Freaking out about managing your audiobook projects? This Audiobook Task Tracking Template is just for you! Use this template to track all your narration by chapter, file editing, file delivery, length of time recording vs finished minutes, and more. Please subscribe & sign in to download this template...

What's coverage? In voiceover circles, coverage is when you record certain things that could be pronounced different ways. Over the years, I've noticed that this can be a good tool to ensure that after the recording session you don't have to go back and rerecord stuff. "Most people would rather live with dull despair than experience one moment of genuine pain to escape it." - Tom Stuff like what? Coverage includes a few things... Often there is a mistake in the script that was overlooked. This happens all the time because the client has been writing and rewriting a script for weeks or months. Often they don't notice mistakes that are immediately noticed by someone who has never looked at the copy before. If you see what is an obvious typo, record it correctly. Often there are grammatical errors because English isn't the native language of the copywriter. This comes up for me a lot because I have many regular international clients. I'm at the point with many of them that they just tell me to correct the script as I record it to make it proper English. This means they trust me so I honor that by doing the best I can to make it grammatically correct. If it's a new client, though, I record the way it's written then the way it should be written and send them both takes. I explain why and almost every time they accept & appreciate the changes I've made. Often there is more than one way to pronounce something correctly. If that happens then ideally you should ask the client before you record it. Sometimes you can't. At many of the recording studios I regularly work at here in NYC, I don't get the script in advance so I have no idea what I'm saying next. I also record projects from home and the turnaround is pretty quick so I don't have time to ask for their pronunciation preference and wait for an answer. Tip Of the Week Here are some examples of ways to help your client with coverage. FYI some of these are what I do and others are from fellow voice actors who were kind enough to share their coverages. Thanks, fellow voicers! The year 2022 as 20-22 and 2,022 Either as ee-ther and eye-ther Data as day-ta and dah-ta Finance as FIE-nance and fuh-NANCE Our as ow-er and are (my international clients tend to prefer the latter) UK to US terms i.e. changing the word 'lift' to 'elevator' Record three versions of the last line Record an acronym as if it's an actual word Join me at an upcoming event Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Study on your own time - download & watch VO How-to Videos Use Promo Code GETMORE for 20% off 3 or more videos! Paid Links Grab Studio Gear VO Strategist Book & Gear Club This week's recommendation: microphone stands! When I'm on the road I always bring my trusty On-Stage DS300B Posi-Lok 7″ Mini Desktop Microphone Boom Stand. It's been my go-to mic stand when I travel for YEARS. It's small, the stand unscrews from the bases so it's easy to pack, and is practically impossible to damage. It's under 30 bucks and works perfectly when recording in your hotel room pillow fort. :) Want more studio gear & reading recommendations? VIEW ALL As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Keep Going - Work with Me Book a Strategy Session and get your VO business together! Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

Buying a bundled all-in-one voiceover demo package before you ever step in front of a microphone is the fastest way to drain your cash flow. Look around online and you will find plenty of legacy voiceover demo package tips that promise a Golden Ticket to the voice over industry after just five or ten recording sessions. But here is the cold truth from someone who has spent 30+ years making the mistakes so you don't have to... [Listen to the Audio Version: If you prefer to listen to this on the go, play the audio track via the SoundCloud player link below!] The VO Strategist Protocol: Why Standard Voiceover Demo Package Tips Fail Beginners Bundled demo packages fail beginners because they prioritize short-term hunting over long-term farming. A brand-new voice actor belongs at the absolute starting line of the Crawl Phase, which focuses heavily on product development and market viability during the first two years of their voice over journey. When a student approaches a predatory studio with a limited budget, the studio sets a hard limit on the number of lessons. And because the budget runs out before the performance is ready, the student demands the production anyway. The result is a sub-standard asset that leaves you completely broke. You cannot plant a tomato seed today and eat a salad tomorrow. You need to develop your skills before you search for clients. The Crawl Phase Reality Check: Farming vs. Hunting in Modern VO A professional voiceover demo is a highly specialized marketing tool designed to create voiceover casting opportunities, not a certificate of completion for a two-week course. If you throw an unpolished, rushed demo onto Online Casting Sites like Voice123, the algorithm will bury your profile based on poor engagement metrics. You must feed the robots with pristine technical data and charm the humans with strong acting choices. Pushing a lousy demo into the market ensures that a Voice Seeker will never cast you before you get a chance to get real foothold in the industry. The Voiceover Demo Training Comparison Matrix Choosing targeted, individual training over a structured commercial bundle protects your early-stage cash flow and ensures you only record a demo when you are ready. Business Strategy Component The Bundled Demo Package Trap The A La Carte Training Protocol Cash Flow Allocation High-risk upfront capital expenditure. Scalable, pay-as-you-learn cash management. Technique Development Rushed timelines focused on copying generic text. Deep-dive mastery of specific corporate and commercial sub-genres. Market Readiness Fixed completion date regardless of actual skill level. Verified readiness checked by a neutral evaluation. Voice Seeker Relevance Outdated scripts that fail to land modern jobs. Custom scripts built for current Online Casting Sites. The VO Strategist Pre-Demo Checklist You must verify your actual market readiness through neutral industry assessments before investing thousands of dollars in demo production. True business longevity requires shifting from a generic employee mindset to a strategic corporate executive mindset. Schedule a Demo Diagnostic: Spend $75 on a 20-minute objective evaluation of your current performance capability and audio quality to see if your material is actually ready to book work. Commit to Individual Coaching: Build foundational technique through separate, individual training sessions with a reputable coach before looking at production packages. Map the 3 Portals: Ensure your performance style aligns specifically with what modern talent agencies, direct B2B clients, and platforms like Voice123 are actively casting. Verify Coach Reputations: Reach out to established industry peers or mentors to confirm that your coach is not simply part of a demo mill. QUOTE OF THE WEEK All mean dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible. T.E. Lawrence Join me at an upcoming event Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Study on your own time - download & watch VO How-to Videos Paid Links Grab Studio Gear Want more studio gear & reading recommendations? VIEW ALL As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Keep Going - Work with Me Book a VO Diagnostic and get your VO business together! Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22. This content is engineered specifically for voice actors seeking concrete business diagnostics, targeted mentorship, and actionable frameworks to scale their freelance careers.

Yes, most of your marketing is poop. Until about 10-12 years ago my voiceover marketing was poop, too. I used to market myself in one of two ways, often both: From a position of ego From a position of fear Don't have time to read this blog? Listen to it on SoundCloud! "Marketing is the art & science of building meaningful relationships" - Tom How does one usually market themselves in a poop-like fashion? When you market yourself from a position of ego, it usually looks something like this: LOOK AT ME!!! Aren't I awesome? Don't I sound awesome? Here's a fuzzy Instagram pic of me auditioning for a gig whilst violating my NDA! Cast me now, Now, NOW!!! When you market yourself from a position of fear, it usually looks something like this: I'm REALLY sorry to bother you but I've always been told I have a great voice but I've been too shy to use it and even though I'm a know-nothing newb I was wondering if you could possibly have the chance of having any work for me right now please I'll work for free I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! Tip Of the Week Don't oversell yourself Don't undersell yourself Don't think of it as selling at all! Market yourself from a position of value. Demonstrate your value as both a voice actor and a good human that they would like to work with. Yes, you should share your victories & milestones, but don't come off as a self-aggrandizing clown Yes, you should be modest and humble, but do it without apologizing or groveling Seek balance in your marketing efforts! FYI no blog next week! See you February 15th! Join me at an upcoming event Here's what I've got going on in the next few months - register to attend and add your voice to the mix! Study on your own time - download & watch VO How-to Videos Use Promo Code GETMORE for 20% off 3 or more videos! Paid Links Grab Studio Gear Want more studio gear & reading recommendations? VIEW ALL As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Keep Going - Work with Me Book a Strategy Session and get your VO business together! Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

Many aspiring voice actors look for a mentor and that's a pretty good idea. The question is: when and why do you need one? To help answer that, let's establish the difference between a teacher, a coach, and a mentor. Teacher: a person who helps people to learn. Coach: a person who gives instruction or guidance. Mentor: an experienced and trusted adviser. A teacher can teach a class about the basics of voiceover performance, a coach can help you develop you skills in a particular genre & maybe help you produce a demo, and a mentor can help you navigate the voiceover industry and answer specific questions during your journey. Finding a mentor is a great idea once you get a handle on the basics of voiceover, have been coached up, and have produced a demo. A good mentor will help you figure out what NOT to do as much as what TO do. Avoiding pitfalls like signing with disreputable agents, avoiding overbidding or underbidding, and getting hosed by unfair usage rights are good examples of how a mentor can help you. Most importantly, a good mentor can be the right combination of drill sergeant, cheerleader, professor, and therapist for you just like an effective coach. Sometimes you need gentle ass-kicking or fierce handholding, you know. TIP OF THE WEEK If you're looking for a mentor, I have three suggestions. The first one is me! Duh. I just set up a new Mentorship Program on the VO Strategist website. Here's what the program looks like: Notice those tasty discounts for both 1-on-1 coaching and events I produce? Oh, and those discounts are good FOREVER, even after I'm no longer your mentor. If you want to learn more, just drop me a line at tom@tomdheere.com or schedule a free 15-minute consult. If I'm not right for you as a mentor, I happily suggest the World-Voices Organization (WoVO). One of the many benefits of membership is that you can get matched up with a mentor. Check them out! If you want more advice about finding a good mentor, here's a blog entry written by the fabulous Karen Commins. RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS Here is where I occasionally suggest stuff that may help your voiceover business. Some of these suggestions may include an Amazon Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you click on the link and purchase the item in question, I get a few cents at no extra cost to you. Today's recommendation: books! I strongly recommend reading The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win your Inner Creative Battles by Stephen Pressfield. This is the only book that made me nauseous when I first read it! It hit home with me on so many levels. It makes clear all the things you do that keep you from moving forward both as an artist and a person. Read this book, it could change everything! You can see more recommendations at my Studio Gear & Recommendations page. NEWS AND NOTES Here are most of the classes I'm teaching in the first quarter of 2022. Registration is open for most of them so you can sign up right now. More classes will be added soon so stay tuned...! THIS WEEK!!! Thu, Jan 13: Build Your Marketing Campaign Thu, Jan 20: Working Your Workflow (MAVO) Mon, Jan 24: Building a Winning Website (Edge Studio) Wed, Jan 26: Control 2022! Control Your Time! (VANYC) Thu, Jan 27: Smaller VO Market Mastery Sun, Feb 06: All Day eLearning & Explainer Intensive w/ Tom Dheere (The Voice Actors Studio) Thu, Feb 17: Get Your Act Together for 2022 Thu, Feb 24: Mastering Project Management Thu, Mar 03: Analyze Your VO Business Sat, Mar 19: eLearning Performance with Guest Coach Tom Dheere! (The Voice Actors Studio) Thu, Mar 24: Filing Your Taxes HAPPY HAPPYS Happy National Hot Pastrami Day and National Pharmacist Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22. Wanna hear this blog entry? Check it out on SoundCloud!

As 2021 is winding down and we're gearing up for 2022, here is some voiceover advice to chew on... There is a massive amount of voiceover advice on the internet. Some from reputable coaches & wise voice actors, others from predatory demo mills and sophomoric newbs. While many are happy to offer voiceover advice (some for exorbitant rates), most don't tell you the truth: the vast majority of people who try to do voiceovers for a living will fail. Hard. Most have limited talent, limited skill sets, limited resources, limited discipline, and a limited understanding of self. Most have massive egos, Imposter Syndrome, inferiority complexes, and a warped perception of how the voiceover industry actually works. And you know what? It doesn't matter. TIP OF THE YEAR This is probably the best voiceover advice I can give you... If doing voiceovers for a living is truly important to you, if it brings you unadulterated joy, then do everything you can to make it happen. Maximize your talent. Develop as many skills as you can as best as you can. But be smart about it. Be passionate but patient. Don't do it on the cheap. Do your research. Work with professional coaches and produce professional demos. There are a lot of aspiring voice actors out there with more talent, time, and money than you so if you're going to do this, do it right. And most importantly; ignore the critics and the doubters. Surround yourself with people who can help you be the best version of yourself. Do everything you can to be an effective voice actor. And if you fail, fail with no excuses. RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS Here is where I occasionally suggest stuff that may help your voiceover business. Some of these suggestions may include an Amazon Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you click on the link and purchase the item in question, I get a few cents at no extra cost to you. Today's recommendation: microphone stands! I heartily recommend the Proline MS235 floor mic stand. This is the first and only floor mic stand I've ever bought and probably the only one I'll ever need. It's sturdy, well-balanced, and very reasonably priced. You can see more recommendations at my Studio Gear & Recommendations page. NEWS AND NOTES Here is an almost complete list of the classes I'm teaching in the first quarter of 2022. Registration is open for pretty much all of them so sign up right now. More classes will be added soon so stay tuned...! Sat, Jan 08: Set Your Goals for 2022! (The Voice Actors Studio) Thu, Jan 13: VO How-To: Build Your Marketing Campaign Thu, Jan 20: Working Your Workflow (MAVO) Mon, Jan 24: Building a Winning Website (Edge Studio) Thu, Jan 27: VO How-To: Smaller VO Market Mastery Sun, Feb 06: All Day eLearning & Explainer Intensive w/ Tom Dheere (The Voice Actors Studio) Thu, Feb 17: VO How-To: Get Your Act Together for 2022 Thu, Feb 24: VO How-To: Mastering Project Management Thu, Mar 03: VO How-To: Explainers Explained Sat, Mar 19: eLearning Performance with Guest Coach Tom Dheere! (The Voice Actors Studio) Thu, Mar 24: VO How-To: Filing Your Taxes No blog next week! Enjoy the the holidays, be safe, and happy voicing! HAPPY HAPPYS Happy Games Day and Ribbon Candy Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

How to follow up with voice seekers is a question regularly asked by voice actors. My question is; why should you follow up with voice seekers? To see if they got your email? If the email didn't bounce, they got it. To see if they read your email? You can use a CRM like Cloze or an email tracker like HubSpot to know that. To see if they clicked on a link in your email? Cloze can notify you of that, too. To ask them if they have any work for you? Never, ever do that. It smacks of desperation and it's just plain unprofessional. If they have an audition for you AND they remember you AND they think you're any good, they'll send it. To stay top-of-mind? Sure, but how to do that effectively? TIP OF THE WEEK Only follow up with voice seekers to demonstrate value and progress. If you have a new demo, send it to them. If you have something to celebrate like a big milestone (your 100th Explainer video) or an award (an Audie, etc.) by all means announce it. If you don't have any value or progress to demonstrate right now, don't bother them. If you want to write "just to say hi" or "just to check in", don't bother them. Oh, and if they don't answer your email, don't sweat it. If they don't even open your email, don't sweat it. I know for a fact that many voice seekers will never open our emails unless they have a project that we might be right for. There are millions of businesses out there that need good voice actors. Don't fixate of any one of them. Marketing is a numbers game. Keeping putting out quality content to as many voice seekers as possible and good things will happen eventually! NEWS AND NOTES Next week I will announce my VO Strategist appearances for the first quarter of 2022. More webinars! New subjects! New videos! Stay tuned...! Saturday, December 18th @1PM ET: VO Resolutions: Setting Goals for 2022. We are nearing the end of 2021 and the new year is quickly approaching. How can we set ourselves up for success in the voice over industry and enter 2022 feeling confident and ready for success? In this one-hour webinar, students will learn how to set realistic professional goals as a voice over actor and how to take the new year by storm. HAPPY HAPPYS Happy National Cocoa Day and National Cat Herders Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

As a voice actor, how important is talent? How important is skill? Is one more important than the other? Let's define talent and skill in their simplest terms... Talent: aptitude, a natural ability to do something Skill: expertise, exceptional knowledge of a subject Most people think that success in the arts is all about having natural talent. That is not necessarily true. There are aspiring voice actors out there who have gobs of talent but lack the skill sets to be an effective voiceover business. There are also aspiring voice actors out there who are highly proficient in audio engineering or marketing (which are extremely important skills) but they lack the talent to be an engaging storyteller. You need both a certain amount of talent and a certain amount of skill to be an effective voice actor. How much of each? It mostly depends on the genre you want to be successful in and what you want your voiceover career to look like. TIP OF THE WEEK How do you determine if you have enough talent and skill to do voiceovers for a living? If you're considering becoming a voice actor, you must determine upfront if you have the talent to do voiceovers at all. If you do have some talent, you need to find out which genres of voiceover you have the talent for. There are great voice coaches out there who can help you make that determination. If you want recommendations, drop me a message. If you actually have the talent, then you must figure out which skill sets you need to be an effective voiceover business, which of those skills you already possess, and which ones you lack. I'm talking about stuff like the aforementioned recording from home skills,, marketing skills, etc. If you need help with that, book a Diagnostic Session with me. NEWS AND NOTES In the few weeks I will announce some of my VO Strategist appearances for the first quarter of 2022. More webinars! New subjects! New videos! Stay tuned...! Saturday, December 11th @5PM ET: The Voice Actor's Studio "eLearning Performance with Guest Coach Tom Dheere". eLearning, training modules, and instructional content is a leading category in voiceover opportunity! Every voiceover genre has a unique set of "performance rules." Get a clear understanding of what is required when voicing educational/training content. Don't miss three hours of script reading! You'll be sure to "learn" a thing or two and have a lot fun while doing it! Saturday, December 18th @1PM ET: VO Resolutions: Setting Goals for 2022. We are nearing the end of 2021 and the new year is quickly approaching. How can we set ourselves up for success in the voice over industry and enter 2022 feeling confident and ready for success? In this one-hour webinar, students will learn how to set realistic professional goals as a voice over actor and how to take the new year by storm. HAPPY HAPPYS Happy National Brownie Day and Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 25 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

I've been recording a lot of revisions lately. It's been for clients both new and returning, both foreign and domestic. Before we go any further, let's make sure we're on the same page about what "revisions" means... My definitions of retakes vs. revisions hasn't changed since I last talked about it in this blog from 2017, but let's lay it out for those of you who have more recently arrived to the party. (is blogging a party?) “Retakes” are when you have to re-record audio because you made a boo-boo (a mispronunciation, misread, etc.). “Revisions” are when you have to re-record audio because the client made changes to the script after you have submitted the audio files. Revisions can happen for a number of reasons. For example: Facts/data have changed since the script was originally written The client forgot to send the script to their legal department for review (this happens A LOT) Now that the client heard what they wrote, they just don't like the way it sounds Anyway, many of my clients have been sending me a copious amount of revisions lately. I have charged them accordingly as per my Change Request Policy and it's mostly been smooth sailing. I think it's happening because the COVID-19 pandemic has displaced many employees. Since so many people are working from home now, lines of communication are not as efficient as they used to be so things are falling through the cracks. My theory is substantiated by the fact that lately when I've been live-directed, some of the clients on the line don't have the same version of the script. TIP OF THE WEEK As an effective voice actor, you need to have your Change Request Policy approved by the client BEFORE you record anything. This will save both you and the client time, energy, and headaches. You can see mine by downloading a free copy of the 'Voiceover Project Service Guarantee Template' at the VO Strategist Shop. RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS Here is where I occasionally suggest stuff that may help your voiceover business. Some of these suggestions may include an Amazon Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you click on the link and purchase the item in question, I get a few cents at no extra cost to you. Today's recommendation: audio interfaces! I heartily recommend the Steinberg UR12 USB Audio Interface. This thing is a workhorse! I've had mine for a few years now and I love it. It's small, sturdy, portable, easy to use, and very reasonably priced. I use it for recording both at home and on the road. It's a winner! You can see more recommendations at my Studio Gear & Recommendations page. NEWS AND NOTES Saturday, November 13th @2PM ET: The Voice Actors Studio "eLearning Performance with Guest Coach Tom Dheere!" eLearning, training modules, and instructional content is a leading category in voiceover opportunity! Join special guest coach Tom Dheere for a focused eLearning Performance workshop! Every voiceover genre has a unique set of “performance rules.” Get a clear understanding of what is required when voicing educational/training content. Soak up helpful pointers from Tom, a busy eLearning VO talent and coach, as he directs you on a variety of eLearning-specific scripts. Don’t miss three hours of script reading with Tom Dheere! You’ll be sure to “learn” a thing or two and have a lot fun while doing it! Sunday, November 14th @1PM ET: Edge Studio "Managing Your Marketing Mindset". You’re looking to book voice over jobs but you don’t know how to best market yourself as an actor. In this one-hour webinar, you will learn how to think like a professional marketer and develop a positive and sustainable mindset to set yourself up for success in the industry, while keeping clients coming back. November 12-14: The Mid-Atlantic Voice Over conference. I won't be speaking there this year but this is a FANTASTIC conference and I strongly encourage you to attend. HAPPY HAPPYS Happy Scrapple Day and Zero Tasking Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 20 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

My buddy Dave Courvosier recently wrote an interesting blog post about how much effort you should put into editing auditions. Here are some quotes from the blog... I love this feedback from my agent with a request from the client for a second-round of auditions that stated: "...We have been getting this a lot but what I think might help is guys with fancy home studios need to send in their audition without any extra sound stuff That's why everyone is sounding too polished. Good for them for having an awesome studio but lets get it back flat so that they can hear the voice..." TOO POLISHED 'Kinda flies in the face of all the recommendations we often hear from coaches about delivering auditions that are ready for air. We need to examine a few assumptions, here. First, this is about editing auditions for commercials, not other genres. Second, many voice actors assume they need to edit, process, master, EQ, etc. the crap out of their auditions to make it sound as "good" as possible. This is not necessarily true. I think there are a lot of voice actors out there who use a lot of plugins and processing because their raw audio isn't very good. This can be for a number of reasons including a poorly treated space and a low-end microphone. I also think there are a lot of voice actors who enjoy the technical aspect of voiceovers (which is great) but they put a little too much mustard on their hot dog, if you get my meaning. FULL DISCLOSURE: I use zero plugins. Why? I have a well treated space so I don't think I need any. I'm also twitchy about plugins because I don't want my audio to sound tinny or over-processed. TIP OF THE WEEK You don't necessarily have to create "polished", broadcast-ready audio when you're editing auditions. The voice seekers want to know what you space sounds like since the odds are you will record the gig at home. Also remember that if you do book the gig, your audio may be edited together with another voice actor's audio. Don't make it harder on the engineer by doing a bunch of processing. It make it that much harder for them to match your audio with theirs. Don't let how you're editing auditions distract the listener from your narration. THAT is what is most important. When you're editing auditions; eliminate the burps, boo-boos, clicks, and huge breaths. Get the audio to no louder than -3 db. That's it! For the purposes of editing auditions, the rest is fluff. NEWS AND NOTES Saturday, December 4th @5PM ET: The 12th Annual NYC VO Mixer! (In NJ). Voiceover beginners, pros, or "adjacent" to the voiceover industry; come on out! Dress to impress! It's the "company holiday party". Please RSVP at the Facebook Event page as there is an attendance cap. Sunday, December 5th @9AM-5PM ET: "Kelly and Tom are Hanging Out at a Hotel". The day after the VO Mixer, we've rented a conference space at the hotel for voice actors to discuss the current state of the voiceover industry and share tips & tricks for success. Voice actors of all experience levels are welcome. It's free to attend but we do ask for a small donation to help cover the cost of the space. To RSVP, email me at tom@tomdheere.com. Saturday, December 11th @5PM ET: The Voice Actor's Studio "eLearning Performance with Guest Coach Tom Dheere". eLearning, training modules, and instructional content is a leading category in voiceover opportunity! Every voiceover genre has a unique set of "performance rules." Get a clear understanding of what is required when voicing educational/training content. Don't miss three hours of script reading! You'll be sure to "learn" a thing or two and have a lot fun while doing it! Saturday, December 18th @1PM ET: VO Resolutions: Setting Goals for 2022. Stay tuned for more info...! HAPPY HAPPYS Happy Pickle Day and I Love To Write Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 20 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

Is posting your voiceover auditions & gigs on social media a good idea? Some voice actors post their voice over auditions & gigs on social media and sometimes it gets them in trouble. How? These days, many voice seekers will do a social media "deep-dive" on you to check for not just commercial conflicts but to see if you have the potential to damage their image. I'm talking about posting content that is politically charged, sexually explicit, or demonstrates inappropriate behavior (drinking, partying, etc.). They're also checking to see if you're an NDA violator. Many voice actors have damaged their career by posting about auditions or bookings before the release of the ad campaign, audio book, video game, etc. and it got them in a LOT of trouble. Here's a great example of an innocent NDA mistake made by my friend and wonderful voice actor Debbie Irwin. This even happens with movie stars sometimes, like this Avengers: Endgame NDA-violating boo-boo. Social Media Tips If you're considering posting about one of your voiceover auditions or gigs on social media; THINK BEFORE YOU POST. Here are four tips: Ask yourself why you want to share this audition or gig with the world. What conversation are you trying to have? Who are you trying to have a conversation with? Are you just showing off? Or do you just have no idea how to use social media effectively as a voice actor? Do you have permission to talk about it on social media? FYI you know you have permission if you can find it on a front-facing website like the company's business website, iSpot, or a YouTube channel. If you can't, I don't recommend trying to get permission. That may make the client nervous because now they have to see if you're doing something wrong. Always assume ALL auditions are submitted under an NDA, even if you didn't sign one. Even posting about how excited you are about an audition you just did without disclosing who/what you did it for may get you into trouble. Don't do anything to make the voice seeker twitchy! Be patient! After it goes live, talk about the journey to getting cast. Talk about your prep. Talk about the recording session. Talk about being directed or directing yourself. The more you can demonstrate your professionalism, your humanity, and your joy, the more value your social media posts have. Focusing more on that and less on self-hype will do yourself much more good. NEWS AND NOTES Saturday, November 13th @2PM ET: "eLearning Performance with Guest Coach Tom Dheere!" eLearning, training modules, and instructional content is a leading category in voiceover opportunity! Join special guest coach Tom Dheere for a focused eLearning Performance workshop! Every voiceover genre has a unique set of “performance rules.” Get a clear understanding of what is required when voicing educational/training content. Soak up helpful pointers from Tom, a busy eLearning VO talent and coach, as he directs you on a variety of eLearning-specific scripts. Don’t miss three hours of script reading with Tom Dheere! You’ll be sure to “learn” a thing or two and have a lot fun while doing it! Sunday, November 14th @1PM ET: "Managing Your Marketing Mindset". You’re looking to book voice over jobs but you don’t know how to best market yourself as an actor. In this one-hour webinar, you will learn how to think like a professional marketer and develop a positive and sustainable mindset to set yourself up for success in the industry, while keeping clients coming back. HAPPY HAPPYS Happy Caramel Apple Day and Author's Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK I couldn't wait for success so I went ahead without it. Jonathan Winters Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 30 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.

A few years ago I blogged about a "landing an agent" checklist. Since the voiceover industry has changed so much in just a few short years, I thought it would be a good idea to update the checklist. What has changed in the voiceover industry since that blog post? COVID-19 and AI. They will have a major influence on the industry for years to come, but we've discussed these before so we don't need to go into detail here. My understanding of the voiceover industry have changed as well so my thoughts have evolved on the subject of agents. For one thing, I've come to realize that different voice actors of different experience levels need different things to get their careers to different places. Voice actors at certain points in their journey need to do, be, and use certain things that voice actors at other points in their journey don't. Do all voice actors need an agent? No. Are all agents the same? No. TIP OF THE WEEK With all that in mind, here is my updated “landing an agent” checklist: Which genres do you want to be successful in? Agents work in certain genres: most commonly commercials, network promos, cartoons, and video games. They cast other genres but not as often. If you want to be successful in genres like audio books or eLearning, you do not need an agent. Do you need an agent at this point in your career? Most aspiring voice actors think they need an agent right out of the gate and that is almost never the case. You need an agent once you achieve a certain level of success and want to be considered for projects you can’t access on your own. Which tier of agent should you pursue? There are "tiers" of agents based on their status, location, roster, and how they get their casting notices. We touched upon this in a recent blog. If you are looking for your first agent, do your research and look for an "entry-level" agent. This may increase your chances of getting repped. Which part of the country/world do you need an agent? Usually you’re only allowed to have one agent in a 50-mile radius. Make sure that geography lines up with your genre needs, too. For example, if you want high-end animation work, landing an agent in the Los Angeles area is probably a good idea. Are you willing to sign with an agent? If you do, often you’re not allowed to be submitted for projects by other agents. Read the exclusivity clause VERY CAREFULLY. Are you willing to travel for auditions & recording sessions? COVID-19 has moved most auditions and many recording sessions to your home studio so this is not as important as it was pre-pandemic. Are you union, non-union, or Fi-Core? Many agents represent union talent, non-union talent, or both. Don’t submit to an agent who casts projects that don't line up with your current union status. Did you follow ALL of the submission criteria in the Call Sheet? The best way to never be considered by an agent is to ignore the submission criteria. That will prove to them immediately that you can’t take direction and are therefore useless to them. Are you willing to take no for an answer? This is not the part when I say “don’t give up” or “don’t take no for an answer” cliché crap. I have submitted to agents before who loved me & my demos, but they had too many people on their roster who sound like me. That is not a bad thing! That just means there isn’t room for you on their roster right now. Be sure to stay in touch and follow-up in six months or so. Pinning your hopes on one particular agent is, in my opinion, starving-artist-like and unrealistic. There are many small agencies out there who can get you good work and ensure you are paid well. Once you've gone through this checklist, NOW you can look for an agent. Be sure to read the "How to Vet an Agent" blog next so you can ask them the right questions to ensure they will suit your needs. RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS Here is where I occasionally suggest stuff that may help your voiceover business. Some of these suggestions may include an Amazon Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you click on the link and purchase the item in question, I get a few cents at no extra cost to you. Today's recommendation: books! The Right-Brain Business Plan was recommended to me by my buddy and fabulous voice actor Lauren McCullough. Voice actors are human and have different ways of navigating the world in general and the voiceover industry in particular. Books like The Right-Brain Business Plan can help you build your voiceover business with an intuitive, imaginative approach. NEWS AND NOTES Thursday, October 14th @8PM ET: The Edge Studio Business and Money 201 webinar, "Workflow". This class will give students an understanding of how to utilize 21st century tools and software to stay organized and on task. SOLD OUT Monday, October 18th-21st: New England Narrator Retreat. Friday, October 22nd-24th: Baltimore Comic Con. I will be there promoting my comic book Agent 1.22. If you're at the con, stop in at Artist Alley Table C33 and say hi! Thursday, October 28th @8PM ET: The Edge Studio Marketing 201 webinar, "What Your Website Says About You". In this class, students will explore best practices when creating a successful voice over talent website. November 12-14: The Mid-Atlantic Voice Over conference. I won't be speaking there this year but this is a FANTASTIC conference and I strongly encourage you to attend. Since I will be a crazed, travelling maniac this month: no blog for the next two weeks! See you November 2nd... HAPPY HAPPYS Happy Sausage Pizza Day and Own Business Day! QUOTE OF THE WEEK Tom Dheere is the VO Strategist, a voice over business & marketing coach and demo producer since 2011. He is also a voice actor with over 20 years of experience who has narrated just about every type of voiceover you can think of. When not voicing or talking about voicing, he produces the sci-fi comic book Agent 1.22.