Unlike writing, recording is a team activity, not a solitary activity. I recommend that you always work with at least one other person when recording.

There are three key jobs involved in making a recording: the narrator (you), the sound engineer, and the production monitor. Before we talk about your being the narrator, let's discuss the other two roles. These are best considered separately, even if one person performs more than one role.

The sound engineer sets up the equipment, checks the sound levels, checks the computer and operates the recording software. Depending on what software is being used, the person at the keyboard may need to open project files, set up tracks for recording, and save files. This is an important responsibility. Mistakes here can mean lost recordings, or recording over good tracks with new tracks.

What does the production monitor do? Think of this role as quality control, staying alert for anything that can go wrong during the recording process. The person who monitors needs extreme patience. The person has to have knowledge of your book, so he knows where you are going with it. He needs to be able to stop you if you flub a line.