Feedback for my pronunciation guide idea [high fantasy]
Hello! I'm just getting started on my drafting process, and I'm thinking through some of the logistics of how to create the best reading experience. In my world, pronunciation of some names and places really matter for the plot and politics—the pronunciation of the main character's name will actually change halfway through the series.
But as a reader, I don't usually like the experience of needing to refer to a glossary of names at the back or front of a book. It feels cumbersome and annoying to me. My current thought is that I would like to include pronunciations for names and places as a footnote the first time a name is mentioned (my REAL preference would be to give the International Phonetic Alphabet spelling of each pronunciation, but I know this would not work for the average reader, haha). Any thoughts on this?
I'm personally not bothered by footnotes in a fantasy book. I think, when it serves a purpose, it can actually enhance the reading experience, such as in Babel by R.F. Kuang. But I know this isn't everyone's jam, so I want to get some feedback on whether the concept is appealing.