If you don’t love to read, narrating is NOT for you. Before you get all excited and start creating an account with ACX, https://www.acx.com (I will explain that later), take a moment, pull out a book (or get on your Kindle) and read the first couple of pages out loud. I know it sounds silly, but do this, PLEASE.
When you read it out loud, do you find yourself stumbling a lot? It’s okay, perfectly normal. It’s harder than most people imagine. The most important thing (I think) is to ask yourself…does this sound natural? What I mean by natural is, does it sound like you are talking to a friend? Or does it sound like you were called on in class to read out loud? (Monotone and flat sounding).
Some folks pick it up right away, the words just flow easily. Others, like me, need to practice, practice, practice. Don’t get discouraged, keep practicing until it sounds like you are having a conversation with a friend.
Now…record yourself. Don’t worry about filters, background noise, etc yet, just make a raw recording on your phone if you have to. Before you start spending money on expensive microphones and audio equipment, you need to do this first. Listen back to it. (Cringing is perfectly acceptable). Let your husband or wife listen to it, or your best friend, or your 5 year old kid (if you trust their critique, although they will probably be the most honest with you).
This is the very first step to doing this job. Think of it like an interview, only you are the one hiring yourself.
Next up….let’s do this!
Email me at leighlovestoread@gmail.com for free promo codes of audio books!
Search Audible.com and iTunes for “Cassandra Arnold” to see a list of my projects.
Cassandra Arnold 