They say there’s no such thing as bad publicity.
After reading the latest edition of AudioFile Magazine, I’m not so sure.
AudioFile Magazine is all about Audiobooks. The periodical is for those who listen, narrate, publish, produce or are otherwise involved in the business. If you’re interested in narrating audiobooks, you need to get a subscription, and start paying attention to this resource.
The magazine has articles, reviews, ads, notices, and generally serves as a rallying point in the audiobook community.
To be reviewed as a narrator in AudioFile is somewhat of a sign that you’ve arrived. Or if you’ve already arrived, that you’re relevant and working.
So imagine my delight to see one of my recent narrations being reviewed….only to immediately experience the dismay of a harsh critique…just hanging out there for the whole world to see.
Now… I’ve been in the public eye for 30+ years, and I’ve been skewered by critics before, so I’ve learned to grow a thick skin about this stuff. But that’s news. That’s TV. This is ME. At least that’s how it felt. More personal.
Here’s the verbatim of the review:
HOW EXCELLENT COMPANIES AVOID DUMB THINGS :
Breaking the 8 Hidden Barriers That Plague Even the Best Businesses
Neil Smith, Patricia O’Connell
Read by Dave Courvoisier
Change and innovation consultant Neil Smith presents eight barriers to change and twelve principles of transformation that can break down these barriers. Narrator Dave Courvoisier begins reading at a pace that is much too fast and comes across as stilted and awkward, though he does slow down as the book progresses. The stories, most from Smith’s own experiences, and the interspersed quotations from personality expert Dr. Richard Levak add color to Smith’s thesis but can be difficult to distinguish from the main text as Courvoisier does not always provide adequate pauses. Once Courvoisier finds a rhythm, however, his expressive voice is a good match for Smith’s direct and sometimes humorous style. E.N. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2012]
Ouch! Live and learn. Take your lumps and do better the next time. I’ve never done more narrating of audiobooks in my life as I have in the last 4 months. Publishers keep hiring me, and I know I’m gaining experience and improving. Take the feedback, and get better, right?
In the end, anything else is just lost energy.
CourVO
