Spend enough time in any voiceover Facebook group, and you’ll see someone ask innocently, “How do I get into voiceover?” or a similarly over-asked question such as:
Is this a scam?
How do I get an agent?
How do I market myself?
Should I make my own demo?
Which microphone should I get?
I dunno where to look
I have definitely been this person, and maybe at some point or another you have also been:
The Ask-Hole.
Have you heard this term?
But I’ve also heard it applied to people who want the easy answer without doing any work themselves.
Okay, lamb. No more excuses about not knowing where to find the answers, okay?
Most of the time, it’s innocent enough, and comes from a place of well-intentioned ignorance.
They don’t realize that eight other people have asked the same question this week, and if they’re not computer/social media-savvy, they have no idea how to find that out.
Then these poor souls encounter one single voice actor who puts them on blast for not using Google first, and they think that our whole industry is full of defensive jerks who are afraid of competition (not my actual beliefs—just paraphrasing from the dozens of actual conversations I’ve seen go south in the comments section).
If you are still fairly new to voiceover, this article is particularly directed at you. You don’t know who in the industry to trust yet. You have a lot of questions. And I don’t blame you for not knowing who to trust or where to go for the answers you need. I’m here to help.
Hopefully, you’ll get through the early days without making the same mistakes I did (hint: don’t ask random voice actors to pick their brains over coffee…there are better ways, I promise).
The answers are right there waiting to be found…
If your question doesn’t need an answer today, then consider the following options first:
Read a BOOK. Many books have been written about the industry, and they answer a lot of the basic questions. Things change fast in this industry, so if the book was published more than five years ago, just know that some truths might no longer be so true.
Listen to a PODCAST. This might be an even better way to find your answer. People like Marc Scott (Everyday VOPreneur), Anne Ganguzza (VO Boss), and Dan Lenard and George Whittam (VOBS) have podcasts covering almost any aspect of the business you can imagine. Need something slightly different? Try searching Apple podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite media outlet for “voiceover podcast” and whatever more specific topic might answer your question.
Read a BLOG. You can’t drop a mic without hitting a voiceover blogger these days, and everyone’s got a slightly different take on things. Here are some I recommend:
Nethervoice by Paul Strikwerda
The Voices in My Head Blog by Joshua Alexander
And the list goes on. (Apologies to anyone I forgot…if you blog, feel free to drop your blog link in the comments! The more the merrier!)
Watch a YOUTUBE VIDEO. Certain creators have a huge library of topics to choose from. Others are more specialized. George “The Tech” Whittam has a very helpful video on setting up SourceConnect. Bill DeWees has a great video on simple cold calling. You can learn a lot of basics from YouTube!
Take a CLASS or get COACHING. Once you’ve covered the basics, you’re going to need actual feedback. You want to know how to be a better editor? Perform animation voiceover? Do ADR or looping? Maybe even be a better marketer? You’re probably not going to learn these things from a book, blog, or podcast. How do you know if a class or coach is legit? Research! (I highly recommend the Atlanta Voiceover Studio and the VO Dojo. Both have been very positive experiences for me, and have virtual offerings.)
Go to a CONFERENCE. The options here are a bit more limited, but there are about five or so voiceover conferences one could attend in the course of a year. Conferences are a great way to get a ton of info really quickly. If you’re really new, though, make sure you’re asking questions in line with the speaker’s offerings. General questions about equipment do not belong in a breakout session on marketing. Or in an X-Session on voiceover niches. Don’t waste everyone’s time asking questions that could be answered by doing your own research.
If your question is a little more urgent or needs a crowd-sourced answer:
First, GOOGLE. Always Google. If more of my relatives (and acquaintances, and friends, and on occasion myself) would Google things first to check for their accuracy, there would be less misinformation floating around out there. Yes, Google can be overwhelming, so make sure you are Googling the right things. Try a few different search terms, and don’t stop at page one! Click through anywhere from 5 to 10 pages, because while SEO helps the cream rise to the top, there are also hidden gems toward the bottom. And to paraphrase fellow voiceover blogger Paul Strikwerda, “shit also floats.” A lot of page one and two of your Google search will be paid ads by companies who REALLY want your money.
Then, ask FRIENDS…or trusted acquaintances…who do voiceover. This is one of the big reasons why you should network with your peers. Your voiceover peers are an invaluable source of information and experience. The nice things about asking friends over random internet people is that you know your friends’ backgrounds, motivations, pet peeves, and quirks. And they’ll have a better idea of the kind of feedback and/or advice you’re looking for, and know where you’re coming from (or at least care).
As a last resort, go to SOCIAL MEDIA. Start first by using the search function to search the platform for your answer. If you try several search terms and can’t find it, THEN post away!
Don’t use the search bar at the very top…use the one on the top right of the group page
If you DO decide to ask social media:
Realize that some groups have to approve your post, so if it truly is urgent, this still might not be the best option, as your post might not get approved before you need your answer.
Ask your question clearly, and in a way that shows your work. Depending on how you phrase something, people will make assumptions about what you have and haven’t done, so help them help you by making it clear where you are coming from.
If people DO assume things about you, try not to take it personally.
Take it all in. After you ask, you’ll probably receive some conflicting advice. You’ll probably get some recommendations that you question. Hold off for a bit before you reply. Try to refrain from judging the advice right away. Look for patterns, and trust the majority…even if it’s not what you want to hear.
Some people who create awesome content do not offer the same level of value in their services. When you are thinking about investing in a service, don’t get sucked in by the person’s personality or social media presence. You want the substance to at least match the style, if not surpass it, so do a good amount of research into comparable services before spending your cash.
If you need to make voiceover friends and don’t know where to start, look for meetup groups in your area. I also highly recommend joining WoVO once you qualify. WoVO offers great opportunities to meet other voiceover professionals and seek out other members to speak to as mentors.
So, the next time you’re wondering “Am I the ask-hole?” hopefully these tips will help you confidently say “Nope, not me!”