If you're looking for a side hustle that will highlight your love of reading as well as your acting abilities, consider narrating audiobooks.
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There's a company that will allow you to earn from reading (also called narrating and producing) audiobooks for authors, making them available on various audiobook platforms.
How to Get Started
The company is called ACX, a marketplace where authors, literary agents, publishers, and other rights holders can connect with narrators, engineers, recording studios, and other producers capable of producing a finished audiobook.
ACX is brought to you by Audible.com, an Amazon.com subsidiary and a leading provider of audio content and entertainment.
How ACX Works to Help You Earn by Narrating Audiobooks
ACX puts authors, book publishers and producers (narrators) together —and as a narrator you get to choose among two royalty models.
Narrators can post a profile that enables them to be seen and be proactive in getting more work. As a narrator, you can get started by choosing the books you want to audition for!
Audiobook narrators work as freelancers, so they must be organized, professional, and have the ability to stay motivated to manage your time, be productive, meet deadlines, and keep track of invoices and contracts.
While it might not be the most stable career choice at first, if you're passionate about narrating audiobooks, it can be a dream job.
You can find an unlimited number of potential acting gigs, and the audiobooks you produce (narrate) will be available on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
Head over to their site, sign up, and choose how you'd like to get paid for your narration work.
An Acting Background Is Common, But Not a Requirement
Believe it or not, narration is an acting gig. You're embodying different characters, you're telling stories. So, it's really important to be comfortable differentiating different voices, dialects and accents.
Lots of people who narrate audiobooks have gone to theater school. Some people have come to this field from other parts of the acting world. But no matter what, being able to act is a foundational skill…you’re telling a story, and it’s not your story.
Great narrators are good at research! You might be asking, how research works in this role. You’re just narrating a book, right?
But what happens when you’re in the studio and you stumble across a word, country name, or anything else you aren't familiar with how to say?
Doing your research beforehand can go a long way towards making your narrating skills that much better. “So rather than pretending to know it all, the ability to know what you don't know, and to go out there and do research is important.
How to Become Really Good at Narrating Audiobooks
Most everyone in the industry recommends that you start by practicing on your own. Read aloud in a quiet, enclosed space where you won't be distracted, and get a feel for reading slowly, clearly, and with distinction.
If you mess up, take it from the top. Don't be afraid to mark up your "script" and practice reading aloud while also scanning ahead to know what's coming up. Build up your stamina.
Then, record yourself reading, play back the audio, and critique your performance. Identify areas to improve. It helps to identify and practice various vocal patterns, dialects, and accents. There are also voice-over classes you can take to master different narration styles.
When you feel confident in your abilities, consider recording a demo. This is the perfect time to invest in a good quality microphone, noise canceling headphones, and a pop filter (a screen that goes in front of your mic to filter out the sound of your breath and the noises your mouth makes while speaking). Set up a quiet studio area.
There's no need to remodel a room in your house to be soundproof, but you want the best possible environment for recording.
You'll also need a computer with recording software, such as Adobe Audition, Garage Band (on Apple phones, iPads and Macbooks) or Audacity. It won't hurt to know a few things about sound editing in order to put together the cleanest recordings.
Adobe Creative Cloud includes apps that allow you to quickly create sound, images, and animations that will help your narration business. It also includes tutorials that show you how to make the best audio recordings. There's also YouTube.
Most audiobook narrators also read off of a tablet screen, so you might want to invest in something like an iPad that will allow you to read and scroll ahead without noisily flipping pages.
Once you've finished your demo, you can use it on your blog or in your profile for one of voice over sites.
How You Can Get Paid as a Narrator
There are three ways you can earn with ACX:
- Royalties: All Rights Holders—and also Producers who do Royalty Share deals—earn a royalty for each audiobook sale.
- Bounty Referral Program Payment: On top of it all, there’s the potential to earn up to $75 every time your unique links lead to a new Audible membership.
- Pay for Production fee: Producers can chose to be paid a per-finished-hour rate (a Pay for Production fee on ACX) for their audiobook production work
The more you can promote yourself, the more money you’ll make. Follow these tips and you’ll see how a little dedication and effort can go a long way...
How to Earn More Narrating Audiobooks
Get more voice and other freelance work by taking control! Get the best jobs and exposure by using self promotion methods.
Promotion is important when you are trying to get established as a freelancer, because it's so competitive. Here are some suggestions below to get you started.
Get Paid for Reading Books: Start a Side Hustle Narrating Audiobooks
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Start with these three simple steps. The payoff is worth it... And you just might have some good fun.
- Get on Facebook: Half a billion people are there and some are looking for people who have your talents. You can find them by creating a Facebook page where you advertise your services.
- Try Twitter: It’s where information flows fast and freely. Start following people that would benefit from your services. Many people will follow you back once you follow them.
- Join LinkedIn: This is home base for your professional profile. Create a profile that talks about your narration experience and speaks to the needs of authors.
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Start a Blog
Use your blog to give your voiceover business an online home base or central hub. Create content that highlights your knowledge, skills and expertise.
Think about the audiobook niche you want to specialize in and the kinds (children's, suspense, non-fiction, self help, biographies, etc.) of books you would like to narrate, and base your blog around that topic.
A blog will give your voiceover business a platform that can be used to display your work, sell related products and gear, promote affiliate programs and educate visitors about your voiceover services.
Sign up for our free blogging course to learn how to set up and monetize your blog.
Use niche specific keywords and optimize your site for SEO. Find out how well your online efforts are working
If you love writing, earn passive income with your narration and voiceover blog and use it as a resource for people looking for voice over artists. It can also be a resource for people who want to get into the industry. You can teach courses, make tutorials, share tips and tricks, or write reviews on all kinds of gear and software.
Start a YouTube Channel
A YouTube channel can give your business exposure that's second to none. It's the next best thing to being there in the room with potential customers.
You can use your channel to sell narration and voiceover products and gear, promote affiliate programs and educate visitors about your products and services.
You can earn passive income by making tutorials, sharing tips and tricks, or writing reviews on the gear and software you've used to get results.
Extra Steps to Get More Exposure
Try these extra steps. They’re easier than you might think... and they pack a powerful punch.
ACX is a legitimate way to earn online in your spare time. You can narrate as much or as little as you like.
You might want to gain some experience before auditioning for major audiobook publishers, so consider looking for work on Guru, Freelancer, Fiverr, or Upwork.
You may not find audiobook narration jobs right away, but you can build your portfolio.
More audiobook-specific venues for work from home jobs include ACX.com, VoiceBunny.com, and Voices.com, though some of these platforms are looking for narrators with experience.
Next Steps to Getting Started
Here are the next steps that will get your audiobook narration business off to a great start:
Taking these steps will get your side hustle off to a wonderful start. Be sure to click on the links in each step for more details.
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