Recording the audio version of my novels is so cool, and so incredibly exhausting.
Last week I was in Nashville laying down the audio version of Memory’s Door (e-book, print, audio on pre-order now, will officially release August 6th).
This was my fifth time (I’ve recorded my previous four novels as well) and while this time was the least tiring so far, it still felt like I’d run ten miles at the end of each day. So I slump into a chair, babble incoherently for a few hours, go to bed, and I’m ready for the next session.
The recording process is pretty straightforward. Most times I simply read till I screw up. The engineer backs up the recording five or six words, I hear it in my headphones and when it gets to the point where I stopped, I jump in and keep going. It usually takes four days to voice the entire novel.
Producer Gabe Wicks, me, engineer Ben Holland
Some narrators read books straight. Me? It would be a lot easier, but I’ve chosen to do different voices for each of my main characters and 90 percent of my minor characters. And I love that my publishers have me read my own books because I know where the beats go, what should be emphasized and what shouldn’t.
Do you listen to audio books? If yes, does it make a difference if the author reads them or not?
Christians Read 
I listen to audio books a lot when my eyes just get too tired after spending the day on the computer writing and reading. My nose is in a book so much of the time when I’m not on the computer and my eyes just get strained. Audio books are the answer. I like listening to books when we’re traveling, too. That is all to say, yes, I love it when the author reads his own book.
LikeLike