Karen@KarenCommins.com

Karen Commins

Award Winning

Atlanta Audiobook Share-ratorâ„¢

Voice-Over

Being true to the writer’s words

The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say,
but what we are unable to say.
— Anais Nin

I have taken numerous voice-over classes in my career. In almost all of them, the teacher has encouraged me and other students to improvise with commercial copy. A common thought is that an ad-lib enhances one’s ability to stand out in an audition because you gave a read that was not expected.

On the flip side, I would never ad-lib when performing an audiobook. The narrator must serve the author’s purpose and point of view, reading every word exactly as it is written.

I have recently changed my views on ad-libs in commercial auditions. I am now studying with my awesome coach Nancy Wolfson. In doing a copy read with her the other day, Nancy stopped me immediately when I changed the copy on a TV spot. She explained that thinking of the other line was fine because it gave me the right mindset for the copy. However, I should never say the ad-lib.

On the same day or one close to it, I read the Doll Cannot Fly blog entry on the same topic. The blog is written by Tara Zucker, co-owner of Post Haste Media; her husband Rick Sanchez is one of my new connections made through networking. Tara implores voice talent to perform the words AS THEY ARE WRITTEN.

When I stop and think about it, I wonder why one niche in voice-over would demand such accuracy with the words, while another market would be lax and encourage you to change the writer’s words. Once you read Tara’s compelling entry, you may think twice before you change a word of commercial copy in an audition.

Once you have the job, changes to copy may be appropriate if you have a good relationship with the client. My clients appreciate my collaboration, and I have suggested word changes to commercial and narration scripts. In the case of commercials, I have helped rewrite scripts for better timing. In both commercial and narrative scripts, I have proposed changes to clarify meaning.

It is obvious to me now that the only time to make suggestions is after you have the job and not when you are auditioning for it.

 

Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds teach voice-over actors

Henry Aaron is a class act.

I don’t make that comment because he is one of the most beloved sports figures of all time or because he is a fellow Atlantan. I just saw the news replay of his speech last night as he congratulated Barry Bonds for surpassing him as the all-time baseball homerun champion. I’m reprinting it below in case you haven’t seen or heard it.


I would like to offer my congratulations to Barry Bonds on
becoming baseball’s career home run leader.
It is a great accomplishment which required skill, longevity and determination.
Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball,
and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years.
I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historic achievement.

My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record
will inspire others to chase their own dreams.

You might think that Barry Bonds’s tremendous accomplishment or Hank Aaron’s scoreboard address would have nothing to do with voice-over. However, I see a parallel between these sports heroes and my voice-over career.

First, I liked Aaron’s line that achieving the homerun crown required skill, longevity and determination.

Those three attributes are required to be a leader in any field, including voice-over!

Aaron’s short message also points out that no matter what Bonds or anyone else accomplishes, no one can ever take away Aaron’s own achievements. This fact is true for those of us in voice-over as well. If we strive to be the best in our niche, we wouldn’t have the time or inclination to be jealous of others because of jobs they have booked or fortunes they have made. Each person’s diligent practice and hard work will reap rewards that will always stay with us.

The last sentence about inspiring other to chase their own dreams is a call to action. If one person has done what you want to do, you know it’s possible for you, too. Whatever you envision as success is possible for you if you are willing to focus your attention on it and take the necessary, persistent series of actions.

Barry Bonds is unequivocally one of the greatest players in the history of baseball. (BTW, I found a nice comparison of Barry Bonds and Hank Aaron. The overall stats are very close between Aaron and Bonds except when you factor in Bonds’s speed.) He can field his position (8 Gold Gloves), he can run (over 500 stolen bases), and obviously, the man can hit.

A while back, I read that despite all of his stellar achievements on the baseball diamond, he found that fans in opposing ballparks booed him endlessly. He said that the tremendous stress from the negativity constantly directed at him was giving him migraine headaches. He finally decided that he had to ignore those fans and concentrate on his game. He would not let booing fans stop him from achieving his dreams.

I also read once that Barry Bonds played baseball for the love of playing the game. I suspect that he might have played even if he wasn’t paid.

This intrinsic love for one’s career is bound to lead to great success. I see so many people wanting to develop a career in voice-over because they perceive it as an easy way to make money. I encourage people to examine their hearts and determine what they really love and not make choices just because of the money.

Henry Aaron encouraged people to dream. I say

Dream BIG!

Barry Bonds is proof that you can achieve your dreams. Bonds has practiced his skills throughout his illustrious baseball career. Even when he was in a slump, he still showed up for batting and fielding practice. As a voice talent, I also continue to practice my skills, both in performance and production. To truly be a master in your vocation, practice and education are lifelong habits. If you visualize and practice enough, real situations will seem like deja vu. In fact, they will usually be better than you ever dreamed possible!

Barry Bonds didn’t get discouraged when he was ill or injured. He didn’t quit when his batting average slumped. In voice-over, I know that I will experience times where my career seems in a slump. Visualization and written goals keep me motivated.

Barry Bonds never doubted that his dream was attainable. From my reading about the Law of Attraction, I know that constant thoughts of doubt, discouragement, disappointment, fear, worry, anxiety, etc. will impede or stop the flow of blessings coming to me.

Read the biographies of any person you admire, and I’d bet you find commonalities between that person and these legendary sports figures. Successful people in any field create blueprints that others can emulate, adapt and exceed.

Barry Bonds admired Henry Aaron. I admire both of them. I may never play baseball, but through observing and applying the success principles of Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds, I know how to hit homeruns in my voice-over career.

 

No one can promote my business better than me

Over the past several years, I have checked with several local colleges — especially those with pro audio curriculums — to see if I could take a course in audio engineering as a non-degree student. I have a Masters degree in computer information systems, so I’m really don’t want to spend a lot of time and money to pursue another degree! I therefore was quite excited to discover a 4-week course in Pro Tools offered this month by the Art Institute of Atlanta.

This class couldn’t occur at a better time for me. I recently switched my voice-over studio configuration from a PC with Cool Edit software to a Macbook Pro with Pro Tools LE. Earlier this year, I hired a recording engineer to help me streamline my processes. After I bought this computer, he gave me a crash course in using Pro Tools, but I have much to learn about the program.

The first class was held this past Saturday. I am the only voice talent in the group. Most of the students are singer/songwriters, which is understandable when you consider that Atlanta is a thriving music city and home to a Grammy chapter and numerous Grammy winners.

One of my fellow students said he was in a band that had been signed by a minor label. He was wearing the t-shirt for a very famous band. I asked him why he wasn’t wearing a shirt to promote his own band. His answer surprised me.

He told me that it’s an unwritten rule that you don’t wear the shirt to promote your own band.

I told him when you get to be my age (not that I’m that old!), you don’t worry about so-called rules that are based on what other people think about you. I continued, saying that t-shirts are great advertising as you become a walking billboard. People who don’t read anything else will read the words on a t-shirt. I have t-shirts promoting my voice-over business. I usually make a point to wear one when I’m walking some place with a lot of people, like through the Atlanta airport!

As we had this discussion, I was holding a pen imprinted with my name, logo and phone number. My business cards were in my purse, ready to hand out at a moment’s notice. Before leaving home, I thought about wearing my digital ID badge to the class but decided against it since I did not expect a large group. I wasn’t taking enough stuff to warrant use of my imprinted duffle bag.

Marketing books and advisors will tell you that it takes an average of 5-7 contacts with a prospect before they recognize your name and business. Living in the information age means that we are all bombarded with messages from every corner. Creativity and persistence are required in order to get your message across to your intended audience.

Effective branding occurs in part because the prospect receives the same message and graphics in a variety of formats. Part of your branding efforts illustrate characteristics that distinguish you from competitors. Since people make purchasing/hiring decisions based on emotions, you can highlight certain attributes to enhance your brand and appeal to your target market. Terrific voice talent and super nice guy Bob Souer alerted me to an excellent article from Grokdotcom that illustrates this point.

I vividly remember the design of my classmate’s t-shirt. The name of the band is emblazoned in my mind. However, I couldn’t tell you the name of my classmate’s band. He said it once, and like anyone else, I have other things to think about and remember.

Any person in business — particularly in a creative industry like voice-over — should not be afraid to promote themselves. If other people make negative remarks about my efforts, I consider the source. Is the speaker someone I know and respect? Has that person built a business, particularly one in voice-over? Does that person actively promote themselves, or do they sit and wait for somebody else to do the job for them?

In the end, one of the best parts about owning my business is that I only have to please ME!

No one can promote me and my business better than me.

I have reaped the rewards from being a non-conformist with my promotion and publicity efforts.

Speaking of self-promotion, I am excited to announce that I was selected as a finalist in the Voices.com 60-Second Pitch contest! I posted

      my recording
on my web site.. Like commercials in different media, you will note the consistency of message between the words I say when meeting someone and those appearing on the home page of my web site.

I created the pitch using my PC, but I am now creating my recordings on my Mac. Pro Tools is a challenge to learn, but it’s yet another distinguishing trait that I can use in my branding. It is the industry standard software for a reason, and using it means that I will have the capability to transfer session files with my clients. I’m looking forward to gaining in proficiency over the next several weeks while I’m in the class.

By the way, I have already planned my wardrobe for the class this Saturday. Can you guess what I’ll wear? 🙂

 

Paying attention to James Allen and Harry Potter

When I hear the same thing in quick succession from 2 or more people who aren’t related to each other and have no vested interest in the comments, I feel the Universe is giving me a sign to pay attention!

Such was the case this week with the classic motivational book As A Man Thinketh by James Allen, originally published in 1902. I don’t remember, but I think this work was referenced in The Secret. Since I am vitally interested in the power of our thoughts and words to create our reality, I recently downloaded the free audiobook of this work available from LearnOutLoud.com.

I began listening to it on 13 July. Ten minutes after I started listening, I decided I had heard enough. The audiobook narrator included at least 3 stumbled words, several lipsmacks and an uninteresting method of delivery. With the availability of low-cost and free audio editing software, I am incredulous that someone would choose to leave the stumbles and extraneous noises in an audiobook, even one offered for free. An audiobook is a thing of permanence. I would like to think that people would seek out my audiobooks 100 years from now, just as I was seeking out Allen’s book.

I was showing my new business cards to a friend of mine this afternoon. She said she had a book that she wanted me to see. She and I have had many great discussions about the extreme power of our thoughts, and the book was on that subject. Which book do you think she recommended? Yep, that’s right — As A Man Thinketh by James Allen. Although I had abandoned the free audiobook, the Universe was telling me to give the book another try! I told my friend that I would get the book tonight.

However, I wasn’t the only person who made a special trip to the book store. The store was crowded with people waiting for midnight, when the last Harry Potter book goes on sale. Someone who has been living under a rock or totally new to the country might think that tonight was Halloween, given the number of young people dressed in costume at the mall. Of course, they were flocking to the book store. They were not looking for a title associated with the Law of Attraction to help them live their lives to the best potential. No, all of those young people and their parents were at the book store to buy the final installment about the boy who lived!

I am not still at the store, waiting to get my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I will, however, buy the audiobook version consisting of 17 CDs sometime over the weekend. (I doubt that I will be wearing a costume when I buy it, though!) I encourage anyone interested in performing audiobooks to listen to Jim Dale’s masterful narration of any book in this series. I would imagine that this final book will be loaded on ITunes in the near future.

Also note the high level of production quality in one of these books. The series is so popular that the audiobook is published simultaneously with the hardback edition. Jim Dale didn’t even have the opportunity to read the entire book before entering the recording studio. He read the book in segments of 100 pages. For a fascinating article about Jim Dale and his role as narrator of the Harry Potter series, you will want to read this feature story published 17 July in the New York Times.

Success leaves tracks,

and you can gain valuable insight about the preparations for audiobook narration, as well as the production, by paying attention to Dale’s comments.

Earlier this week, the GalleyCat feed included a link to a hilarious YouTube video of a Harry Potter parody. Those of you who remember the 70s TV show Welcome Back Kotter will find it particularly humorous.

Many people comment negatively about J. K. Rowling’s immense wealth resulting from the publication of the Harry Potter series. In skimming my new book by James Allen, I see a page that applies not only to J. K. Rowling, but to successful voice-over talent and anyone else who has had the courage and persistence to follow their dreams. Read these inspiring words, and pay attention to the message in the final two sentences:

The thoughtless, the ignorant, and the indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves,
talk of luck, of fortune, and chance.
Seeing a man grow rich, they say, “How lucky he is!”
Observing another become intellectual, they exclaim, “How highly favored he is!”
And noting the saintly character and wide influence of another, they remark, “How chance aids him at every turn!”

They do not see the trials and failures and struggles which these men have voluntarily encountered in order to gain their experience; have no knowledge of the sacrifices they have made, of the undaunted efforts they have put forth, of the faith they have exercised, that they might overcome the apparently insurmountable,
and realize the Vision of their heart.
They do not know the darkness and the heartaches; they only see the light and joy, and call it “luck”;
do not see the long and arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal, and call it “good fortune”;
do not understand the process, but only perceive the result, and call it “chance”.

In all human affairs, there are efforts, and there are results,
and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result. Chance is not.
“Gifts”, powers, material, intellectual, and spiritual possessions are the fruits of effort;
they are thoughts completed, objects accomplished, visions realized.

The Vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart —
this you will build your life by, this you will become.

 

The 60-second elevator speech contest

I frequently state in my blog that voice-over is a business, yet people write things to me that indicate that they either are ignoring or don’t know about the business aspects of being a voice-over talent. Just last week, someone sent me an e-mail stating that

I believe I have a talent and I would love the freedom and independence that your job provides.
You could do lots of things if you wanted to be free and independent. However, most of those things require some actual work to make them happen. Becoming a voice-over talent is no different. It requires you to continuously work at improving your abilities and gaining publicity for your business.

Speaking of independence, yesterday (4 July) was our Independence Day here in the United States. Since the day is one of the major US holidays, many people decided to declare their independence from work all week. As a business owner, though, I always feel the need to do something each day to further my goals, even when those days fall on weekends, holidays and vacation.

I’m not saying I spend hours working on those off-days, but I usually do something, however small and insignificant it might be. Sometimes I may read a chapter in a marketing book. I might write down people to contact on the next business day. I often will do a quick audition or send an e-mail response to someone. I write entries for my blog. I may write or record a podcast script. (I’m perfecting ideas for 2 different types of shows and am deciding how to present them.)

Yesterday was no different. While it was a holiday, I took an action that wasn’t even on my mind at the beginning of the day. I wrote a 60-second pitch.

What is a 60-second pitch? Why did I write mine yesterday? The answer to both questions is at the Voices.com web site. As usual, Stephanie Ciccarelli has done a brilliant job of explaining the concept of the 60-second pitch — also known as your “elevator speech” — and why it’s needed by every voice talent.

Furthermore, starting tomorrow, Voices.com is sponsoring a contest for the best 60-second pitch among voice talent! The contest is open to all voice talent. After reading about the prizes, I am eager to win! I wrote my pitch yesterday and will record it today or tomorrow after refining it.

By the way, to further emphasize the point about voice-over being a business, I also encourage you to read Stephanie’s excellent and detailed blog entries relating to the business, especially about a business plan and business cards.

So you see, even in a slow week you can do something that will pay big dividends in your voice-over career later on. Even if you don’t win the contest, you will have a succinct speech ready to describe your voice-over business when you are next in a networking situation.


 

Words and pictures from APAC and BookExpo

We’re finally replacing the windows in the kitchen so that all the windows in the house will be triple-pane. With the installer banging on the side of my house right now, it seems like a good time to post my pictures and news from my recent trip to New York for the Audio Publishers Association conference and BookExpo.

The Doubletree Guest Suites Time Square is my favorite hotel in New York. I was pleased to get a BookExpo rate and thrilled with my incredible view of Times Square from the 16th floor.

My view of Times Square

On my free day in the Big Apple (Wed., 30 May), I walked around and boosted the local economy as much as possible. Since Drew was unable to make the trip with me, I bought some presents for him. I first stopped at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue.

The big APPLE in the Big Apple

I bought a Remote Radio for Drew to use with his iPod. He is delighted that he now can listen to FM radio while riding his motorcycle. I’m sure that Apple Store will be packed tomorrow with the first sale date of the iPhone. I’m going to get one….but not tomorrow!

Love was in the air in New York, but it was also on the ground. Somewhere on my walk, I came upon a sculpture of the Love logo associated with the 1970 film Love Story. In a web search, I learned that the sculpture was created by Robert Indiana and located on the corner of 6th Avenue and 55th Street in Manhattan. Just like I give a different read when voicing scripts, I look for the unusual shot when taking pictures.

Love in New York

The Audio Publishers Association conference was held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on Thursday, 31 May. I like to attend sessions aimed at both audiobook publishers and their narrators, especially since I am planning to start my own audiobook production company. This year, I went to the sessions on alternatives to CDs, technology and a narrators’ panel.

I appreciated hearing from Audio Publishers Association, a literary agent at Inkwell Management. Alexis said it has become increasingly important for agents to retain the rights due to the proliferation of digital downloads. She also said it “makes sense” for authors to have sound bites prepared for podcasts, YouTube, etc. (If any authors or publishers need professional voice talent to assist with these types of endeavors, call me!) Alexis was also kind to speak with me personally following the session and answer some questions about the rights process.

If you’re wondering whether digital downloads have killed the interest in CDs, know that books on CD are still viable. Theresa Thompson is a buyer for Barnes & Noble, who stated that her audiobook business in the stores is still strong. Her expectation is turn inventory, so she doesn’t want to create proprietary titles.

The technology panel was extremely interesting and informative. Where the iPod connector is proprietary to Apple, David McLaughlin at Microsoft told us that his group is working to define a standard, universal connector that would connect a variety of devices, including MP3 players, to cars.
Some of the discussion also centered around getting younger people interested in audiobooks. Dave Carnoy, an executive editor at C/Net and all-around gadget guy, said he thinks that the market for audiobooks is with an older crowd. He commented that young people don’t read any more and wouldn’t listen to a book. Carnoy said that the price of audiobooks seemed too high to him. He pointed out that the consumer thinks someone is just reading the thing and that audiobook creation wouldn’t be difficult or costly, especially since so many people create podcasts. Carnoy said that an audiobook is potentially a single-use application, where music is used many times.
After networking with publishers at lunch, I exchanged a few words and a hug with my friend, narrator Barbara Rosenblat. I somehow missed connecting with my friend and teacher Hillary Huber at both APAC and at BookExpo. My friend and teacher Alan Sklar was signing audiobooks at BookExpo, but I didn’t get to see him, either.

In the afternoon, I attended the narrators’ panel moderated by Grammy-award winning audiobook producer Paul Ruben. The topic under discussion was Maximizing Your Search for Employment. Panel members were (left to right in picture below):

Eric Conger, Narrator
Jacob Bronstein, Executive Producer, Audio and Digital Media, Random House Audio
Dennis Kao, Producer, Hachette Audio
Sue Mackewich, Executive Producer, Audio Publishers Association.

Richard Ferrone

APA Narrator Panel: Audiobook 202

The casting process varied with each person. Ruben does read reviews and remembers them when casting audiobooks. Bronstein said he typically contacts talent agents or has a relationship with narrators. He emphasized that he wants someone who can take direction. Kao said it’s helpful to know the producers and mentioned that opportunities exist to perform wrap-arounds (intro/outro), podcasts and in digital downloads.

Some other observations from this panel included:
  • Bronstein said self-help/self-development titles continue to be strong. His best sellers are fiction, self-help and business.
  • Conger noted that publishers are reading you when you shake their hand. He also stressed that narrators often go too fast in the performance. Allow yourself to be surprised by the words.
  • Ruben echoed the point about speed, saying that you miss the interpretation by going too fast.
  • Mackewich reminded the audience that people who aren’t even born yet will listen to the recording.
  • While Bronstein has never worked with a talent from the talent’s home studio, Kao said he might employ a talent with a home studio. Conger said he wouldn’t do a book longer than 3 hours from his studio. However, narrator Simon Vance was in the audience and stated that he had performed long books from his home studio.
  • Conger said that the narrator is not the star in non-fiction; the material is the star. Ruben added that you need to be emotionally connected to the author’s point of view in non-fiction as the author is the enthusiastic star. Narrator and audience member Richard Ferrone commented that the narrator is still the storyteller in non-fiction. Finally, Ruben said that if a narrator is reading to him, the narrator is emotionally disconnected to the work.
  • Mackewich suggested that narrators gently follow up in order to approach her. She said you could send postcards and e-mails about your work, as well as get an audiobook agent in New York.

The place to be on Friday, 1 June

Friday, 1 June, was spent at BookExpo, which is the biggest convention for the publishing world. I was told that over 30,000 people were in attendance this year. I walked in the building behind Elvis, and I later saw Captain Jack Sparrow heading toward the exhibit hall. I wished I could have taken their pictures, but you’ll have to be happy with this view of the concourse

Nowhere to sit at BookExpo

I only had the one day at BookExpo due to a somewhat inflexible airline schedule on a Skymiles ticket. Audio publishers exhibited at BookExpo, but I also talked to targeted print publishers about creating audiobooks, commercials and podcasts for them. I researched my prospects as much as possible ahead of time so that I could go straight to the booths I wanted to visit.

I left both APAC and BookExpo with a stack of contacts and great potential to work with a number of new clients. I have mailed postcards and notecards as follow-ups, and I’m already looking forward to both events next year in Los Angeles!

I was unable to attend BookExpo last year and was delighted to discover that many of the educational sessions were recorded and provided to listeners as podcasts. Through listening to those podcasts, I learned valuable information that I could apply in my voice-over business. Podcasts from this year’s BookExpo are now available.

Now that I’ve given you a look at my trip to New York, I think I’ll go take a look at my new kitchen windows.