starting out

[moonwoman]

hey there

i read something interesting that you wrote about marketing yourself with clients. i thought i would follow the link to you and ask some advice, if i may. in my previous working life, i have been a voice-trained local radio news reporter and anchor in the UK where i am from and in the US, but now i am at home with children. circumstances demand that i start earning again and i would very much like to get into voice over work but do not know how to go about it. there are so many people out there offering their services to help you get started (for a fee of course), that it's hard to know where to start. i realise that i have to have the right equipment, resume etc, but i am a little out of touch with both.

any pointers or advice would be gratefully received.

many thanks

moonwoman.

[Julie Williams]

Voiceovers can be a career, or a little extra money on the side, but it’s always fun! You asked about getting into voiceovers. First, forget any preconceived notions that you have about the business. It is not li8ke being a news anchor.
For example, if you want to get into voiceovers simply because people say you have a nice voice… consider this. Voice is less than 10% of what’s needed to do voiceovers. VO is a skill that requires training, practice, and techniques. In fact, if your voice is too good, it can work against you. Clients don’t want people to notice the voice…they wan’t people to notice the message the voice is communicating.
If you want to get into voiceovers because you think it’ll be easy…and wont’ cost much to get into, you’re only partly right. Compared to franchises that can start at $30,000 for a cheap one…and up from there, VO is very inexpensive. However, you will be starting a business, and you will need investment capital. You’ll have expenses for training, marketing, equipment, etc. just like in any other business.

If you are still interested in VO, here are some free services I provide to help new and experienced talent connect and grow in their craft.
· VoiceOver Insider Online Magazine: www.voice-overs.com to sign up, http://voice-overs.com/JanuaryVoiceOverInsider.pdf and http://voice-overs.com/FebVOI.pdf for most current issues.
· Voiceover calendar of workshops by talent all over the country: www.voice-overs.com/calendar
· Free products in return for reviewing them in writing and soundbites for podcasts (Look at review forum for info)
I also have a few products to help talent learn... the best one for you is Proven Voice-Over Techniques. It's an abbreviated version of my live workshop, and it will give you a sense of what the biz is about, and how good you'll be at it. The techniques contained in it should help you eliminate any "radio" sound you may still have from your radio career. It's only $34.95 including shipping and comes with a 30 day money back guarantee. You can purchase it at www.voice-overs.com/vostore. By the way, I do offer telecoaching to a limited number of students. The price is $125 per hour. I recommend monthly sessions so you have plenty of time to practice between sessions. If this is of interest to you, please contact maria@voice-overs.com to see if we can work you in the schedule.

Good luck! If there's something specific that I can help you with, don’t hesitate to ask!