Publishing.
Becoming an author, and taking a book to print was NEVER simple, but at least there was a method. Now, it’s something akin to chaos.
The publishing business began the same upheaval in their world that voice-acting did when digital + forward-thinking entrepreneurs realized the marketplace potential.
What or who lost out?
Middle-men.
Like voice-actors auditioning straight to the people seeking a voice, authors can now go straight to market without begging book agents or major publishing houses for a contract. But it’s not always pretty.
I’ve watched Rob Sciglimpaglia, Joe Cipriano, Paul Strikwerda, Marc Cashman, James Alburger and many more accomplished professionals in the realm of voice-acting publish a book…and I thought they made it look easy. It was not…is not.
Still… after more than 2250 blog articles, and a large audience, I just KNEW I had a VO book in me. I do. But — see above — it’s not easy.
About this time last year, I began the editorial process, and finally, this week, I should have an actual printed copy in my hand. Later in July and into August, the book will go online to digital and ebook distributors, like the all-powerful Amazon and many other outlets.
Many of you have been watching me go through this, and a few of you have even seen a final draft, as I began collecting the coveted “testimonials” that each author uses for marketing.
The book is titled: MORE THAN JUST A VOICE: THE REAL SECRET TO VOICEOVER SUCCESS. As you may surmise, the book is an answer to the hundreds of people who’ve approached me because they were told they had a good voice. My answer invariably got around to the phrase: it takes more than just a voice.
I’ll be talking a lot about the book on my blog this month. I cry your pardon… but I’m kind of excited. At least you’ll be able to find a hint of what’s inside, where to get the book, how much it’ll cost, and why you will want a copy here… first!
For starters, below are some of the chapter headers for the first section of the book.
- We Are all Newbs Once
- The Four Pillars of Voice Acting Success
- Finding Great Copy
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Not Produce Your Own Voice Over Demo
- Your First Audition is Not in the Studio
- Audition Head Trips
- Who’s Listening and HOW?
- In Defense of: “The First Take”
- 7 Essential Reminders Before You Send That Audition
- The 7 Most Overlooked Habits of a Successful Voice Actor
- 5 Ways to Conquer “The Wall”
- 5 Tips for Taking Advantage of Downtime
- There’s Nothing to This, Right?
There’s more…much more…including an entire section that refers you to some of the best VO resources on the planet. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Thanks in advance for your patience, as I unfold the process of self-publishing on the pages of this blog in the next few weeks. It’s a fascinating process, and believe me, it makes cutting and sending an audition look pretty tame… and that makes us all lucky digital entrepreneurs!
CourVO
