Books on Tape

I've been considering creating my own books on tape for some time now, having been motivated by a few factors:

1. I've been told that I have a good clear voice for audio recordings. I have no real accent to speak of (although I may have a subtle Southern accent at this point).

2. I'd like to promote some of my favorite works; perhaps even listen to my own recordings.

3. I've heard some less than impressive recordings, and I'm beginning to think anyone can do it.

One of my favorite series of books (the Rex Stout books about Nero Wolfe) has been recorded onto several books on tape, but I don't like the recordings. The reader has a strong, clear voice, but all the characters sound the same. All the men have this deep, rich, ultramasculine radio voice, and the narrator in these stories is more of a fast-talking wise guy.

I listened for a bit to a friends recording of "Ender's Shadow", a parallel story to Ender's Game. I learned of a character in the story named, as the narrator pronounced it, "A-shiel", like "a shield" without the d. Just today, I finally got around to reading the book on print, and I found the character's name on the page as:

Achilles

Finally, I downloaded a copy of "The Cask of Amontillado" from iTunes, and I found the reader's interpretation to be a bit over the top. Maudlin, and not intimidating, like the main character is.

So I think I'm going to start with that, and try recording my own audiobooks - to see if I have any talent.

I do have a few reservations, though:

1. I'm a bit shy. If I'm going to be doing character voices and imitations, I don't want anyone listening in on me while I do it. It's not just that I want to do it in privacy, I don't want anyone to eavesdrop or interrupt me - which is odd, because the point of this will be to share the recordings. I don't really have the privacy or the recording equipment at home, so I'd have to do it after work, after hours, but late enough that I'm not interrupting anyone who's working late.

2. There's also the time investment. I've been trying to get to the gym now, and get out more, and eat earlier, so my evenings lately have been extremely busy.

3. I also stumble frequently in regular speech, when I have a lot to say, even when it's not a prepared speech. I'd have to do recordings in short bursts and splice them together, and that might be more trouble than it's worth.

I'll have to weigh these reservations against the benefits. If it's anything like I've been doing, reservations will win out.

Perhaps if I had a demanding public, I'd feel the drive to get it done. Do I have any supporters out there?