The voiceover industry is not immune to politics, as we discussed in a blog from a few weeks ago. Something happened recently that many feel crossed the line…
A few months ago, a voice coach sent out a newsletter to promote anti-masking. Last week, the same voice coach sent out another newsletter demanding that a US governor be removed from office. This caused an uproar because a voice coach used his mailing list to promote his political beliefs.
It got me thinking. If the coach in question used his mailing list to promote wearing a mask, would there have been an uproar? Is emailing everyone on your contact list to urge them to wear a mask political?
Technically I think it is (because politics is about getting a group of people to agree to do a certain thing), but it’s highly unlikely that well-adjusted, non-extremist folks are going to freak out about someone promoting public health.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Unless you’re running for office, don’t mix your politics with your voiceover career. It can get very weird very quickly. And especially don’t use your existing mailing list to promote your politics if that isn’t why people subscribed to it. It’s very unprofessional and breaks the social contract.
I will say that if as a voice actor, coach, demo producer, agent, etc. you insist on only working with people who share your politics, that’s your right. You can build your business model as you see fit. Just don’t be surprised if you don’t get far…
NEWS AND NOTES
September 11-13: There are still some eVOCation virtual seats left but it will sell out very soon! Click here to sign up.
Sunday, September 13: My birthday is coming!!! To celebrate, I’m giving you a $13 discount on every video in the VO Strategist Shop from Monday, September 7th to Sunday, September 13th. Be sure to use the promo code TOMSBDAY2020 and you can use it on every video. Videos include ‘Working From Home’, ‘How do I Market my Demo?’, and the latest video, ‘Managing your Money like a VO Pro’.
2020: Here’s a preview of the Edge Studio webinars I’ll be hosting for the remainder of the year. Dates & times to come…!
Edge Studio Business & Money 201 Topics
September 10th @8PM EDT: Cost/Benefit Analysis
October: Workflow
November: Managing Your Money
December: Goals
Edge Studio Marketing 201 Topics
September 17th @8PM EDT: The Sales Funnel
October: What Your Website Says About You
November: Keeping Clients Coming Back
December: Thriving in a Smaller Market City
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Slinky Day and Cheese Pizza Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Tom Dheere is a voice actor who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a voiceover business & marketing consultant known as the VOStrategist and produces the comic book “Agent 1.22”. You can subscribe to his weekly blog and the monthly VO Strategist Learnin’ Stuff Notice here.