What I Learned From the First 100

This past year I crossed the threshold of 100 audiobooks recorded. After taking a little time to calculate, it appears to be well over 700 hours of finished recording. #damn

Of course, 700 hours of finished recording is only a portion of the time it takes to create an audiobook. There is time needed to prep the book where you first read the entire book, do any research related to the content, find/confirm pronunciations for words, [SIDENOTE: this is where you discover what words you’ve been mispronouncing YOUR ENTIRE LIFE] determine the voices for the characters, identify the arc of the story and any key scenes, etc. Basically, all the work needed so when you enter the recording booth you are prepared.

Then there is the actual time it takes for recording. It’s not an exact ratio, but on average, if I have a 5-hour book to record, I usually set aside roughly 3 times that amount for recording, 15 hours in this example. Depending on the type of content and the author’s style of writing, it may take a little less or a little more, but this ratio usually gets me in the ballpark.

For most of these books, narrating was my side gig. I was a full-time graphic designer with my own business, working from home, who periodically was offered audiobook projects. I didn’t try to expand my contacts or seek out other projects. The only recording I did was when someone approached me.

Now my situation has flipped. I am a full-time voice actor who periodically gets asked to do some design work. It’s like an odd twist on Freaky Friday. #freakyFreakyFriday

All of that to say, while I do not consider myself an expert in narration #lifelonglearner I do believe after having spent over 1000 hours doing something I have learned a few things along the way.

Here are some of those learnings, that I do believe can apply to anyone in the pursuit of creating something new.

1. Embrace Who You Are—Something that helps when you are trying to make a name for yourself, is to be clear on who you are and what you really rock at. For me, in the arena of narrating that would be warm, heartfelt stories or memoirs; empowering women stories; and self-help books (mama can talk about her “inner-child” all the livelong day) This doesn’t mean you can’t ever do anything else, think of it as merely an entry point for someone to get to know you. Over time you can expand into other areas, but it can help to get your foot in the door if you make a clear introduction about who you are and what you do.
2. No Response Doesn’t Mean No Interest—If you do any kind of cold-emailing, you know how discouraging it can be to send out an email and get no response. However, I have learned that to not hear back from someone does not equal “lost cause”. By way of encouragement, I have seen opportunities come my way as a result of emails I have been sending for years. People who never replied to my email have forwarded my name along or placed me on a list for a future time and ultimately contacted me regarding an audition. Of course, the truth is there are some people who aren’t interested in what I’m dishing out, but I don’t need everyone to like me. I need to find the people who will become “my people”. Now I could have made up a story that when I don’t get a response it must mean I should stop emailing. Instead, I choose to keep sending helpful updates (that are hopefully entertaining) and unless someone replies with “Please stop trying to brighten my day with your whimsical and delightful updates” (or something to that effect) then I keep sending them out. #playthelonggame
3. Have Fun—If I have learned anything this past year, it’s that nothing is a guarantee and life is truly a gift. So why not do what lights you up and have fun in the process? It just makes everything better.Dance breaks in the middle of the day? Treat yo’ self to a special goodie after finishing a task? Only sing your responses when people ask you questions for an afternoon? For my more reserved friends, this is not some ploy to convince you to become a gregarious individual who just can’t stop cracking jokes. I mean, bring YOUR type of play and fun to what you do. #youdoyou There is no one way to do this and frankly there is no “right way”. But try it and see what a difference it makes in what you create when you are intentional about having fun in the process.

I hope these ideas get you thinking about what may be missing in your creative rhythms. Do you need to get clear on who you are and what you do? Are you getting discouraged and need to harness some tenacity for the long haul of reaching a goal? Or perhaps, you’re on the right track and are committed to the work, but you’ve lost the fun in the process?

It’s never too late to make adjustments, so give yourself the freedom to pivot where needed and focus on the next right thing. For me, that’s taking a step toward my next 100.