Tanya Eby Writes

Producing an audiobook can be intimidating. There’s A LOT of information out there on this (narrators/authors/readers, if you have a resource, please share in the comments) so instead of digging in deep, I thought I’d dig shallow, if that’s a thing. You know, like a dog trying to bury a bone in a blanket. They don’t really get far, but they seem satisfied with doing it. I’m not sure that analogy works. Better just get to the article.

I thought I’d answer some common questions I get from new narrators who are just getting started, and a little overwhelmed with What To Do. (In my next article, I’ll cover some common questions from writers who are producing their own audio.) In Audiobookland, there are no commandments written in stone (we use iPads anyway), and you can create your career path any way you want to. This is a gentle way of saying: Listen to your gut, honor yourself, and do whatever you feel is right.

When I started this Substack 4 years ago or so, there wasn’t much in the world about audiobook production, narration, etc. in terms of how you do it all and create a career. There was Karen Commins’ Narrators Roadmap (still a terrific resource) but not much more. Now, there is a wealth of information on TikTok/Instagram from narrators talking about their process, to new websites like Audiobook Rush, to other narrators writing their own Substacks sharing information and pointers.

I had a suggestion from reader (narrator/VO artist) Isabella to talk about the calendar of audiobooks. When is it usually busy? When is it usually dead? When should you send emails, and when should you take a break and go on vacation? This is something I’ve been trying to figure out for YEARS. When I’m low on work, is it because no one wants to hire me or is it a slow part of the season? When I send out an email and hear nothing back, is it because I suck, or casting is really, really busy?

Ahhhh. It’s the end of summer. For some, the loss of sweltering days and extensive daylight is a thing to be mourned. For others, it’s a gasp of relief and a celebration of lovely things to come: cold days and nights, less sunlight, spooky stories, leaves changing, sweaters and corduroy, and pot roast in the crockpot. (Can you see the Michigander in me emerging?) For those in publishing, the end of summer means saying goodbye to Fridays off and hello to new pitches, new books, and new productions.

Picture from www.dollyparton.com I’ve been thinking a lot about the passing of Dolly Parton. I’ve listened to her music over the years. I’m not big on country, but I love folk music, and her work resonated with me. I never actively sought out her music, but it seemed to find me anyway. This morning, my social media feeds are filled with her performances, her storytelling, her heart. It’s so lovely.

I’ve been coaching a little here and there, working with narrators who want to increase their visibility or to refine their email reach-outs or come up with steps to grow their business. (You can email Tanya for more information and availability.) The last few clients I met with all had a similar struggle: they weren’t getting work, but they were afraid to reach out. Here are some of the reasons they gave me for being afraid to ask for work: I don’t want to seem desperate.

A reader wrote to me with a question about Mentors. They’d recently been through a mentorship program, but after the program ended, so did the relationship. Was this how mentoring worked? Were their expectations for a career-long relationship realistic? So, I thought I’d talk about Mentors, Coaches, and Accountability Partners (or groups). There are real differences between these three.

It’s just fine to reach out to authors through social media or their websites to establish relationships, especially if they’re an indie writer looking to self-produce an audiobook. It gets a little trickier when you’ve been hired by a publisher for a specific book/author to connect with them. (See the previous article where I say why you shouldn’t reach out to an author when you work with a publisher/producer HERE.) So, if you’re reaching out to an author, what do you say?

In audiobook production, many narrators find work after they’ve made a connection with a casting director by sending them an email reach-out. (Search for reach outs by clicking on the magnifying glass to find these articles where I break down what to include in these emails.) This works great for publishers and producers, but is it okay to reach-out to an author directly for work? The answer is like so many things in Audiobookland: yes AND no.