Most authors hand their finished manuscript to a narrator and expect the audiobook to sound exactly the way they imagined. Then they listen to the first chapter delivery and discover the narrator pronounced the protagonist’s name wrong, gave a side character the wrong accent, and rushed through the emotional climax. None of those mistakes are the narrator’s fault. They happen because the script wasn’t prepped for audio. Audiobook script prep is the bridge between what’s in your head as the author and what comes out of the speakers as the listener experiences it.
This post covers what to include in your audiobook script, how to format it for the narrator, and which decisions matter most for the finished product.
Why Script Prep Matters
A novel manuscript and an audiobook script aren’t the same document. The novel is written for the eye. The script is written for the voice. They contain the same words but need different supporting information.
When a narrator reads cold from a manuscript, they make 1,000 micro-decisions per chapter. How to pronounce names. What accent to give each character. Where to pause for effect. Which words to emphasize. Which lines are sarcastic versus sincere. If you don’t provide guidance on these decisions, the narrator makes them based on their own interpretation, which may not match yours.
The script prep work happens before recording starts. Skip it and you’ll either accept whatever the narrator decides, or you’ll pay for re-records when something doesn’t match what you wanted. Both options are worse than spending a few hours preparing the script up front.
Pronunciation Guides
This is the single most important script prep document. A pronunciation guide tells the narrator exactly how to pronounce every name and unusual word in your book.
Include every character name, every place name, every fictional or invented word, every foreign word, every brand name, every technical term, and every word that has multiple acceptable pronunciations (like “data” or “Caribbean”).
Use phonetic spelling or audio examples to clarify pronunciation. “Aoife” doesn’t read as “EE-fa” without help. “Siobhan” needs guidance to come out as “shi-VAUN.” Even common-looking names can trip up a narrator. “Wade” might be pronounced “wahd” by a narrator who doesn’t know if it rhymes with “made” or “wad.”
For invented words in fantasy or sci-fi, give two examples. The phonetic spelling plus a comparison to a known word. “Veldrith (VEL-drith, rhymes with ‘pith’).” This combination removes ambiguity.
Some authors record audio pronunciations of every unusual term and send them along with the script. A 30-second voice memo saying each invented name clearly removes the last bit of guesswork. Narrators love this because it eliminates back-and-forth during recording.
Character Voice Notes
Beyond pronunciation, your script should describe each character’s voice in enough detail that the narrator can give them distinct treatment.
For each major character, note their approximate age, accent (regional or international), pitch range (low, medium, high), emotional baseline (calm, anxious, sarcastic, warm), and any distinctive speech patterns (lisps, stutters, formal vs casual diction).
You don’t need to describe each character in exhaustive detail. A few descriptors are enough. “Marcus is mid-30s, British (Northern English accent, working class), low-pitched, dry and sarcastic in dialogue.” That’s enough for a narrator to make consistent voice choices across the book.
For minor characters, group them. “All the bartenders sound similar, working-class urban, mid-range pitch.” Save the detailed notes for characters who appear often or matter to the plot.
Be specific about regional accents. “Southern” covers an enormous range. “Texas Gulf Coast” or “Appalachian” narrows it dramatically. If you don’t know the precise accent, describe the character’s background and let the narrator suggest a fit.
Pacing & Emphasis Markers
Some authors mark up their manuscript with pacing notes. Where to pause. Where to slow down. Which words to emphasize. This is more common in literary fiction or poetry-adjacent prose where pacing carries significant meaning.
Use simple notation. Italics in the manuscript usually mean emphasis. Em-dashes signal interruption. Ellipses signal trailing off. Most narrators read these correctly without additional notes.
For exceptional cases, add brief inline notes. A short comment like “[whispered]” or “[shouted]” or “[long pause before next line]” tells the narrator how to deliver a specific moment. Use these sparingly. A script full of inline notes gets overwhelming and tends to over-direct the narrator’s natural instincts.
If your book has internal monologue mixed with dialogue, mark which is which. Some authors use italics for thoughts. Others rely on context. The narrator needs to know clearly so they can adjust their voice for internal vs external speech.
Tone & Style Sheet
A one-page tone sheet at the front of your script helps the narrator understand the overall feel you want.
Include the genre (don’t assume the narrator has read the description), the tone (gritty, light, comic, somber, hopeful), the target audience (adult, young adult, middle grade), comparable titles in tone (not in plot, in tone), and any specific stylistic notes (omniscient narration, unreliable narrator, multiple POV).
The tone sheet helps the narrator make consistent choices across the project. Without it, the first chapter might sound different from the last because the narrator’s interpretation of the tone shifted as they recorded.
Sample tone sheet content. “This is a contemporary thriller with a sardonic protagonist. The narration should feel close to the protagonist’s POV without going into the histrionic. Comp titles for tone include Don Winslow’s recent novels and Gillian Flynn’s adult work. Avoid melodrama on the emotional beats. Trust the reader to feel the weight without performance.”
Specific Pronunciation Decisions
Some pronunciation choices matter for character or world consistency. Decide these before recording starts.
Names with multiple acceptable pronunciations. Pick one and document it. “Sara” can be SAH-ra or SAIR-a. Decide before chapter one.
Places with regional variants. New Orleans natives say “NAW-lins” sometimes. People from elsewhere say “new or-LEENS.” Match the speaker, not the page.
Acronyms and abbreviations. NATO is one word. FBI is letters. CIA is letters. SCUBA is one word. Make sure your guide covers any abbreviations in your book.
Numbers and dates. “1944” can be “nineteen forty-four” or “one thousand nine hundred forty-four.” For prose, the first is standard, but technical content sometimes uses the second.
Foreign words and phrases. If your book has untranslated foreign words, decide if they should sound native to the language or anglicized. This affects character authenticity.
Formatting the Script for the Narrator
Most narrators work from a clean copy of the manuscript with the prep documents attached separately. Standard format works fine: 12-point serif font, 1.5 line spacing, page numbers, chapter headings clearly marked.
Some narrators prefer specific format adjustments. Larger font (14 point) for easier reading during long sessions. Wider margins for handwritten notes. PDF format with searchable text. Ask your narrator their preference before delivering.
Number every paragraph or every line if your narrator requests it. Some narrators reference specific line numbers when they need clarification during recording. This is more common with longer or more involved books.
Include your prep documents at the front of the script package. The narrator should be able to flip to any reference they need without searching through their email.
Working With the Narrator During Prep
Don’t deliver the script and disappear. Plan a 30-minute kickoff call with the narrator to walk through the prep documents and answer questions.
Topics for this call. Confirm pronunciation of the trickiest names with the narrator saying them back to you. Walk through the character voice notes and let the narrator ask clarifying questions. Discuss any sample paragraphs that need specific handling. Set expectations for delivery checkpoints (first chapter, first finished hour, full book).
Most experienced narrators appreciate the prep call. It saves them time during recording and reduces the chance of needing re-records later. Even a skilled narrator can’t read your mind, and the prep call is when the mind-meeting happens.
Be available during recording for quick questions. A text exchange about a single pronunciation is faster than an email and avoids the narrator having to make a judgment call alone.
Common Script Prep Mistakes
A few patterns show up in projects that go badly.
Over-directing. Detailed inline notes for every line of dialogue make the narrator second-guess their natural performance. The result is stilted, flat reading. Pick the moments that matter and trust the narrator on the rest.
Under-directing. Sending nothing but the manuscript and expecting magic. Without prep, the narrator delivers their best guess, and if it’s not what you wanted, you have to choose between accepting it or paying for changes.
Pronunciation guesswork. Authors who skip pronunciation guides for “obvious” names regularly get re-records when the narrator pronounces “Yseult” as “is-EW-lt” instead of “i-SOLT.” Document everything.
Inconsistent character voices. If your book has 12 named characters, you need 12 voice notes. Cutting it down to 4 main character notes means the other 8 sound interchangeable in audio.
Late changes. Once recording starts, every script change costs money. Lock the manuscript before sending it to the narrator. Last-minute “small edits” that change character names or add new scenes mean re-recording.
Putting It Together
Audiobook script prep takes 3 to 6 hours per book if you do it thoroughly. That time investment saves much more in re-records, narrator confusion, and disappointing delivery.
The prep package should include the final manuscript, a pronunciation guide covering every unusual word, character voice notes for every named character, a tone and style sheet, optional audio pronunciation recordings for the trickiest terms, and any specific scene-by-scene notes.
Deliver this package before the narrator starts recording, not as recording is underway. Schedule the kickoff call to walk through everything. Be available for questions during recording.
Authors who do this work get audiobooks that sound the way they imagined. Authors who don’t get audiobooks that approximate their book through a stranger’s interpretation. Both are valid, but only one matches the vision in your head. The hours you spend on script prep before recording starts pay back many times over when you hear the final delivery and it sounds right the first time.
