the author to make the process run smoothly. Together, you can polish that audiobook project and really make it shine.
Jen B. Green