Today we’d like to introduce you to Verónica Thames.
Verónica, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My love for stories and storytelling began at a really young age. As soon as I could understand what the written word meant, and that stories could transport me to new places and experiences, I was hooked. As the oldest of many kids growing up, I’d often read stories out loud to my siblings. During my teenage years, I also began writing my own stories, and every Friday night my siblings would gather in my room and would act out the next chapter of my book in real time as I read it aloud to them.
During my childhood, my mom would occasionally borrow tape and CD audiobooks from the library for us to listen to while we were in the car. The first time I was allowed to choose an audiobook from the library to personally listen to, I chose Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, narrated by Anthony Heald. I vividly remember staying up well past bedtime on a school night, huddled under my covers with my walkman, listening to Heald bring the story of Billy, Old Dan, and Little Ann to life through narration. It was a performance I will never forget.
While I was aware of audiobooks at a young age, I never thought of narration as a career choice. When people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told them I was going to be an author and help bring people’s stories to life through the written word. It’s the reason why I chose to pursue a degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing and journalism.
Upon graduation, I briefly worked in the children’s book publishing industry, and then eventually at a research company as a writer and editor. It was around this time I realized I more so wanted to help people get their stories into the world, and less so that I wanted to be a published author one day. I was aware of audiobooks, and still enjoyed listening to multiple audio performances a month, but printed books were my preference.
It wasn’t until I became a mother in 2019 that I began to really consume audiobooks. My hands were no longer free to hold a book as I cradled my newborn in my arms. A few months into mothering, I felt myself deeply missing stories, so I decided to up my audiobook listening in an attempt to reclaim a bit of that reading time. What a game changer! I remember falling in love with audio performances all over again while simultaneously nurturing my child.
Around this time, I realized I wanted to get creative with my voice and storytelling. I thought that meant hosting a podcast, so my husband went out and bought me everything I needed for beginner-level home studio. The podcast dream fizzled out quickly, but I did use my gear to take part in a friend’s podcast series in which I voiced a main character who happened to be a daring space pirate. Recording the podcast episodes with a full cast of performers sparked something in me, reminding me how much I used to love reading aloud to my younger siblings. And that’s when it clicked… I loved reading to people. I loved listening to audiobooks. I had always wanted to help people get their stories into the world. These all seem like qualities an audiobook narrator would possess!
In January of 2024, I made a New Year’s resolution to narrate at least 1 audiobook that year. I spent February of that same year converting an interior closet in our home into a recording booth and figuring out where I could start auditioning for audiobook projects. In March, I began auditioning, and in April I booked not 1, but 2 projects! One was a collection of YA short stories. The other was a memoir of a Cuban American family. This second title was especially close to my heart as I am third-generation Cuban American.
Two books turned into 9, and by the time the year wrapped up, I’d successfully narrated nearly 10 titles. I was nominated by an author I worked with for the Anna Ats Deadline Award, which recognizes new narrators in the industry, and was invited by the award committee to join one of their inaugural cohorts. Because of this, I began connecting with other audiobook narrators online, and they were such an informative and welcoming group. At this point, I already knew I wanted to pursue professional narration as a career, but the warm welcome from those already in the industry completely solidified my choice.
Fast-forward to mid- 2025, I’m currently working on my 17th book. Since I jumped into narration last year, I’ve had the honor to work with both independent authors and publishing houses alike. I’ve voiced cozy mysteries, suspenseful novels, magical adventures, and coming of age tales. I’ve especially been honored to narrate several books with Hispanic main characters, allowing me to infuse some of my own heritage into my performance for these titles. I’ve coached with some award-winning narrators, and am always looking for ways to excel in my craft. My home studio is my happy place, and I look forward to recording every day. Helping people share their stories with the world has always been my dream, and I’m thrilled to currently be doing it through the art of audiobook narration.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but it’s been a fun and educational one.
Breaking into the audiobook narration industry has its challenges. I used to think that only actors could be audiobook narrators. I’ve since discovered that this is not true, though having experience as a trained actor definitely helps level up your audiobook narration. I am not a trained actor, but this is a skill I’m actively strengthening. I’ve consulted and worked with audiobook coaches to grow in this area, and have also honed my craft through months-long, narration-specific courses. I don’t want my lack of acting experience to be the reason why I don’t land a project.
Within the industry, another challenge is that it’s a pretty competitive space that requires a lot of grit and hustle. Auditioning is a huge part of the job. Even when I’m recording a book and have four books in the queue, I’m still auditioning for future projects and hoping to book my calendar further out. Auditioning takes time, it takes preparation, and in the end, I might not get the gig. There are often upwards of 100 narrators auditioning for a project when working with indie authors, and when working with production companies and publishing houses, there can be dozens of narrators who are asked to audition. Auditioning doesn’t always have a return on investment, but without it, I wouldn’t book anything. When I don’t get the job, rather than feel down about it, I celebrate that the rightsholder found the right voice to narrate the story. And who knows, it might even be a narrator I know, and in our community we celebrate each other’s wins!
Another challenge our industry is facing comes in the form of AI (artificial intelligence). Many companies are rolling out generative AI voices as audiobook narration options. The use of AI voices in the audiobook industry takes potential jobs away from narrators and makes it that much more difficult to break into the industry and book a project. It also has narrators concerned about the future of their careers. While many of us prefer human voices when listening to an audiobook, AI will only continue to progress and narrators’ livelihoods will likely be affected.
Being a parent who also works a full-time job outside of narrating also presents some challenges. I used to think my daughter needed me most when she was an infant, but over the years I’ve discovered that while she may not depend on me as much as she physically moves throughout her day, she needs my emotional support and maternal guidance in other ways that require just as much time (and sometimes more) as changing a diaper or making dinner. The older she gets, the more important it is for me to be present and accessible for her—I don’t want her to ever feel like my work and my interests take priority over her. She is my top priority always. However, this means that between working 8-hour days at my 9-5 job, and parenting her throughout the day, there is often little time left to record. Thankfully, I record in a home studio, and can fit recording sessions in early in the day or later at night when the house is quieter and my day job doesn’t require my time.
Despite all these challenges, my recording sessions are one of my favorite parts of my day. I love immersing myself in a story, and getting to voice a story while being fully immersed in it is such an honor.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When it comes to audiobook narration, I specialize in voicing young female protagonists, particularly characters who are tenacious, intelligent, and determined to succeed. My voice has been described as warm, bright, relatable, and occasionally sassy. I thoroughly enjoy creating compelling, emotionally rich performances that resonate with listeners of all ages.
While I’ve voiced many types of books for varying audience ages, I’m especially drawn to middle grade and YA fantasy. If a story is filled with whimsy, magic, fantastical creatures, and otherworldly settings, you’d best believe I’ll be auditioning for the role! Tales that celebrate adventure, hope, and the fierce desire to do good are what I was raised reading, and they’re what I feel pulled back to in narration more often than not.
Given my heritage and family history, I’m deeply passionate about projects that illuminate the Latina experience, Cuban culture, and the impact of immigration on family history and personal identity. I’m audiobook-fluent in both Spanish and Indonesian, offering cultural nuance and language authenticity to projects I work on.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Curiosity. An insatiably curiosity is important to succeed in this career. Without being curious about what the story is about, who the story is for, or why the author has written this story, I won’t be able to offer my best and most authentic performance.
While I’m prepping a story for narration and answering some of the basic questions of who, what, why, where, and so on, I often have to do some research to make sure my representation of the story and characters is as accurate as possible. Learning about new people, new times, new words, new ways of expressing emotion—and doing this over and over and over again for each project—is fueled by curiosity. Without being curious about these things, many of my performances would feel “cut and paste” from prior performances, and that’s not going to keep listeners engaged in the audiobook.
My curiosity must also extend past the story and character development and into my craft as well. I must always continue asking how I can strengthen this skill of narration. It’s important for me to seek out new forms of education and training so that I can continue to grow in this area.
Without curiosity, I wouldn’t have a way to move forward in this industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.venturousvocals.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venturousvocals/
