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Johnathan McClain - Narrating 200+ Audiobooks: Secrets from an Award Winning Multi-Genre Voice Actor
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Johnathan McClain is a multi-talented creative professional working as a screenwriter, narrator, actor, and novelist. With a background in theater and television, Johnathan transitioned to audiobook narration in 2012, coinciding with Amazon's acquisition of Audible when the demand for narrators exploded. His first major audiobook projects included narrating several Jack Reacher novels, and he has since recorded over 200 books across various genres including sci-fi, fantasy, lit-RPG, mystery thrillers, and romance.
In this episode:
- Journey from child actor to audiobook narrator
- Theater experience as preparation for narration
- Transition from TV to complete performance control
- Why voice quality alone isn't enough
- Adapting narration style across genres
- Preparation process for fiction vs. non-fiction
- Author-narrator collaboration workflow
- Best practices for manuscript formatting
- Challenges of dual vs. duet narration
- Common narration mistakes and solutions
- Tips for DIY audiobook narration
Resources mentioned:
- Audible/ACX - https://www.acx.com/
- Find A Way Voices - https://www.findawayvoices.com/
- iAnnotate - https://www.folia.com/iannotate
- Audio Technica 4040 - Microphone recommendation for home recording
- Focusrite Solo - Preamp recommendation for home recording
Book Recommendations:
- "James" by Percival Everett - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385550367?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
- "The Wealth of Shadows" by Graham Moore - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG8G3NRT?&linkCode=ll1&tag=pubperf-20&linkId=400c65572fa1761b41f901ed6233057c&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Connect with Johnathan McClain:
- Website: Available for contact through his personal website
- "Meet Your Maker" - Fantasy series co-written with Seth MacDuffie and published by Podium
- "Newtown" series - Popular lit-RPG series narrated by Johnathan
Connect with Teddy Smith:
- @teddyagsmith
- Website: https://publishingperformance.com/?ref=ywm3mtc
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/publishingperformance/
- Pinterest - https://nz.pinterest.com/publishingperformance/
- Instagram - https://instagram.com/publishingperformanceinsta
- Youtube -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHV6ltaUB4SULkU6JEMhFSw
- Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/publishing-performance/
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