We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julie Walthers a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Julie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

As with many industries, the audiobook world is having to grapple with the use of AI as a growing trend. As an engineer, my job is to take the raw, unmastered audio from voice talent and edit any mistakes in the reading of the manuscript, and fix any issues with the audio. Then I create a unique mastering chain for each voice to enhance the audio and make sure it will pass the quality control process on the various platforms, such as Audible.  The voice actor’s job is to bring their performance and oration skills to the text, not just so people can simply hear the story, but so that we can connect with it on a deeper level. AI is quite literally taking the humanity out of audiobooks and replacing it with a simulacrum of the human experience. How can AI possibly convey the infinite spectrum of human emotions? How can the “voice” of AI channel the weight of tragedy or the complexity of love? It’s truly heartbreaking to think that in the next decade, human narration of the stories written for and by humans will likely become a casualty of AI.  Right now, platforms like Audible do not allow the use of AI, and I hope that continues to hold. However, corporate clients needing voiceovers for their training materials have been enthusiastic about using AI.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I like to think of Whole Story Studio as a small but mighty post-production company specializing in audiobooks. Everything I do is remote, meaning, all of my voice talent records either in their home studios or somewhere local to them. They then send me their audio to edit and prepare for retail publishing. When working directly with authors to produce their audiobooks, we’ll set up a Zoom meeting to discuss their vision, deadlines, and any goals they have. I then do auditions to cast talent and coordinate the rest of the project from start to finish.

I’d like to say I’m known for being very communicative and organized. I really pride myself on not only producing great-sounding audiobooks, but also for being friendly, reliable, organized, and deadline-oriented. A compliment I’ve received from a number of my clients is that they can just send me their audio and not have to worry about anything, which makes me feel great. People trust me with their stories and their voice, and that means so much.

I want Whole Story Studio to be the place where new voice talent and new authors can come and feel comfortable asking any and all questions about the process. I think my background in teaching has really given me a unique advantage when working with people who are new to the process. I’ve heard too many stories from new narrators who didn’t have a positive experience recording because they were working with people who didn’t have the capacity or general awareness to slow down and explain things.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

In essence, Whole Story Studio strives to be a place of inclusivity. I want to help share stories from diverse voices and diverse backgrounds. I want Whole Story Studio to be a place of creation and empowerment for anyone who has a story to tell. I’m driven by seeing how hard the publishing industry struggles in general with diversity; beautiful stories are being overlooked because they might not have the same commercial success as more established writers and genres, which is to the detriment of all of us. While I would be lying if I said that it wouldn’t be an absolute dream of mine to record and edit the works of my favorite big-name authors, I’ve found that I really enjoy working with emerging writers and voices to create fun and engaging audiobooks.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I think that over 95% of my new clients come from my previous clients. I don’t have a strong web or social media presence and I don’t advertise, so I can’t imagine too many new clients coming from those spaces. Nearly every time I get an editing or producing request, the first line of the email says, “I got your name from so-and-so.” And as anyone who doesn’t rely on regular advertising platforms will tell you, client referrals really are the absolute best and a huge compliment. I’m booked solid through most of March 2024 with repeat clients and referrals, so I’m quite pleased about that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wholestorystudio.com
• Instagram: @wholestorystudio
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/WholeStoryStudio
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jgwalthers/

Image Credits
Brian Larrabee Gabby Perez