An unheardled side-benefit of narrating audiobooks is the look on people’s faces when you answer the question, “So, what do you do for a living?”
It never gets old.
Unless you’re in the voiceover community, you probably can count on the fingers of Fire Cracker Bob’s right hand the number of people you personally know who narrate books.
The next comment is typically, “Wow, that’s cool” OR “Well, you do have the voice for it.” When that happens, I smile and thank them for their kind words, all the while thinking “If you only knew.”
In truth – the “great voice” isn’t even a prerequisite.
There are a sad number of people blessed with pleasant vocal tones who have crashed and burned trying to do audiobooks. AND – there are a significant number of wildly successful narrators whose voices would never make a “Best Of” listing.
Sure, the birthright throat can open a few doors, but there are so many other facets that matter a great deal more:
Diction and Enunciation:
Performance Skill:
Time Management:
Self Esteem:
Technical Prowess: