Communication
Please note that the ACX messaging system is their official record, used in case of disputes and for administration of scheduling. Schedule changes and the like can be agreed via email (to david@thenarrator.co.uk) but a copy of the agreed change must be put in the ACX messaging system for it to be official.
For more general communication, I prefer to communicate via email or Zoom.
Fees
Royalty Share (ACX only)
Please note that I technically do not work under Royalty Share, but offer a discounted Royalty Share Plus fee (where the only fee is to cover the cost of proofing) for registered charities, or on a case by case basis
Royalty Share Plus (ACX only)
My Royalty Share Plus rate is equal to half my core PFH rate, plus proofing fee
Per Finished Hour PFH (all platforms)
My PFH rate is based on a core PFH rate plus an additional proofing fee which goes directly to paying for proofing (a direct pass-through of costs)
Additional Fees - SFX et al
An additional fee applies if minimal sound effects, music etc. require adding. Beyond this, seperate audio engineering and narration fees would be charged.
Additional Fees - Dual and Duet Narration
For Dual Narration where I am the lead producer, I charge my PFH rate plus proofing fee, and receive a cut of the PFH rate to do the audio engineering for both narrators
For Duet Narration where I am the lead producer, there is a supplementary audio engineering fee to reflect the increased woerk required
Payment Timing and Currency
For new clients, 10% of the estimated total cost is to be paid upfront, and 15% is to be paid on approval of a 15-minute checkpoint or equivalent milestone
For existing clients, 15% is to be paid on approval of a 15-minute checkpoint or equivalent milestone.
Payment is required to be paid in GBP (£) when possible, or the equivalent local rate based on that day's FX rates.
Equipment
I primarily record using a Neumann TLM 102 - and occasionally a Sennheiser MKH416 - with a Motu M2 interface, using Reaper.
Some auditions are recorded on the Deity S-Mic 3S, if travelling away from my studio
My Process
I require the complete, edited manuscript in .doc/.docx format, as I have developed a web application for rapidly marking up the manuscript, which only works with Word documents
Upon receipt, I will read the book once in full as a consumer
I mark up the manuscript using the Scripter web application
I record the 15-minute checkpoint, consisting of a voice reference (each character's name, followed by their first sentence of 3 or more words) followed by as much of the opening credits and first chapter as required to reach the target duration
You provide me feedback on pacing, tone, pronunciations, character voices, etc. This is the opportunity for either party to pull out of the project if they are concerned. Please note: this is the only opportunity to provide this feedback so it's very important!
After checkpoint approval, I record the entire audiobook and do three proofing passes - one with Pozotron, one myself, and one semi-automated process focused on unusually loud or harsh breaths.
I upload the final files to the rights holder for approval and distribution. At this point, I ask the rights holder to also listen to the audiobook if possible and note down in a shared Google Sheets spreadsheet where any corrections are required, if any
Final Review and Approval: Additional Information
I’ve found that rights holders who are also the book’s author appreciate some additional guidance on this stage:
Please be very clear with the description in your comments about what exactly needs to change
Timestamps need to be as exact as possible - this would be critical if a hypothetical comment was of the 'there is an audible microphone pop you've missed' variety, as the sound would only last fractions of a second.
If we are working through ACX, then you have only ten business days (two weeks plus any statutory holidays in either of our countries, if working internationally) to provide all comments. To aid rights holders in reviewing the audiobook and providing comment, I may provide chapters prior to final delivery date, but I do not view these comments until after the delivery.
If more time is required, I need to be informed in advance (if by email, a copy needs to go via the ACX messaging system) and ACX must be contacted at info@acx.com to inform them. An additional extension beyond the first is also possible but requires my approval and is subject to scheduling.
I carry out revisions as soon as possible, please let me know as soon as possible if there are additional deadlines I am not aware of.
I recommend reading the manuscript while listening to the audio. However, this can flag up false errors where I have corrected a typo, so any deviation from the manuscript should be checked to see whether the error is in the narration or in the text.
If I disagree with a change request, I will tell you why. However, as rights holder your decision is final.
Don’t worry if something is missed! You'd be amazed how many mistakes in best-selling audiobooks there are once you are tuned into listening for them
Post-Production Changes
On rare occasions, rights holders may wish to make changes to the manuscript after final delivery. I am able to make these changes only if my schedule allows and charge 1.5x my full PFH rate regardless of the type of contract.