James Babson
In recent years, James has made appearances in dozens of acclaimed television shows including “Brooklyn Nine Nine,” “Silicon Valley,” “I Think You Should Leave,” “Timeless,” “Chance,” “For the People,” “Room 104,” “Criminal Minds,” “9-11,” and “NCIS.”
DOSSIER: Regarding your process for delivering exceptional quality in your audiobook narration, how many times do you read through the book and how much book/author research do you do before you hit that record button?
BABSON: The first thing I do when I get the manuscript is skim through the text and make a word list for my pronunciation guide. I do my best to avoid listing words that I can look up myself as to save the producers time. Very often there are character names that are very specific and the author may have a specific pronunciation in mind for, so we ask them. Especially with Science Fiction, you’ll need to know how the author wants those planets and aliens to be pronounced :))
After my pronunciation word list is complete, I read through the book very thoroughly and make character notes along the way. I have a spreadsheet where I list the character name, description of the character, the relationship to other characters, and then I try to think of a prototype for each character to help me develop the voice in advance. For example, Dave the farmer may sound like Jeff Bridges in my mind, or Vincent the real estate agent may sound like Kevin Spacey. That just gives me a general ballpark idea of where to place the character vocally and then once I’m in the booth, I sort of fine-tune that idea into my own rendition.
It’s important to research the author as best you can and understand their style, understand the genre and the point of view that they typically write from.
Beleaguered detectives
DOSSIER: Although you skillfully craft your narration around your interpretation of each book character, do you have a particular style you save for certain kinds of books or specific authors you work with on a regular basis?
BABSON: I do a wide variety of books, but lately I’ve been hired to do a lot of thrillers. Beleaguered detectives seems to be my specialty these days, ha! But I’ve done everything from children’s books to dark erotica so I’ve definitely seen it all. Most of the books I’ve recorded are under pseudonyms to allow me to jump into various genres without any conflicts. I personally really enjoy first person point of view. It’s immediate and it really helps you bring the audience along with you.
Hollywood is calling
DOSSIER: You just finished filming The Residence for Netflix but, as a narrator, have you ever read your lines and thought about how you’d love to record the book version of whatever show or movie you’re acting in?
BABSON: I’ve never done a film or TV project and wondered how it would it sound as an audiobook necessarily, but I have definitely read books and wondered how it would play as a film or TV show. Most books I’ve done clearly are just meant to be read (or heard), but on occasion you get one that screams ‘make me into a series!’
How I get hired
DOSSIER: Can authors request that you narrate their book? How would that work?
BSON: Absolutely! In fact, that’s the primary way I find work these days. If I get hired to do a book for an author, generally I wind up working with that author on their subsequent books. For example, I was hired to narrate Bruce Borgos’s fantastic novel, The Bitter Past, and I just did his follow up sequel, Shades of Mercy last month. Hopefully we will do more in the future. If you can develop a relationship with the author directly, it motivates you to really bring your ‘A game’ and honor their work in the best way possible. And last year I did my 12th book for an author so yes, those relationships are vital. Those connections are made through the production house or publishing company.
A big lesson
DOSSIER: What’s the biggest message writers (or listeners) need to hear from audiobook narrators about the whole audiobook process that would help you produce the best possible rendition?
BABSON: I had a major goof on a book one time, where I misinterpreted the phonetics and wound up mispronouncing the lead character’s name! Thankfully, the publisher and author were sympathetic to the situation and we wound up going back and fixing those mistakes without a big delay. But it was a big lesson and making sure that all of those things are ironed out before recording.
DOSSIER: When are you at your best in the booth? Morning, afternoon, or night? Do you have a particular routine, requirement, or practice that helps you operate at the top of your game?
BABSON: Ideally, I like to work in the morning because I get more energy as time goes on. But sometimes life happens and you have to record at night. For example, this week I’m recording Danielle Steel’s latest novel ‘Trial by Fire’, and I’m recording at night. It makes it a lot more challenging because as the hours click on, you actually get more tired so you have to take frequent breaks and make sure that you’re maintaining a fresh perspective. Thankfully, the booth engineers I work with are really good about keeping tabs on the work and making sure that it’s sounding crisp.
Reading vs listening
DOSSIER bonus question: What’s the biggest message writers (or listeners) need to hear from audiobook narrators about the whole audiobook process that would help you produce the best possible rendition?
BABSON: We often joke in the booth that clearly writers don’t write their books with the audiobook narrator in mind haha. Often you’ll see long run-on sentences or 30 characters in one scene. As a reader, your brain can quickly absorb the information, but as a narrator, it’s difficult to parse each character’s voice in quick succession. We always have to keep in mind that the listeners are hearing this for the very first time. I think it’s important for listeners to know that most narrators really do their best to find a clear point of view and an adequate pace in order to guide them into the world of the book and keep them interested.
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