From Manuscript to Audiobook Magic: The Real Story Behind Creating Audio Content

JF Monroe
Aug 7
3 min read

What It's Really Like Making an Audiobook

(Spoiler: It's Equal Parts Magic and Madness)

When I first decided to turn The Legendary Guardians: Reunions into an audiobook, I thought I had a decent idea of what to expect. Upload the manuscript. Hire a narrator. Magic happens.

Boom. Audible glory.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

Here’s the real story.

Step One: Mild Panic

The moment I hit “create audiobook project” on ACX, I felt two things:

Deep excitement and
Sheer terror. Suddenly, I wasn’t just the author. I was a casting director, sound engineer (barely), producer, and the overprotective parent of every single character I’d ever created.

Because this was going to be the voice that brought my world to life.

And I wasn’t about to settle for someone who just read the book. I wanted someone who could breathe it. Bleed it. Deliver Theo’s haunted softness and Shade’s fierce fire without flinching.

Step Two: Enter Hedy Parks (aka: The One)

I messaged 18 narrators. Four responded and auditioned. But then…I found her.

Hedy Parks.

Within five seconds, I was yelling, “Oh my god, it’s her. That’s Shade. That’s Theo. That’s Laz, and Penny, and Wrath. THAT’S THE VOICE.” She wasn’t just reading my book; she was inhabiting it. I remember clutching my headphones like I was having an emotional crisis.

I messaged her immediately. And when she accepted the project, I got misty-eyed. Hedy had this grounded, emotional range that gave me chills. Her cadence, her breathwork, the way she understood the rhythm of the story…it felt like she’d lived in my characters’ skin.

Step Three: The Process (aka: Email Ping-Pong and Soul-Stirring Takes)

Once Hedy signed on, we dove into the actual work: pronunciation guides, character notes, tone shifts, mood shifts, how to handle Shade’s sarcasm versus Stelladora’s intensity versus Theo’s soft cinnamon roll vibes with a side of emotional doom.

And Hedy? She was a dream.

She asked smart questions. Sent test reads. Took feedback like a pro (and then somehow leveled up even more). I’d send her a few bullet points about pacing or tone, and she’d send back pure magic. She didn’t just read, she interpreted.

Step Four: Listening to Your Book Out Loud Is…Weirdly Emotional?

No one prepared me for what it would feel like to hear my characters’ voices outside of my head for the first time. I laughed. I got misty-eyed. I muttered “holy sh*t” more than once. I had to pause because some scenes just hit differently when spoken aloud by someone who gets it.

But also, let’s be real, it’s vulnerable as hell. I caught a few awkward phrasings. Realized I used the words “breath” and “contrast” approximately 4,762 times. But it was worth it.

Because by the time Hedy finished, the story didn’t just exist anymore…it echoed.

Step Five: Waiting on ACX Like It’s a Hogwarts Letter

Once everything was uploaded and approved, I entered the worst phase of all: The Dreaded ACX Waiting Room.

No estimated release date. No updates. Just vibes. Ten days of vibes.

But the day that email finally came in, “Your audiobook is live!” I screamed. Loudly. Then posted everywhere like a proud book parent.

Final Thoughts: Would I Do It Again?

Absolutely. With Hedy. In a heartbeat. And I am!

Was it hard? Yes. Was it nerve-wracking? Yep.

Did it stretch me as a creator? 1000%.

Was it worth every second?

Hell yes.

So, if you’re a fellow author thinking about dipping into the audiobook world, do it. Find your Hedy. Hear your words spoken back to you. It’s like falling in love with your own story all over again.

And if you want to hear Hedy Parks crush it as Shade, Theo, and the rest of my dysfunctional, mythologically tangled found family…