The Audiobook Trail

Fiction is typically loaded with characters.  And often, they say things - in other words, they have a voice!  But how does the narrator keep track of them all throughout a long, winding tale?  Today's ride is all about keeping them straight and consistent - it might not be as tough as you think!  Plus, in News: You need to have skill to be a working writer, right?  Well, not everyone agrees...

This week, John takes a deep breath and talks about the dangers of speed...in leisure in general, and in audiobooks in particular.  As our culture continues to mash the throttle, he reinforces the benefits - and artistic necessity - of slowing down to a proper pace.  Plus, you'll want to grab your hanky for a fond farewell to a popular podcast platform. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home!...

How "big" should an audiobook performance be?  Is less truly always more?  Taking examples from film and theatre, John outlines a great way to know which way to go - and reveals the one thing that always reigns supreme in making your choice.  Plus, a sincere apology for a careless remark, and the thrilling moment that several dozen have been waiting for...the big giveaway drawing as we w...

"And the winner is..." This week, John talks about the different awards available in the audiobook world, especially the big one, The Audie Award.  Do we even need them?  Should we chase them?  Also an unpleasant pull from the mailbag, an uber-weird A.I. update, and your last chance to be John's big winner during Audiobook Month! Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.au...

"'K, kid - ya got the job."  That's how we want the audition to end - but are there some good strategies to arrive there?  John offers a few suggestions.  Plus, why Mickey having green ears isn't necessarily bad, and the story of how one actor's relaxed attitude and bold choice ended with the role of a lifetime.  Just 2 weeks left to enter the Trail's #JIAM givea...

We all need healthy, well-defined boundaries, and narrators are certainly no exception!  John opens up about two specific types of boundaries that every narrator should establish - and protect.  Also - June Is Audiobook Month (#JIAM) - and John announces how you can win an Audiobook Trail prize pack! Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

Audiobooks aren't improv - and thorough preparation is the mark of any pro narrator.  Today, John outlines a few industry best practices to get ready to hit REC on an audiobook.  How much is enough? He'll also share a few elements of his personal routine.   Plus a brand new blooper reel!   Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

John "slides in" to the recording booth today, continuing the series on putting together a home audiobook studio.  He shares the two main things that every booth space must address, and dispels a commonly held myth about sound.  He also shares some thoughts about the upcoming long weekend.   Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

Today the Trail gets bumpy, as John opens up with a candid discussion about slumps.  How does the narrator cope when the phone shops ringing?  Who's to blame?  And what's the next move?  He looks back to his Great Slump of '15 for answers.  Also a short news update, including how you can host a fabulous TV talk show in your garage. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www....

Author and narrator Geoff Sturtevant joins John for today's ride, with insights about characters, spelling his name wrong, challenges of being a writer, and his take on machine learning.  Also a brand-new blooper reel, and John delivers a plug for a super-cool new YouTube channel. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

We hit the mailbag for today's topic - character voices!  How are they created?  John shares his personal techniques and tips.  Also, we'll pay tribute to another departed musical legend, plus share an easy way that you can stand up for human-created art. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

John helps you hook-up - your mic, that is!  He shares the 3 critical features your microphone interface must have - and why you even need one.  Also, John lets you in on some great new sci-fi titles that he's got coming up, plus he encourages you to support your local Human, with an A.I. update from a different corner of the art world. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audio...

We live in a review culture - everyone is a critic with a platform today.  In this episode, John reveals some strategies on how to process different types of reviews as a narrator...and as, well, anyone else!  Plus a new blooper reel, an important Trail announcement, and a heartfelt goodbye to a theatre legend. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

The first in a series of episodes about the audio chain in an audiobook studio, John reveals the one thing that producers will demand of your audiobook mic.  Among hundreds of options, what should you choose?  And what should you not choose?  Plus an Audiobook Trail news update, John turning his head from side to side, and more! Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

From his hotel in Times Square, John recaps his experience at this year's Audio Publishers Association Conference (APAC), along with the 2023 Audie Awards.  Also includes a new blooper reel! Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

John welcomes special guest David Matthews, a new author who has just published his first novel, The Pit Dweller .  Matthews is also an experience theatre actor - and has decided to embark on the journey of narrating his own book!  As his director and producer, John chats with David about the writing process, and when it might - and might not - be a good idea for an author to also narrate. Send us...

The Trail gets curvy today, as John takes us back in time to explore the history of audiobooks, and how they came to be what they are in today's complex digital marketplace.  He also reflects on his own first memories of the medium.  John also reviews some industry news items.  Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

Artificial intelligence (A.I.) is sweeping our world, and as this technology becomes more sophisticated, it has made its way into the audiobook sphere.  An AI novice himself, John listens in on a recent panel discussion about this controversial tech, interacts with ChatGPT, and shares his own personal views about AI as a working human narrator. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.au...

So what is it like being a full-time audiobook narrator?  It is truly the "dream job" that some people believe it to be?  John discusses his personal likes and dislikes about his vocation, and briefly circles back to perspectives on AI - from outer space. Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com

In this very first episode, John introduces himself, and describes what to expect as we ride down the Trail, including the show's first blooper reel! Send us Fan Mail Visit our online home! http://www.audiobooktrail.com