Then I thought that it might be interesting to hear about audiobooks from a different perspective, from that of an audiobook narrator.
So I turned to Em Eldridge, the narrator of the audiobook version of two of my own books, “Sanity Check” and “Angel’s Bidding.” Em is a young twenty-something voice-over and narration professional in Los Angeles, and she’s already narrated more than 20 books. Her website is under construction, but you can find samples of her work on it: www.emeldridge.com.
Her thoughts on the unique career of being an audiobook narrator:
Q: Why did you become an audiobook narrator?
Em: “Growing up, I adored the Harry Potter series. My sister didn’t like to read, so I started reading them to her because I NEEDED her to understand why they were so good. I started recording my favorite passages on cassette tapes, so I could check my accents, speed, and clarity. Thinking ‘audiobook narrator’ was an unrealistic career path, I went to college for sound editing. While on a study abroad-type program in Los Angeles, I remembered that reading audiobooks was my passion. So I just went for it and eventually found ACX. I’ve been a professional audiobook narrator for over a year.”
Q: What is your daily work life like?
Em: “I work from home, and right now home is a hot apartment in the San Fernando Valley (Calif.) with traffic noise and three noisy roommates. There are many factors that can distract me from the book I’m narrating. When I’m reading something compelling by a talented author, though, I get sucked into the story and I forget about the heat and the noise and the drama at home. My favorite moment in my career so far was when one of my authors thanked me for narrating his series. His friend is blind, so my performance was the only way he could experience his friend’s book. So that was really neat for me.”
Q: What are the challenges of being a narrator?
Em: “Narrating is a difficult craft! You have to enunciate, but not too much because that’s not how people talk. You also have to be competent with many different accents, because you’ll never know what will crop up in the book you’re narrating.”
Q: Your own reading/listening pleasures are … ?
Em: “My top two favorite narrators are Therese Plummer and Stefan Rudnicki. When I sit down and read a print book, I’ll read fantasy or sci-fi.”
Q: How does a narrator impact a book?
Em: “It’s heartbreaking when a great book is ruined by an incompetent narrator. Especially older audiobooks, when the talent pool wasn’t as large. (So many A-List celebrities read audiobooks now!) Vice versa, a mediocre book can be enthralling if the narrator is talented. The right narrator knows when to take pauses and which words to emphasize. It’s hard to put my finger on, but I know it when I hear it.”
Q: Any tips for those getting started in listening to audiobooks?
Em: “A great way to get into them is to download audiobooks on a smartphone or iPod. Audible is a great website/app, kind of like a Netflix for audiobooks. You pay a flat rate every month and get credits to put toward audiobooks. It’s very easy to use! I put a Bluetooth in my ear, my phone in my pocket, and just listen while doing laundry, dishes, any menial task. I surprise myself with how many books I can get through that way!”
Literary events
Sunday through Tuesday, July 13-16, 7 p.m. each evening, Antioch University Midwest, 900 Dayton St., Yellow Springs: Faculty of the 29th annual Summer Program of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop, including local authors such as Chris DeWeese, Erin Flanagan and Katrina Kittle, will read from and discuss their works. Free and open to the public. See www.antiochwritersworkshop.com for details.
About the Author