Can I Just Ask ... How Do You Get Into Audiobooks?

As self Isolation and Covid19 become part of our normal (and I hope long and healthy) lives, I and many of my narrator colleagues are being overwhelmed with enquiries about 'how to get into audiobooks'. I am getting almost as many emails asking how to set up a home studio and record remotely.  I'd love to be able to answer all these emails and messages individually but I'm afraid I can't - I have deadlines to meet I there just aren't enough hours in the day to individually answer every email or mesage that comes in.  And in case you're wondering how I'm finding time to write this, it is now 1.30 in the morning! It's been a long day!.

"​I'm getting a ton of emails from people who want to 'bend my ear' and talk audiobooks for a while. They've always wanted to be a narrator and now seems like the perfect time.

It's actually not the perfect time.

The creation of audiobooks and narration is not easy. It seems that way, because we make it appear that way. So, even if you have a home computer and a microphone...there is SO much more you need to know before you're ready to produce an audiobook.

With what's happening in the world right now, the audiobook industry is in flux and the new productions will need to be with established talent who understand the minutiae of producing a book. And there's a lot of detail to it.

I wish I had time to educate people, but every time you ask me for coffee or a virtual meeting, it's an hour out my day that I could use to be working and supporting my family. And I need to support my family more than ever right now. . . ."

" This is not to say you CAN'T do it. You can. There are resources available to you. One of the little known things about audiobooks is that if you're really meant to do this, you will figure it out yourself. It's actually great training in being a narrator. You need to be self-motivated, a problem solver, tenacious, responsible, respectful...and have some talent. You also need to research the heck out of the job."

An exciting update!

That sinking feeling - money thrown away or a wise investment?

Do you ever get a sinking feeling after you've made an impulse buy that you perhaps couldn't afford, and which, when you get it home, turns out to be a big mistake?  I certainly have a few disastrous impulse buys hanging in my wardrobe  - and it's even easier to buy impulsively online.  However - this post is not about buying a new dress or a pair of shoes. I am talking about spending money on your career and investing in your business - and how to avoid making some costly mistakes. It's important to invest in my career and in the equipment and software that I use. I want to learn how to use my skills effectively, I want to build my business and to expand into new areas of work; I want to make social media and marketing work to my best advantage - and to make the most of my USP in an increasingly overcrowded market.  And it goes without saying, there are numerous individuals and organisations that will take my money and in exchange, will promise to help me with all of these things.  However, it's all too easy to get swept away on a cloud of enthusiasm leading to some very expensive mistakes!

Audiobooks - Telling the story

​In audiobooks, the narrative voice refers to the voice of whoever is telling the story. The most common narrative voice in fiction is the 3rd person narrative, but 1st person narrative is also used; in non-fiction many books are written in the 2nd person narrative - but in autobiography and memoir, obviously the first person narrative voice is used. What does all this mean? And how, as narrators, do we approach these different narrative voices?

B is for ... ​