How Did You Get Started In Audiobooks
New series introducing you to 100 + audiobook professionals and how they got started. Part 1.
There are many paths to an audiobook career. Here’s a little inspiration from people who are doing it.
I asked working narrators (and other audiobook professionals) how they got their start in audiobooks, when they started, how many titles they’ve recorded, and any words of wisdom/inspiration they have to share. I have listed their responses in the order I received them and only edited the responses if they were over the word count.
I had such a great response (about 100 so far) that I am breaking this series up into four (or more) posts. Here is the first. Enjoy these snippets and remember that there are many ways to go about your career, many timeframes, and many different experiences.
HOW I GOT STARTED…
I recorded my first demo about 25 years ago. (I talk a bit about it in THE NARRATOR’S HANDBOOK.) After some colossal failures in the beginning I figured things out, adjusted, pivoted, learned more, and came back to it in after moving home from NYC in 2002.
First book recorded 1999. Part-time recording 2002. Full time recording 2007. 1200 + titles under Tanya Eby and Tatiana Sokolov.
INSPIRATION: Stop waiting for permission. Create your own path.
Got interested in VO generally during pandemic, then recorded the first book I ever auditioned for and fell in love with the art.
Started in 2020
INSPIRATION: It takes time to find your own voice.
In a vortex of ACX auditions, scam Animal Crossing handbooks, and hand-done editing agony, I had a fairly slow start to audiobooks. Though I got my first project after a few ACX auditions, it took me six months to finish, and it exhausted me. I'm happy for that, because after stepping away, I came back and decided to focus on auditions that brought me joy instead of being everywhere at once. Even when my sources of work expanded, that discernment helped me build a portfolio of books I loved.
First job booked: June 2020. 150+ titles since
INSPIRATION: Find your unique voice and focus on your craft.
Long time audiobook listener and fell in love with Davina Porter’s superb narration of my favorite series ‘The Outlander’. As I approached retirement in 2021, I wanted to venture into audiobook narration. With good advice from Andi Arndt to start out volunteering as a narrator with LibriVox, I then signed on with VoiceCoaches to get initial assessment and came up with two demos! Then what do I do? I joined ACX and started with my first coaching sessions with Sean Pratt.
2021 with 40 books
INSPIRATION: You got to love the journey and always know that your voice is your authentic brand
In 2015 I left my day job to stay home with my mom. When the pandemic hit I decided to venture into VO work since I had worked in radio. My first audiobook was completed in 2021. While auditioning & waiting for VO breakthrough I kept going allowing me to work from home and be a FT caregiver.
First book completed in 2021 and as of 2025 closing in on 40 performances.
INSPIRATION: Once your “studio” is set up invest in: 1) an hour of paid time with a professional audio engineer. Don’t attempt to configure all those audio settings yourself; 2) acting coaching as it’s not all about having a good voice.
I started off with auditioning on ACX, got a few titles under my belt, then got lots of coaching and when I felt confident enough, started reaching out to publishers/production companies.
I started in Jan of 2021 and as of today I have roughly 150 titles narrated.
INSPIRATION: If you're truly passionate about this as a career, don’t give up! It will take hard work, determination, and tenacity. You won't get everything you audition for and there will be a lot of no's, but it will make the yeses feel that much more of an accomplishment.
I had about thirty years of broadcasting experience under my belt and when I left Sirius XM Book Radio, I began to write full time. I interviewed many narrators and thought I had the goods, so I began with my own books.
My first audio book was released in 2017, and since then I have recorded 7, with 8 on the way.
INSPIRATION: Slow down! (That was the advice I got through my entire broadcasting career and it still holds true!)
During Covid I took the SuchAVoice online VO course and set up my booth. In 2023 I signed up for VOMP, a VO marketing company that sends out promotional emails for you. From this I was contacted by a publishing company in New England and was placed on their roster.
2023. I've narrated 14 books. Here is the Amazon link to my list of books: amzn.to/4fjB1Cl
INSPIRATION: If you want to build up your resume you can try ACX and do a couple of books through them for RS, royalty share only. They are relatively easy to audition for. Those books will not sell well so your return will be unimpressive, but you will get the experience, gain knowledge of how the whole process works, get your feet wet in audio editing and mastering, gain insight as to how long it takes to produce an hour of audiobook, build up your comfort level with regard to your ability to perform different characters and/or accents, give you an understanding of your pacing and ability to fit this work into your daily life, and in the end you will have a few books for your resume so you can feel confident in auditioning for PFH work.
As a kid I'd be bored on family vacation road trips and listen to my Sony Discman and make up stories in my head entertaining my mind. At some point that fun creativity went dormant as Life happened. During the pandemic my day job burned me out so I rediscovered my love of storytelling and reading and finally let myself pursue VO. I listened to podcasts and tried improv.....I fell in love with storytelling again and am on my Audiobook and VO journey with 6 books under my belt and continue to get coaching and grow as an artist.
I started researching VO in 2020 and currently have 6 books under my belt with 6 more currently lined up.
INSPIRATION: Yes. I'd highly recommend listening to Crispin Freeman's Voice Acting Mastery podcast episodes 1 through 100 before a person goes out and buys equipment. He talks about how difficult this field can be and how VO needs to be an obsession in order to have the resolve to keep pushing forward. This was very powerful to me and helped me take my first steps. Also....coaching coaching coaching.......never stop learning, practicing, making bold choices, and telling stories from a grounded authentic perspective that's true to you.
Did theater but then got married/had kid. Shifted to VO. Coach suggests I do voices.com just to practice auditioning. Booked 5 romance novels that paid for my new kitchen floor. Had no idea what I was doing.
2016. Between all my pseudos, over 400.
INSPIRATION: Don't be intimidated to just start. Be ready to read about best practices and learn from the knowledge of veterans.
I answered a Craigslist post for staff narrators ($15/studio hour, hahaha) for a small Oklahoma vanity publishing company and got hired because I knew Bible pronunciations (which I then never needed). A few years later in NYC, a church friend heard about those three months I'd been an (untrained) audiobook narrator and, after listening to my (terrible) samples, decided to get me an audition for (paid!) NLS work at two studios in NYC and CT. Five years and 350 books later, a coach helped me transition to commercial audiobooks.
2010, technically. At this point it's over 800 titles total.
INSPIRATION: The arts don't have a corporate ladder, just a rock climbing wall. The route up for you may not look like anyone else's, and that's okay! Just keep finding the grips that fit YOUR hands, and keep getting coaching until you find you trust your instincts in the booth.
I'd started doing commercial, corporate and industrial voiceover, was curious about audiobooks and did a workshop with the brilliant Peter Kenny and Penelope Rawlins who, bless their hearts, thought I showed promise. I got started volunteering for Libravox.
2016, 40-50 books so far...(2 in production at the moment)
INSPIRATION: I started life as a Singer, Dancer and Actor, then worked in IT and Banking for 25yrs before returning to 'my roots' via voice acting. All of your life experience is valid and useful!
Angelina Rocca
I had just left my job as a journalist working in network news, in my 40s and burned out from years of 3:30 a.m. shifts, Covid shutdowns and managing small kids. In an effort to figure out what was next, I took an intro to audiobook course and impulsively auditioned for an alien romance on ACX. I fell in love instantly. I threw myself into it, did as many coaching sessions and open studios I could, networked, auditioned and hustled on social media.
I started in June 2022. I’ve record about 175 books since then.
INSPIRATION: Get coaching. Practice. Listen. Practice some more. And build relationships with your peers. This community is beautiful and unlike any other. It’s never too late. I started this work later in life and have never been more successful or fulfilled.
In the mid 90’s I read an article in Smithsonian magazine about Services for the Blind. Loved the idea of narrating material, and I wrote a letter on how to get involved ...and never heard back. Much later (2016-ish) working in tech, I started an interview podcast and fell in love with creating audio. Got hired to create a branded podcast for a company and later told a filmmaker friend I wish I could get paid for "this audio thing" full time. He suggested voice acting, discovered ACX and the rest they say is history.
Discovered ACX in 2018, have never stopped learning and meeting people and will cross 200 titles this year.
INSPIRATION: Never stop being curious! Be vulnerable - not just in your acting, but be willing to admit you don't know something and ask what it means (e.g. I remember asking what the heck does CRX mean?! )
While completing my CompSci degree at college, I took an Intro to Acting class. The prof mentioned more than once to me that I could ‘make money’ with my voice and it stuck in the back of my mind. Years later, after getting involved in volunteer theatre and also really enjoying audiobooks, I took VO classes from a local company. Once I finished those classes, I borrowed recording equipment from a friend and made an account on ACX. I started auditioning and got a Royalty Share contract from a first-time author.
I got my first contract in Nov. 2014. I am now approaching 100 books released between my real name and pseudonym.
INSPIRATION: The best thing I did in my first year was find a good coach to work with (Sean Allen Pratt). Be humble and invest in yourself by finding a teacher who can help guide you.
I am a retired reading teacher, and when I retired it was my goal to continue my passion for literacy by being a narrator for children's books. As an actor and teacher this was a great combination. I started out narrating several short children's books on a freelance site, and since then have narrated many other genres as well. My first ACX offer was an adult fiction book, rather spicy! I audition on ACX and have gotten some books on pay to play sites as well.
I started my career in 2020, but started working in 2021 upon retirement from my job as a reading teacher. I've recorded over 30 books, many short children's books. Many of the stories I narrated are on a Youtube channel. For adult/young adult books, I've narrated and produced about seven.
INSPIRATION: As a new narrator, don't get discouraged, the right book will come along at the right time and be a perfect fit for you. And if it's not a perfect fit, you will learn more about your craft by doing it!
I'd been a full-time radio personality and voice talent for years when my radio Morning Show contract was not renewed after 17 years (long story) -so dove into audiobooks as a new income baseline. Started with a workshop led by Grover Gardner given at Edge Studios. Grover was really encouraging, so I made a demo, sent it out -got my first gig with Brilliance Audio and flew out to Michigan to record. Since then most of my work has been with Tantor - somehow they reached out to me and helped me refine my home studio (still grateful!). I've done a few self-produced projects, including three books I wrote.
188 so far on Audible website - began in 2006
INSPIRATION: Get good at it first by taking classes and workshops. Learn, practice, be open to change. Be prepared to put in long hours. Choose projects you love, and enjoy the stories and the learning. When work becomes steady, hire others to help!
I volunteered with the Georgia Radio Reading Service for 5 years narrating books, magazines, and newspapers. I wrote to legendary narrator Frank Muller in 1996 and asked him a few questions. He kindly answered and closed with the advice “stick with it!” After taking a voice-over workshop in 1999 from Paul Armbruster, I established my home recording studio. I landed my first audiobook contract in 2002 by contacting publishers listed in AudioFile Magazine. My narration career took off with the advent of ACX in 2011. In 2019, I launched NarratorsRoadmap.com to help audiobook narrators at all levels achieve their dreams.
2002 80+
INSPIRATION: Every moment has meaning. Each day, take 1 step toward your career, no matter how small. Remain positive with affirmations, and be vigilant to think, write, and say what you WANT. Stop the comparisons! Invest in yourself with a web site, a studio, and ongoing training/coaching. As Frank Muller told me, “stick with it!”
I worked in entertainment for many years as a Talent Agent/Casting Director in NYC and Detroit singing on the weekends. After being requested to audition for VO many times I decided to try VO work. I gave myself 2 years. I did many commercials/industrials etc then found Audiobooks. That was 11 years ago, I never went back.
2013 500+
INSPIRATION: Coaching and going to APAC made ALL the difference in my career.
My friend's daughter-in-law, Alyssa Hughes wrote and illustrated children's books which she promoted along with her children's clothing business, Barefoot Baby. I reached out to the author (who knew me already) and suggested that she consider having me narrate the story. It was a 10 minute story. The book, called Just Red, is about a young chicken that arrives at the farm when she quickly learns that compared to the others she is very plain. That is when the Wise Rooster teaches her that outside appearances are not always important. (https://www.amazon.com/Just-Red-Alyssa-Hughes/dp/B096TJMS37). This was my first audiobook where attempted to animate the voices of animals.
I have been on ACX since 2022 and have auditioned for about 30 titles and was selected two more times on ACX but the deal did not come to fruition for different reasons. I still regularly audition for audiobooks on multiple pay to play and free platforms.
INSPIRATION: Ambition and Perseverance are the key attributes. Put yourself on many platforms for visibility (including the voluntary literary narration) services to get your first books. Make a name for yourself and post successes on social media. Don't get discouraged. Keep working at your craft. Your career is always a work in progress.
My homeschooled, now grown son is dyslexic/autistic. I had also taught in public schools for 15 years and became disabled. My son said, “you’ve been reading to me my whole life, you should give this a try!” I researched, got coaching and just did it.
2 1/2 years ago and have 30+ books.
INSPIRATION: Get coaching. You don’t know what you don’t know.
I always wanted to act, but rejection crushed my soul as a teen. When my daughter started school a friend asked me when I was finally going to start narrating. I didn't know. It felt too big, too scary, I hadn't acted for over 10 years. She asked what I needed? Confidence. We found some acting workshops; I went… & my passion was reignited! I researched everything & kept putting myself out there. For the first time in my life I was absolutely fine with rejection. Every rejection was a catalyst to try harder, learn more, keep going. I never looked back!
2018, I've recorded about 160 audiobooks now
INSPIRATION: If narration is truly your passion, then enjoy the whole process! You can't know everything to begin with. It can feel like a steep learning curve, but it is so so worth it when you get to narrate your first book, and then your 2nd and then your 10th, 50th, 100th! Trust in yourself, learn as much as you can. There are soooo many resources available to you now that weren't available to me 7 years ago when I started. Such an amazing wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. Absorb it all. Practice! And most of all, have fun.
I had done voiceovers for years, off and on, and was approached by another voice talent about trying audiobook narration. I never thought long-form narration of any kind was a good fit for me, but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it - nearly from the start. I attended group coaching and individual coaching sessions, learned a ton from fellow narrators through online groups, read everything I could about the craft, and worked my way up to accepting my first offer. That was eight years and about 100 books ago, and I'm still loving narration - each and every day.
I started in 1997 and have narrated about 100 audiobooks
INSPIRATION: Coaching is priority one. Take your time. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon, so be prepared to pay your dues as you continue to learn throughout the years. Success will come if you work long and hard at it.
I was friends with a narrator, and he knew my acting background. He trained me, and brought me in.
My first book released Dec. 8th, 2022, and I have recorded over 50 books.
Stay with it. Learn as much as you can, and leave your ego at the door.
In my previous life as an electrical engineer, I traveled a lot for business and pleasure and I started listening to audiobooks while on the road. I started following some of my favorite narrators and I came across an interview of one of them, Luke Daniels, where he described how he got started, and it dawned on me that this was an actual job people did! I finished up a few very difficult projects and needed a break at that time, and I thought, well, that’d be a cool change of pace. And the rest, as they say, is history!
I created my ACX account in November 2017 and quickly picked up a few children's books. I slowly scaled up over the next several years, eventually going full-time in mid-2019. As of today I've recorded 236 titles!
INSPIRATION: Connect! Connect with fellow narrators--find your people, find people at your level and find people above your level who might become mentors, and meet with them as often and as regularly as you can, be it in person or virtually. Connect with coaches and coach as much as your time and budget can afford! Cultivate a mindset of improve, improve, improve--do better than you did yesterday. Learn to connect with the text. Learn how to dive deep into each story and find the underlying subtext and emotions! Connect with industry professionals--casting directors, publishers and production houses. Follow them on social media if that's your thing, attend workshops and webinars and presentations, reach out to them periodically (but don't be a noodge) and let them know your latest wins, big or small!
A long career in radio news came to an end as radio stations were no longer required to carry news. I was used to talking into a microphone in a studio by myself, so I thought audiobook narration would be a natural transition. My first coach, Sean Allen Pratt, told me I had a great voice reading out loud, but that had nothing to do with being an audiobook narrator. He taught me not to “speak to everyone” listening to the radio, but to just tell a story to one person. I became a storyteller with hundreds of audiobooks narrated.
2009, over 200 audio and videobooks recorded, most with AD and ASL for blind and deaf children for my Nonprofit at https://dcmp.org/producers/1913-imagination-storybooks
INSPIRATION:
My passion is making illustrated books into audiobooks with rich audio description of the pictures. That makes illustrated books available to all children as well as building a ramp to audiobooks for blind children.
More to come! Stay tuned.
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This is amazing! I'm loving reading everybody's starts and inspiration. Thanks for asking everyone to share. 🥰
These are such great stories. I adore how we all came to the biz from all over the place!