Bringing Austen to Audio: A Conversation with Alison Larkin

From stage to studio, Alison Larkin has worn many creative hats: writer, comedian, actress, and bestselling author of The English American—a novel that evolved from her acclaimed one-woman show of the same name. But it's perhaps in the world of audiobooks where Larkin has left her most indelible mark. With over 270 titles to her credit, including her celebrated narration of The Complete Novels of Jane Austen, she's paved her own way in the industry, turning her passion for storytelling into a thriving production company, Alison Larkin Presents. In a fitting tribute to Jane Austen's 250th anniversary, Larkin has breathed new life into The Complete Novels through ACX, enriching the collection with exclusive bonus material and interviews. We connected with Alison to explore her journey from performer to producer, and to understand how she's shaped her own path in the ever-evolving world of audio entertainment.

Welcome, Alison! So, where does your audiobook journey begin? My journey has been an unusual one. I was adopted in the US and raised in the UK by very English parents. When I was 25, I found my birth mother in Tennessee, moved to New York, and became a stand-up comic, because what else do you do? My act evolved into an autobiographical solo show and led to Hollywood, where I spent three years under contract with CBS and Jim Henson Productions to star in my own sitcom, while voicing countless cartoons, games and movies, from Grand Theft Auto 5 to The Wonderpets. I also appeared as an actress on and off Broadway. When my two kids were born, I knew I didn’t want to raise them in L.A., so I moved to the east coast and wrote my autobiographical novel The English American, which became a bestseller. The audiobook, narrated by me, was produced by Audible and won me the first of sixteen Earphones awards. Then Audible started hiring me to narrate audiobooks written by other people, which changed everything. As a writer my head was always in the book or script, which was problematic as kids need to eat – three times a day. But as an audiobook narrator I could shut the studio door when my kids needed my attention and make a living at the same time. And how did ACX enter the picture? I’m an entrepreneur at heart, so when I was hired for an ACX project, I loved the idea of narrating, producing and publishing audiobooks myself, and I jumped in. I’m so glad I did. The royalties I earned through ACX helped me put two kids through college. I’m a big fan. I’m very right-brained i.e. non-technical and at first I thought ‘there is no way I am going to be able to figure out how to use Protools 11, so I won’t even try.’ But I was supporting two kids on my own in voluntary rural exile in the Berkshires, where there was no other work, and studio costs added up fast. So I hired George Whittam at Edge Studios to show me how to use Pro Tools. It was very hard for me, but I loved narrating—and my kids—enough to stick with it. Eventually I got there and once I did there was no looking back. Soon I had built an 8X10 soundproof studio ten feet from my house, bought an AKG 414 mic from Sweetwater and a few years later, I set up my own audiobook publishing company, Alison Larkin Presents. Now, I often hire other narrators and I outsource all the proofing, editing, mastering, cover design and uploading. This frees me up to write, narrate, promote and produce. It seems you’ve managed to make some really important connections in the industry. What role has networking played in your success? I don’t have much time to network, but I do know some impressive people who I met at the Audio Publishers Association Conference, which I try to go to every year. Honestly, I believe that far more important than making connections is to focus on the work. Once you’ve narrated enough books, people will start to know your name, and publishers and authors will seek you out because they know your fans will buy everything you narrate, which means a book read by you makes money. Which is when you might start thinking about producing audiobooks yourself on ACX, and earning royalties, because if the big publishers are making money using your name, why shouldn’t you? What advice do you have for narrators and producers looking to make good industry connections? Join the Audio Publishers Association, go to the meetings and conferences if you have time, reach out to industry folks whose work you admire. If you don’t hear back, never take it personally—like you, everyone’s overloaded. Wait a week and try again. My best advice? Spend your time and energy doing good work and publishers will find you. Or consider becoming a publisher yourself! There are also Facebook groups like the Audiobook Crowd that can be helpful, especially if you’re stuck or needing to hire someone at the last minute—or looking to be hired for that matter! Speaking of doing good work, you also seem to have a great eye for what work to take on. As a producer, how do you spot a good project? Instinctively. For example, during the pandemic, I had a hunch about hiring Jonathan Epstein, an actor I had never worked with, to narrate Moby Dick. It was high risk, because we only hire union narrators, and the book was expensive to produce. However, our production of Moby Dick was an Audie award finalist in Literary Fiction and Classics in 2022, and I made my investment back within a year. The rest, as you know, is profit. Sometimes people will reach out to me saying ‘hey, have you heard of this writer or that book?’ I’ll check it out or ask someone on my team to check it out, and if it feels right, I’ll find a way to make the audiobook happen. Sometimes I’ll bring in an investor, but mostly fund projects from royalties. We’re growing exponentially and it’s an exciting time for us. Tell us about the Jane Austen project—how did that come about? I’d spent years narrating the big publishers like Tantor, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Blackstone, Brilliance and Audible. Then, I wondered what would happen if I produced a book on ACX. I decided to start with Pride and Prejudice. I knew there were countless other versions out there, but I grew up near Chawton where Jane Austen lived, I knew the characters really well, and I loved the book, so I knew it would be an exciting experience no matter the outcome. I drew on my background as a performer and decided to launch the audiobook with a live event at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home, and invite the press. I would read from Pride and Prejudice and they would provide people with tea and cucumber sandwiches. On the morning of the event, I was interviewed on NPR by Alan Chartock who was a fan of my novel The English American. During the interview I pointed out that The English American had a love story similar to Pride and Prejudice, I mentioned the tea at The Mount, and Alan told everyone listening to come along and hear me read. Before the interview we had about 20 people coming. After the interview over 250 people came to the tea—the press witnessed it and it helped launch the audiobook in a real way. After that, I decided to record Jane Austen’s other novels when I had spare time over the next four years and release each of them on ACX. They sold well and they won awards so I decided to try something different—I published all six of Austen’s complete novels in one 81-hour audiobook. No one had produced a book that long on Audible or ACX before and I had no idea if anyone would buy it, but I had a loyal and enthusiastic following who helped spread the word, and in time it became the bestselling Austen audiobook in the world. That’s incredible! And what about the new edition you re-released this year? 2025 is a big year for Jane Austen, as it’s her 250th anniversary. So I decided to re-release The Complete Novels with bonus material and interviews this year. I added some delightful, lesser-known poems and stories that Jane Austen wrote when she was a teenager. I interviewed Gill Hornby (author of Miss Austen), Caroline Jane Knight (Jane Austen’s fifth great niece) and Susannah Harker (who played Jane in the iconic BBC production.) I also interviewed Jane Austen fans who were delighted to share their love of Jane Austen with me. To promote the audiobook, we put out some fun videos on the @AlisonLarkinPresents Instagram page. Also, I mention it whenever I am interviewed for Grief… A Comedy – most recently in The Times, The Daily Mail and on the BBC and I’ll be promoting it again at Regency Week in Chawton in June this year, where I’ll be appearing at an event organized by Jane Austen’s great niece. So what’s next for you? Currently, I’m hard at work getting ready for the launch of Grief… A Comedy, my new book which will be released in print and on audio on June 3rd. It’s a light, funny follow-up to my solo show of the same name, that critics called “outstandingly uplifting…leaves you believing you really can find joy after loss” (The Daily Mail). Grief… A Comedy is autobiographical, and starts six weeks after my fiancé Bhima died, when he showed up at my kitchen table, as charming as ever, determined to help me find love again. It’s imaginary of course. Or is it? I’m also in talks about filming a t.v. special of Grief… A Comedy and I’m super excited about working with BAFTA award-winning actor Andrew Wincott who plays Raphael in the hit video game Baldur’s Gate 3. We’re also considering a follow up to our hit audiobook The Civil War: In Their Own Words, read by Scott Brick, Michael Crouch and others. Oh, and we’re releasing a unique new audiobook read by Vikas Adams—and… stay tuned! We certainly will! Thank you for joining us, Alison, and best of luck on the launch. Connecting with another creator’s career journey can be a great way to learn how to shape your own. Here are a few of our favorite takeaways from our talk with Alison:

• Draw from your unique experiences—they can be the key to finding or creating that project that really resonates with your audience.

• You don't need to be technical to succeed. Even if you're "right-brained," you can learn the necessary skills and outsource what you can't do.

• Focus on doing and promoting excellent work in addition to networking. It will help the right people find you.

• Trust your instincts on projects. Sometimes risky or unique approaches (like an 81-hour audiobook) become your biggest successes!

• Think like a publisher. Consider self-producing and reinvesting royalties into new projects for exponential growth.