Prepare a copy of your manuscript. Make certain your manuscript has been thoroughly edited and that it's your final product. Read through the manuscript once more and mark errors in word choice, spelling and grammar to be absolutely positive you are satisfied with the manuscript's quality. Read the manuscript aloud and listen for places that sound awkward. Revise passages that are unsettling to the ear.
Find a voice actor to read your manuscript. Search the Internet for voice talent websites, or look for local voice actors by placing an ad in the newspaper. Resolve to do the voice acting yourself for a more personal touch.
Choose a voice actor that possesses voice talents that reflect the content of your manuscript. For instance, choose a voice actor with a more gentle voice for sensitive material and a voice actor with a more booming voice for reading a manuscript containing lots of action. Be sure the person you choose can speak in an articulate manner and can pronounce the words contained in the manuscript. Ask the voice actor to send a sample reading of a page of your manuscript before making a final decision.
Find a recording studio and schedule time to record your manuscript. The voice actor may have a studio already. Ask the voice actor to send a sample of the work from his or her studio.
Obtain the proper recording equipment if you're in a home studio. Search the phone book for local recording studios if you're using a local talent. Call around for hourly rates. Choose the option that best suits your budget and current situation.
Record your audiobook. Make certain the voice actor speaks clearly and enunciates. Take breaks between chapters or pages. Review difficult passages aloud before recording. Save the file as an MP3, as it is one of the most common digital audio formats.
Review your completed audiobook for quality. Re-record any parts of the audiobook that do not meet your quality standards.