Not a veteran. Yet.

At this for about a year and a half now, I’ve narrated nearly a dozen books. Could I have thrown more spaghetti up against a wall to see what stuck by doing more auditions? Sure. But I’m selective with the quality of writing I see myself narrating. And after all, when my name is attached to something, I care.

Recently I began working with a new indie author who asked his short story be read in a “BBC British accent.” I was shocked he contacted me so quickly after my audition, as if he had been lying in wait for one like mine. He reassured me his entire family listened to it and voted it hands down the best of all that came his way that same day. Of course, I was flattered. And we quickly came to an agreement that would have it ready within a week’s time (I’ll never agree to that short a deadline again, however.)

While I had done character voices in accents, I had not done an entire narrative in one, and it was a challenge for me to stay “in voice” the entire time. At first, it seemed like an easy read. Less than an hour of finished recording time. But when it came time for me to listen to myself and fix my bloopers (called pickups), I was horrified by how my accent occasionally dropped in favor of an American pronunciation. Words like “hours” which basically requires NO “r” sound. “Laughter” — which needed more awwww than ahhhh. And “been” which should have become a legume. So that one hour book turned into more than 3 hours of recording and editing work.

The finished product, however, was what the author deemed a “masterpiece.” And my spirit soared at the thought that it might become possible to do more with completely accented narratives.

So what takeaways can I offer for my first full year of voice acting? Well first off, I realized that the authors I work with are not entities sequesterd to their own little writing islands. They have full lives, whether they write for fun, are hard-working moms. single dads, or senior citizens. All the people I have worked with so far have been eminently personable, easy to work with, and thrilled about our association. If they are new to Audible/Amazon I serve as their tutors as they enter a new world. If they are simply authors finally throwing their books into the audiobook fray, I describe with detailed descriptions how it all comes together. And while it’s always great to earn money doing this, the best part is that they trust me with whatever sequels or books come next. I have become their partners in audiobook crime, so to speak.

As the new year unfolds, I feel nothing but blessed for having found this outlet for the many voices that have resided inside me for decades. The biggest compliment is when a friend listens to a book I’ve narrated and swears they don’t recognize my voice. At that point I can look at them and say, “That’s called acting.” And they laugh their heads off.