Nigel
Slaughter
audio book
Narration
audiobook narration & production services
If you’ve heard my voice in an audiobook, a podcast or workshop and think that it might suit your book, I’d be happy to discuss narrating and producing it. I read in a range of styles and accents and prepare all of the audio files to the exacting standards required by platforms such as ACX (Audible) and Findaway Voices (Spotify, Audible). Currently in production we have Demigods of Pendilor by Lawrence E. Jarajaj, an exciting fantasy novel following the adventures of characters with Shakti powers!
This is Day 1 of recording the Demigods of Pendilor, August 2023. More of a performance than normal recording as I learned 30 seconds of the story!
I use Adobe Audition for recording, with a lot of presets for optimising the sound that get tweaked on each chapter. Still, with all of the retakes to get past all of my mistakes (some lines with tongue-twisters have taken 20+ attempts!) and the post production editing to remove unwanted sounds, it typically takes about 3.5 to 4 hours to produce an hour of completed audiobook.
I live in rural New Zealand which makes for a quiet environment for recording, but the spring blossoms are out in the trees and this brings a lot of tui birds. They are very noisy! Beautiful and wonderful to have them, but… aargh!
Here’s another clip from the Demigods of Pendilor. I moved into a newly built studio during recording. Below you can see the booth I sit in, the foam preventing nasty echoes. Then I have foam insulation in the walls and roof to reduce sounds from outside. Unfortunately I’m pretty much under one of the tui trees and their song gets through everything! That’s part of chapter 22 on the screen.
books I narrated on Audible
Revenge
This is a thriller set in Scotland that had the challenge of multiple voices in English, Scottish and East European accents.
People That Don't Age
A really interesting book, almost podcast style, looking into different ways people around the world are slowing down the aging process. Fun to narrate and learned a lot in the process!
Crystal Skulls & Human Heads
Fascinating delve into the science, history and mythology of human skulls, and not just crystal ones. Complex subject matter and even some latin to try to pronounce correctly!
Revenge Audio Sample
People That Don't Age Audio Sample
Crystal Skulls & Human Heads Audio Sample
get in touch!
After chatting with me over email, Findaway Voices is the best place for authors to go to arrange audiobook contracts and production. My narrator profile provides more details and examples.