In the rapidly expanding world of audiobook production, authors are increasingly choosing to narrate their own works. But the journey from writing to professional audiobook narration requires a completely different set of skills. Today, I’m sharing a remarkable voice coaching success story that demonstrates how voice coaching for authors can transform not just an author’s narration skills, but their entire book.
Looking for more resources on voice coaching for authors? Browse my other blog posts or schedule a free discovery call today!
When Authors Become Narrators: A Success Story
The audiobook version of The Missionary and The Mercenary recently launched, and the authors, Derek and Arik Johnson, shared their transformative experience working with voice coach Rachel Alena:“The audiobook version of The Missionary and The Mercenary finally dropped this morning. I wanted to take a quick opportunity to tell you just how much Arik and I appreciate all you did for us with the voice coaching last spring,” author Derek Johnson wrote.What makes this story fascinating isn’t just that they improved their self-narration techniques—the voice coaching process actually led them to completely reimagine their book.
The Unexpected Impact of Reading Aloud
The voice coaching journey revealed something many authors discover too late: what works on the page doesn’t always work when read aloud. As their coach provided a simple but powerful challenge for audiobook manuscript preparation:“After we had our several coaching sessions, your charge/challenge to us was ‘now go read the book aloud to one another’. Well, we started doing that last May and realized we needed to basically rewrite the whole book.”This realization led to a complete manuscript overhaul:
“So, we spent all of summer 2024 on that and leading into the Fall, got the manuscript into a place we could be happy with it forever, and then spent 30 hours (each – but we were there together) at a professional recording studio doing the narration between mid-November and mid-December.”
Voice Coaching: More Than Just Delivery Techniques
What’s particularly striking about this case is how the voice coaching for authors process transcended simple narration techniques. As the authors explained:“But it was YOUR COACHING that illustrated everything for us. The need to rewrite the book again, in preparation for it to be read aloud by us on the self-narrated audiobook…we sure are happy we had you in our corner.”
Why Professional Voice Coaching Matters for Author-Narrators
When authors pursue author-narrated audiobooks, they bring unmatched passion and understanding to their work. However, without proper guidance, this advantage can be overshadowed by technical narration issues. Professional voice coaching for authors offers:- Technical voice skills development essential for long recording sessions
- Perspective on how your writing sounds when read aloud
- Confidence in the recording studio environment
- Techniques to maintain vocal stamina during extensive recording sessions
- Methods to bring characters and emotions to life authentically
The Emotional Reward of Getting It Right
There’s something profoundly moving about hearing your work come to life through your own voice—especially when you know you’ve done it justice:“Seeing this audiobook up on my own car’s dashboard this morning is surreal. And I hope you know how much we appreciate you. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!”
Is Voice Coaching Right for Your Audiobook Project?
If you’re considering narrating your own book, professional audiobook narration should begin with voice coaching as an essential part of your production plan. The benefits extend far beyond just sounding better—as this voice coaching success story shows, the process can elevate your entire book to a new level. Are you planning to narrate your own audiobook? I specialize in helping authors bring their written words to life through their own authentic voice. Contact me to discuss how voice coaching for authors can transform your next audiobook project! Check out the audiobook substack: https://missionarymercenary.substack.com/p/the-missionary-and-the-mercenary-b61 Find it on Audible.Looking for more resources on voice coaching for authors? Browse my other blog posts or schedule a free discovery call today!