As of December 2007, blog search engine Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs. Any idea how many websites are floating around in cyberspace? Believe me, you almost don’t want to know. Having a website is no accomplishment. Dogs have sites. Dead people have sites. Here’s the amazing thing: some of those sites get more visitors in a day, than you hope to have in a year. Ever wondered why? Probably not, because you’re too busy auditioning for that $100 voice-over job on a pay-to-play site. Or am I getting too bitter and morose?
My question to you is this: if you happen to have a personal website and you’re not getting any traffic, what’s the point? Give the money you send your Internet Service Provider to a worthy cause. That way, at least somebody’s benefiting from it.
On the other hand, if you’d like to know what you can do to boost the number of visitors to your corner of the Web, I invite you to read on
September 2nd, 2009
Some of you won’t like what I am about to reveal, but it needs to be said. Yes, I will be the Debbie Downer of the voice-over community and the rain on your parade. If you’re a seasoned vo-pro, my message should come as no surprise. But I realized that blogs like these are also read by aspiring voice-over artists, and it’s about time that they should know the truth (or at least my version of it). Even if it hurts.
PERSISTENT MYTHSTAKES
In times of recession, desperate people cling to desperate things. For many of them, a new career as a voice-over artist seems to be the next best thing. Let me tell you point blank that it’s not. Far from it. Yet, every day, hundreds of hopefuls plunge into the pool of voice-over talent, without even knowing how to swim. Why? Because they’re holding on to ideas that have no basis in reality.
A few scenarios…
# 1. “I LOVE YOUR VOICE”
Tons of people have told you that you have a great voice. “You’d do so much better than that woman announcing the Tony Awards”, they said. And you’ve heard it so many times, that you start believing it yourself. Could this be a new career; the golden key to fame and fortune?
Without realizing it, you just made mistake number one. Thinking that having a good voice is all it takes, is like saying that, in order to be a successful actor, all you need is great looks. As far as I can tell, only Tom Cruise pulled that one off. Having a good set of vocal chords definitely helps, but it’s a small piece of a big puzzle. Knowing how to use that voice is a different matter!
#2. IMPRESSIONISM
Friends have said that you do a mean Morgan Freeman impression. In fact, they like it so much that you’re asked to perform your little trick at parties and high school reunions. It got you thinking: “Mr. Freeman must make lots of money reading a few words off a page. If he can do it, why can’t I? The world loves impersonators, right?” Here’s the thing: we already have one Morgan Freeman. We do not need a clone. Your impression might be dead-on, but if you’re hoping to ride on the back of his success, you’ll always be someone you’re not. Making money impersonating a celebrity could get you in all kinds of legal trouble too. More importantly, you’re betraying yourself by distorting what makes you truly unique: your very own sound.
#3. RADIO GA-GA
You read the news for a local station. The latest membership drive didn’t go so well, and all of a sudden you’re as relevant as yesterday’s paper. What’s worse: you’re out the door. Thank goodness for your radio training. You can always become a voice-over artist, right? After all, it’s basically the same thing. So, you join a reputable voice-over site and record your first audition: an audio book about bachelor cardiac surgeons, voluptuous nurses and broken hearts. Luckily, your membership came with a free voice evaluation, and your coach gave your first demo a firm thumbs down. What hurt you the most was that the fact that she said that you sounded “like a news reader”. Wasn’t that supposed to be a good thing?
#4. EASY MONEY
Even though your financial advisor warned you not to do it, you decide to tap into your nest egg and spend part of your IRA on a decent home studio and premium memberships of voices.com, voice123.com and voplanet.com. If you’re gonna do something, you might as well do it right! These sites will no doubt open the door to big companies offering big bucks to have you do a 20 second commercial or a 2-minute narration. Just wait and see… A few auditions a day will make the recession fade away!
I guess no one ever told you that almost 40% of professional voice-overs makes less than $25,000 per year, even after having been in the business for 10-25 years. Over a quarter of those surveyed make less than $10,000 per year. (Source: VoiceOver Insider magazine http://voice-overs.com/MAY09VOI.pdf). Our distinguished colleague Ed Victor recently shared that since May 15th, he had submitted 50 auditions on Pay 2 Play sites. The net result: zero jobs. Mind you: Ed is known as “The Big Gun” of the business. In my opinion, he is the cream of the crop. But even if your last name is Victor, it doesn’t automatically make you a winner.
#5. OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
Would you ever pick up a violin, and after a few weeks of practice and no lessons, record your first CD? Of course not. No one would walk into a sports store and get the best tennis gear money can buy, and expect to be playing Wimbledon the week after. So, explain to me why some wannabe voice-overs dig deep into their pockets and invest in top of the line equipment without any formal training or experience, expecting instant return on investment?
It takes great skill and practice to breathe life into a text, as well as technical expertise. It’s very similar to mastering a musical instrument. It usually takes many years to become an overnight success. And as we’ve seen, even respected talents find that the pickings are becoming increasingly slim. So, if you’re still thinking of pursuing a voice-over career, think again. In a way, it’s like the photo on the box of your microwave dinner. It makes you hungry, but the meal usually doesn’t taste half as good as it looks. What’s even worse: it doesn’t have enough nutritional value to sustain you!
YOUR TURN
Well, there’s your reality check. Feel free to disagree with me. Did I mention in my last blog that everything is perception? That’s why I’m really interested in your assessment of the voice-over business at this moment in time. Is it a goldmine or a minefield? What advice would you give to a newbie? Have you seen talented people fail? What went wrong? Have you made it against all odds? If so, what’s been the secret of your success? What voice-over myths would you like to bust?
Paul Strikwerda
June 9th, 2009
They had a saying at the bank I once worked for as a trainer: “If it’s about money, it ain’t funny”. Isn’t that the truth! To that I added: “Show me your bank account, and I will tell you how you lead your life.” Bankers and accountants probably know more about you than your therapist. By the way you spend your money, I can tell whether or not you lead a healthy lifestyle, if you’re a good planner, and even if you can resist instant gratification.
On blogs and networking sites, money is a recurrent theme. People want to know how much to charge; whether or not they should spend $300 on a membership of a particular site, and if it’s OK to discount some services… the list is endless. Recently, you might have noticed that I found myself caught up in a discussion about certain websites geared toward freelancers. There’s nothing wrong with these sites. In fact, it’s a great way to connect with prospective employers and find projects that are not listed on the sites we all know so well. However, when I looked at the average bids some of our colleagues put in to get voice-over work, I was stunned. If you think doing a job for $100 is stretching it, wait until you check out sites like Odesk.com. Your jaw will drop to your knees. And that’s not a good thing if you’re in the voice-over business.
HARD TIMES
Some people are justifying this downward trend by pointing at the current recession. This is what they will tell you: we’re all suffering. We all have to tighten our belts and do more with less. The only way to still get work is to lower our fees. The economy is going down and apparently our rates have to follow suit. Frankly: I’m not buying it! Are you?
As I was paying a stack of medical bills, I had a realization. Do our doctors lower their rates because we’re in a recession? Would a nurse take care of us at half price? Is a baker going to charge less for his loaf of bread, or would a plumber be willing to show up and take a 40% pay cut? No way. If anything, their fees increase every year to keep up with the rate of inflation.
Then why do some of us feel the need to put themselves up for grabs in the bargain basement? Remember: once you’re in there, it’s so hard to climb out. Recession or no recession, if you subscribe to the notion that you often get what you pay for, why are you selling yourself and your colleagues short? What are you afraid of? A certain two-letter word?
THE HARDEST WORD
Top negotiator William Ury wrote a fantastic book called “The power of a positive No”. For some of us, that powerful word is one of the hardest in the language. When we’re saying “No”, we’re asserting ourselves and we’re affirming our boundaries, whether it’s in an intimate relationship or in a business relationship.
Being an independent contractor as many of us are, means that we have to have a good sense of what we’re worth. And we have to have the guts to stand up for ourselves and each other, and say “No” when faced with a bad deal. If we don’t, people will inevitably take advantage of us. Let me rephrase that: if we don’t dare to say “No”, we are allowing others to take advantage of us. As Dr. Phil puts it so eloquently: we teach people how to treat us.
HERE COMES THE BRIDE
Some of you might know that I’m also a non-denominational wedding officiant. I basically set my own fees. Every now and then a young engaged couple would tell me that they were on a shoestring budget, and they practically begged me to lower my rate. In the beginning -when I didn’t know any better- I fell for it big time. I wanted to be liked, and I felt sorry for the couple as I remembered the times I had to nickel and dime.
Guess what, I paid for my lack of backbone, until I had learned my lesson. First of all, these couples turned out to be the most demanding couples I had ever worked with. I’d give them a finger and they would demand the entire hand. Secondly, their weddings were the most lavish events I’d ever been invited to. Apparently, other vendors had not fallen for their story of woe. These days I encourage my couples to price officiants out. I also tell them that low fees are often a red flag. It either means that the vendor is just starting out, or that he’s simply not very good at what he does. Don’t expect a gourmet meal at a fast-food price. As soon as I decided to charge a fair fee, people started taking me seriously. Sure, I lost a few weddings, but my limited time on earth is too valuable to deal with Bridezillas.
MAKING MILLIONS
William Ury recalls a breakfast he once had with Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors ever. Ury writes: “He confided in me that the secret to creating his fortune lay in his ability to say No. “I sit there all day and look at investment proposals. I say No, No, No, No, No, No -until I see one that is exactly what I am looking for. And then I say Yes. All I have to do is say Yes a few times in my life and I’ve made my fortune.”
So, let’s learn from Buffet and promise each other to teach our clients how to treat us. Say “No” to rates that insult your unique talent, your professionalism, intelligence and experience. Economists tell us that the only way to get out of this recession is to start spending again. If anything, we should start making more, not less. You can bank on that!
Cyberspatially yours,
Paul Strikwerda
May 24th, 2009
Paul Strikwerda