Audiobooks have been with us for a while but it is only in the last three decades that they have become popular. Great audiobooks have distinctive features that set them apart from the rest. A good audiobook should, in essence, tell the story in a comprehensible and easily flowing manner that listeners can easily grasp.

Characters’ voices

Different characters should be differentiated which will help the listener automatically identify the characters when they appear. When an audiobook is told using the same voice throughout, it becomes confusing and difficult to follow which character is conversing at points in the book where they appear.

Voices should also match a character’s trait. A heroic character should have an accompanying voice that adds to their role in the book. The same should apply to other characters’ roles. A fearsome villain should speak in a menacing or threatening way and not appear timid when his terrifying nature is being portrayed in the work.

Not all books do well as audiobooks

When a book’s plot follows a story chronologically and involves fewer characters, the listener can easily follow the story without getting lost in the middle. Complex works that involve multiple characters, scenes or themes can be taxing to the listener as they try to grasp the book’s message. Imagine listening to a book that contains multiple scenes that continually vary as you commute to work on a traffic-jammed road. Chances are you are likely to get lost at some point or even become frustrated while listening.

Technical work that requires visual illustrations may not fit well as audiobooks as they require a constant reference of visual material which is not available in the case of an audiobook. The information contained in the book dictates whether it could fit as an audiobook.

The narrator’s pace

The narrator should tell the story in a way that will be accommodating to the listener. The pace should not be too fast so that the listener can hardly understand the storyline nor too slow so that the book becomes boring. The pace should also change depending on each scene. It should rise in gripping moments and slow down in emotive moments. The narrator’s voice and pronunciation should be clear so that the listener does not strain to catch the narrator’s words. A voice that causes the attention of the listener to be deflected from the story is not suitable in the case of an audiobook.

The narrator’s enthusiasm

Enthusiasm is infectious. When the narrator is enthusiastic about the story they are reading, their enthusiasm translates to the listener. No one wants to listen to a narrator who comes across as bored with the book they are reading.

The narrator should also connect to the story that they are telling. Particular scenes such as emotional ones need to be understood and relayed accordingly for the listener to grasp their role in the story. This also creates a connection between the listener and the narrator along with the story that is being told. All these three components need to work together.