Audiobooks
Please browse the services listed below and ask me any clarifying questions you think of—at the end of the day, I want you to book what you truly need so we can work together to make something awesome!
NOTE: Any of the services below can be used for auditions as well as full audiobooks—I’ve worked with one narrator on many auditions and it’s amazing the difference a couple of questions or notes can make in a performance
Definitely MY setup and not a stock image…
Live Services
For all live services, the below rate covers our live work only—If you’d like me to read the script ahead of time so that I’m prepared to give meaningful direction, please book me for script prep as well. At that point we can discuss how deeply you want me to dive into the text, from a simple one-time read-through so I know where the story is going to a full literary review so I’m deeply familiar with the overall tone and plot along with individual character arcs
This is by no means necessary: I’m happy to see it for the first time while you’re narrating, and will still be able to offer meaningful direction if you want it
Process:
When booking:
Specify which service(s) you’d like and whether you’d like to schedule a call before recording to discuss your preferences and test all the technical things
Prior to first session:
I’ll send a zoom link for you to dial in and share your screen while you record
You send the recordable pdf ahead of time; I’ll be muted unless calling hold for whatever reason
Prior to recording, we’ll discuss your preferences:
Proofing: What level of precision you’re looking for on misreads–incorrect, missing, or added words; minor mispronunciations–as well as accent consistency or other considerations for each project
Direction: What level of direction you’d like. I was an actor long before I started directing and my style is to ask questions or throw out ideas when I hear something that might throw an audio listener, or moments/opportunities to raise stakes in fiction or to make a point clearer/more impactful in nonfiction
Body doubling/emotional support: Would you like feedback along the way, or do you want to Get Through The Book—no wrong answers! Also, let me know how YOU prefer to be motivated: do you want a Drill Sergeant or a cheering squad? I will never give a compliment I don’t mean, never fear, but I’m happy to adjust based on what you need (and I know this may change throughout the day!)
Live Proofing & Direction
$25 per hour
No script prep on my part, will be seeing text the first time when we record
Proofing only: will listen as you read for any misreads–incorrect, missing, or added words; minor mispronunciations–will call “hold” and give correction
Note: If your producer is providing you time in an independent studio with an engineer, but no director, this is an option; the studio can provide me a link to dial in remotely to sit in on the session
Live Engineering & Direction
$30 per hour
In addition to live proofing, I will operate your DAW remotely through the Zoom call
Notes:
I’m currently limited to Twisted Wave and Reaper, but am working to learn Pro Tools
Can punch and roll, open roll, or a hybrid
For best results, make sure before our session that your DAW can share sound through Zoom—I can work without hearing playback if need be, but it goes much smoother if I can hear said playback
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I bill starting at the scheduled time and ending when we stop for the day.
Cancellations with 24-hour notice have no charge
Cancellations between 12- and 24-hour notice have a 10% cancellation fee
Cancellations with less than 12-hour notice have a 50% cancellation fee
(can be waived at my discretion)
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Both you as the narrator and I as the Proofer/Engineer/Director need time “out of the booth” to perform at our best. As such, expect the following for live sessions to be part of your billed time (you can always ask for longer breaks if you need them)
For each hour of work, a 10-minute break
For 5 or more hours, one 30-minute break in lieu of a 10-minute break
No session will be scheduled for longer than 8 hours
Pre-Recording: Script Preparation
You send me the recordable pdf, and I return a marked pdf along with a spreadsheet of info as described below—ready for your narrating brilliance!
(samples coming… stay tuned)
Basic:
$1 per page
Turnaround: 1 day per 100 pages
Character List (all speaking roles in the book) with highlight color found in text
All dialogue lines highlighted
Dialogue descriptions underlined in red; e.g. “he mumbled,” “she said quickly,” etc
If applicable, any suspected typos in the pdf marked, with a list including page numbers
Intermediate:
$2 per page
Turnaround: 2 days per 100 pages
All actions from Basic level plus:
Character list will include the following for each character: key relationships, physical description (at minimum, gender and estimated age), and any specific accent or vocal quality mentioned in the text
Three-paragraph summary of the book
Chapter summaries, with a list of all speakers in that chapter
A list of words that may be unfamiliar: rarely used words, region-specific companies or foods, foreign languages. For each, I’ll include the page number it first appears, a definition when pertinent, and at least one link to a credible pronunciation guide
Advanced:
$4 per page
Turnaround: 3 days per 100 pages
All actions from Intermediate level plus:
Literary review of the book geared to help the narrator best capture the author’s work–a deep dive book report of sorts–overall theme, repeated words, parallels, symbols, patterns
The first time I did this was for Kelli Tager when she recorded Flint Kill Creek by Joyce Carol Oates. This is a collection of short stories that had incredibly subtle connections, parallels, and hidden meanings, and it was a joy to go conspiracy-theorist level with the text to give Kelli every tool possible to tackle this incredible work.
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All rates listed are per 10 pages of text; this does not include credits, title page, etc
Any remainder will be rounded to nearest interval, for example if a book is 324 pages, the charge will be the listed rate times 32; if a book is 326 pages, the charge will be the listed rate times 33
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Turnaround times are an estimate only of how long it will take for me to complete the work
If you’re in a critical time crunch I might be able to schedule it outside my usual workday for an extra 50% of the regular rate
Post-Recording: Review
You share a dropbox with your recorded files, I’ll return files and pickups as described below.
Basic:
$30 per hour
Turnaround per recorded hour: 1.5 hours
Will find and delete alt takes and obvious pops
If there is an alt take I can’t use, will provide a pickup list with chapter numbers and time stamps
Intermediate:
$30 per hour
Turnaround per recorded hour: 2 hours
All actions from Basic level plus:
Proofing against text, with a pickup list with chapter and page numbers, and time stamps
Advanced:
$30 per hour
Turnaround per recorded hour: 2.5 hours
All actions from Intermediate level plus:
Checking for specifics requested by narrator: e.g. consistency of a character’s accent, acting continuity, other text-based concerns
Pickup list with chapter and page numbers, and time stamps
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Will bill for time worked, with a 10-minute break every hour included in billed time
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Turnaround times are an estimate only of how long it will take for me to complete the work
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I do not provide post-production engineering: I will remove obvious pops between words and can sometimes cleanly remove them inside words (will mark as a pickup if I can’t), but anything beyond that is outside my skillset
