2025-03-11T10:41:01Z Read in app Khaya Fraites is a voice actor. Khaya Fraites This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Khaya Fraites is a voice actor based in New York City.She works on audiobooks, including dramatic adaptations of popular titles like "Fourth Wing."Fraites records in a studio she made in an alcove of her apartment.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Khaya Fraites, a 27-year-old voice actor who lives in New York City. It's been edited for length and clarity.I have always loved acting. I acted in plays and did show choir in high school and middle school. I went to school for theater at George Mason University and graduated in 2019.I moved to New York in January 2020 to pursue theater and film, and then the pandemic hit.I had always been interested in voiceovers but hadn't had any experience. I had taken one voice and speech class in college, so I had a one-minute reel that I'd put together for a homework assignment. I used that, got a microphone during COVID, and started auditioning for projects on Backstage, Casting Call Club, and Actors Access.I've been voice acting full-time for five years now, doing animation, narration, and commercials.Voicing Violet Sorrengail of 'Fourth Wing'I started working with GraphicAudio about three years ago. In 2025, I also started narrating novels for Penguin Random House and Macmillan.GraphicAudio's tagline is "A movie in your mind." The company hires a full cast of actors to play every role in a book. There are sound effects and music, and it's an immersive experience.GraphicAudio was looking for someone to add to its roster who could do children's voices. I auditioned for a specific book and booked a small part.The company kept me on its list, and I did small parts on different books for about a year before I got the audition for "Fourth Wing."Now, I play Violet Sorrengail in the series and am currently recording "Onyx Storm." Part one of the audiobook will be released on April 30, and part two will be out on May 30. Khaya Fraites plays Violet Sorrengail. Khaya Fraites For "Fourth Wing," I get to play off of my costar, Gabriel Michael, who voices Xaden Riorson. It's fun to listen and react in the moment when we're recording together.It's also interesting to record the steamier scenes. Sometimes, there are some giggle moments, especially hearing Gabriel's voice in my ear while I'm recording, I'm just like, "How can you not laugh?"I record in what I think is a converted butler's pantry in my railroad apartment in New York.There's just this little alcove that I hung some sound blankets in front of to close it off. Then, I padded the walls with foam and covered my desktop and the floor with carpet squares.I record on my laptop with my microphone and read my script off my iPad.Making an audiobook adaptationGetting into character relies on preparation beforehand. I make sure I know the story inside and out by reading it a few times before recording it.We typically break up books into two parts for GraphicAudio since they're so many hours.My work days are pretty flexible. I get to do the narration on my own time. It takes me about an hour to record 40 pages. The first half of the book we're recording is 360 pages, so it will take me about nine to 10 hours to record the narration.On top of that, it'll take us another nine hours to record all of the dialogue separately. When we record dialogue, I'm live with the director and my costar. @khayafraites Finally started recording Onyx Storm! Its available for Pre-Order now! Part 1 comes out April 30th and Part 2 comes out May 30th. @GraphicAudio #violetsorrengail #xadenandviolet #xadenriorson #xaden #onyxstorm #graphicaudio #graphicaudioironflame #dramatizedadaptation #dramatizedaudiobook #empyreanseries #dramatizedaudiobook #fyp #romantasy #romantasynarrator #romancenarrator #narrator growth - Gede Yudis Typically, audiobook rates for publishers are between $200 and $300 per hour of the finished product, and GraphicAudio has separate rates for dialogue and narration.Narrating can be emotionalThe most difficult part of my work is time management, especially in terms of accepting projects.In January, I recorded from 8 a.m. until 6, 7, or even 8 p.m., and then I read and prepared for the next day from 8 p.m. until midnight. Then, I just got up and did it all over again.Sometimes, I need to step away from the source material, not just with "Fourth Wing" but with other titles, too.Narration requires a lot of stamina and can be exhausting emotionally and physically. I've had sessions, especially those for animation and audiobooks, where fight scenes and all these effects can be taxing.Some days, I just leave the booth crying because some scenes are emotionally hard to record.Money doesn't have to be a barrierWhen I first started voice acting, I was a recent college grad in the middle of a pandemic. I didn't have any money, and the biggest thing I saw when looking into how to get into voice acting was that I had to invest all of this money in myself to do this job.I would have to spend money on a booth, a fancy microphone, a reel, marketing materials, new headshots, and everything else.It's very easy to let money be a barrier, but it shouldn't be. Khaya Fraites is a voice actor. Khaya Fraites Put your reel together yourself and get your friends to listen to it and give you feedback. Submit to projects online. Just put yourself out there because I think that's what's holding people back.Many publishers host free annual seminars or classes, and that's how I got into working at Penguin Random House and Macmillan. They both had free Zoom seminars, where I was able to audition for producers and make an introduction.Connect with other voice actors, and don't be afraid to ask questions. I have a friend who was narrating when I first started, and I asked her a million questions during the pandemic, just trying to figure out everything and how to get started. Don't be afraid to reach out.