CAREER
Pay Attention When Someone Says You Might Be Good at Something
It helped me discover my dream job as an audiobook narrator
Have you ever thought to yourself, “I wish I could make a living just by reading?”
I do that. Out loud. In a very tiny recording booth.
Hi! I’m an audiobook narrator, and I absolutely love my job. However, it did take years of training and lots of networking to get where I am today- now working with publishers and great independent authors.
My journey began when a radio colleague asked if I had ever thought about narrating as a potential side hustle. I had never even listened to one at that point and shrugged off the question. “Oh, that’s not something I could ever do.”
“But, Melissa…” he said. “You like acting in local theatre productions, right? And you’re in radio, so you know how to use a microphone. Think about it!”
And so I did.
I purchased my first audiobook by a narrator who I now consider a friend, and it was eye…ear-opening? As I listened, it became clear that narration is not just about reading a story out loud. It’s acting. And, if done well, a good actor can make you forget you’re listening. When someone argues that audiobooks are ‘cheating’ and not really ‘reading’ the book, I will debate that the end result is much the same. If you’re escaping reality, you’re doing exactly as the author intended. Getting lost in their world. I was so inspired to give this narration thing a shot.
Lucky for me, there was recording equipment available at the radio station I worked for. Since I worked on the morning show, I would sneak in about an hour early to audition for books on ACX.com. A few days later, I scored my first book- a short little children’s book that totaled maybe twenty minutes. Sure, I can handle that!
I could not.
Twenty minutes took a couple hours. I was obsessing over every character’s voice and my performance. I also had to figure out how to meet the spec requirements to pass quality control on the upload site. This narration stuff was no joke…and I had audio production experience from 15 years in broadcasting! Whenever someone remarks how easy this job seems to be, I sweetly suggest they try reading thirty pages of a novel while sitting in their stuffy coat closet. They’re not to leave until they’ve read every sentence perfectly out loud. Spoiler alert: They never do. Why? Because it’s way more fun to read a book curled up comfortably on your couch while sipping a glass of chardonnay.
I promised myself that I wouldn’t give up. My next book was estimated to run 5 hours. Who doesn’t love a challenge, right? I can’t recall how long it took me to finish, but it started to feel fun, and that’s what mattered. In fact, three books into my journey, I decided to buy my own recording equipment and continue my work at home. There, I could start narrating ‘saucier’ books that might be inappropriate to read around a work environment. I was already starting to get looks from co-workers. Okay, I can take a hint.
Side note- thinking up pseudonyms can be fun!
Two years into narrating part-time and 50+ books deep, I decided to quit my decades-long career in radio and pursue narration full time. It was the best decision ever. Although I sometimes still catch myself saying, “I wish I could read all day.” I know that sounds silly, but now that I read books for a living, I want to read some for pleasure! I’m no longer recording in my coat closet, but I’m in a fancier box meant to record things in. Frankly, not much bigger.
Lawd, I need some oxygen!
The lesson is this: When someone tells you they think you might be good at something, your first instinct might be to think it’s silly or even impossible. But…what if it’s not? What might happen if you are really good at it? It could be life-changing!
If you’ve ever thought about narration as a career, do the exercise I mentioned above. If you’re not bothered by small, quiet spaces and can make it through thirty pages of text without your head exploding, this might be a good fit.
