What can I do to win more auditions?

Auditions/Career

The number one thing you need to do is FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. I can’t tell you how many comments I’ve read over the years from casting directors who state they immediately reject auditions where the talent has not followed the instructions given.

For instance, if the audition file should be named and/or formatted a certain way, you should name and format your file EXACTLY as specified. Your ability to follow instructions is a test. If you can’t pass this test on an audition, how can the casting director trust you to correctly submit an actual project? Attention to details MATTERS.

Other Tips

Never submit your VO demo for an audiobook audition! Don’t even submit an audiobook sample from the same genre unless the instructions explicitly state this action is acceptable. Anyone casting an audiobook wants to hear how you interpret and perform the actual words from the book.

If the audition specifies the rate, for instance royalty share, do not audition if you are not willing to work for that rate.

Many auditions specify a particular accent for the role. If you can’t do the accent well, don’t audition. Also, you won’t be scoring any points if you upload an accent that is different than the one requested.

Auditions calling for one gender should not be submitted by a person of a different gender.

Pronunciation research is needed even for auditions. Don’t let a mispronounced word knock you out of the competition!

Most right holders provide an audition script; it’s a requirement on ACX. Some rights holders will upload the whole book. You are not expected to read the entire book for the audition. However, you should at least search it for any material you would find objectionable.

If you decide you’re right for the book and were given the book instead of a script, you would choose dialogue of the 2-3 main characters in fiction, as well as some of the narrative. The RH needs to hear how you will tell the story. Auditions on ACX should not last longer than 5 minutes.

Only audition when you are right for the book. Otherwise, you’re wasting your and the rights holder’s time.

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Thanks to project manager/director Tina Dietz for her permission to republish this information that she originally posted on Facebook.

From the Director/Project Manager’s Desk: 10 ways to get yourself cut from the running for an audiobook narration job

Sound like you’re in a fishbowl, tunnel, or cavern
Have the first sound you make be a mouth noise (still twitching)
Don’t read first words on the audition page (even if it’s “Chapter 15”)
Be nasal
Manage to sound both acid and flat at the same time (like a day and a half old cup of coffee)
Send an audition reel or set of samples instead of the actual audition script
Email the rights holder/project manager over and over again asking for updates
Narrate at the speed of being chased by a pack of wild dogs
Submit an audition that’s clearly the first time you’re reading the copy out loud

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Author Josh Steimle wrote the article How I Chose A Narrator for My Audiobook. Thanks to narrator Paul Heitsch for his permission to republish below his analysis of that article which he originally posted on Facebook.

The salient points for me were –

“In some cases I could tell within five seconds there was no way I was choosing a certain narrator.”

Takeaway – if the audition script is longer than 5 minutes, pare it down to sections that reflect what’s most likely to matter to the RH’s decision (see below). They won’t have time or the inclination to listen to dozens of 20-minute auditions looking for that nugget of wonderfulness that only you can create.

“Some of the voices were fine, even great, but the technology they used put them at a disadvantage…. I felt bad for these folks, because my rejection had nothing to do with their talent, and everything to do with them not using the right equipment.”

Takeaway – Does anyone still think that doing their physical space and signal path on the cheap is a clever strategy?

“There were other narrators who were “eliminated” because they never auditioned. They sent me questions through the ACX system but I didn’t have time to answer them so I never received their auditions.”

Takeaway – Never wait to audition when you see a title you think you’d be good for, and that meets your other criteria. If you have questions you can follow up later, but get that audition in their hands ASAP.

“I did not reject anyone due to price or gender. The winner was actually the most expensive…”

Takeaway – Don’t worry about being underbid. Bid what you’re worth. If the client disagrees, they’re not who you want to be working with.

“The winning narrator came close to making me feel as though I were there with Seth Farbman and the other CMOs, hearing their real responses. It felt natural, friendly, authentic.”

Takeaway – Read the audition script, and tease out which aspects are likely to be most important to the RH. And commit to performing *everything* as authentically as you can.

Common issues encountered by post production pros

Post Production

Thanks to sound engineer Amanda Rose Smith for her permission to republish this information that she originally posted on Facebook.

1. Don’t give your post person *your* deadline! Give them their own deadline, and pad in time from yours, preferably 48hrs. Things happen. People get sick. Also, there are turn around times. When I get a 7/15 deadline, what that means to me is 11:59 7/15. If YOUR deadline is 7/15, that poses a problem.

2. DON’T ACT OFF MIC! I know there are some coaches telling people to look away from the mic when you yell, or step back. They are WRONG. Both those things pose serious audio problems. You must learn to create a reasonable yelling approximation ON mic. While we’re on the subject, recording off axis in general, for other issues like plosives and sibilance, is ALSO WRONG. Those things are not helped by that and are actually usually exacerbated instead.

3. You should be 10-12 inches from your mic. Pop screen should be a minimum 2 inches away from the mic; you should be 8 inches from that. THIS will help with clicking, plosives, and sibilance — NOT being off mic.

4. It is not an editor’s job to change the character of your read. Most will shorten or lengthen pauses that seem out of character, but if you’re leaving wide gaps all over, those will likely stay in. This is just one reason why punch and roll is so important.

5. If you aren’t listening with headphones (everyone should be, but I know some people don’t), be very sure of your system and mic placement. If your book is full of plosives because your positioning is wrong, no one is going to fix that. An editor’s job is to support the overall performance of the book, NOT TO CHANGE IT.

6. An editor expects to spend a maximum of 3:1 on your punch recorded book. If you have so many issues that more than that is required for a great performance, they’ll start prioritizing, and smaller issues may not get fixed. This is not unreasonable. They need to make a living wage. If you’ve worked with several people and always find things aren’t to your standard, either the audio coming in isn’t high enough quality, or there’s an issue with hiring practices. The 3:1 ratio counts going over the edits you make and the admin involved in noting pickups and such.

7. NEVER think “we’ll fix it in post”. Post is for things you don’t even know need fixing, not things you don’t feel like fixing.

8. If you’re sending in a book to be mastered, SEND RAW. NO PROCESSING UNLESS APPROVED. This includes those of you on Studio One or Reaper especially. ALL channel plug ins on the input must be removed. If your mastering engineer can’t make the book sound better without your template, you shouldn’t be working with them to begin with. Channel strips are for auditions and some publishers ONLY (since some pubs require some slight tweaking before sending).

9. Be clear in communication ALWAYS. If you’re asking for mastering, or editing, or proofing, be completely sure what that includes. If your post person sends a sheet detailing that (I do), READ IT.

10. I can’t think of a #10 but the list bothers my neurotic sensibilities without one so here we are.

How to switch characters during recording sessions

Performance

When you start out, you may be tempted to record each character separately and edit them together.

Avoid this temptation. You should read the book straight through and switch your voice as needed for each character as s/he appears. However, when doing dialogue between characters with a wide variety in accents, you may find that you need to stop and punch in more frequently.

Each moment in the book builds on the one before it. Recording the voices independent of each other would cause 2 negative effects:

1. Editing the files together into the finished book would take entirely too much time.
2. The finished book would sound disjointed and choppy, which would result in listener frustration and complaints.

To be honest, if you’re not comfortable with the practice of easily and quickly switching voices as you progress through the book, you need to spend more time in practicing performance skills and perhaps doing more prep before undertaking a project to be sold commercially.

When should you upgrade software or hardware

Studio Configuration

Do not upgrade your software in the middle of a book if you can possibly avoid it. Set your system preferences for manual updates of your operating system.

If you are a Pro Tools user, be sure that your version of PT is compatible with any new operating system BEFORE you upgrade it. Look at the Pro Tools Operating System Compatibility Chart.

You never know whether you’ll run into a problem during the upgrade. Even if the upgrade does go smoothly, it could cause something else in your signal chain to break. I once upgraded my Mac OS without checking whether my Pro Tools or hardware interface would work with it. I had to upgrade Pro Tools and buy a new hardware interface, not that I had budgeted for either expense.

In addition, you may need to learn a new way of doing things. Software developers seemingly change the interface just for the sake of change rather than to actually improve functionality. You don’t need the added pressure of a looming book deadline while you figure out the differences in your software.

You don’t want to change your hardware or studio space in the middle of a book, either. You need to maintain a consistent sound throughout the course of the audiobook.

Also, keep in mind that you should backup your system before doing any upgrades. Regular backups are a very good idea. When I worked in IT, we told people: The only day you need to make a backup is the day before your system crashes!

What is Co-Narration?

Performance

Most audiobooks are performed by a single narrator. Co-narration occurs when 2 or more actors divide the performance of the text. These types of projects can be done 3 ways:

Dual narration — 2 actors narrate everything in the chapters associated with their main characters’ points of view, including the lines from the other actor.
Duet narration — 2 actors narrate their characters’ lines (and potentially those for all characters of the same gender) throughout the book. Normally, one person is the main narrator who would also voice the narrative portions. This approach requires extensive editing and therefore has a higher cost.
Multicast / Full Cast — 3 or more actors perform the text. The producer would determine which approach above would be used and inform each actor of their roles. The producer may mark or color-code the parts or divide the text to aid the actors and editor. This style of narration requires significant coordination and editing and is the most costly type of audiobook to produce.

Dual and duet narrations are especially popular in romance books when the point of view (POV) switches between the main characters. Both narrators read and prep the entire book so that they can fulfill the author’s vision. It’s important for the actors’ studios to be of similar sound quality so that switching back and forth in the audio is not jarring to listeners.

In a co-narration project, actors can perform their roles:

In the same studio at the same time. This option offers the highest quality recording and best collaboration, but it could require travel expenses and studio rental in addition to the narrators’ and editors’ fees.
At the same time in separate studios but connected via Zoom or other real-time system so that they are responding to each other as they record their lines.
Independently in their own studio. This option is easiest to schedule and budget, but the performances may not sound connected to each other.

Any time you’re an actor working with 1 or more narrators to create an audiobook, you need to collaborate and coordinate with your fellow actors so that you understand and utilize each others’ choices, especially with voices, accents, and pronunciations. The goal is creating a smooth and consistent listening experience, as if the customer was listening to the audio from a TV show or movie without any effects. You will want to follow the Co-Narration Standards developed by the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association.

What To Do When You Feel Pigeonholed by Casting (May require a Substack subscription)

Performance

Award-winning narrator and casting director Tanya Eby wrote this excellent article What To Do When You Feel Pigeonholed by Casting.

I thank Tanya for mentioning this site in her comments about performing Public Domain audiobooks.

Everyone can access my trove of free resources at my Public Domain Narration Headquarters.
NarratorsRoadmap site members also can view my Create Your Own Path video course and my Public Domain Audiobooks and Self-Publishing webinar. Both are available under the Video Courses option after you login, and both include an extensive list of resources not found in my free material.

Note: You may need a subscription to read Tanya’s Substack. You’ll find a discount offer in the Welcome Center.