The island is also home to many artists with talents that range from glass blowing, photography and jewelry making to penning novels, writing music and acting. You can’t go out without running into an artist of some type. I know a number of them personally and find that they know their craft and are willing to share their experiences. The wannabes are rare and the yet to be discovered are hardworking individuals who radiate constant energy and passion. It’s a great climate to be included in, and I’m very happy with the move.

During a conversation with my friend Gwen, a retired political events coordinator from Washington, DC, we talked about what I did for a living. “I’m a voice-over artist,” I replied with pride and enthusiasm. I have a great time telling people what I do.

Gwen replied, “Just about anybody with a computer and microphone can call themselves a voice-over artist. I’ve even thought about doing it myself.”

That got me thinking. Was she under the impression that no talent is necessary to be a voice-over artist? Was she indicating that with relatively little money anybody could buy the basic hardware and software to start a voice-over business? Hmm… I have a toolbox in my garage full of screwdrivers, wrenches and hammers. I know how to use each of them to do basic things around the house and never once have I fooled myself into believing that I was a carpenter or mechanic. I think it’s important for people to understand their limits. I clearly understand mine!

I agreed with Gwen and suggested it was similar to what people thought when digital cameras were no longer cost prohibitive. Everybody can be a photographer and take great pictures. Well, maybe. Give the camera to a novice or hobbyist with all the settings on automatic before they point and click. Presto, they captured a good shot with little to no effort. Give the same camera to a professional and they’ll take it off autopilot. They’ll adjust aperture setting and shutter speed then shoot the same shot with not just good but fabulous results.

The difference between the two is the level of expertise that the professional has over the novice. The professional is well grounded in photography and shoots intuitively to get amazing results. The pro understands their craft and has the artistic ability to look beyond what’s in front of the lens on their camera. They can break down a scene and instantly know best how to compose the shot and manipulate the settings before releasing the shutter. The novice doesn’t have a clue.

The same can be said about voice-over artists. I get a script and break it down because I know how to best read it for effect and believability. I understand how to work the mic for broadness or intimacy and I’m confident that I can edit the raw audio to deliver what my clients need. Can anybody do this? Yes, they can. Can everybody do it well enough to attract gigs and make a living? No, they can’t.

Another friend of mine, Mary Rose, who was part of the conversation, is a program host at the local public radio station here on Whidbey Island. She is also an instructor who teaches Journalism and Broadcast Communications several times a year at Ramkhamheun University’s Institute of International Studies in Bangkok. I’ve talked with her students by way of Skype about my experience of being a voice-over artist and she’s permanently added me to her curriculum as a guest speaker for both classes. Her students were intrigued about the voice-over artist business and thought it might be easy money and anybody could do it. It seems this perception is global.

During our chat about what makes an artist, Mary Rose suggested that I’d be an interesting guest on an upcoming episode of her show, Isle of the Arts. She agreed that not everybody with the right tools could be an artist and wanted to get me on the air to talk about it some more.

I agreed to be interviewed and will publish the audio to this blog once it becomes available.

A paint brush does not make a painter. A piano does not make a songwriter. A word processor does not make an author. A microphone does not make a voice-over artist. I believe that being an artist is not just about knowing how to use a tool. It includes understanding the process of manipulation and refinement to create a final product that’s polished and stands on its own without explanation.

Do you have some explaining to do?

This month’s cut was super important because my parents were coming for a visit. Mom appreciates a well groomed son, and I was aiming to please.

My folks were set to arrive in one day and so the need for a hair cut was immediate. I called the shop to make sure that Jean, the Master Stylist who always cuts my hair, was available and had time. I was happy to hear that she was, so I scheduled a morning appointment.

When I arrived at the shop and signed in, I was told that Jean had the day off and that I could reschedule for sometime later in the day or early evening with somebody else. I couldn’t believe it. Jean wasn’t even on the schedule to work that day. This was not the first time the schedulers had messed up my appointments.

I asked to talk with the Manager. She was professional, very apologetic. She told me that she was having problems with her staff, she fired stylists, two had walked out on their own and she was clearly understaffed. I explained that what happened was not a single instance and that I had scheduling problems twice before. Again, she was apologetic. This time she upped the customer service ante and offered a free hair cut and discounts on future cuts.

Nice gesture, but by now, I was totally out of the haircut mood in this particular shop.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I looked in the mirror and knew that I urgently needed a cut and couldn’t go home without one. It was time to try somebody new. On the other end of town, I stopped by another haircut shop. I walked in, the place was buzzing with a positive vibe. One of the stylists, Katt, had just finished up with a customer and was available.  I was taken to her station and she went to work. Katt was everything that Jean was and more.

I left the shop feeling like I’d had a great experience and the services provided were topnotch. I had found a new shop that would get my business from now on. Sorry Jean, you just weren’t available.

This story illustrates the point of being available for repeat clients, and being responsible about time management and scheduling. Because no matter how good I am, there will always be somebody better. 80-percent of my income comes from repeat business so I make it a point to be available when my clients need me. Minimizing the conflicts that allow clients to look elsewhere is part of building my business. I can’t afford to lose good clients. Can you?

Self Examination

There are a number of “things” to consider before diving into a voice-over business and it will be important for you to think about each one.

• Are you willing to make very little money the first two or three years in the business?
• Are you open to working a “day job” while you’re developing your ability and establishing your client list?
• Do you have the skills to set up and maintain accounting, taxes, insurance and marketing that a small business requires?
• Do you like your voice and all the uniqueness it possess?
• Can you read clearly and are you willing to take direction?
• Do you have a thick skin and can you keep from obsessing about every audition you send out?

What’s Next?

After doing some honest reflection and answering the above questions truthfully, you may still be interested in the business of voice-over. The next step it to get started with training from a reputable coach. A good coach will tell you during your first session whether you’ve got the chops for VO or not. Next they’ll help you identify your signature voice and find genres that fit your voice and delivery. When you’re ready, many will also direct and produce your demo.

Take some acting classes, improv is best. Practice cold reading anything you can get your hands on. While voice-over talent get to rely on scripts, you have to act the part. You need to deliver the lines in a convincing way so that they don’t sound read. You need to sound like you know what you’re talking about even when you don’t.

Get you demo(s) produced and website created to feature your abilities. Your first impression to talent seekers is super important. Take your time getting the training you need before your demo is produced. Hopefully you will have found a coach that isn’t part of a production mill and can truthfully tell you when you’re ready. Your website acts as your storefront with demos, details and contact information. Do not start to look for work without either of these.

Where will you record your broadcast quality audio? In your very own home studio of corse. You’ll need a quiet area to call your own, a mic, computer and software. Plus, the know-how to connect all these goodies and record your dulcet tones. Outside noises, distractions from family, pets and friends need to be removed.

You Gotta Work

Go out and look for work. Since you’ll be owning a business, it will be up to you to get clients on your own. Whether that means signing up with Voices.com or Voice123.com; leveraging your existing business contacts, family and friends or cold calling businesses…it’s up to you. You’ll find the most success in using a combination of the above.

Agents will not get you work. Agents will line up auditions for you. That’s it. If you book a gig from an agent arranged audition, you’ll pay her or him 10%. Yes, the agent will have access to the big money gigs but will only be interested in representing you once you’ve proven yourself independently. They’ll look at you and say, “What are you bringing to my talent stable?”

During an industry teleconference with the talented and respected voice actor Randye Kaye, she said that about 10% of full-time professional VO peeps are in the SAG or AFTRA unions. You’ll be more flexible to stay nonunion at the start. You’ll know when it’s time to join a union, a client will want to hire you and only works with union talent. That’s the day you’ll be signing up.

Plan Your Day

My schedule is much the same from day to day. It’s flexible enough for me to schedule sessions. When not “working” my time is spent auditioning and marketing.

• Check e-mail from overnight and respond
• Add appointments to my calendar
• Practice for 90 minutes reading copy, recording my takes and analyzing my delivery. We are, after all, our own worst critic.
• Audition 4 hours
• Lunch
• Marketing 3 hours
• Virtually socialize with my vo peeps (twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, blog, other…)

I wake at 6:00 a.m. Pacific time and leave my studio to have dinner with my family by 6:00 p.m. If necessary, I work weekends and get up early when the east coast is calling for me to complete an early morning gig.

So, there you go. A little sporadic but it covers a lot of ground. This is what comes to mind every time I answer the question. I’m sure you have your own 1000-foot-level of what it takes in this business. What would you add?

- First and only $0.99 music for projects solution.
- Over 35,000 tracks
- True royalty free worldwide
- License agreement to your name/company name with every purchase
- All music is not associated with any performance rights organizations (PROs).
- Huge 3000 sound effects and loop selection that is completely free.
More info can be found here: http://bit.ly/ifgFjD.

You’ll be amazed at the selection and the high production value of each track. Very cool!

• Is your customer list so huge that you’re overwhelmed by the sheer number of contacts?
• Are repeat clients bothersome and too much of a maintenance nightmare for you to imagine?
• Do you enjoy the challenge of searching for new clients?

If you answered yes to any of these, the following two-step process will help you reduce the number of clients that you’re currently working with.

Step 1 – Don’t Say Thank You

You’ve delivered a great service to your client. What more do you need to do? Don’t waste your time being gracious with thanks. Saying thank you is very old fashioned, and a huge time hog. Imagine the money you’ll save by not sending that handwritten thank you note that includes a couple of your business cards. Referrals are so overrated and they make your client list bigger.

Step 2 – Don’t Check In or Follow Up

Go ahead and ignore your clients. Don’t reach out to them with a monthly reminder of your services or let them know that you have some open time in your schedule for their last minute projects. Don’t take the initiative to find out how your client’s project turned out because you’ve done your thing, got paid and now you’re on to your next client. Since you find maintaining client relationships such a burden, neglecting them in this fashion will free up time for you to look for squeaky new ones. Simple.

But Seriously 

By now I’m, sure you understand how effective this one-two punch can be. Clients like to feel important and worthy of your time. It takes just a few moments at the end of your day to write a quick thank you note to the clients you’ve worked with. If you have clients that you provide services to several times a month, write them one thank you at the end of the month.

My current doctor is one of the best I’ve had. She has my best interest in mind and cares about my health. After out of office procedures, she’ll follow up with me to find out how I’m doing. I love that! She cares and makes me feel important. Imagine how your clients will feel when you check in with them to find out how the project you were involved with turned out. What a great opportunity to talk about their next projects.

If it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from a particular client, send them an e-mail or give them a call. You remember the phone? Maybe you’ve added a new service that you’d like them to know about. This is the perfect time to tell them. You could ask for a testimonial of their experience with you. It will give them reason to recall and express how great it was to work with you.

I hope you found this helpful. And remember, if you don’t have time for all of your clients, send them my way. I’d be happy to give them some attention.

Reading is at the center of what voice-actors do. Being able to read well, add vocal color, and apply the right amount of emotion is what makes words pop from the page. Not everybody has this talent, but most people appreciate somebody who reads well. Here are five local possibilities to share what you love to do professionally with people in your community who will truly appreciate it.

1.  Community Theater

Shortly after I made the decision to be a full time voice-actor, I joined a community theater. The cool thing about this particular troupe is that it’s all audio. We perform original material monthly in front of a live studio audience  and once a year, we reenact old radio dramas. The performances are recorded for later broadcast on the local radio station. Being involved with community theater is a great way to stretch your voice-acting abilities. Check out your local theater and audition for their next play. Start with a small part and make it your own.

2.  Library

Libraries are constantly looking for talented volunteers to enrich the experience of people who use their services. Most have story hours for young readers and I’ve heard of a few that offer readings from best sellers and newly arrived titles during the evening. The next time you visit your local library, ask the librarian how you can get involved. The key here is to use your voice, so make it clear that’s how you want to volunteer.

3.  School

If you have children, you know the joy of reading to them and watching their face in amazement as they listen to every word. Show your support for children’s literacy and take that reading opportunity a step further by reading at your local school. Youngsters who don’t have parents that take the time to read to them will truly appreciate your time. Talk with your kid’s teachers or the school principal to find out how you can become involved.

4.  Church

Take your enjoyment of church from the pew to the pulpit. Offer to read from the good book or deliver the sermon. Find an opportunity to engage the congregation in your delivery of the spoken word. After service classes are also a good bet. Sunday school and adult Bible classes may be great opportunities for you to get involved.

5.  Read for Those Who Can’t

My grandma lost her eyesight to Macular Degeneration. Before that, she was an artist, seamstress, quilt maker, a lover of crosswords and an avid reader. After losing her sight, she appreciated having somebody read to her. The newspapers, magazines and books that she previously loved to read became available once again. Bedridden patients in hospitals, hospices, and long or short term care facilities will appreciate your willingness to read for them and find your visits enjoyable.

I’m sure there are other opportunities for you to get involved with your community, using your talent as a voice-actor. I’d love to hear about your experiences.

The reference library for my voice-over business ranges from setting up a home studio to marketing my services. The books I’m sharing with you are what I think are some of the best available for people investigating, starting up on, or successfully working in the voice acting or voice-over business.

“The Art of Voice Acting” Fourth Edition

James R. Alburger

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

James Alburger has earned eleven Emmy Awards, Omni Intermedia Awards, and Silver Microphone Awards for his work as a director and audio producer. He has over 35-years of experience as a performer and in the recording studio. James has condensed his success into a book that every person interested in a voice acting career should read. “The Art of Voice Acting” features chapters that include a business overview, working with copy, auditioning and studio stories. The book includes a CD of demos from top voice-over artists along with exercises to help prepare your body, mind and mouth for optimal performance.

“Voice Actor’s Guide to Recording at Home …and on the Road”

Harlan Hogan & Jeffrey P. Fisher

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

This was the first book I bought for my voice-over reference library. The duo of Hogan and Fisher do an amazing job of explaining what’s needed to set up a home studio that’s suitable for recording. They cover hardware, software, production techniques and more. Both authors have had fascinating careers and you get a glimpse of that along with all their helpful information. This book will help get your brain wrapped around the basics of working from a home studio.

“Voice-Over Voice Actor”

Yuri Lowenthal & Tara Platt

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

There is something for everyone in this book. Yuri and Tara explain the art of voice-over in a casual but very knowledgeable approach. They draw from a number of years of combined experience with clients that include Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Dell, McDonald’s and Budweiser. The book includes a great chapter on warming up your body and vocal path before you audition or perform. I’ve adopted this into my daily routine.

“Voiceovers: Techniques and Tactics for Success”

Janet Wilcox

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

The approach of this book is to train like an athlete. Long time veteran Janet Wilcox breaks down the process into understanding the rules of the game, training, preparing to compete, and discovering your game or what you’re good at. Janet has done a great job of making what can be ambiguous in the career path of voice actor more understandable. The included CD features exercises and interviews with top voice-over talent.

“Secrets of Voice-over Success”

Joan Baker

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders

This book is a must read to get insight from the top voice-over pros. Each chapter is written by a professional who candidly shares their life as a voice actor. You’ll discover how Jim Dale, the voice of all the Harry Potter books, was in the right place at the right time. Each chapter ends with an industry secret, based on the experiences of the chapter writer. A CD is included, which features the demos used by the book’s contributors to get voice-over work. The tragedy of Alzheimer’s struck home when Joan’s Father was silenced by the disease. Proceeds from the book go to The Alzheimer’s Association.

These are five from my library and I’m always looking for more. What books have you found useful in your career as a voice actor?

On any given day, I received over 200 e-mail items. Some were not important enough for me to be addressed in the To or Cc line, while others screamed for my attention with a “High Priority” tag. Out of necessity, I learned a number of ways to be more efficient with e-mail and ultimately, recouped time for real work. Perhaps I’m sharing tips that I shouldn’t. After all, the largest software company in the world spent millions to condition you to live in your inbox. But, if you are ready to deal with the muck in your inbox, try some of these tips:

1. Understand Your E-mail Application

Not all e-mail applications are designed the same. Some have nothing more than an inbox, sent items, and deleted items folders. Others are robust with functionality that can automatically move items from your inbox into other folders. Get to know your e-mail app and find out how it can help you. The goal is to make your e-mail application do as much as possible so your triage time is reduced.

2. Make Time to Read

Don’t leave your e-mail application open all day long, and don’t try to handle your e-mail responses in real time. E-mail was never meant to be a replacement for other means of communication. Your clients have access to all of your contact information from your business card, website or previous e-mail interaction. If they need your immediate attention, you’re just a phone call away. Instead schedule time to triage and read your mail. I recommend that you check your e-mail at the beginning of your work day; after lunch; and at the end of the day. Maybe 90-minutes total for the entire day.

3. Ditch the Bells

Most e-mail applications can notify you when new messages arrive. The bells and whistles are specifically designed to get your attention to immediately check every new item. If you decide to leave your e-mail running all day, at best turn off the alerts and notifications so your intrusive e-mail application can’t disrupt your workflow.  Stay focused on your task, your e-mail will be there when you check it later at your specified intervals. Don’t let your e-mail be the boss.

4. Create an Alternate Inbox

Filter what enters your primary inbox by creating another e-mail account just for nonessential e-mail. Use a free account from Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo and use that address for newsletters, sales solicitations, and notifications from social sites. That way, only e-mail from clients, prospects, and peers go to your primary inbox. Everything else goes to your alternate inbox.

5. Touch it Once

If your e-mail app supports it, manually triage the items in your inbox by flagging those that need immediate follow-up or response. Then, delete those that are noise, and move those that don’t require a reply at all, such as newsletters, to another folder. Follow this by taking care of your flagged items first followed by those that are read items only. Maybe schedule time to read newsletters one day a week.

6. Category Triage

All the e-mail that is delivered to your inbox probably shouldn’t have equal importance. A newsletter does not have the same urgency as a response from a client. Before you begin reading your e-mail, decide what’s important and delete the junk and items you know you won’t read. Move the newsletters to a folder in your e-mail application marked “Newsletters.” If you subscribe to a P2P site move those items to their own folder. The idea is to generalize the category of each item and get it in the appropriate folder.

7. Priority Triage

Apart from messages that are marked with a specific priority by the sender, use three levels of priority and act on them accordingly. For example, those sent directly to you, where your name is in the To line, are high priority. Items where your name is in the Cc line are medium priority. And, items that you’ve received by Bcc are low priority.

8. Clear Your Inbox

Think of your inbox like your traditional mailbox. When you go to your mailbox, you grab all the mail and don’t leave anything behind. Your mailbox is not a great place to store mail because it’s difficult to manage and next to impossible to find what you need when you need it. After your application has made a pass through your inbox, do your own triage on what’s left before you begin reading. Either flag it, move it or delete it. An empty inbox is a happy inbox.

Using any of these tips consistently will help to increase your productivity and may even preserve your sanity. Do you have a process that helps you navigate the muck in your inbox?

Along the way on my voice-over trek, I’ve gone searching for tools to help me get a particular job to the finish line. Most are easy to use and intuitive to implement. Except for one, all cost nothing to use. Free is a price most anybody can afford.

1. Word to Time

When I get a request to quote a narration project, I start by getting the word count of the script. Most modern word processors have the ability to display word count. Then I head to Edge Studio’s Word to Time Calculator to get an idea of how long the finished time should be. This easy to use calculator allows me to enter the word count or paste in the actual script, and then adjust the delivery rate.

2. Say What?!

Sooner or later you’re going to run into a word that you won’t have a clue how to pronounce. You could ask the copywriter for a phonetic pronunciation and if that’s not available there are three tools you should definitely check out.

The first is Dictionary.com and it’s just what the name implies. Words that you search are retrieved with their definition and an audio pronunciation of the searched word.

In cases where Dictionary.com doesn’t resolve your phonetic quest, check howjsay.com. This online talking dictionary of English pronunciation has over 14-million entries.

For words that are not part of the English lexicon, take a trip to Forvo.com. Touted as the largest pronunciation guide in the world, this tool goes way beyond spoken English. The top languages covered are English, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Czech and Swedish. And for the occasional Star Trek commercial, Klingon is also supported.

3. Audio Formatting

Most clients need the audio file format of MP3, AIF or WAV. For occasions when you need to provide something other than those or you don’t have the means to convert to different file types, I recommend starting with Media.io. You can convert to OGG, WMA, WAV and MP3, and for a few of the formats you have the choice of multiple quality levels.

File formats are pretty standard for most voice-over projects. However, those in the area of telephony may require something completely different. ConvertMyFilesNow.com is great for converting to a variety of on-hold and phone-tree formats.  While this tool does cost a small amount to use, the price is negligible.

4. Save the Video

I ask for digital copies of the finished production whenever I hand off audio to a video producer. For the times that the request goes unfilled, I take a trip to the video sites to see if the project has been published. If it has, I’m in luck and I can download a copy using Keepvid.com. This tool works on YouTube, Vimeo and others.

5. Say Thank You

When you get done with a session, take a moment to write a thank you card and send it off to your client. Include two business cards in the envelope with the card and let them know that you appreciate their business. If you need inspiration on what or how to write a thank you note, take a look at these three sites.

Thank You Note Examples and Tips.com

Thank You Note Samples.com

Letterbarn.blogspot.com

thank-you-notes.com

I use these tools every day, and I’m continually hunting to find more. What are your “must have” online tools of the trade?

Like an athlete, voice actors should train. Doing so will increase the chance for successful auditions. An hour a day can make the difference between missing the mark or landing the job. Practice will not make you perfect; it will make you closer to perfect.

I start each morning with a warm up that includes body, facial, breathing and vocal areas. After I’ve warmed my body and vocal path and hydrated myself, I start my practice workout.

1. Cold Read

My job as a voice actor is to clearly read aloud my client’s scripts and add my vocal color. So, to improve my ability to read aloud I start my practice session with a 15-minute cold read. I subscribe to a number of magazines, ranging from AFAR to Wired, and each morning I read aloud from one of them. It’s a great workout as I’m challenged to read unfamiliar words and names, strange phrases, words that are written for the eye and not necessarily for the ear and there’s an educational element as well. I record these readings so I can monitor my improvement by comparing how I read a couple of months ago to today. I’m happy to announce that I’ve improved. You should too.

2. Stretch the Range

My voice acting coach, Veronica Weikel, starts each session by having me create as many character voices as I can from the multiple line script she’s given me. I love this so much that I’ve incorporated it into my practice and it’s become my favorite part. The sheet has six sentences that lend themselves well to creative interpretation. Here’s an example:

• Enjoy a walk on the beach with your favorite super hero and experience your childhood fantasy.
• Popular? No, I’m not popular. I just act like I am.
• About 10 years ago, your sister developed the desire for bigger purses. Now, she just carries around a suitcase.
• With that type of attitude you’d think it was easy being a nude circus clown.
• Night after night, it’s the same thing. “Igor, get another body from the cemetery.” Sheesh!
• Winning would be easier if you showed up for practice. The coached is not happy.

For each line, I come up with three different character voices and change pace, cadence, emotion and word emphasis for each one. Like the cold read, I record this and play it back as soon as I’m done. I’m happily amazed by the voices that come out of me.

3. Audition Rehearsal

The final stage of my practice session is to workout with some scripts. I’ve collected a number of them from jobs I’ve done, auditions, and from Edge Studio’s script repository. I randomly select three from my stack and treat each one as an audition. I mark up the script, record three takes with a slate and then listen to the play back. This will train your ear: you’ll begin to notice right away what worked in your read and what bombed. You might have a great idea how the script should be read in your head, but can you get it out the vocal path? This will help to improve that process.

Now that I’ve finished my warmup and workout, I’m ready to take on the day. I’m in the mindset to audition and feel confident that I’m doing a better at my craft today than I did yesterday. Practice can’t make you perfect, but it can make you a better voice artist.