Behind The Mic:

Audiobook

When my parents, school teachers, and others read stories to me as a kid, it was always something I enjoyed. As I grew older, I discovered audiobooks and how professional readers could transport listeners to other worlds. Having performed in school and local theater productions in my youth, I appreciated the theatricality of audiobook performances and how they brought books to life without condensing the story for film or TV. Audio dramas, with a full cast, music, and sound effects, are especially impressive. I later played a few roles and edited a video version of one called ‘Rick Carter’s Jurassic Park: An Illustrated Audio Drama.‘

Naturally, when ‘Invertiverse‘ was completed, I wanted an audiobook of my own. Unfortunately, producing one is expensive—and for good reason. Recording every word of an entire novel takes an enormous amount of time, energy, and commitment. After an unsuccessful attempt to hire a novice narrator, I ultimately decided to take the project upon myself.

I began recording on January 18, 2026, using a Blue Yeti USB microphone and Audacity software. What I expected to be a fairly straightforward process quickly became one of the largest undertakings associated with the novel. Recording at a friend’s residence in Yucca Valley, CA, brought constant challenges: refrigerator hum in some of the earlier chapters (until I discovered the fridge’s “off” switch), passing cars, people talking, construction, and, worst of all, birds. The never-ending struggle with birds! Some undoubtedly still make cameos in the finished production.

Recording took twenty-one days, followed by months of editing and refinement. I started editing while I was still recording and eventually had to do four additional retake sessions, both to correct technical problems and improve my performances. Much of the work involved trying to turn recordings made under imperfect conditions into one cohesive production. Some fixes were seamless; others simply had to be good enough, particularly as the location where I recorded would become unavailable to me after June.

By late July, I had finally reached the mastering stage. I spent countless hours experimenting with cleanup, EQ, leveling, and other techniques to make the audiobook meet platform standards. I also incorporated selections from the ‘Invertiverse’ soundtrack into the beginning and end. The final production was completed on August 14.

Listen to a preview of the entire prologue.

Looking back, what surprises me most is how much work went into something that, to a listener, is supposed to feel effortless. The finished audiobook hopefully won’t reveal many of the technical issues—it will just be my story being read. But getting it there took twenty-five recording days overall, endless months of editing and refinement, and a lot of listening to my own damn voice.

After over seven and a half months, ‘Invertiverse: The Unabridged Audiobook’ was released on September 1. Its completion also marked the final major creative project associated with the novel, closing the book on this seemingly endless odyssey. While I would never create an audiobook again under these circumstances, I’d definitely be interested in recording more books in a professional setting with someone else handling the editing. For now, those desires are only dreams. For ‘Invertiverse,’ all I can say is: I hope you all enjoy my performance.

Running Time: Approx. 12 hours, 56 minutes