Audiobook Narration Prep Checklist for Narrators
Use this checklist before recording to organize manuscript review, character tracking, pronunciation decisions, script markup, author questions, first-session prep, and pickup notes.
What audiobook prep includes before you record
A useful prep pass connects the manuscript to the decisions you will need while reading: speakers, pronunciations, characters, markup, questions, pickups, and proofing notes. Story Mimic turns those pieces into a narration script rather than leaving them spread across unrelated files.
Manuscript read-through
Start by turning the manuscript into a known project, not a file you discover line by line while recording.
- Confirm the manuscript version, chapter list, and any provided style sheet or performance notes.
- Read the full manuscript before recording the first chapter.
- Flag front matter, back matter, dedications, glossaries, appendices, footnotes, and special sections that need a project decision.
- Note late reveals, accent clues, emotional turns, recurring locations, and continuity details that affect earlier scenes.
Character tracking
Create a reusable record for every character whose voice or context matters beyond a single line.
- List each character's first appearance, role, relationships, and any descriptive voice clues.
- Track accent, age feel, pitch, pace, vocal texture, emotional range, and key sample lines.
- Save voice references for recurring or difficult characters, especially those who disappear for long stretches.
- Use a dedicated character sheet for ensemble casts or series work.
Pronunciation tracking
Research and record decisions before booth time so names and terms are available where they recur.
- Capture character names, place names, real people, brands, acronyms, invented words, non-English phrases, and technical terms.
- Write a plain-language pronunciation note and, when useful, add stress or regional context.
- Record or attach pronunciation audio for terms that are hard to recover from text alone.
- Keep source notes or decision notes when multiple pronunciations are possible.
Script markup
Mark the working script for the moments where silent reading and spoken performance diverge.
- Highlight emphasis, tone shifts, pacing changes, pauses, breath points, and beats before reveals.
- Flag ambiguous speakers, internal thoughts, homonyms, lists, unusual formatting, and difficult visual text.
- Add short performance annotations without rewriting the original manuscript text.
- Keep markup readable enough to scan while narrating.
First recording prep
Before day one, decide how you will read from the prepared script and how the first checkpoint will be reviewed.
- Open the exact reading copy you will use and confirm markup, notes, pronunciations, and character references are visible.
- Confirm opening credits, chapter headers, section boundaries, and any project-specific read instructions.
- Prepare the first sample or checkpoint with major character voices, pacing, tone, and pronunciation choices represented.
- Set up a simple session note habit for anything that changes after recording begins.
Pickups and proofing prep
Create the correction workflow before review starts so issues have a consistent place to land.
- Create a pickup log with chapter, location, issue type, correction note, surrounding context, and status.
- Track pronunciation corrections, repeated-name consistency, character voice notes, and script mismatches separately enough to review them.
- Keep proofing notes attached to the affected section rather than buried in one long document.
- Mark each pickup as open, recorded, reviewed, or closed.
Script markup
Mark emphasis, pacing, annotations, and reading cues where they belong in the script.
Pronunciation audio
Save written pronunciation notes and recorded audio beside recurring terms.
Character voice sheet
Track first appearances, relationships, voice notes, and reference clips for recurring characters.
Templates to use with this checklist
Build the tracker pieces separately when you need them: use an audiobook pronunciation guide template for names and terms, and an audiobook character voice sheet for cast notes and voice references.
Turn this checklist into a performance-ready script with Story Mimic.
Keep markup, pronunciation audio, character voice references, speaker assignments, author questions, and pickup notes together as you prep.
Want this built into your actual script? Try Story Mimic free.
Bring the checklist into the script you will actually read from.
Get 30 days to prep your first audiobook — no credit card needed.