Narration Industry Knowledge Resources

Top 10 Tips for New Audiobook Narrators

Pozzy

Breaking into audiobook narration is exciting and rewarding, but it can also feel overwhelming. Between learning audiobook acting technique, managing home studio tech, and managing your time, there’s a lot to learn, and no single roadmap fits everyone.

But the good news? Every narrator you admire started exactly where you are now - with a mic, a story, and a desire to do the work well.

To help you navigate the waters, we’ve compiled our top 10 tips for new audiobook narrators. These practical tips will not only boost your confidence but also set you up for long-term success in the audiobook industry.

1. Invest in Professional Coaching

Coaching is one of the fastest ways to start and grow your narration career. A trained coach can help you:

Develop believable, sustainable character voices
Strengthen performance fundamentals
Understand genre expectations
Build audition technique
Avoid developing bad habits early on

Coaching today also often includes guidance on branding, networking, and navigating the business side of narration. These skills narrators didn’t need a decade ago, but you do today.

Be sure to vet the coach you are working with to ensure that they are a professional and are up to date on the industry. They should have a decent number of books narrated and be confident in their ability to give actionable feedback.

Many coaches offer an introductory call to see if it’s a good fit. Finding a coach who matches your personality and learning style will make it a successful and fruitful experience for you both.

Pro Tip: Find a coach who specializes in audiobook narration (not general VO). You can check out the NarratorsRoadmap for a list of excellent coaches.

2. Master Your Home Studio Setup

If you want to succeed as an audiobook narrator, your home studio is your lifeline. Publishers expect clean, consistent audio that stands confidently next to seasoned professionals.

You’ll need:

A sound-treated space (acoustics matter more than gear)
A quality XLR microphone (USB mics aren’t industry standard)
An audio interface
A DAW such as Reaper, Audacity, or Twisted Wave
A reliable headphone or speaker setup
A quiet room to put this all in

Remember: even the best mic can’t overcome a poor recording environment. Don’t rush out to buy the most expensive mic or fancy booth. If you can, test multiple mics to find the one that best suits your voice. And many DIY booth-building tutorials can give you a solid place to start.

Pro Tip: Book a booth check with an audiobook engineer, such as Georgethe.Tech. A one-time evaluation ensures you’re meeting industry specs right from the start.

3. Develop Consistent Vocal Care Habits

Your voice is your instrument, and your career depends on it. Establish vocal routines early:

Hydrate well (water is the best voice care tool you have)
Warm up before sessions
Rest between chapters or sessions
Avoid throat-drying foods and beverages before recording
Pay attention to vocal fatigue and don’t push through strain

Take precautions to care for your voice and schedule your projects so you don't overtax it. Your listeners deserve your peak performance maintained throughout the whole book.

Pro Tip: Try warmups like humming, lip trills, light articulation exercises, and breath control to prepare your voice and prevent fatigue during multi-hour sessions.

4. Script Preparation Matters More Than You Think

Don’t record blind. Prep isn’t optional in today’s industry. It’s your roadmap. It’s your chance to understand the story, characters, tone, and pronunciation needs before stepping into the booth. This is especially important when working with a co-narrator so you both are on the same page.

Effective prep includes:

Reading the full manuscript
Tracking characters, vocal traits, and relationships
Identifying words to research
Checking accents or dialect clues
Making note of pacing shifts, emotional beats, or POV changes

Understanding the book's arc and the characters ahead of time is essential for consistent performance. Your job as an audiobook narrator is to bring the book to life as if it’s your first time reading, but with the knowledge you have, you can guide the listener on the journey.

Pro Tip: Pozotron’s Script Prep Tools can help automate:

- Character lists
- Pronunciation lists
- Foreign/complex word flags
- Character voice samples

It’s prep support that saves hours and keeps things organized.

5. Pacing Is Everything

New narrators often rush. But audiobook listeners expect clarity, intention, and emotional space, not speed.

Keep in mind:

Listeners can adjust the speed themselves, so your delivery should be clear and precise.
Your delivery should serve the story, not your nerves
Pauses matter. A well-timed pause can guide emotion, tension, and transitions. An intense scene can benefit from slowing down, even though the tensions are high. With proper prep (see point 4), you will know what decision is best for the scene.

Audiobooks are meant to be savored, with pacing that lets listeners absorb and understand the story.

Pro Tip: Practice reading slowly outside the booth. Slow, intentional reading can help you retrain pacing habits.

6. Embrace Mistakes And Learning to Catch Them

No narrator performs perfectly. Mistakes happen, even to award-winners. The goal isn’t to eliminate errors; it’s to catch them or match them.

While proofing is not something narrators generally do themselves, you’re responsible for delivering clean punch-and-roll workflows to make editing smooth.

Punch-and-roll is the industry standard because:

It keeps files clean
It reduces editing time
It maintains flow and consistency
Publishers expect it
If you use open-roll or clicks, always clean files before sending them off.

Your job is to catch what you can in the booth as you record and punch in at the right spot to redeliver the line. If you do miss some (and you will), then your job will be to match the tone, pacing, and voice as a pickup.

Pro Tip: Pozotron’s proofing tools can also help identify misreads and consistency issues after recording.

7. Learn to Embody Characters, Not Just Voice Them

Character work is more than changing pitch. It’s about intention, personality, rhythm, and emotion.

To build strong characters:

Look for physical descriptions or emotional cues
Track relationships and evolution over the book
Choose sustainable voices you can replicate
Never apply accents unless they’re explicitly stated or requested

In most genres, you want to deliver believable and realistic character voices. Work with a coach to expand your skill set and learn how to differentiate voices beyond simply pitching down for masculine voices or high for feminine voices. It’s about delivering the lines as that character’s personality and vocal descriptions, not simply a gender or accent.

Pro Tip: Narrators often keep reference audio clips for each character. Pozotron’s Character Voice Guide lets you store voice samples and notes so you stay consistent, especially across long series.

8. Breathe. Yes, Really.

Breathing is one of the most overlooked skills for narrators. Controlled breathing supports pacing, clarity, and vocal endurance.

Remember:

Breath is natural, don’t delete every breath.
Aim for quiet, controlled inhales
Use your diaphragm and posture to support during long sentences
Stop and breathe before you run out. Don’t race the punctuation

If you find your breaths distracting as you listen back to your audio, take time out of the booth to work on your breath control, so you’re not gasping for breath in the booth. While you can reduce the breaths in your DAW, it’s best to get a handle on it at the source - your diaphragm.

Pro Tip: If you tend to run out of breath in long sentences, practice reading aloud while focusing on where you take your breaths. Use punctuation as a guide, but also don’t be afraid to breathe regardless of the punctuation.

9. Accept Constructive Feedback

Feedback is part of being a professional narrator. It’s not a judgment of your talent. Directors, coaches, publishers, and peers all help refine your performance.

Look for feedback from people who:

Understand audiobook narration
Have industry experience
Can offer actionable advice rather than vague opinions

Whether you're submitting samples for auditions or working with a director on a project, be open to feedback. It’s how you grow! Everyone starts somewhere, and constructive criticism will help you refine your craft.

Pro Tip: Build community. Join narrator groups, attend workshops, participate in listening groups, and surround yourself with narrators who want to grow. Peer support and shared experience are invaluable.

10. Stay Consistent and Keep Learning

Great narration careers grow slowly and steadily. Consistency builds confidence, skill, stamina, and reputation.

You’ll develop:

Better pacing
Stronger character choices
Improved stamina
Industry connections
A recognizable and reliable brand

Regular work will lead to gradual improvement. The best narrators didn't become pros overnight; they put in hours of practice and learned from every project.

Pro Tip: Join professional organizations such as the Audio Publishers Association (APA) or the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association (PANA) to access resources, webinars, and community support. These organizations help you grow both creatively and professionally.

Final Thoughts

Starting your audiobook narration career can be both thrilling and intimidating. But with the right tools, training, mindset, and support, you’ll build skills and confidence that make each project smoother and more rewarding.

Your voice is uniquely yours. Lean into what makes you stand out, stay open to growth, and keep practicing.

And if you want help streamlining prep and production? Pozotron is here to support your workflow every step of the way.