Frequently Asked Questions

I currently charge a rate of $150 PFH (Per Finished Hour). This means that for every finished hour of audio, it will cost you $150. For example, if I record a book for you that spans 4.5 total hours, the total cost of your production will be $675.

I can give you an estimate of the cost of your audiobook given the total word count of your book. It is estimated that the average reader can read about 9300 words in an hour, so if your book is 40,000 words, the finished audio will be estimated at about 4.3 hours. This will give you a general idea of how much your project will cost, but the final cost will be based on actual finished hours and may therefore be slightly more or less than the estimate.

I am willing to take on projects based on a royalty share model instead of a PFH model. However, if you wish to go this route you should use a platform like ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange), which is set up well to facilitate such contracts. I have a profile with audio samples on ACX, which you can find under my name, Jonah M. Sandford. 

I try to remain open regarding genre, with erotica being the only exception. If the project seems interesting, I’m happy to explore it! As for content restraints, I navigate this on a case-by-case basis: for example, if the project is nonfiction and deals with topics like philosophy/theology/etc., I will take it on if I can conclude that it doesn’t endorse any ideas that are inherently harmful to others. Similarly with sensitive subject matter like abuse, if I feel the project presents such themes in a way that is sensitive and mature, I will be more likely to take it on.

I have a naturally deep voice and believe altering pitch too much would come across as contrived and distracting to the listener. Instead, I try to allow the personality of the character to drive decisions I make about character differentiation. With this said, I do keep in mind some advice from audio director Christina Rooney, who suggests that female speakers tend to use softer consonants and more rounded vowels.

I have not narrated any projects involving multiple POV MCs, but I am a fan of the concept (the last such book I read was Even if This Love Disappears Tonight, by Ichijo Misaki. I recommend it!). However, similarly to the previous question, I think it best to let the personalities of the characters drive differentiation. This inevitably involves more detailed preparation, but that’s a good thing!

This probably goes without saying at this point, but any information I can gather about a character’s personality, motives, values, etc. will better position me to interpret that character well. Most of this knowledge will come from my initial preparatory read-through, but I also welcome any notes an author might offer. Is there an aspect of the character you put particularly great effort into, and you want to make sure I capture that in my delivery? These are the sorts of things I want to know.

I personally record, edit, and master all of my narration using Audacity. I am newer to the process, having picked it up early in 2026, but I am acquiring and refining the necessary skills quickly. If you have any concerns about audio quality being an issue, I invite you to listen to the audio samples on my Home page.