The 5 (Five) Best Books to Read for my Voiceover Business
Notice quickly that the post is about the five best books for me. Everyone attains and associates information differently so one person’s writing style may not mesh with how you learn. The point? Read SOMETHING.
There is a humongous amount of knowledge floating in the aether.
How can someone get good at something?
Do you have time to figure it out all on your own and use up those precious, finite hours looking for the correct information?
Or…is there a better way?
Yes. Yes there is a better way. The way you become better at something is by simply seeing who has done it before you, vet them as qualified individuals, and follow some of the steps they took to get there.
In business, we are often not trying to reinvent the wheel. Sure, some of you out there will be the next Steve Jobs or Thomas L. Jennings (you should look up Mr. Jennings if you don’t know of him), but many of us are simply trying to run a business, offer a service, and ideally turn a profit.
A couple of things to consider about your voiceover business first.
You MUST have a plan of some sort. Something written down and a strategy to follow, otherwise how will you know where you are going or what to gauge your success from? Gigs and dollars are not the only things that make a voiceover business successful. What about returning clients? And so on.
You must also understand the basics of your craft and the technology required to create a reasonably decent product. Think of the last commercial you heard on TV or the radio. Did it sound echo-ey like they recorded it from their phone in a bathroom? Probably not. Did it sound like they were just reading words to you or did it sound like they were talking to you? Yes. There’s a difference and it’s emotional connection. Was it a monotone, flat performance or did they have some inflection in their story as if it were musical? Now we are getting somewhere.
One of the last things to consider for business is your mindset and how to protect yourself.
Nobody can jump into your mind and say, “hello you! Time to do XYZABC.” You must make that decision on your own. This business is 100% self starter. You have to be willing to go get it because casting directors, unless you’re Morgan Freeman, are likely not knocking down your door. Sorry to tell you up front but this takes hard work. There’s going to be plenty of times you want to sit on the couch, watch your favorite team or show, binge some Netflix or whatever. Is there a time and place for that, ABSOLUTELY. But, you have to ask yourself if you’ve put in a good days work yet. If you are part time and have a goal of sending ten auditions a day but you’ve sent none…Netflix will have to wait.
Lastly, you finally are being contacted for gigs and negotiating your fees and contracts etc. How do you protect yourself from being taken advantage of? By knowing some of the pitfalls and understanding what to look for in those contracts that could potentially cost you thousands of dollars, or even your career.
Without keeping you around much longer, here’s my list of the top 5 books, in no particular order, to read for my #VO business!
1-Page Marketing Plan by Allan Dib, https://amzn.to/488VK7A because you gotta write stuff down!
Sound Advice: Voiceover from an Audio Engineer's Perspective by Dan Friedman, https://amzn.to/3utBWxQ because knowing how the equipment works is important. BONUS: Dan’s other book, Zen And The Art Of Voiceover https://amzn.to/3SSJCCY also goes into great detail about how to connect with copy and the feelings behind voiceover.
V-Oh!: Tips, Tricks, Tools and Techniques to Start and Sustain Your Voiceover Career by Marc Cashman, https://amzn.to/49nuDX6 because it literally has hundreds of micro tips on the little things that make a difference in VO performance and more.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear, https://amzn.to/4bsEWez because there are hundreds of books on mindset and discipline and this one happens to be a favorite.
Voice Over LEGAL by Robert J. Sciglimpaglia Jr., https://amzn.to/3ursfzX because I feel like every VO person should have a copy of this and understand their contracts!