First, let me say that I’m a voice talent who only markets myself. I don’t teach, mentor, coach, or hire other voice talent. Since I am a firm believer in the mindset that it is better to give than receive, I write this blog specifically to answer questions and help others achieve their dream of working as a voiceover talent.

This article contains numerous links to my other articles to give you an organized pathway through the blog and structured approach to investigating and planning your career. I encourage you to read all of the articles in the archives.

Career Overview

Many people become interested in voiceover because they’ve been told they have a nice voice. Most people have nice-enough voices; it’s what you DO with it that matters.

Declaring your intention is the first step toward changing your reality, so I applaud you for realizing what you want in life and having the courage to go after it! Like any other dream, success in voice-over requires continuous, deliberate action. I described how I got started on this post in my blog.

A voice-over artist needs to be able to be transparent when interpreting the author’s words and intent of any script so that you are the best service provider to the client. I think anyone who “evaluates your voice” would tell you that you have potential and then would be more than willing to take your money. A voice talent must be able to create their own characters rather than mimic someone else.

Read, Read, Read…..then Read Some More

You can’t be successful in voiceover if you don’t like to read. Therefore, I refer you to the wealth of information I have written on my web site and blog, especially this entry titled A plan to break into voice-over.

Note that it includes a link to my recommended reading list. I always recommend that people start first with a book to get a broad overview of the industry. I continue to read voice-over books even though I’ve been working in this industry for over 12 years.

I also read a lot of blogs from my fellow voice talent. I’ve listed several I like on the lower right panel on my blog under the Links heading, but a quick search on-line will show you plenty more. The Vox Daily blog from Voices.com is one of the best in the business. I also listed numerous on-line voice-over forums that you can join.

Take Classes and Develop Skills

As I explain in this post about mentors, people often ask me to be their mentor when they really need a teacher. If you decide to take a class, this post has 10 questions you should ask a prospective voice-over teacher. When researching teachers, beware of 5 techniques of the “information marketer”.

You can research coaches online, starting with the Coaches Directory maintained by VoiceActorWebsites.com.

The Edge Studio Career Center contains practice scripts, podcasts with experts, and helpful tools like a word calculator and rate card.

Create a Demo

Voice-over is a business that is built on self-promotion and marketing. As with any business, you can expect it to have start-up costs. Before you can market yourself, you need to have a demo. Separate demos are needed for each target market (commercials, narrations, games, audiobooks, etc.). Before spending time and money to make a demo, you need appropriate training.
A good coach will tell help you select material for your demo that matches your voice and your style. You don’t want to be in a rush to make a demo because:
1) You only have 1 chance to make a first impression
2) You need to be able to instantly perform like the person on your demo.
3) Your demo is competing with those of professionals who have been working for decades.

Establish Your Home Studio

Although you will want to record auditions from home, I wouldn’t rush out to buy equipment immediately. I would first buy a digital voice recorder for daily practice. It’s important to read everything ALOUD and practice every chance you can! I have used and can recommend the Olympus WS-300M (only records in WMA format), the Olympus WS-801 (records in MP3 or WMA formats) or the Zoom H4N (professional audio equipment which records in MP3 or WAV). I like the Olympus recorders for practice because they are small, lightweight, only use 1 battery, and plug directly into the USB port of my computer.

Then, after you have developed some skills and are ready to market yourself, you can set up a home recording system. Pat Fraley outlines an economical setup in his The Gypsy’s Guide to Professional Home Recording Workbook and Companion CD. You may also want to read Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey Fisher’s excellent book The Voice Actor’s Guide to Home Recording.

Market Yourself

Once you’ve taken classes, created a demo, and established your home studio, you’re ready to develop a marketing plan. The books and resources listed in this post will help you start marketing yourself.

Also, I know that it seems like voice-over is not work, but you should realize that it takes a lot of work to generate jobs and a steady client base!

A voice-over actor must market herself and perform auditions continuously in order to get attention and jobs from others. To gain experience, you can:

• Sign up with an on-line casting service (called a pay-to-play, or P2P, site within the industry) site like Voice123.com or Voices.com  (create your own recordings contains more information about these sites.)
• Perform voiceover for presentations (e-learning, marketing, etc.) on your day job for no additional pay
• Volunteer to read for the blind
• Contact production companies and radio stations
• Network with professional associations

You also can create your own recordings. Practicing in this manner has a lot of value in terms of artistry, improvement and self-esteem. These recordings may or may not be used for promotion or payment.

You’ll find many more ideas for marketing yourself and your business in my blog archives.

Only after you gain some professional experience will you be ready to look for an agent. At that point, you will want to read the article Trying to get a voiceover agent?

Final Advice

No one can tell you the exact path you must follow, but just know that the dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK! 🙂

However, taking continual steps on your dream — whatever you decide to do — will bring fulfillment to your life! In any case, you must be the one to put forth action to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!

As I don’t get paid to write and dispense so much helpful advice, I’d be grateful for a donation to my PayPal tip jar.

Best wishes for your success in all of your pursuits!