How to Professionally Record an Audio Book

Looking to self publish an audio book? Make the most of your budget (and save money) by following these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• A budget - the amount of money you are willing to spend for recording and recording supplies
• Script of your audio book
• A reader (this can be anyone - including you!)

1. Print out a hard copy of your manuscript.
2. Determine who will read the manuscript for the recording. It is important that the reader is someone who can speak clearly and at a stady pace - not to fast or too slow. It is also important that the reader is able to read with expression in his or her voice.
3. Time how long it takes the reader to read one page of manuscript. Multiply that time by the number of pages in your manuscript. This will be the amount of time you will need to schedule for recording.
4. Search the internet or your local phone book for recording studios in your area. Such listings are usually found under "recording studios" in the phone book. If searching via the internet, type "recording studios, [your city, state]" in the search engine.
5. Call studios of interest and ask what the studio fee is and for what amount of time (per hour, per half hour, etc.) Compare services and fees of various studios to find the best deal.
6. Once you have chosen a studio, be careful to schedule enough time. Also, be sure to go to the studio before recording to check that the studio and equipment are up to your standards.
7. On the day(s) of recording, bring an unbound script with one sided pages(for easy page turning)and your reader. Feel free to ask if you need a break in the reading or if you would like to stop and re-record a particulat spot. It is your time. Just keep an eye on the clock to make sure your time does not run out before you are finished recording.