Tag Archives: edge studio

This Week in Links: September 3 – 7

Posted on September 7, 2018 by | Leave a comment

For Producers:

Narrators Have To Look Up Pronunciations Of Those Unfamiliar, Odd-Sounding Words. (Here’s How) – via Voice-Over Xtra – “Good narrators recognize that geography, demographics, and even economic status can play a large role in how certain words are pronounced.”

What Virtual Assistants Can Do For Your Voice Over Business – via Voice Over Herald – “You want to spend more time searching for new clients, being inside your booth recording, or perfecting your craft but you can’t find the time because you have been playing catch-up. How are you going to grow your business if you are overloaded with tasks and responsibilities that take you away from the money-making activities?”

Three Ways to Spice Up Your Vocal Delivery – via Dr. Ann Utterback – “If you say phrases exactly the same way each time, they become stale and uninteresting. Worse, if you voice these exactly the same each time, they can become a bore for you and the listener.”

10 Tips for a Successful Home Audition – via Edge Studio – Herein lies solid advice for VO’s of all stripes, including audiobook narrators.

For Rights Holders:

6 Ways Video Blogging Can Save Your Author Promotion – via Author Marketing Experts – Forging a deeper connection with your fans to growing a new creative skill are just two reasons to explore a new way to marketing yourself online.

How to Sell Books to Someone Other Than Your Mom – via The Write Practice – “There’s nothing wrong with selling a book to Mom, by the way. But ideally you write and sell a book that thousands of people can’t wait to get their hands on. Here’s how to do it.”

The Best Free Media Contacts Tool You Probably Aren’t Using – via The Book Designer – Learn all about this free service and get some tips for making the most of your (audio)book PR efforts.

Writer Branding: A Cheat Sheet for Your Brand Elements – via The Write Conversation – Learn two simple ways to break down and analyze aspects of your visual brand to ensure you demonstrate consistency across all of your author materials.

 

 

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This Week in Links: April 30 – May 4

Posted on May 4, 2018 by | 1 comment

For Rights Holders:

How Do Authors Sell The Truth of Their Books – via BookMarketingBuzzBlog – This piece will help you learn how to be more persuasive about what you have to offer others.

Book Marketing Tip: Can You Answer This Simple Question? – via CreateSpace – Can you provide a succinct, compelling answer when asked what your book is about?

What Should Your Characters Talk About? – via Helping Writers Become Authors – Compelling dialogue is especially important when you write with your audiobook in mind. Read on for specific tips to put into action for your next book.

7 Ways to Counteract Writer’s Block – via Live Write Thirve – You can’t publish that next audiobook if you haven’t written the book first. Which of these tips will unleash your creative output?

For Producers:

What Non-Daw Software Do You Use? And Should You? – via Edge Studio – From hosting your website to managing your finances, find out which programs can help you succeed as a freelance VO.

Picking the Perfect Voice-Over Microphone – via Paul Strikwerda – “Let’s say I’m in the market for a new microphone. Is staring at pictures, reading reviews, and listening to audio samples helpful? The answer may surprise you.”

Dr. Utterback’s Go-To Daily Vocal Warm-Ups – via Dr. Ann Utterback – These exercises focus on releasing tension in the upper body and oral cavity. I’ve also included one to increase my heart rate slightly to wake up my brain so I’ll be sharp and ready to voice.

ACX U Presents: Peace, Love, and Understanding Your Audio Partner – via ACX – Every audiobook production represents an artistic collaboration. Find out how this Rights Holder and Producer team set themselves up for success.

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This Week in Links: March 12 – 16

Posted on March 16, 2018 by | Leave a comment

For Rights Holders:

9 Types of Pitches to Use When Promoting Your Book – via The Book Designer – “The success of your book depends on approaching people, companies and groups and asking for their help to publicize, promote and sell it… Here are nine things consider when it comes time to pitch your book—before, during or after your launch.”

How To Promote Your Book Like My Self-Promoting Kid – via Book Marketing BuzzBlog – Learn how emulating 13-year-old Ben in three key ways can help you shine light on your latest audiobook project.

How to Implement the Ideal Content Strategy to Grow Your Author Brand – via ALLi – “Jyotsna Ramachamdran, founder and director of Happy Self-Publishing, asks why a carefully curated content strategy is so important for authors, and how to build and implement one.”

Is a Press Release Still a Good Book Promotion Tool? – via Author Marketing Experts – AME offers a ruling on this tried and true technique. Take note of the rules you’ll want to follow to make sure your press release breaks through the crowd.

For Producers:

A Voice Artists Shouldn’t Just Talk. Also Listen to Yourself – via Edge Studio – Read up on the value of including time to listen back to past performances in your daily practice sessions.

Let’s Talk About Your Jaw – via Dr. Ann Utterback – Stress can wreak havoc on your jaw, which in turn can disrupt your vocal performance. Never fear – the doctor’s got some exercises that can help relieve tension and build strength.

Celia Siegel’s Voiceover Achiever – via Paul Strikwerda – “The big question in our industry used to be: Do you have a beautiful voice? Do you know how to act? Those are still important. But they’re no longer enough. These days the question is: Are you brandable?”

ACX U Presents: Ahead of the Curve: Prospecting for Pros – via ACX – Audible Approved Producers Steven Jay Cohen and Neil Hellegers discuss the finer points of researching authors with books not yet in audio and bringing them to ACX to produce their audiobook.

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This Week in Links: February 12 – 16

Posted on February 16, 2018 by | Leave a comment

For Producers:

The Difference Between ‘Urgent’ & ‘Important’ Makes A Difference In Your VO Career – via Voice-Over Xtra – Casting director Hugh Klitzke offers a lesson in emotional recognition and how it can help your VO business.

You Can Pick Your Nose, But You Can’t Pick Their Brain – via Dave Courvoisier – Get a lesson on the etiquette of  seeking free advice from a VO mentor and the topics that are and aren’t recommended for discussion.

Do You Really Need a Bio? – via Natasha Marchewka – As a freelance professional, you’re constantly on the hunt for that next gig, which makes a compelling, up-to-date bio a must-have.

Voice-Over Is a Fun Business. Listen to These Hilarious Clips – via Edge Studio – Give yourself a breather with these entertaining outtakes.

For Rights Holders:

Use Quirky Holidays in March for Book Marketing – via BuildBookBuzz – Learn about some truly wild holidays coming up and how to leverage them for your audiobook marketing.

Writing Tip: Make It Clear Who Is Talking…but Not Too Clear – via CreateSpace – Bestselling author Maria Murnane has great advice on writing vocal tags that’s especially helpful when writing with your audio edition in mind.

Writing A Book Marketing Plan: 7 Ways That Will Guarantee Success – via BookBuzzr – Spelling out your book marketing goals at the start can give you a reliable map to follow to achieve success.

ACX U Presents: The Elements of a Well-Reviewed Audiobook – via ACX – Listener reviews are a critical part of the sales ecosystem for your audiobook, with many listeners basing their purchasing decision on critical commentary. In this video, the editors of Audiofile and Audio Book Reviewer reveal how they choose which audiobooks make their listen lists.

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This Week in Links: August 21 – 25

Posted on August 25, 2017 by | 1 comment

Did you hear the news? ACX University is back for 2017, with eight episodes coming in September. This year, we’ve expanded our premiere audiobook education event to cover topics for authors and publishers in addition to actors and producers. Check out this year’s curriculum, meet the panelists, and catch up on past year’s lessons here. Make sure to follow us on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, where you can watch every episode of this year’s program for free!

For Producers:

Why George Guidall Is the Undisputed King of Audiobooks – via The New York Times – Learn audiobook performance theory from the venerated veteran.

Should You Neutralize Your Accent? – via Paul Strikwerda – “Even though it’s fun to do all kinds of accents and characters, nine out of ten times clients hire me because I sound like me, and not like someone else.”

Should You Ever Volunteer to Do Voice-Over for Free? – via Edge Studio – “One way to add to your experience is volunteer work. But should you volunteer to do voice work for free? There are pros and cons, so read on…”

The Still Small Voice – via Karen Commins – Find out how rediscovering the love for her childhood instrument reminded Karen how listening to that little voice inside can be important for your VO career.

For Rights Holders:

Making A Great Author Website In 16 Steps – via BookMarketingBuzzBlog – “First, look at your site from the eyes of those who would come to visit it…Second, ask yourself if you started from scratch, how different would a brand new site look in comparison to what you have?”

Brands to Avoid – via CreateSpace – When building your author brand, be authentic, and remember to highlight the positive aspects of yourself and your books.

4 Questions You Should Never Ask About Your Book – via Helping Writers Become Authors – “In short, good writing is not about finding the right answer. It’s about finding the right question.”

20 Inspiring Writing Podcasts to Subscribe to Right Now – via The Write Life – “For writers looking to bust writer’s block, hone their craft or spice up a boring commute, there’s no shortage of podcasts from amateurs and experts alike.”

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This Week in Links: June 26 – 30

Posted on June 30, 2017 by | Leave a comment

For Producers:

Do This Instead of Buying a New Mic – via Dave Courvoisier – Ready to add to cart? Consider whether coaching and technical training may be a better  investment for your career than new equipment.

What Is Your Computer Backup System? And Will It Work? – via Edge Studio – “Whether your computer succumbs to a malware attack, a hardware failure, or your own human error, having a backup will make the situation much less nerve-wracking, and probably far less expensive.”

Why I Don’t Listen to Fictional Audiobooks Narrated by Men – via Book Riot – One listener offers her perspective on a performance choice that drives her buying decisions.

5 Years As The VO Strategist Taught Me 3 Things – via Tom Dheere – What can you learn from Tom’s three big revelations from his time as VO coach? Find out in this milestone post.

For Rights Holders:

Use Cheat Sheets & Checklists to Entice, Engage Readers – via The Book Designer – “Readers love chunks of information they can digest easily in just a minute or two…tie the topic of your cheat sheet or checklist into your book, and you’ve got a promotional hook that reels in readers.”

How to Carry Your Book Cover Design Through to the Marketing Campaign for Your Self-published Books – ALLi – Find out how image, color, texture, and typography can be used as a theme for your (audio)book promotion.

How to Set Up Your Own Online Book Tour – via BookMarketingTools – “Whether you’re launching for the first time or hoping to drum up support for a published book, virtual tours can be incredible for building buzz, encouraging people to share your content, growing your platform, enhancing your reputation, selling books, and much more.”

An Illustrated Guide to Dynamic Characters – via Writer’s Digest – Compelling characters are a dream come true for any actor to perform. This fun infographic takes a look at what makes some of your favorite TV/movie characters so interesting.

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This Week in Links: June 19 – 23

Posted on June 23, 2017 by | Leave a comment

For Rights Holders:

Online Book Tours and Why You Should Do Them – via Book Marketing Tools – An online publicity tour is an especially great way to promote your digital audiobook.

Book Promotion: Do This, Not That: June 2017 – via The Book Designer – Amy Collins is back with her monthly look at the right and wrong way to spread word of your words.

Good Book Publicity Is A Marathon Not A Sprint – via BookMarketingBuzzBlog – VOs use this same analogy when talking about audiobook narration, so prepare to take long view of audiobook promotion.

Average People Recreating Romance Novel Covers is Utterly Hilarious – via Viral Thread – Can you judge a book by these covers?

The Power of Podcasts – via ACX – Learn how one ACX author created a blueprint for promoting his books to natural listening audience: podcast fans.

For Producers:

The Seven Worst Mistakes Beginning Voice-Overs Make – via Paul Strikwerda – “I really wish I had known a thing or two before I started speaking for a living. Here’s my top 7 of things I did, before I knew better.”

4 Things That Will Make Your VO Clients Love You – via Dave Courvoisier – “You’re in a relationship with your clients (in fact, that’s likely how you got them…right?).  Sure, it’s a business relationship, but still…it’s human-to-human (H2H).”

What to Consider in Evaluating Your Voice-Over Potential – via Edge Studio – Taking a look at all the aspects of a good voiceover performance can help you understand what areas of your delivery you need to improve.

The Importance of Proper Input – via Marc Scott – In the end, the career you take is equal to the career you make.

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This Week in Links: May 15- 19

Posted on May 19, 2017 by | Leave a comment

For Rights Holders:

Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – May 2017 – via The Book Designer – This month, the site’s lead writer shares her biggest marketing mistake: not taking her own advice.

The Key to Creating a Successful Blog: Evergreen Content – via The Write Life – Creating blog posts that are constantly wanted and searched for is a great way to attract readers through social media.

How to Form an Indie Author Collective (and Why You Should Consider Doing So) – via ALLi – [“K]nowing others are supporting you and holding you accountable puts wind in your sails.”

Branding vs. Marketing – via CreateSpace – “I’ve heard people use the terms interchangeably, and frankly, that’s just wrong. They serve the same purpose, but they are two different tools serving that purpose.”

For Producers:

On Excellence in Voiceover. Do You Dare to Push Yourself? – via Edge Studio – Where is the line between adequacy and excellence? Are you excellent enough to make the cut? And can you take pursuit of excellence too far?

2 Customer Service Examples: The Wrong Way and the Right Way – via audio’connell – Freelance VO’s need to give clients great customer service. Two anecdotes from other industries provide examples to follow.

10 Money Tips For Voiceover Freelancers – via Tom Dheere – “Make, save, and spend money like a business, not like a clueless rogue artiste.”

Tales From The Voice Booth – via People Magazine – Put some fun in your weekend with H. John Benjamin’s hilarious voiceover horror stories.

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This Week in Links: March 20 – 24

Posted on March 24, 2017 by | Leave a comment

For Producers:

Making Room – via Dave Courvoisier – “What old business practices, coaching tips, or social media schemes are you continuing to use… JUST BECAUSE you always have?”

What Can a New Voice Over Do To Get Noticed? – Pay Attention to Your Needs – via Voice Over Herald – “To help you find the root cause of your failures and rejections, get someone who will be honest with you, brutally and utterly honest.”

Joe’s VO Intel – Ep 93 “Audiobooks: Narrator vs Character – via Edge Studio – Learn how and when to vacillate between a neutral and emotional voice when narrating nonfiction.

ACX University Presents: Now Hear This: A Closer Look at Performing Top Audiobook Genres – via ACX – “Join ACX as we dive deep into performing in the best-selling fiction and non-fiction genres with help from some best-selling voices. Actors Mark Boyett and Piper Goodeve join Kat Lambrix of Audible Studios.”

For Rights Holders:

How to Hitch a Ride on Someone Else’s Holiday to Sell Books – via The Book Designer – “It takes time and requires patience. But most of all, it takes courage to step far outside your comfort zone, something most authors who are introverts are loathe to do.”

How to Create a Review Campaign for Your Book Launch – via Book Marketing Tools – “Honest, authentic reviews are the result of connecting with readers and either exceeding or failing their expectations. Contrary to what some authors might believe, however, getting reviews isn’t a waiting game.”

Workshops – via CreateSpace – “Why would I want to undertake such a task? Simple. It’s a way to associate my brand with a topic that is crucial to the theme of my books.”

The Reasons Branding Confuses You and How To Fix That Right Now – via Bad Redhead – “Branding is not (solely) about your books. I know, right? Weird.”

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This Week in Links: February 20 – 24

Posted on February 24, 2017 by | Leave a comment

For Producers:

7 Steps to LinkedIn Success – via Marc Scott – Are you using the professional’s platform for your voiceover career? Marc’s here to show you how to make the most of it.

Listen To The Books Behind This Year’s Film Awards – via Audible range – from book to audiobook to Oscar-nominated film, get inspired by the performances in the source material from this year’s academy awards.

Online Tools For Freelance Voice Actors – via Dave Courvoisier – Learn about a variety of programs and apps that can make running your VO business easier.

Voice-Over Work (and All Else) Got You Uptight? Relax! – via Edge Studio – “A relaxed voice also gives you greater tonal range, has more endurance, enables you to follow direction more accurately, helps you enunciate better, adds to your confidence, and simply makes VO work (even) more fun.”

For Rights Holders:

Growing Your Audience One Fan at a Time – via C.S. Lakin – Find out why the self-published author thinks your mailing list is the best way to build your fan base from the ground up.

How to Get the Most Marketing and Publicity Bang for Your Buck – via Writer’s Digest – Is it time for you to invest in your success and hire a publicist?

Creative Book Marketing and Promotion Ideas for Indie Authors and Self-published Books – via ALLi – Learn the almost-accidental, counter-intuitive ideas that led to marketing success.

The Inspired Writer & Book Marketer – BookMarketingBuzzBlog – “Maybe [these ideas] will help you move towards aiming higher, achieving more, and living a fulfilling life as a writer or book marketer.”

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