Oh man, you've never heard doctors' dictation then. Wait until you have 4 hour romance novel read with phlegmy crackle and sniffs after every sentence. 🤣 Or recorded in traffic talking really really fast with fabric noise as it sits in shirt pocket. Cutting off recording before they finish talking. Mouth breathing with mic so sensitive you can hear them swallow...if you think they'll take the time to fix it, you underestimate what people deem acceptable to avoid having to fix/hear themselves.

I get what you’re saying and nothing wrong with authors who want to try and learn the skill, but I would prefer not UNLESS they have the proper skill. I just listened to one narrated by the author and it felt natural for her and I really enjoyed it. There’s a few that I’ve tried that’s narrated by the author and it was a snooze fest because they were just reading it, not “acting.” And it just didn’t work, imo. For me, a good audiobook isn’t just reading it, but actually acting.

It's unlikely you will read as well as a voice actor who has trained for years.The time you spend learning the skills and then making the recording is better spent doing what you are best at - writing. Paying a voice actor is an investment in the quality of your product.