Audiobook Narration Workflow
Bookshift audiobook jobs use a draft and preflight workflow so that manuscript structure, voices, scripts, and quality checks are reviewed before final files are released.


Workflow Overview
The high-level flow is:
- Upload or choose the manuscript.
- Bookshift prepares chapter structure and draft narration settings.
- Preflight scans look for issues that could affect audio quality.
- You review voices, script settings, and any warnings.
- Narration and QA run.
- Final audio is released when required checks pass.
Preflight Checks
Preflight may include:
- Chapter cleanup and chapter auto-repair for weakly structured manuscripts
- Explicit-content scan
- Cast and speaker scan
- Pronunciation glossary scan
- Script structure checks
- Release readiness checks
These checks are designed to catch issues before narration spends credits or produces a full set of audio files.
Review Steps
Depending on the job type, you may be asked to review:
- Chapter list and chapter boundaries
- Narrator or cast selection
- Pronunciation glossary items
- Generated scripts or voice directions
- Warnings about explicit content or sections needing manual review
If the page asks for review, complete that review before expecting final downloadable audio.
QA and Release Gates
Bookshift may hold a final ZIP until required QA passes. This protects you from downloading a package with missing chapters, unverified audio, or known release-blocking issues.
QA can check for:
- Missing or failed chapters
- Audio/script mismatches
- Unverified generated audio
- Sections that need manual review
- Partial failures that need retry or support attention
Common Statuses
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | The job is being prepared or needs setup review. |
| Preflight needed | Bookshift has checks to run or results for you to review. |
| Needs manual review | A warning should be reviewed before release. |
| QA unverified | Audio exists but final QA has not passed yet. |
| Completed with warnings | Outputs are available, but you should read the warnings. |
| Partial failure | Some sections completed and others need retry or support review. |
FAQ
Why can't I download the final ZIP yet?
The job may still be in preflight, narration, QA, or release-gate review. Open the job page and check the current warning or status.
Do warnings always mean the job failed?
No. Some warnings are informational, while others require review or retry before final release.
Should I review the audio before publishing?
Yes. Always spot-check chapters, especially scenes with multiple speakers, unusual names, explicit content, or special pronunciation requirements.