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AUDIOBOOK DEMOS - PART 2 More Tips For Creating Great Audiobook Demos: No XXX, Read The Book, Showcase Your Best!  See Part 1Voice Actor / Audiobook Narrator & Coach In the olden days, we used to start our demos
with a heading such as "This is from The
Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, read by Dawn Harvey." No
one actually wants that anymore. It's just
wasted time for everyone. It is equally useless to label the file with
any
combination of that information. Information specific to the piece is
much more
helpful to the casting people, such as:
LINK TO YOUR DEMOS Also, new technology has made the request for
compilation demos less usual in the audiobook world. It is normally
expected that
you will provide your potential client with a link to a page where all
of your samples
are available. People generally do not want to receive email attachments
they will
have to either open or download. The links you provide can be to your
website, Sound
Cloud or any other site where they can listen to each individual sample
for as
long (or as short) as they desire - and where they have the ability to
download the
file should they choose. As a result, you aren't restricted to three
pieces
totaling 5 minutes. But occasionally someone (i.e. speed dating with the Audio Publishers Association) will
ask that you provide them with just that, so you should have a
compilation demo
in your back pocket. If you have longer versions of the separate pieces
available as well, that's fine.
NOTHING XXX
And of course, there should be nothing X-rated
on your demo, even if the demo is romance or erotica. Find a selection
that
could be listened to with kids in the car because that might actually be
the
case if a busy producer is working on the drive to and from their kid's
activities!
I don't have any other amazing secrets to share for
finding good demo materials. For myself, I spend a great deal of time
listening
to great books, reading samples and flagging a lot of different pieces
before I
settle on the ones I love.
READ THE BOOK FIRST! You do yourself a great
disservice if you do not read the entire book before you prepare your
demo,
particularly when you are dealing with fiction. Make sure you understand
everything you need to understand about the story and your characters
before
you hit record. The person listening to your sample may know a lot
about
the book your sample is from; they might have narrated, engineered,
directed,
read or listened to it. Missing important information that you would
have known
had you read the book will certainly make your demo stand out -
unfortunately
not in a good way! For example, at page
285 you learn that the main character has a lisp that they find quite
embarrassing – or you would have learned, had you read the book. Skimping on
the homework could mean that at least one listener labels you as either
amateur
(missing important information in the text) or lazy (couldn't be
bothered to
take the time to read the text), neither of which are words you want
associated
with your name.
SHOWCASE YOUR BEST Your demos are your resume. They are you putting
your best foot forward, showcasing for your potential clients what they
can
expect from you if they hire you. As someone who has done a lot of
hiring over
my various careers, I can tell you that I am not at all forgiving in
this area.
I started out very forgiving, but quickly realized it was a
mistake. Your
demo should be representative of the very best work you can do. Let
me say
that again - the very best work you can
do. This is something that you supposedly worked really hard on and are
proud
to share with current and potential clients - and it contains errors
caused by carelessness
or laziness? I'm sorry but I'm just not able to hire you. If this is
your best
work, what am I going to get on a normal day? And when you send me your
next
demo, it had better not contain any more of those careless and/or lazy
errors!
RECORD AT YOUR HOME STUDIO If you're going to be recording audiobooks from
your home studio, record your demos there so your client will know what
they
are getting from a technical point of view. Knowing that you
recorded your demos in the
same space and with the same equipment that you'll be using to work for
them
will give clients an additional level of comfort (or not, in which case you
need
to do some other work before you send out any more demos!) You can (and
should)
still work with a coach and/or director to produce your demos. You can be taught and directed online. GETTING RESPONSE Not hearing back from a publisher after
submitting your materials is par for the course, even if they
specifically
asked you to audition for something. It is unusual to receive a
rejection note telling
you how you can improve. (That's what your coaches are for.) If you do
get a response that is not a book
offer but rather a note about how much they loved your work or what you
could
do better, you'd best be sending off a thank-you note! That is above and
beyond
the call for the person responding to you, so showing your appreciation
should
be your natural reaction.
But if you aren't likely to hear anything back unless
you get hired, how do you know whether you haven't heard from them
because:
Simply
put, you don't know. And that falls in the realm of "out of your hands." Your
job is to
ensure that you send out demos that are great - and also to ensure that
you are
not a jerk. Then don't spend another minute thinking about it. WORK WITH TRUSTED PROS Work with trusted industry
professionals
who can help you create demos that ensure you are placed among the ranks
of the
hirable. (And maybe a therapist if that jerk thing is a problem.)
Note: Be aware that there are many unqualified persons/scam artists preying on people seeking training in creative businesses such as acting. Seek references from other industry professionals before handing over your hard-earned cash. And I'd recommend that you run really fast if they tell you they're going to be giving you industry "secrets," 'cause there aren't any of those in audiobooks. We're a pretty open and shut group really. Remember that your demos are being submitted to
some of the best-read people on the planet. They are busy professionals,
generally
with a lot more experience in this business than you and I have, and
they are
not easily fooled. In addition, this is a small, closely knit community
and you
do not want to burn bridges because you failed to do the required work.
Take classes, get coaching, improve your craft, work
with your coaches on your demos, and produce great ones that reflect the
unique
person that is you.
-------------------- ABOUT DAWN Dawn Harvey is an actress, singer and voice over artist who has narrated over 50 audiobooks and is the recipient of an Earphone Award and a SOVAS Award for her audiobook work. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge, developing and teaching land and law courses in her "past life" in the oil and gas industries. She developed and began teaching workshops on the art and business of audiobook narration in 2014, and now teaches several times a year in various Canadian cities, as well as private coaching via Skype. Email: dawnofvoice@me.com Web: http://dawnofvoice.ca |
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Comments (3)
Naomi
3/10/2022 at 6:24 AM
Thanks, Dawn, so much. You made me stop and reconsider my book choices and I realised I could present myself so much better by taking that time. I feel confident and positive where I was wavering and unsure.
Greg Lee
8/4/2020 at 3:12 PM
Great stuff. Thanks, Dawn!
Sonja Bouillaut
4/11/2019 at 12:27 AM
Thank you for your very generous advice. It is almost impossible to find such online, professional information here in Australia. You are greatly appreciated by this aspiring Aussie Voice Actor. Sonja Bouillaut Tasmania
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