Mind the gap….

If you are lucky enough to be chosen to narrate a number of audiobooks in succession, you take nothing for granted. You realize there are thousands of us out there, and to actually make money doing this is no doubt the result of luck, talent, and/or timing.

But when there is a gap between ending one production and starting or even getting another, there is a flat-footed feeling that is hard to describe. Not sure if this feeling exists with others of my ilk, but it’s a disconcerting one for me. I follow with great interest the postings of my fellow VAs in Facebook groups, where we cluster to ask questions, share successes, and tell of harrowing bullets dodged when we suspect we are being scammed (and this sadly happens a lot). We all jump in to offer our take on any and all dilemmas a fellow VA encounters, and it’s heartwarming how we support one another.

I read with envy posts by those who began making this a career long ago, with pipelines that run into the following year and who no longer need to audition for work. But that’s also when I take a step back and do that “not taking anything for granted” stance. I realize rookies who thought it would be a cakewalk to simply “read stories aloud” the way they did as teachers or parents often become disillusioned. Some believe it’s only the veterans among us that get work. But these are also the ones who may never have invested in coaching, a professional website, great equipment, and a whisper-quiet sound booth. I use the word “investment” because I knew before I got into this that it would cost up-front money no matter what. Any new business does. And just as a would-be entrepreneur hangs their virtual shingle online and makes a concerted effort to “brand” themselves, we are no exception.

So what do I do when I don’t DO a narration for a while? Well, first off, I take on any audition that sounds right for me as soon as I see it. No planning or prepping. Like a shot, I am in my booth recording it, then back in my office editing it, and like a flash — sending it off within hours, not days. . I figure it’s a numbers game, and if I get my voice in a good quality recording in front of them first, they may begin to compare those that come after and keep returning to mine.

I then get busy finding out when local writers’ groups meet and crash their parties, often paying a small membership fee to join them again if I find it worth my time, And it always is. As a potential narrator of their precious books, I am able to ask any guest speaker insightful questions budding authors may never have thought about. And by the end of the meeting I glad-hand attendees slipping them a card or teaching them new technology by holding up my handy-dandy QR code. And yes — I invite them to sample my goofy voices while sitting on the john. Oh. And when they ask me to make a presentation about the world of audiobooks? I am ready with a killer PowerPoint as well.

Recently I attended one where a Harlequin romance author addressed the mostly over-age- 55 group. A dozen or so of her published books were proudly passed around or displayed in the restaurant ante-room where we were served breakfast as she spoke. She warned of the dangers of vanity publishers, where authors are lulled into spending thousands of dollars just to get their books into print but make no effort to help sell them.

While most of these local writers dream of a traditional publishing house taking notice of their murder mysteries, sizzling romance tales, or historical fictions, my heart goes out to them. I know few, if any, will ever receive those prized advances publishers offer. And that even finding out who to send their manuscripts to is a crap shoot. So I ask the question they may have wanted to, but found hard to address: “Of the millions of submissions out there, what percentage do you think will get any play by a traditional publisher?” Her answer? The presenting author says barely a decimal point and admits she got extremely lucky. I realize this is a reality check for some, just like thinking I would be among those who have prized pipleline of narrations that have authors and publishing houses calling me instead of the other way around. In many ways, we are all in the same boat.

I remind my new writer-friends that In this progressively audio-first world, investing in a voice actor instead of a print book might be the wiser choice. Within a few weeks, I have lunch dates set up with a few of them to explore working together either now or in the far-flung future. And just like that, gaps are filled and plans have the potential to become more than dreams.

Mine, and hopefully theirs as well.