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Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
MIN READ
Behind the Book is the ASA’s series of articles demystifying the book publishing industry and providing behind-the-scenes insights from industry professionals.
In our latest article, we look at audiobooks – a rapidly growing market in publishing. How is an audiobook made? How long does the production process take? What are some of the challenges publishers face and what do they wish authors knew?
In this article we hear from Veronica Eze, Audio Publishing Manager at Penguin Random House, and Radhiah Chowdhury, Content Development Manager of Australian Originals at Audible.
If your publisher has agreed to publish an audiobook edition of your book or your manuscript is commissioned specifically as an audiobook, you’ll be pleased to hear that, according to Veronica, ‘Producing an audiobook is a very collaborative process!’
Typically at a traditional publisher, ‘The audio process starts roughly midway through the editorial process, when the manuscript is shared with the audio production team for them to start scoping schedule, production, and casting,’ says Radhiah.
‘Producing an audiobook is a very collaborative process!’ Veronica says. When it comes to who is involved, the main players include the author, publisher, and editor of the text, as well as a production manager or producer, director (‘Usually the lead or assistant producer, or the recording engineer,’ says Veronica), the narrator and their agent if they have one, and the recording engineer. The post production team includes an editor/editing engineer and/or a proofer, and a team for metadata and retailer distribution. Radhiah says, ‘Key figures vary widely between different companies… depending on the organisation, these roles are either managed in-house or through third-party production partners.’
Veronica shares that the publisher and editor will brief the producer and supply them with an early set of pages to read ahead of casting. Sometimes casting will be external, involving agents and actors, but other times the author will narrate their own book. According to Radhiah, casting usually takes place around 2-3 months before production commences.
‘Once it’s been cast and recording dates confirmed, it’s a matter of liaising with the narrator on their prep and providing any supporting material they might need, such as a pronunciation guide or character notes,’ says Veronica. Radhiah notes that the narrator is usually given around 2 weeks to prep after they receive the script, and clarify any questions they have.
Recording is the next step, which Radhiah says, ‘Can take anywhere between 3 and 10 days depending on the length of a book, then post-production is roughly another 2-3 weeks.’
Post-production involves engineers who will edit, quality check, and master the files, getting them ready for delivery to retailers for the public to enjoy. ‘The aim is always simultaneous publication with the print and ebook editions of any new release,’ Veronica says.
The length of the process can vary depending on the requirements of the specific project and how it fits within the publishing house’s general schedule and editorial schedule. Veronica tells us that at Penguin Random House Australia, ‘Producers will typically start working three or four months before publication day.’ This is when a range of pre-production work will start, such as script reviews and casting.
For Radhiah, whose team at Audible commission and develop projects specifically for audio, timeframes are a little different. ‘These titles might go on to have a print life afterwards with a traditional publisher, but they are scoped solely for audio,’ she says. Compared to the longer timeframes of traditional print production, there is only around 12 months from the commissioning stage to production. ‘Casting can begin as early as at the structural edit stage, and there’s usually a month or so between final script readiness and starting production. We allow up to 4 weeks for post-production and delivery,’ says Radhiah.
In terms of the recording of the audiobook, Radhiah details that while it depends on the needs of each project, ‘It’s a roughly 6-week process – up to 2 weeks for recording, and then up to 4 weeks for post-production.’
‘I would say most genres suit the format!’ Veronica says. ‘There might just be instances when a particular style choice or element of the plot might work best in print and e[books], but that also applies in the reverse – there are books that lend themselves to audio incredibly well.’
Although she observes stronger sales performance in audio for crime, personal development, and biography/memoir books, Veronica clarifies, ‘That’s just in general though, there will always be exceptions.’ She also notes that there are specific genres that are challenging to translate into audio like cookbooks, art or design books, and coffee table books.
Interestingly, Radhiah notes that self-development and wellness titles perform well in terms of people starting the books, but they tend to have low completion rates. ‘It’s fiction that keeps listeners engaged the most, specifically commercial crime/thriller, romance, and science fiction and fantasy,’ she says.
Radhiah adds that, ‘Literary fiction doesn’t track particularly strongly, and this is likely because the books are very intentionally written for print rather than with audio in mind.’
There is also a new category of books being produced only in audio form, such as the originals Radhiah’s team produces at Audible. At Penguin Random House Australia, Veronica shares that they have also begun publishing audio-only books. She says, ‘These exclusives are stories that have been written for audio, so from the outset the author is considering how it’ll be heard rather than read.’
‘We pride ourselves on matching the right voice to each book,’ says Veronica. Before anyone is cast, she says the producer has to assess how many narrators are needed and if there are any requirements of the narrator that need to be addressed such as accent, language, or pronunciation considerations. After auditions, they will discuss next steps with the author and publisher.
Radhiah says that the casting process changes significantly depending on the organisation. At Audible, ‘We always cast with the story at the forefront of every decision – who is the right voice to tell the story?’ she shares.
When it comes to authors taking on the role of narrator, Veronica says, ‘Casting is always handled on a case-by-case basis, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to whether an author should narrate their own work.’
Certain genres, however, are better suited to being narrated by the author. This is generally true for non-fiction, where Veronica explains, ‘An author’s voice can bring authenticity and personal connection. This is especially true for memoirs, when an author has an existing audio or media presence, or is a recognised expert on the subject matter. In those cases, listeners often value hearing directly from them.’
Radhiah agrees and says, ‘I would certainly advocate for author-narrators in non-fiction – they are the subject matter experts and their familiarity with their work brings a level of accessibility that listeners benefit greatly from.’ Radhiah also notes that author-narrators are frequently the choice of publishers when it comes to non-fiction, with budget also being a factor as it is more cost effective for authors to narrate their book over an actor.
Alternatively, when it comes to fiction, the stories often benefit from having a professional voice actor as a narrator. ‘In the fiction space, I strongly believe actor talent are the best option for audio storytelling,’ says Radhiah, noting that trained actors tend to make better, more instinctive and talented choices.
Veronica believes that narration is a skill, so having a professional actor narrate a fiction book can help bring the characters to life for the listeners, as actors are trained to make instinctive decisions and sustain their performance over hours of audio.
‘Ultimately, it’s about what best serves the listener’s experience,’ says Veronica.
There are also now new considerations that producers are increasingly having to take into account when casting, especially when it comes to projects with a high profile. Radhiah notes such considerations are common across entertainment from stage and screen to music, and include, ‘An actor’s social media profile, their connection to the project, and their openness to promote the project upon release.’
‘There is always a conversation between the producer and the author about narration,’ says Veronica. ‘That includes how many narrators might be right for the project, the type of voice or voices that would best suit, and the overall approach to casting.’
In Radhiah’s experience, ‘This is up to the discretion of the publishers. Some invite input, some do not… while author feedback can often be very useful, especially if there are particular sensitivities around specific characters or plot points, authors are often not aware of the myriad other considerations that are in play when it comes to audiobooks, including basic logistics like artist availability, budget constraints, and how quickly/efficiently an actor can get through the work.’
The most consistent challenge is that the majority of writers are not considering the audiobook format when they’re writing, Radhiah explains. ‘Overlong sentences, missing dialogue tags, confusing formatting, over-reliance on emails and/or text messages – these are all things that impact an audio performance and require producers to make specific choices that remain true to the author’s vision yet allow for a smoother recording,’ she says.
According to Radhiah, the other challenges of audiobook production are the same as those found in the publishing industry in general – budget constraints, scheduling, navigating multiple stakeholders, and measuring success. Veronica shares that, ‘The biggest challenge is often aligning editorial timelines with narrator and studio availability, especially during our busiest production periods.’
Radhiah also notes that, ‘The Australian publishing industry is still very much behind the eight-ball when it comes to fully embracing audiobooks as a core part of the publishing business, which includes investment in production and promotion – we’re still doing basically nothing to market audiobooks specifically, and very delayed in understanding (as an industry) what new audiences and storytelling possibilities are unlocked with the audiobook format.
‘That audiobooks aren’t just an extension of the print edition – they’re their own
format, with their own strengths and opportunities. A well-produced audiobook can offer a very different experience and it touches on that timeless tradition of storytelling through voice,’ Veronica says.
She notes that audio is an exciting and fast-growing space, which provides new ways to connect with listeners, and makes reading accessible to people who have otherwise not been able to engage with books.
‘To an even greater extent than print publishing, audiobook production is a deeply collaborative creative process. The author’s words are the foundation of the project, of course, but then layered over that are the artistic interpretations of the producer, engineer and narrator, and all these things come together to create a storytelling experience that can be markedly different to the act of reading a book solo,’ Radhiah says.
She knows it may be scary for authors to relinquish creative control, but says there are benefits that come from the process, which can result in a more enriching experience for not only the writer, but also the listener.
Radhiah also urges writers, especially those writing commercial fiction, to think about how their writing will translate into audio, and to listen widely in that space. ‘There are some incredible things that can be done with tone, pacing, and characterisation when you take the spoken format into consideration – audiobook narration can play a pivotal role in how we build tension, flip audience expectations, and create intimacy beyond words on a page,’ she says.
She harkens back to some age-old and valuable advice for writers, ‘Even doing something as simple as reading your work aloud will give authors a finer appreciation of sentence rhythm and the nuances of intonation, and also build a greater understanding of how your words can be interpreted when read aloud.’
If you have more questions about the publishing industry and what’s involved in producing an audiobook, you can seek professional advice through the ASA’s free Member Advice Service.
