THE VOICE OF THE BOOK
Defying a downward trend in book sales across much of the traditional publishing world, the audiobook market has seen a meteoric rise over the past few years. According to Publishers Weekly, audiobook sales rose nearly 25 percent in 2018, totaling almost $1 billion. This trend follows an increase of over 22 percent in 2017 and 18 percent in 2016—ultimately six straight years of double-digit growth—and this runaway train doesn’t appear to have slowed in 2019. General fiction and genre fiction lead the charge, though nonfiction isn’t far behind. One in five Americans reports listening to audiobooks.
With publishers releasing tens of thousands of new audiobooks per year and indie authors joining the charge, there’s now an opportunity for talented narrators to bring these books to life. Plus, platforms like ACX and Findaway Voices have made it practical for self-published authors to release audio versions of their books.
WD spoke with three seasoned voice actors who provided insights into the narration process, their experiences in the business, and thoughts on how the industry has changed over time, both for books and the professionals who read them.
NARRATIVE BEGINNINGS
Simon Vance has narrated more than 800 audiobooks, from classics like Paradise Lost, Sherlock Holmes stories, and Frank Herbet’s Dune to blockbusters like Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles series.
