Narrator Mentorship

Launched in 2021, the Penguin Random House Audio Narrator Mentorship Program is an initiative for actors new to audiobooks, offering them the opportunity to work with our team of producers to strengthen their craft and gain industry knowledge. We believe that publishing and casting should be entirely inclusive and we created this program to widen the playing field for every actor who participates in the program. Over a six-month period, mentees will have the opportunity to receive individual coaching from our producer team, record demo samples, and participate in our Showcase Day. Currently, we are a bicoastal team of more than 20 audiobook producers, with 300 years of combined experience. We produce approximately 2,000 titles per year and have garnered 19 GRAMMY® Awards and 122 Audie Awards®.

How to Apply

Coming Soon! Applications open August 25, 2026.

We will accept the first 500 applications for consideration, after which the application form will close. If you’re interested in participating, don’t delay submitting your materials.

There are three steps to this year’s application process (more about each step below). You must complete all three steps for your application to be considered complete:

1. Please fill out this Online Form [live link to come 8/25] with your basic info.
2. Please upload a SAMPLE READING (audio file) to this Box folder [live link to come 8/25].
3. Please upload your PERSONAL NARRATIVE (audio file) to this Box folder [live link to come 8/25]. 

Be mindful of the following restrictions to applying, as anyone who does not meet these criteria will be disqualified:

• You are 18 years old or older.
• You have not narrated more than 10 audiobooks at the time of submission.
• You can speak, read, and perform in English even if you are fluent in other languages.

More about our application process:

This year we are changing up our application process in the hopes of avoiding repetitive or AI-generated answers. Instead, we’d like to collect some basic information from you, hear a brief Reading Sample, and (new this year) have you include a Personal Narrative audio file. Details here:

1. The Online Form is simple. Open the link to our Smartsheet form [live link to come 8/25] where we’ll collect some very basic information about you. Don’t forget to hit “Submit” at the end of this form.
2. The Reading Sample should be a brief recorded reading from one of our shared samples. You can take a look at the samples here [live link to come 8/25] and choose the one that is most appealing to you. Don’t worry too much about audio quality or editing – we are more interested in your storytelling than your technical expertise. Please label your file: FirstName_LastName_ReadingSample. 
3. The Personal Narrative [live link to come 8/25] is an opportunity for you to talk about yourself: tell us what inspired you to apply, why audiobooks are compelling to you, and why we should pick you to participate in our program. Again, don’t worry too much about the technical aspect of this piece. No editing is required. We’d just like to hear you chat for a few minutes and get a better sense of who you are. Please note Personal Narrative audio clips should be no longer than 5 minutes. Please label your file: FirstName_LastName_PersonalNarrative.

Submit your application materials beginning August 25, 2026. The submission period will close once 500 applications have been received or by September 8, 2026, whichever comes first. All applicants will be contacted directly about their status via email before the end of December. 

**Incomplete applications will not be considered.**

Listen to producers and the program’s co-runners, Kelly Gildea and Amber Beard, share what stands out to them in a submission:

Mentorship Alumni

We’ve received thousands of applications from around the world, and more than 115 narrators have participated in the program over five sessions since 2021. The vast majority of mentees who have completed the program thus far have gone on to narrate audiobooks for Penguin Random House Audio and other publishers, using the skills they developed during this mentorship.

See a couple of our mentees interviewed on our Meet the Voice YouTube series: Philip Hernandez and Aixa Kay

Have Questions?

From eligibility to submission guidelines and more—we have the answers.

Visit Our FAQ >

Listen to producers and mentorship alumni discuss the program: