Romance Audiobooks discussion
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Publisher Q & A
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Here's mine!Is it true that when the book cover matches on both Amazon and Audible the author had something to say about who narrated it but if the covers were different only the producers of the audio had a say?
Thanks in advance :-)I get frustrated when I am really enjoying an author and find that only the first books are made for audio, and the rest only in hard copy.
What criteria is used to decide if a book should become an audiobook?
Trish wrote: "Here's mine!Is it true that when the book cover matches on both Amazon and Audible the author had something to say about who narrated it but if the covers were different only the producers of the..."
I’m curious about this question, too. From my own SP efforts, it’s not true. But, then as an SPA author, all decisions, i.e., cover, reader, etc., were mine - hardback, paperback, audiobook, didn’t matter. When I see books available on Amazon, it’s strange that they have different covers for different formats, confusing. Maybe it’s a marketing ploy? I’m anxious to hear what the pros say.
Samyann wrote: "Trish wrote: "Here's mine!Is it true that when the book cover matches on both Amazon and Audible the author had something to say about who narrated it but if the covers were different only the pr..."
The reason I asked, Samyann, is because when I asked 2 different authors if one of their books would be on audible they both told me they were auditioning narrators at that moment. I think it all has to do with the publisher/self publishing. Because, really, why would an author write 3 books where men are the MC's (military and undercover cops) and have them choose a bad female narrator for all 3 books. Needless to say, the books on audible are not selling and they're from 2016/17. (Donna Grant's Sons of Texas.) I'd really like to know who chooses and why a narrator is chosen. Does Tantor, Brilliance, whoever, even audition them or do they just hire people off the street because they can read, sometimes that what it sounds like to me.
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My question: Sometimes there is a variation from one book to the next in a series of how loud a particular volume setting is. There is sometimes a change in tone, for want of a better word, where the sound is just different. Rarely these changes even occur within a book from one chapter to the next. Is there a reason for this inconsistency? Maybe a change in studio(s)/production company used? Which would explain why the changes are usually book to book but rarely within a book.
Jonetta wrote: "Members, please refrain from using this topic for discussion. It is meant solely to gather the questions for the Q&A. Otherwise, I’ll have to remove the comments."Gotcha, Jonetta. Sorry.
Why is it that some books in a series are never released in audio?
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Have you ever had to decide that a narrator just isn't working? Is it an audition process so that doesn't happen?
Why are narrators changed in the middle of series? The orginial narrator is wonderful, but the changed narrator is awful.
What's involved in the casting process? Are authors included in the narrator selections?
Do books ever get re-recorded because of a bad choice of narrator?
Why do some series have the first or second book narrated but not the rest of the series?
Are there other narrators who have a specific style that is popular (or specifically avoided), like Kai Kennicott & Wen Ross?
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Why do some series keep switching between narrators? I have refused to purchase the audio for some books in a series because a particular narrator irritates me so much.Does the publisher not care which edition I purchase - audio vs ebook? Sometimes I get both, but definitely not for books with a narrator I dislike.
In a series with several books why are they not narrated in order. Book 1 then book 5 will be narrated but not 2, 3, or 4. Why is that EVER done?
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Not understanding your question...
One series I read most of had a fabulous narrator then all the books were reread and replaced by the author as the narrator. Does the publisher, or Tantor or Brilliance, or whoever, have a say in that?
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I guess I'm asking if the audio companies don't care if the narrators are any good as long as they can read? Don't they care if the female readers make the men sound like girls or if the man have the women sounding like men? I can see that in the beginning of audio books but this is 2017 and I think all narrators should at least try to sound manly or girly, depending on who's reading. Is that clearer or should I just delete the question altogether? ..."
Trish, you can expect both publishers to respond that they do care. They’d be foolish to respond otherwise. Maybe you’d yield a more meaningful response if you phrased it somewhat like this (if this is your point):
“Some narrators seem to perform the voices of the opposite gender poorly but continue to be used routinely. Are those factors always taken in consideration when you’ve received that kind of reader feedback? Are there budget considerations that drive the decision to use lower-rated narrators?”
Trish, I’m trying to get your question answered meaningfully without the publisher resorting to a canned response. I hope this is helpful.
That's perfect, Jonetta. LOL, so here's my question.Some narrators seem to perform the voices of the opposite gender poorly but continue to be used routinely. Are those factors always taken in consideration when you’ve received that kind of reader feedback? Are there budget considerations that drive the decision to use lower-rated narrators?
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Some narrators seem to perform the voices of the opposite gender poorly but continue to be used routinely. Are those factors always taken in co..."
Great, Trish! I’m glad that works for you.
What are the steps involved in producing an audiobook?How do you decide which platforms to offer an audiobook on (Audible, Overdrive, Libro.fm, Audiobooks,com, iBooks, etc...)?
Now that audiobooks are becoming so popular, are you considering more books than you would have previously? Are you considering older books, as well?
I recently listened to part of a series that included not only great character narration by multiple actors, it had a few other types of sound cues like an old radio play might have. It was well done and one of the most engrossing audio reads I’ve ever had. Is this something you have done or might consider for your books? How was it received by readers? If not the full radio play style format, what about more books with multiple readers to improve the quality of the character voicing? How much is scale for the voice actors that are SAG members for a book reading?
How much of a difference does top name reader talent make in the sale or rentals of audio books?
How long does a 15 page chapter, as an example, take to record?
What do the producer and director bring to the production of a book? Are the casting directors for the voice talent a separate person?
Do your publishing houses have “in house” vocal talent?
What do you look for in voice actor for a romance book different than say a work of dramatic fiction or even a work of non-fiction?
Do authors often have to make edits to books for an audio script to “work”?
Are there any authors that just do not want their work in audio format and what are their reasons?
How often are production schedules or contract/money disputes the reasons behind shifting voice talent in the middle of a series?
Many thanks for your willingness to answer questions for us and to Jonetta for facilitating!
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I've noticed on several dual narrator books that the pacing of the male and female narrators is different. The male may talk quite slowly while the female has a normal pace for example. That can be really annoying and it's impossible to adjust the playback speed in this case. Do the audio editors every look for this?
Just one question for me. Why don't you employee Sebastian York more? that man could read a nursery rhyme and it will sound ... great?
1. Is it really true that author read audiobooks are easier to market because readers prefer them? If yes to the first is it true for all those after or just the first book. 2. Is Whispersync actually helpful in the marketing of an audiobook?
3. I noticed as far back as Isabelle Allende's House of the Spirits more than one actor told the story i.e. a man and a woman -- When Is that a preferred method?
Is there anyone who checks on how a narrator does an accent when reading a character who is stated to have a particular one or is that left to the narrator?
Oh god -- that's a great question -- I wanted to ask something related also. I wonder how much of a turnoff a bad accent is and should it just be read straight instead of trying to get it right and failing in a minor characters voice? It is a big problem with a multicultural books.
What do you think is the perfect length for an audiobook?Do you try to release your audiobook at the same time as the book?
How many people listen to the audiobook before it's approved for publishing?
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We are still working on scheduling but in the meantime, we will compile our list of questions and submit it to them in advance. Once we’ve agreed upon a date and time, we will post the Q&A and you’ll have an opportunity to interact with them (separately) for any follow up questions.
Please post your questions below. If you have a question that you want to be addressed by a specific publisher (PRHA or Brilliance Audio), please indicate the publisher name. Otherwise, the questions will be submitted to both. We will close the Q&A on Friday, April 20.