I recently was approached by a person who wanted to translate some of NarratorsRoadmap.com for their site. I decided to share my response here with the hope it inspires others to create your own original material. Also, long-time readers know that I re-purpose my writing as often as possible to extend its life and broaden the audience for it.
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I didn’t just gather info for my site. I wrote most of it, which took considerable time and effort, not to mention the years spent in gaining the knowledge to start with.
Everything on my site is my copyrighted material with a few exceptions:
- A good number of the links and most of the embedded videos point to copyrighted info on other sites. Many of the articles and videos I link to are mine!
- Some narrators and producers have generously given me permission to republish their copyrighted words in my Knowledge Base articles.
Copyright owners have the rights to control how their work goes forth in the world, including:
- reproduction
- distribution
- performance
- display
- derivative products like translations
My aim is to create more content, not translate what I’ve already done.
If I decide in the future to translate the site, I would hire the translators and own the translated text. Such translations would only appear on my site.
I therefore am declining any request to translate any part of my site.
Note: I hold the same policy about my blog articles on this site but have given permission for my articles to be re-published as written and with link and attribution.
However, I would encourage you to think about how you could create and share your own original material.
We all have unique experiences, views, and ways of expressing ourselves, even when we’re talking about the same topic. You could write a blog, produce a podcast, create videos, design inspirational/informative graphics, etc. You could create a variety of things as it suits you and your purpose.
When I worked my day job in IT, users and my peers considered me an expert. I helped other system admins solve technical problems and taught the users how their software and hardware worked.
I began working in VO in 1999 and started my first advice page on my site in 2002. I have been writing my blog since 2006. As I shared posts, people in the industry got to know and trust me through my blog. Soon, people began referring others to my blog.
NarratorsRoadmap.com is an extension not only of my blog and advice I’d given online and in emails for years, but of my personality and whole approach to being of service.
My point is: If you start creating and sharing your own content, you never know where it will lead!
I found Austin Kleon’s book Show Your Work! 10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered to be VERY helpful and inspirational in connecting the dots about growing an audience. Basically, he contends — and I agree — that If you can think of ways to document things about your work processes, an interested audience will make its way to you.
Let me know if you create something along these lines. I may want to link to you!
Karen,
I frequently post about your site, recommend your site, and even point my students to your site(s) as a valuable resource to any narrator in the business. I have never asked for permission to do so, and I apologize for that. My assumption was that those instances fell into an acceptable range for you. I’m not totally sure what is meant by “translating” for their own website means, but I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t stepping on any toes. I value your contributions to our industry, and think you’re an absolute treasure trove of information.
Thanks for all you do,
Jamie Renell
Hi, Jamie! I am delighted any time someone refers others to my sites by sharing the link (URL) to one of my sites or a specific page on my sites. Please keep doing it!
You never need permission from me or anyone else to give a link to other people. With as many links as I include in my articles, I’d be in a lot of trouble if I was supposed to get permission first! 🙂
Providing a link ensures everyone goes to the same place and reads the page as it was written.
Since I write everything in English, someone asked if they could convert my English to another language.
They not only wanted to translate my articles to their native language but to load their finished product on their own web site. I would lose control of my work if I allowed it to re-written in other languages without my supervision and published on other sites.
I hope this info is helpful. Thanks for the kind words about my sites and great question!
Karen
Melissa Benson sent me this email and gave me permission to re-publish here on the blog with the article.
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Hi Karen,
I read, with interest, your article on Creating Original Material.
You suggested letting you know if we create material along these lines, and I thought I’d write to you about what I’ve been doing for about a year and a half now.
My former career was as a Myofascial therapist and Thai bodyworker. I helped people improve their posture on a daily basis.
When I participated in Zoom meetings with narrators, I observed some typical poor postural habits and a lot of complaints of aches and feelings of unwellness.
I decided to put my experience and knowledge into action as a contribution to the narrator community and I started posting health tips on my social media accounts each week. At some point I named and hash tagged them #BoothHealth Tuesday.
I find it a fun challenge to come up with new ideas and topics and I adhere to my scope of practice by focussing on muscles and posture. I’ve invited “guests” on #BoothHealth to discuss other subjects in which I am not as qualified to address.
If you’d like to see these posts just search the hash tag #BoothHealth or visit my website. https://mkbenson.com
Thank you for your amazing presence in the world and all you have unflaggingly offered to audiobook narrators.
~Melissa
Hi, Melissa! WOW! You have created some FANTASTIC stuff! I looked at your site and absolutely love all of the Booth Health topics and creative ways you explain things!
I’m also impressed by your variety of topics and your consistency in creating new pieces.
With all of the practical knowledge you have and great info you’ve shared, I hope you are suggesting yourself as a speaker for narrator gatherings.
Every moment has meaning, and we take everything we’ve learned and experienced in the past with us as we move forward in life.
I hope other people will look at the useful and practical info you have presented from your previous career and feel inspired to create and publish things they are passionate about.
Thanks so much for the kind words and for all the assistance you give narrators in living healthier lives!
Karen