an interview with the audiobook narrator for WITH LOVE, FROM COLD WORLD!

lindsey dorcus on how she got started, favorite narrators, and how hot that booth is

I can’t remember my first audiobook experience, but I do remember at least a very early one — I was going on a road trip sometime after college, and my best friend from high school gave me The Devil Wears Prada narrated by Rachael Leigh Cook on a set of four separate CD’s, which I dutifully slid into sleeves in my giant CD binder to make sure they stayed protected. What, Anne Hathaway was busy? I remember thinking, because I didn’t know how audiobooks worked — that the narrator was separate from an actor who might be hired later to play the part.

Needless to say, I love audiobooks. They are one of my favorite ways to enjoy a book, and I have a lot of opinions on narration style (I like a book to be mostly read to me, with a little bit of acting in the dialogue but not too much, lots of extreme voices take me out), what genres are elevated by the format (celebrity memoir and seemingly dry-ass nonfiction are two of my go-tos), and what activities pair beautifully with an audio book experience (driving, playing a mindless phone game, doing something creative but tedious like making friendship bracelets, and, if you must, cleaning).

So you can imagine my delight and gratitude when I found out my books would be getting audio versions! In the six books I published prior to Love in the Time of Serial Killers, that had never happened before. It was on my Author Bucket List for real.

And beyond that, I was really fortunate to get two narrators who I really love — Lee Daniels for Love in the Time of Serial Killers and then Lindsey Dorcus for With Love, from Cold World (I only pick narrators whose initials are L.D., apparently). Lindsey was kind enough to let me interview her about the process of making an audiobook, which is something I have always been fascinated by, ever since my days of wondering why Rachael Leigh Cook was reading Anne Hathaway’s part.

AT: How did you get started narrating audiobooks?

LD: I’ve been an actor forever - I studied Theatre in college and worked as a stage actor in Chicago for over ten years after graduating (along with so many other jobs!).  But in 2016, I started listening to more fiction podcasts, especially shows like Welcome to Nightvale and Alice Isn’t Dead.  I was instantly hooked - I loved the intimacy of audio storytelling.  So I started looking into fiction audio work, and took a class on audiobook narration in 2017. From there, it was a process of creating my home studio (initially a closet!  Now a Studiobricks), working with narration coaches to adjust my acting technique for audio, and auditioning for books!

How do you generally get your recording assignments? (For example, I know I requested you specifically because I loved your narration of Anita Kelly’s Love & Other Disasters! But I'm curious if there are calls for audition that you answer, if you put yourself out there for specific books because you like the author/genre/etc., if you get chosen by a publisher or author because you have a prior relationship, etc.)

Lots of different ways!  Some are author requests, like Cold World (which are the BEST), some are open auditions posted to either indie or publisher casting sites, and some are smaller invited auditions from publishers I have a relationship with.  I also work directly with indie authors, and usually those jobs are the result of me reaching out to them, or vice versa.  It’s a lot of networking and reminding people that I exist!  I do occasionally ask to audition for a specific book I’m excited about, but I try to limit those to just a handful every year.  Audiobook producers have a lot on their plate and very full inboxes, so I try to make those quarterly check-ins impactful.

Fun fact, I *almost* reached out to the team at PRH to ask to audition for Cold World, but I had contacted them super recently so I let it pass.  When I got the request to narrate it unprompted it felt like kismet! [Note from AT: I love this so much! Lindsey and I already followed each other on Instagram, and I admit I hoped that meant she might have some interest in working with me . . .]

Once you know you're going to narrate a book, what's your process for getting to know the characters and preparing for the recording?

First thing, I read the book all the way through, and take notes.  I keep track of all the characters and what is said about them/their voices, and I note any names or words that I need pronunciation info for.  Narrators are mostly responsible for doing our own pronunciation research, but for proper names that could be pronounced a couple different ways or sci-fi/fantasy terms invented by the author, we need the author or producer to weigh in.  If I’m working with a co-narrator, I connect with them via email to talk about the characters and send each other voice clips so we’re in sync. 

Now a fun fact from me — there was only ONE line-reading note I sent over to my audiobook producer when we were trying to see if Lindsey would be on board. From that email: I want “for the ‘just hung around’ line in Chapter Fourteen to be delivered the way Kevin McCallister does in Home Alone — but I know Lindsey is from Chicago so I would trust her to nail that impeccably.” Priorities!!

Beyond that, I sorta bounce around artistically depending on what the book needs.  Sometimes there are songs or playlists that I associate with a character or listen to just before I hop in the booth.  For others I watch videos and interviews with folks I think would be a good reference point.  Sometimes I’ll watch a movie or TV show that really captures the vibe of the book, or gives me more context.  If there are accents needed (beyond my natural General American one), I spend time listening to references and practicing.  I also usually try to find a physicality or placement that works well for each major character.  Things like a furrowed brow for Lauren or a gentle smirk and relaxed posture for Asa help me to find their voice and feel present in my body when I'm sitting in the booth.

Do you listen to your own audiobooks once they’re done? How cool are you with hearing the sound of your own voice by now? (For me, it’s difficult to relisten to even a 30-minute podcast lol)

Almost never.  I do make an effort to listen back to clips from time to time as a way to learn and improve, but I really have to psych myself up before I do.  It doesn’t bother me hearing my own voice in my headphones as I work, but when I listen back later my inner perfectionist rears its head.  One of the toughest things about moving from theatre into audiobooks is that theatre is ephemeral . . . but audiobooks are forever!  I like to give something 100% in the moment of creation, then move on to the next thing — and look back fondly on the projects I worked on in the past, with the hazy sheen of memory. 

What was your favorite part to narrate in Cold World, or who was your favorite character? (This is blatantly for me, sorry!!!)

I think my favorite scene to narrate was Lauren’s drunk karaoke at the holiday party.  Just the image of her sitting on the edge of the stage, her stream-of-consciousness monologue in the middle of the song, Asa seeing Lauren a little out of control.  

And of course, I also had a lot of fun with Chapter 13.  For obvious reasons. ;)

Asa was one of my favorite characters to voice — his relationship with his father sat really close to the bone for me, and the scenes between the two of them were cathartic to read.  And I always loved when Dolores would pop up with a bit of Cold World enthusiasm.  

What’s something about audiobook narration that you think people don’t know, or would be surprised by?

That recording booths can get uncomfortably warm!  Some of the fancy studios have silent air conditioning and ventilation, but a lot of audiobooks are recorded in home booths, and fans/air conditioners make noise.  In the summer, it quickly becomes a sauna.  So if you’re listening to an audiobook that came out in the fall/early winter, chances are good that the narrator was recording with an ice pack draped around their neck and sweating bullets!

Who are some of your favorite audiobook narrators, and why?

I love Robin Miles.  Her narration of the Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin is still one of my favorites.  Her characters are so grounded and distinct.  I love Kevin R. Free’s work.  He is wry and funny and compassionate all at the same time.  Eunice Wong is a favorite and a friend.  Her work on The Verifiers by Jane Pek had me glued to my headphones.  

(Okay, this list could be 50 people long, but I will stop at 3.  So many incredible narrators I admire!)

What’s a narrating dream project for you?

I mean, Cold World was a dream project, obviously!  But in the future, I would love to work on a sprawling space opera, definitely narrate more queer rom-coms, and do more projects that require collaboration.  I love immersive audio experiences, like shows from one step at a time like this or podcasts like Within the Wires or The Walk, and I would be thrilled to collaborate on a project in that vein!

Where can people find you/your work, and what’s coming up for you in the future?

You can search for my name wherever you get your audiobooks (including the library!), you can find me on Instagram @LindseyDorcus, and you can check out my website at www.lindseydorcus.com. 

And for fans of queer YA romance, I’m excited about We Got The Beat by Jenna Miller, coming this February! [I have been very excited for this book and am even more so now that I know Lindsey is doing the audio!!!]

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I really do highly recommend Lindsey Dorcus’ reading of the audiobook for With Love, from Cold World. I started listening to it just because I wanted to get a taste, but I told myself I wouldn’t listen to the whole thing, because it felt kind of weird? Like, those are words I wrote? And now someone else is saying them into my ears?

But truly I got so pulled in I listened to the whole thing. Yes, even Chapter 13. Even Chapter 21. What can I say. Lindsey is good at what she does.

Just in case you want something more visual (if it’s not too abysmal) (omg tell me if you got that reference) — if you want to order a signed, personalized version of With Love, from Cold World in time for Christmas, you can order through Tombolo Books by 12/13 and they’ll ship it anywhere USPS or UPS ships. I am going to be helping to package these up myself with some cute little extras (a packet of hot chocolate! a Christmas letter from me with some of my fave books of 2023/anticipated books of 2024! we’ll wrap your book real nice!). Just put any personalization requests in the comments of your order! Would make a great gift, just saying!

AND if you happen to be in the St. Pete area the night of 12/13, come celebrate Taylor Swift’s birthday AND Tombolo’s birthday eve with us at the store! I’ll be there along with other local authors, available to shop with you and give you personalized suggestions. I’m really looking forward to it!

Currently reading . . . I am very THEMATIC with all of my “currently . . .” choices this week, as you’re about to see. My low-key obsession with Elvis and Priscilla Presley is going strong after watching Priscilla a few weeks ago, and I am now reading Child Bride: The Untold Story of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley by Suzanne Finstad after finishing up Priscilla’s memoir that was the basis for the movie. You could feel that there was a lot left out of the memoir — either because Priscilla understandably was feeling protective over Elvis’ memory, or because perhaps she hadn’t grappled with everything herself yet — and so I was interested in trying to find out more from another source.

So far, the woman writing this book has some WILD analysis tho. Like she has this whole thesis statement about how Priscilla grew up in a house of secrets*, and she starts off talking about how Priscilla’s mom went by Ann BUT HER NAME WAS REALLY ANNA! Like it’s some gotcha moment? To have a nickname? Then there’s this part, where she says: “The family had little money. Priscilla would remember her mother using orange crates as end tables and concealing them with hand-sewn decorative cloths, a simple metaphor for the house of secrets and lies.” I will now be walking around my living room trying to find the metaphors for my house of secrets and lies. There’s a spray bottle of Febreze near the cat’s litter box! WHAT could she be hiding????

*to be fair, her mom did also tell Priscilla that her stepdad was her real dad for like, her entire childhood, and then told Priscilla not to let her stepdad know that she knew once she found out.

Anyway, today I typed up 2k words in my 2025 Romance, but I also typed up approximately three times that amount in notes about Priscilla Presley that I may send my friend I saw the movie with, just for my own peace of mind but not for her to read lest it fuck up her Goodreads goal.

Oh, there’s juice!!! Don’t forget about those HAND-SEWN DECORATIVE CLOTHS!!! The truths they don’t WANT you to know!

watching . . . You are already bored of me when I tell you that I am finally getting around to watching Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, which I never bothered watching when it came out. I needed that Priscilla entry point! I got interrupted halfway through so I haven’t finished it yet, but so far I will say I am more a fan of Sofia Coppola’s filmmaking style. Interested to see where this movie goes, though.

listening to . . . Like I mentioned, I just finished Priscilla’s memoir on audiobook. I do like it when authors read their own memoirs, as I said above, and she does a good job with it — you can tell she’s had some training as an actress. She does have this almost unhinged giggle that she does after some parts, though. Like sometimes she’ll giggle and then just keep laughing a little breathlessly, like she really can’t move on to the next subject yet because she’s just too tickled. It can occasionally be charming but often feels a little fake and odd. But regardless, it was a fast and easy listen and formed the perfect basis for this dissertation I am now apparently poring out in my gmail drafts.

A thematic Elvis song for this newsletter would be “Blue Christmas,” since that’s the song Lauren sings in her drunk karaoke performance that Lindsey mentioned in the interview above. Here’s Hayley Williams performing a cover of that song, which is what I listened to over and over while I was drafting that particular scene:

(Just ignore Ch*d G*lbert)