How to Audition for Audiobooks

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You can find audiobook narrator job auditions using casting databases, audiobook publishing houses, and freelance sites, as well as by networking. 

Casting databases

• Backstage offers comprehensive casting calls for voiceover narrators, including audiobook narrators. Simply filter by production type, choose “audiobook,” and explore your audition options.
• Voices.com is a casting database specifically for voice actors that allows users to search for audiobook auditions. 
• Voquent is a self-styled “production platform made for storytellers” that specializes in native content, languages, and accents. Browse the database for more information on available job opportunities.  

Publishing companies

• AHAB Talent connects top narrators with content creators worldwide. Authors can search a versatile talent pool and run auditions. Created for Penguin Random House, “the majority of auditions are directly offered through relationships with publishers and middleman producers,” says Allyson Ryan, a professional voiceover, on-camera actress, and full-time narrator who’s been working in audiobooks for 17 years. “These relationships are fostered through networking opportunities, including but not limited to SAG/AFTRA, by joining the Audio Publishers Association (APA) and attending their annual APAC conference, applying for their speed-dating opportunities, and attending their Narrator Social events.”
• Audible’s ACX platform urges talent to “use your voice to bring stories to life and generate income.” You can start to audition once you’ve created a profile and identified the jobs you’re interested in—then, all you have to do is record and submit your samples. If you’re selected by an author, you’ll work together collaboratively to create the finished product. Once finalized, you’ll be paid upon completion, by finished hour, or via monthly royalties. Be aware that working with ACX requires you to handle the production as well as the narration. 

Freelance sites

• Sites such as Fiverr and Upwork allow aspiring audiobook narrators to create a profile, find job opportunities, and connect with potential clients. 

Networking

• Professional Audiobook Narrators Association: At PANA, “membership will get you educational and networking opportunities,” says Ryan. It also provides meetups with casting directors, meaning the potential for exclusive audition opportunities.
• The Deyan Institute in L.A. offers workshops that connect aspiring audiobook narrators with publishing houses.

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Auditions may vary depending on your chosen outlet but usually will include sending off your demo reel, recording an additional sample, and providing relevant information such as experience and vocal type. Make sure to follow the requirements listed in an audition call to ensure your best chance at success.

• Connecting with a producer: “A producer will reach out to an actor to gauge availability, interest, and per finished hour (PFH) rate,” explains Ryan.
• Recording a sample: “Producers will send anywhere from three to nine pages to record; you typically have three days to turn it around. On occasion, they will send a PDF of the whole book and ask for five to 10 minutes from anywhere in the book. Then they select their top audition picks and send them to the author to decide,” Ryan says. 
  
  “When I expressed interest in narrating the audiobook version of my first novel, I had to record an audio sample for my publishing team so they could hear what I sounded like,” adds author-actor Emily Barth Isler.
• Getting cast: “In the past, producers picked the narrator; now, authors have more control,” Ryan shares. “And a social media following and online visibility are huge factors in decision-making.” 

How is audiobook auditioning different from traditional VO auditioning?

• Acting ability: Audiobook narration requires the ability to perform multiple characters and convey nuanced emotions, so the audition process can be particularly arduous. “For audiobooks, sometimes you will be asked to record a character in a specific accent or asked to record the dialogue between multiple characters, in addition to showcasing your ‘narrator’ voice for non-dialogue portions,” Ryan explains.
• Turnaround time: “The difference is the amount of time you have to return an audition: Audiobooks usually get three days. Traditional commercial VO is the same or the next day,” says Ryan.

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• Protect your voice. “I think having water nearby is a must,” Isler says. “I like to do vocal warmups to keep my voice consistent over the course of long recording sessions. You want to start warm and stay warm so your voice doesn’t sound wildly different from chapter to chapter. Also, you have to figure out how much you can record over the course of a day/session before you start wearing out your voice and, again, making it sound too different.” 
• Research the project. Ryan suggests researching anything that will affect your acting choices. Knowing each book’s genre, authorial style, tone, and characters will help you perform your best. If it’s a nonfiction title, see if you can find the author speaking online to help inform the tone of your read. 
• Make strong character choices. “An experienced book narrator suggested [I] think about character differentiation—it helps to have a way to signal to your audience who is talking,” Isler says. Use your instincts to make strong choices for characters, even if they’re not ultimately the right ones. If you can make the listener care about the characters, they’ll likely want to hear more. 
• Work with a professional. “Employing an audition coach or director is recommended, especially at the beginning,” Ryan says. “Another set of ears is beneficial. Audiobook auditioning is like any other form of acting; submitting consistently strong auditions will keep you on buyers’ radar.” 
• Use available resources. Ryan suggests a subscription to Karen Commins’ Narrators Roadmap to help gain your footing in the audiobook narration realm. SAG-AFTRA also offers a list of resources for audiobook narrators.