Set up your recording equipment. For the cleanest, most professional home recording, connect an audio interface to your computer's USB port and connect a professional vocal microphone to the interface. An interface is an external sound card with an assortment of instrument and microphone jacks, allowing you to record directly into your computer. Place your microphone on a stand and place a pop filter (a small, circular mesh screen for filtering out hard "b," "p" and "t" sounds) in front of the mic. You can purchase all of these products at any music supply store.
Open your recording software and create a new audio project. For recording audio books, consider using a versatile multi-tracking program like Pro-Tools, Logic, ACID, Cubase, Reason, GarageBand or Cakewalk. This type of software is favorable to simple sound recordings because it allows you to edit your audio, master your levels and adjust your EQ frequencies for the best mix. When you open your program of choice, click "File" on the menu bar and then click "New" or "New Project" to create your audio book project.
Press "Record" on your software window and speak into the microphone to begin recording. Keep your mouth approximately six inches away from the mic as you read from your script, speak slowly and enunciate every word carefully in a lyrical (as opposed to a monotone) tone of voice. If you stumble over a word, just keep going. You can delete your mistakes and record over them later. Always read from a script or book when recording an audio book. Do not ever try to dictate extemporaneously or from memory, as you will need to concentrate on your speech patterns.
Edit your recorded audio. Using your audio software, you can delete your mistakes by highlighting the unwanted sections of your recording with your mouse and clicking "Delete" (some multi-tracking programs will require you to first isolate the unwanted section by clicking the "Start" and "End" points and clicking the "Split" or "Cut" button on your work window, sometimes indicated by a pair of scissors). You can improve the quality of your audio by applying effects available on your software window, such as "Compression" and "EQ." When applying EQ, you will see a list of frequency ranges (if using advanced software), or a series of sliders that read "Treble," "Mid" and "Bass," which represent the high, middle and low frequencies respectively. If your voice sounds low and distorted, you can reduce the low frequencies or raise the treble. If your voice sounds high and lacks bass quality, you can raise the low frequencies. Make adjustments until it sounds just right.
Save your project as an audio file. Click "File" on your menu bar and select "Bounce," "Export" or "Save as Audio File," depending on your software. In many cases, a menu will appear asking you to input specific details, such as the title of your project, your desired audio format and the desired "Start" and "End Time" of your file. The "Start" and "End" fields can prove useful if you want to divide your project into individual tracks (like songs on a CD) for easy navigation. Just export the project repeatedly, designating a new "Start" and "End" point each time. For example, you might first choose a "Start" time of "0:00" and an "End" time of "15:00." Then export a second time with a "Start" time of "15:01" and an "End" time of "30:00." You now have two separate tracks, the second of which picks up where your first left off. Just remember to keep your files organized.