Audiobook?
On our Facebook page, we’ve had questions: “Where’s the audiobook?” “Why can’t I find the audiobook version of this series?” And my favorite: just an image of an empty search result in Audible. 😂
My publisher, Ha’ikū Press, is a tiny indie publishing firm and hasn’t had the funding to convert the books into audiobooks. But that all changed this year with the publication of book 3 of the clan MacLaoch curse series. The goal is to have all three in audiobook format by the end of next year (2026).
Now, you may be wondering, why would it take so long? I’m glad you asked! (We love curiosity here.) Creating an audiobook that is pleasant to listen to for 8-10 hours requires skill and a sound engineer. Ever listened to an audiobook and you got distracted because you could hear background noise, their intake of breath, or the moist sound of their mouth moving? Then there’s pacing. Too fast and you have to slow them down; too slow and it’ll need speeding up. But a human who does that sort of work for a living knows the sweet spot. And we want the sweet spot for our readers.
But that’s just the beginning.
What does it take to create an audiobook?
Audiobooks come in several versions:
AI-generated voices that read the ebook text
Author-narrated books
Professionally hired voice actors who narrate the book
We’re looking into option 3.
Initially, I thought I’d narrate my audiobooks and upload them, but then it occurred to me that readers want more books. If I’m spending my working time learning a new skill set, then narrating, and then the hours spent mixing the final product, I won't have time to write more books. And that would make readers sad, (and we can’t have sad readers!) so I’ll not learn the art of audio narration and sound engineering (yet). 😏
Instead, we will hire out the audiobook narration. From the voice artists that are out there, I’m really excited. Some folks can really nail the accents! Right now, we’re preparing our production package for ACX and listening to a LOT of voice demos. So far? Our magical mix is a Scottish woman who can do an American accent. I envision the final product being saturated with Scottish vibes from start to finish.
For those who have been on the hunt for the audiobooks, thank you for your patience as we start our journey in making the Legend series come alive for your ears! If you haven’t already, sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop. I’ll be sure to let folks know when those audiobooks are ready.
