Do you ever wish that you could read books for a living? Well now you can thanks to the explosion in popularity of audio books! Authors need voiceover artists to create recordings of their books and will pay up to $250 per hour of finished audio. That means bibliophiles can get paid to read aloud and fulfill their dream of poring over books all day.
Here are some tips to help you get your career or side hustle as an audio book narrator started.
How to Get Paid to Read Aloud
Before you can get your first paid narration gig, you’ll need to invest in some equipment and possibly some training. If you don’t already have one, you should get a high quality microphone that produces crisp audio. You’ll also need audio editing software to polish the finished recording and a quiet, soundproof room to serve as your studio.
If you’ve never done voice acting work before, it might be helpful to take a course on how to record and produce audio books. Udemy has a great course for beginners that will teach you how to create a professional recording that puts the author’s book in the best light. You can also hire a private coach to give you personalized feedback on how to improve your delivery, which may help you land more gigs.
Before you start applying for gigs, you’ll also need samples of your voiceover work that you can show to potential clients. So carve some time out to create and edit a few recordings before you look for your first gig.
4 Websites Where You Can Get Paid to Read Aloud
Ready to tackle your first audio book narration job? Here are four websites you can use to look for work.
Audiobook Creation Exchange
Audiobook Creation Exchange is a platform that connects audio book narrators with authors who need their work recorded. You can create a profile on the website and upload your samples and professional credentials so authors can find you. You can also audition for jobs by providing a short sample of the author’s work.
If you land a gig, you can negotiate an hourly rate or share 50% of the book’s royalties with the author, which will hopefully create a nice passive income stream for you.
Voices.com
Voices.com is the one of the biggest voiceover marketplaces, but unfortunately it is pay to play. Although you can make a profile for free, you’ll have to upgrade to a premium membership if you want to audition for gigs, which costs $499 per year. But if you want to make a career out of audio book narration, it might be worth the investment.
Fiverr
If you’re just testing the waters and aren’t ready invest in starting a voiceover business, try uploading a gig on Fiverr instead. You can create a profile on the platform and apply to gigs for free. However, keep in mind that Fiverr will take a cut of every gig you complete.
Bunny Studio
Bunny Studio is another marketplace where you can find voiceover work and get paid to read aloud, but it doesn’t let everyone join. You’ll need to apply before you’re admitted to the platform and can start receiving jobs. So make sure you have a polished, high quality sample of your work before you approach Bunny Studio.
If you don’t have any luck on these websites, you can also network with authors on Facebook. If you join Facebook groups geared toward writers like The Write Life Community and Kindle Authors and Readers, you might find authors who are in need of your services.
Although reading books all day sounds like a dream, it’s a lot of hard work. You’ll have to work on your diction, delivery and audio editing skills to be able to produce a professional book recording that resonates with readers. You’ll also need to become an expert at marketing yourself to keep a steady stream of clients coming in.
But it’s worth the effort to learn these new skills so you can do something you love instead of the normal 9-5.
Read More
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Vicky Monroe is a freelance personal finance and lifestyle writer. When she’s not busy writing about her favorite money saving hacks or tinkering with her budget spreadsheets, she likes to travel, garden, and cook healthy vegetarian meals.