This group is BUSINESS...where are the jobs today that pay narrators? Who has these jobs? What are the sources we might contact with a demo to get narration jobs? Sure, we can talk about narration techniques too...
223 Members

A thought from Bettye.... You are entering the PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. Learn about it!

You must have a killer audio book demo to get paying work in this field especially from PUBLISHERS. You also must separate jobs you do on your own in your home studio from voicing for publishers, often in their studios. When you read for publishers, the pay is better and you often don't do the audio engineering. Mostly, they prefer readers in their own studios. The audio book jobs advertised on the online pay to play sites are usually from vanity publishers or the authors themselves or for other reasons...not publishing house jobs. Know the difference. And get used to the fact that audio books usually pay for THE FINISHED AUDIO HOUR. How long will it take you to get one finished audio hour that is perfect? That depends....could be two studio hours could be twenty studio hours with you engineering and voicing it too! Be very cautious on your price bidding.
Bettye Zoller

You need to be a member of VOICEOVER UNIVERSE to add comments!

Join VOICEOVER UNIVERSE

Comments are closed.

Comments

  • Ran Alan Ricard December 3, 2009 at 1:03pm
    ;o) I'll bet it does brother.


    R
  • Norman Gilligan December 3, 2009 at 12:56pm
    Also Ran .. (left behind at the start) works with a good single malt !!

    N.
  • Ran Alan Ricard December 3, 2009 at 12:52pm
    Something I'd like to share with everyone here ... concerning that half bottle of Jack Daniels. Some of y'all may already know this, but for those that don't I want to share this valuable piece of info.

    If you really do drink a half bottle of Jack Daniels and then record, you'll find that first your words will cease being individuals and become part of an extremely long sentence that will make absolutely no sense to anybody but you....

    ...and when you wake up, you might find that the microphone has left this really strange criss cross pattern on your forehead.

    I hope this helps ya ...

    Ran
  • Norman Gilligan December 3, 2009 at 12:47pm
    Hi All .. from cold and wet UK.

    This audiobook fee business is interesting.

    Recently I did an ab .. 250k words or so and I quoted £1000 for the work (sorry don't know the exchange rate). After a couple of emails we arrived at a fee of £650. The work took 10 hours over 2.5 days and was in a studio with a director and ended up being very easy and a lot of fun.

    A little longer ago I quoted something proportionate for a 350k words piece by a major US author and was asked if I was kidding .. didn't get the gig I hasten to add.

    How can there be such a disparity of expectation between here and there ? There seems to be no standard here .. not that I really expect there to be one but authors and publishers on both sides of the "the pond" must surely operate in similar ways. I bet the major guy would have snapped my hand off if I had offered to do it for $100 but when I suggested something "reasonable" he thought it was outrageous. He must be used to getting the work done for next to nothing .. people are glad to have been associated with him!

    Best regards All.
  • Bettye Zoller December 3, 2009 at 12:45pm
    Hi there sweet Ran. Hey everybody, those of you who don't know..Ran's burnin up the track with voice jobs and I helped him get started and I believe in him completely. If you haven't noticed, his sense of humor gives me the greatest chuckles often. See his slogan? :Don't Just Get Voice Over, Get Ran Over?" I love it. And Ran, the second time you drink a half bottle of Jack Daniels you'll be asleep at the mic for the rest of the day! lol
    Bettye Z
  • Ran Alan Ricard December 3, 2009 at 12:26pm
    Hi ya Lady ;o) I saw that audition post. Not having nearly the expertise you do, but having at least gotten my feet wet .........

    I started to shake uncontrollably after I read it.

    Then I drank a half bottle of Jack Daniels just to settle my nerves (just kiddin'). I took on a 54000 word book for my first endeavor in audio books and before I was done, my dogs wouldn't even stay in the same room with me.

    I didn't answer him (I'm glad you did though).

    Your Humble Servant,

    Ran
  • Bettye Zoller December 3, 2009 at 12:24pm
    Your submission to an audio book publisher should contain a brief professional cover letter--good quality paper, no typos, no grammar errors, stating briefly who you are and your experience. If no experience in audio books, what experience do you have that makes you believe this publisher should hire you? Enclose your audio book demo. Most publishers will not even consider commercial or other types of demos. So that's your first requirement...a proper demo. It's ok to talk about other types of credits, especially live theatrical ones or TV film as an actor. But that audio book demo is a MUST.
  • Bettye Zoller December 3, 2009 at 12:20pm
    Today online, an audio book publisher wanted someone to read a 90,000 page book AND engineer it for $750! I answered the audition notice. Don't know if the website will block my audition and the client will never see it or not...but I said truthfully that I would not consider this job for that money and I told him what I would charge. I won't quote that figure here because you would have to know why I said what I said (he provided the ENTIRE script to us! You have to look at the book internally too. How many chapter breaks? Sounders will probably be required or maybe music intros and outros...every book is a unique type of audio engineering (and voicing!) job. You shouldn't just read and never "stop." A proper audio book is in chapters, sections, and has a "shape." That guides the listener's ear. It's complicated work...long form audio engineering. I know cause I learned the hard way way back when I owned my audio book publishing company and paid out money to audio engineers to get me out of messes and corners I drove myself to and needed help on projects~ It wasn't 'pretty!' So now I counsel others not to make the same mistakes, costly errors indeed.
  • Bettye Zoller December 3, 2009 at 12:15pm
    Hey, just remember Michael, and everyone, that the audio book demo is TOTALLY different from every other type of demo. It's long and contains book excerpts and publishers want to hear certain things if you can do it. Just got on this board this morning and wow, what GREAT NEWS from Ran and Bob about their audio book narration jobs. Word to the wise everybody: Whenever you make a demo of any type, be sure you know what you're doing and don't waste money. I have so many clients each year come to me with horrid demos and the money they have spent on them makes you want to weep! Get educated in "demo land" before paying anyone money. Do your research. Talk to others and hear a zillion other demos. I don't make demos on people who are not ready to make a demo. I just won't do that.
  • Ran Alan Ricard December 3, 2009 at 8:30am
    That's great news Bob. I too just contracted to voice 4 hour long shorts for JimCin Recording.

    Ran Alan Ricard
    Voice Talent
    www.voices.com/people/ranalanricard
    941-564-6581
    'Don't Just Get Voice Over ... Get Ran Over!'
    soli una stamos
This reply was deleted.

Forum

Photos