Workshops for Writers-Aug. 3: Audiobook Production for Authors

Jennifer Jill Araya and George Sirois will jointly present "From Your Words to Their Ears: Audiobook Production for Authors" from 10 a.m. to noon, Aug. 3, at The Lodge Des Peres, 1050 Des Peres Rd., St. Louis, MO., 63131. Free to St. Louis Writers Guild members; $5 for nonmembers.

They will discuss such things as how to choose a narrator, distribution options, financing ideas, audiobook production process, marketing strategies, and the role of audiobooks in today's publishing marketplace.

Jennifer Jill Araya, who will present via live video conferencing, has been listening to audiobooks since she was a young child, and the fact that she now gets to narrate audiobooks for a living is a dream come true. Jennifer’s training as an opera singer and orchestral cellist lend a musicality and depth of understanding to her narration that help bring her authors’ stories to life. She loves nothing more than giving life and breath to the printed word. When she’s not narrating, Jennifer can be found hiking, biking, running, or generally exploring her home city of Cincinnati with her husband Arturo (aka “Partner in Crime”) and their two children. http://www.jenniferjillaraya.com

George Sirois has yearned to be a storyteller all his life, no matter the medium. That drive first led him to drawing his own characters while in grade school, and then writing about them in various short stories and screenplays before moving on to novels such as Excelsior and the five-part serial From Parts Unknown. After living in New York City and Richmond, Va., George, his wife, daughter, and their two dogs now happily call St. Louis their home. In his spare time, George is an avid cinephile, a collector of film scores, and a lifelong fan of the New York Giants. He enjoys West Coast Swing dancing, and is currently pursuing work as a voice actor and audiobook narrator. He served as President of the Missouri Writers Guild in 2017. http://www.hesgotit.com