Who reads these things, anyway?

We get a lot of questions about who reads audiobooks, so here are some answers for you!

Most audiobooks are read by actors, and you'll definitely see the same names popping up over and over. Scott Brick, Frank Muller, and Joyce Bean are all big names in the field, but you'll occasionally see someone like Julia Roberts pop up, too.

For more information on your favorite readers, check out AudioFile magazine's Golden Voices list: http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/gvpages/index.shtml.

For biographies and personal growth audiobooks, it's pretty common for the author to read the book. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is a case where it works really well, but there are also definitely times when it might have been better to delegate the duty to an actor (Stephen King is definitely a love-him-or-hate-him kind of reader).

If you want to get involved in reading audiobooks as a career, you'll usually have to be an actor who does voice work. Local audiobook stores don't actually publish the audiobooks they carry, so check out the Audio Publishers Association at http://audiopub.org/resources-narrator.asp for more information.

If you're interested in volunteering, many local services for blind people need readers. In Canada, you can check out the CNIB for more information.