A Journey Into Audiobooks: Finding My Voice (and Sometimes Borrowing One)

I never imagined my stories would take on a life of their own, leaping from the page to the spoken word. But as an author, especially one who lives in the world of speculative fiction and fantasy, there’s something magical about hearing the worlds you’ve created come alive through narration. And so, I embarked on a new adventure—learning how to create audiobooks.

It started with a whisper of curiosity: Could I really narrate my own story? My first thought was, why not? After all, I’d spent years honing my voice as a writer; maybe it was time to try my hand at bringing those words to life with my own voice.

Embracing My Voice: The First Step

It wasn’t easy at first. Narrating a book requires more than just reading aloud—it’s about breathing emotion into the words. There’s a rhythm to it, a pacing that I had to master, along with the challenge of articulating each word as clearly as I could. Some days, I’d sit in a quiet corner of my home in Cyprus, surrounded by pillows to muffle the sound and practice reading the same paragraph over and over until it felt just right.

There were moments I’d get lost in the story as I read, almost forgetting I was narrating. And then there were days when I struggled to find the right tone. But the more I recorded, the more I discovered the unique cadence of my voice and how it could bring a story to life.

Creating My Own Audio World

Of course, recording an audiobook isn’t just about speaking into a microphone. I learned the importance of my environment—the soundproofing, the microphone, the way I positioned myself. Every little thing mattered. Creating the right space felt like setting the stage for a performance. Sometimes, I’d get frustrated with the hum of an air conditioner in the background or the chirping of birds outside, and I’d have to start over. But each setback was part of the process, teaching me patience and precision.

Enter AI: A New Kind of Narrator

Then came an unexpected twist in my audiobook journey—AI narration. I’d heard about the technology but hadn’t seriously considered using it. Was it cheating? I wondered. But the more I explored it, the more I realized how powerful a tool it could be. AI offered me a way to experiment, to try out different tones, accents, and styles that my own voice couldn’t achieve on its own.

I found myself customizing virtual narrators—giving them voices that matched the characters I’d spent so long crafting. The results were surprising. There was something almost surreal about hearing an AI voice bring my story to life in a way that was both different from and

complementary to, my own voice.

Checkout Worlds Apart: The Adventure

The Balance: My Voice and Theirs

As I became more comfortable with both narrating and using AI, I realised the magic lay not in choosing between one or the other, but in blending the two. There’s something deeply personal about using your own voice to tell your story, but there’s also something powerful in the precision that AI can bring. It was a balancing act—finding the moments where my voice mattered most and letting AI step in when I needed a little extra support.

Collaboration: The Key to Audiobook Creation

I didn’t do it all alone. Along the way, I leaned on editors, sound engineers, and fellow storytellers. Collaboration, I discovered, was essential. There were times when someone else’s feedback was the difference between a good audiobook and a great one. I learned that audiobook creation is a team effort, just like writing.

Looking Back: What I Learned

Looking back, I can see how far I’ve come. What started as a tentative experiment has become a new passion. Narrating a story, whether it’s with my voice or an AI’s, is a different kind of storytelling—a deeply intimate one that requires you to really connect with your own words. I’ve learned to love the process, even with all its challenges.

For anyone considering creating their own audiobook, I’d say this: yes, you can sound like a pro. Whether you choose to use your natural voice or explore the wonders of AI, the key is to let your creativity guide you. There’s no right or wrong way—just your way.

Try out Elevenlabs to create fantastic audiobooks today!