Karen@KarenCommins.com

Karen Commins

Award Winning

Atlanta Audiobook Share-ratorâ„¢

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The keys to a successful business

Yesterday, Drew and I, along with a couple hundred other people, went to an all-day Internet marketing seminar at a major Atlanta hotel convention center. We both are researching some new business ventures, but we were primarily interested in learning about driving traffic to our existing web sites. If someone is offering a free teleconference, webinar or seminar on a topic in which I'm interested, I take advantage of every opportunity to learn something new. Even one bit of useful information can give me a competitive advantage. The company sponsoring yesterday's event is in the business of selling web sites to people who want to sell products. The marketing principles for a web site promoting a service like voice-over acting and a product line are the same. As with brick and mortar companies, my on-line presence is an extension of my off-line business. I heard some very useful information about improving my search engine rankings and some clever marketing techniques that made the day worthwhile. Of course, spending a rare weekday with Drew was the best part! 🙂 A nice lunch at the hotel was included in this slick presentation; after all, you needed to keep your strength up if you were going to be able to sign your name on your check or credit card slip when you made your major purchase later in the day.Read More
A prosperity mindset will yield better-paying jobs

I was reading the tremendous ongoing discussion about non-union voice-over rates on the Voices.com VOX Daily blog. Many people rightly pointed out in their comments that the rates are too low. However, some talent questioned how they could ask for higher rates without having their clients go ballistic and/or running for the hills.

I would like to address this question by stating that you have to develop a prosperity mindset. Nothing is more powerful on this planet than the words that you think and speak. (You would think, of all people, someone in the voice-over industry would be aware of this important Universal rule! smile) To change anything you dislike in your life, including the rates you are currently charging your clients, you must first change the thoughts that you think.

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Can podcasting be integrated in corporate training?

This post is my recent response to a training e-zine about using podcasts to deliver content to a remote workforce. I applaud the reader who wishes to use podcast technology in his or her company's training efforts. However, like any training vehicle, the trainer must evaluate whether the technology is the most effective means for communicating the message. I read that CapitalOne and IBM have successfully integrated podcasting into their corporate training environments. I believe that part of their success depended on the fact that both companies equipped their mobile users with iPods. In the example given of a sales and customer service force consisting of 130 people, I would imagine that not everyone has the same level of computer skills. I also think that they may not have portable players or same level of expertise in using them. Your employees may have some resistance to using their own portable devices for playback of company training messages. Your IT or finance department may not have the resources to purchase the same device for everyone. The IT department may have instituted security restrictions that prohibit downloads of .mp3 files or the connection of personal devices to corporate computers.Read More
A Voice Actor’s Business Address Won’t Be on Easy Street

Two events happened this week that are tied together. First, as I frequently do, I received a call from someone who wants to get started in voice-over. As is so often the case with these types of phone calls, the person told me that other people have told her that she should do something with her voice, so she is eager to start her career in voice-over. She wanted to know if I could recommend teachers in Atlanta. I gave her my referrals, and the call concluded.

People ask me this same question so often that I have created an advice page and a recommended book list on my web site to address the answers. I never discourage anyone from pursuing their interest in a career in voice-over. I think if something interests you that you owe it to yourself to explore it. You don't want to go through life with regrets wondering how your life could have been different if only you had [fill in the blank]. In addition, it's not my place to tell you the challenges and pitfalls that await you in this career. If you are serious about voice-over (or anything else, for that matter) and have a passion for it, the challenges along the journey won't matter to you. You will view them as opportunities to grow and experience new things.
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Audiobook Master Class in Los Angeles

My plane may have touched down in Atlanta, but I'm still flying high following my fantastic Sunday audiobook master class in Los Angeles with my incredible instructors Pat Fraley, Hillary Huber and Kimberly Breault. We had just the right mix of instruction and recording during our 8 hours together. The workshop was extremely well-organized, relaxed and loads of FUN! The class actually started on 24 May, when Pat sent the participants an e-mail in which he outlined the top 8 categories for audiobooks. For each type of book, Pat indicated the skills (e.g., storytelling, dialogue with character separation, energy) necessary to be successful with that type of read. He also attached a 10-minute .mp3 to that message so that we could hear various styles of audiobook performance. He encouraged us to start thinking of our possibilities in the industry. The following week, we received another e-mail from Pat with instructions about selecting excerpts for the demo that we would create during the workshop. We were to choose 4 pieces of copy tailored to our interests and talent with the knowledge that we would record 3 of them. He attached Hillary's audiobook demo so we could listen to a finished product.Read More
Hollywood Star Search

Dah-lings, I'm here in Hollywood, hobnobbing with all of the other famous people. 🙂 Of course, one thing I have always loved about being a voice-over actor is that you really can be famous and completely anonymous at the same time!

I was delighted when I realized that I would be flying to Los Angeles today of all days. Today, 17 June 2006, just happens to be Barry Manilow's 63rd birthday. You may think that he is just a legendary singer/producer/arranger/composer with millions of fans and record sales, not to mention an all-around nice guy. However, I invite you to read the page on my web site for his inspirational advice to singers, voice-over talent and anyone who must perform for a living.

I suppose you might think I am starstruck since I have seen Barry Manilow in concert (gasp) 49 times. I'm convinced that people become fixated on celebrities when something is missing in their own lives. Barry brought music back to my life, and he was one of the catalysts to my pursuing my voice-over career. It's no wonder that I would seek him out on his birthday, especially since I don't live in California. How often would I get the chance be around a bona fide star?

Before I continue, I should probably tell you that, even though I was thrilled to touch my favorite star, the cops were never called. In fact, I think I did a favor for him as I brushed away some dirt that had smudged the face of that magnificent star. Still, you should be prepared for the graphic pictures that follow. They are not suitable for everyone. Consider yourself warned!

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Another masterclass weekend coming up!

Last month, I was privileged to participate in a Women in Animation masterclass in New York City with Pat Fraley and Hillary Huber. Tomorrow, I’m jetting off to the other coast for their audiobook masterclass in Los Angeles! The Saturday class filled so quickly when Pat announced it that he opened a session on Sunday. […]Read More
Laziness and voice-over won’t mix

Last night, Drew and I had to pick up a few things, so we combined all of our shopping at the world's largest retailer. I think you know its name, so I won't mention it, much less give it a link. The people parked in front of us walked up to their car as we finished unloading our bags from the shopping cart into our car. As I pushed our cart to the cart return area just down the row from our car, I noticed stray shopping carts abandoned all over the parking lot. People rolled the carts out of the store to their cars and just left the carts wherever they stopped. People couldn't be bothered to walk a few steps to put their shopping cart in the designated area.Read More
A Tale of Two Web Sites

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Was Charles Dickens really writing about the French Revolution in his novel A Tale of Two Cities, or could he perhaps have been writing a prediction about my move of my domain name to a new web host?

It was the best of times because I have a new web site. Along with a new design, the site contains updated demos, pictures of my beautiful new studio with its stunning Parisian theme and testimonials, as well as expanded informational content. It was the worst of times because the site design has been completed for some time, but I haven't been able to launch the site. My main domain karencommins.com still points to Earthlink's servers, while the new site can be previewed under either the KarenCommins.com or KarenVoices.com domains on 1and1.com servers. If you have clicked the logo on my blog, you have already seen the new site.

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Congrats to the Audies winners!

Last week, I was on vacation with Drew in Ft. Lauderdale. Otherwise, I would have liked to attend the annual Audio Publishers Association (APA) meeting and Book Expo America conference, held this year in Washington, DC. The Audie Awards are juried awards in the audiobook and spoken word industry for the finest work in numerous […]Read More
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