User blog comment:NymeriasMillennia/Creepypasta Readings on Youtube/@comment-4715955-20160729123632

Basically always ask first. You'd be surprised how supportive most authors are about this. Some of them (like me) might even help.

Some things to avoid, which will make you stand out:

1) Cold readings. Most readers just read the damn thing once, with the mic on, and don't bother rehearsing or doing second takes. And it shows: they stammer, stutter, mumble, screw up lines, and sound godawful. Check out the terrible readings of my stories The Portrait of Noelle Dumont and Teacher Wanted, Must Love Children for examples of how NOT to do readings. The whole point should be making a great final product, not generating more hits on your channel. Remember, your reading could be someone's first exposure to the story. If you make a shit reading, it's basically your fault they hate the story.

2) Playing somber or otherwise inappropriate music in the background during the whole reading, especially if it drowns out your voice. Using ambiance is fine, but the focus should be on the text and the performance. You don't need music to tell people how to feel.

3) Check how to pronounce stuff. If you don't know how to pronounce something (like a name or an erratic line of dialogue) ask the author. Seriously, just ask them for clarification on anything. They won't be angry.