Do people
tell you that you have a nice, clarion voice? Have you ever had any voice
training or done any public speaking? Are you looking for something more
on the artistic side of the work-at-home industry? Well, then keep
reading.
There is now a section of
the work-at-home population making
money doing voice overs — especially as audiobook narrators.
Below, we've shared with you what audiobook narrators do, what skills you need,
and where to find work.
What Does
Voice Over/Narration Work Involve?
Usually when someone
mentions voice overs it brings to mind cartoons or Disney movies, where
celebrities use their own voices or one of their many “acting” voices to speak
for the characters.
Being able to perform voice
overs is a combination of speaking, oral reading, and acting. All of this is
done off-stage and off-camera, in other words “behind the scenes”.
Voice over actors or
artists are used in radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, video
games, eBook and audio narration and other presentations.
For this post, we will
primarily be examining eBook and audio book narration.
How To
Become An Audiobook Narrator
If you haven't had any
practice or previous training during voice over work,
you might try these tips to break into the industry.
·
Practice
reading out loud, but make it sound as if you are NOT reading.
·
Make
a recording of your voice.
·
Learn
to breathe from your diaphragm instead of your chest.
·
Try
small parts acting in skits while staying in character.
·
Take
acting lessons or voice lessons.
·
Overcome
any regional accents or at least learn to hide them.
What
Equipment Will You Need to Do Audiobook Narration?
It will really depend on
how “full-time” you want to be and whether or not the equipment or recording
studio will be supplied for you.
One idea is to rent out a
recording studio to do your own demo tapes, or even do some of the recording. This
can get expensive as most recording studios charge by the hour.
However, you might want to
start thinking about purchasing or finding a:
·
Laptop
or PC for managing schedules, invoicing, tracking clients, and email.
·
Smartphone
for pulling up industry-related apps.
·
Pair
of studio
headphones, which do not pick up the sound from your speakers or any
background sounds.
·
Mic
stand to hold the microphone and free up your hands to handle the script.
·
Pop
filters, which block the initial popping and breathing when a mouth
first encounters the microphone.
·
Recording
software (Audacity or
othres) is free to hear a playback of your voice.
Where Can
You Find Freelance Work Doing Audiobook Narrations?
If you have ever looked for
freelance work on any of the bidding sites, you have probably seen voice over
artists advertising their skills on Fiverr, Freelancer, Upwork, and Guru.com. No surprise there,
especially given how many eBooks are out there as well as audiobooks.
However, there are three
more industry-specific websites for finding audiobook narration work, such as:
ACX.com – On this site
you will have opportunities to connect with authors seeking voice over artists
to audition for their eBooks and audiobooks.
ACX also helps both authors
and narrators promote themselves on social media and offline as well. There are
additionally opportunities to find and use agents for your talents and earn
royalties both as an author and voiceover artist. There is an easy search tool
that makes it simple to find posted jobs.
Voicebunny.com – This is
another site where you can advertise your voice over talent and find jobs in
several venues such as advertising, presentations, movie trailers, product
videos, video games, eBook and audiobook narrations, and many more
opportunities.
The only drawback with this
site is they do want experienced voice over artists, so if you are not there
yet, you might want to hold off on this site until you are more experienced.
It's also a must that you
have high-quality equipment for your audio test with Voicebunny. One of our
readers attempted to do the test with just her computer microphone, and her
application was rejected.
Voices.com – Read Voices.com Review – This
is a site that was co-founded by Stephanie Ciccarelli who has been trained in
voice, piano, and musical theatre.
Voices.com offers helpful
advice for both eBook and audiobook authors as well as the voice over artists
themselves.
While this site does have
job postings, it seems to be just as focused on helping you learn to find your
own clients as well as keep up on the latest industry news.
How Much
Can You Make Doing Voice Overs In General?
This will really depend on
how well you are known as well as your portfolio and experience. Also, you will
really need to pay attention to the sound quality of your voice overs before
submitting them.
On sites like Fiverr.com and freelance bidding sites, you
may not make much money starting out, but you will build the experience,
practice, and portfolio you need. The going rate for most freelance work
(unless you are a celebrity) is $20 to $33 an hour.
How Can
One Go Ahead and Launch a Freelance Career Doing Voice Overs and Narrations?
As always, do your own
homework and decide if this is something you really want to do.
While it does take a while
to build any freelance career, this one involves setting up a recording studio
with equipment if you want to eventually do it professionally from your home.
That could run into a significant amount of money.
However, if after weighing
all the options, you are still excited by the whole idea of recording
audiobook/eBook narrations, then go right ahead.
Are You Interested In Training For Voice-Over Work?
Get Paid To Do Voice-Overs is
a free mini-course you can take if any of the following applies to you:
·
You've
thought about audiobook narration as a way to earn money.
·
You
are interested in voice over work in general.
·
You
want to work from home, doing something flexible and fun.
If any of the above sounds
good to you, there is a free mini-course you can
take that explains quite a lot about getting started in this industry.
0 Comments