What Narrators Can Do Better
Narrators and Casting are a team. What can narrators do better to help with production?
In a previous article, I polled narrators to see what casting directors and publishers could do better to make the casting and recording process smoother. Today, I’m flipping that.
I reached out to top casting directors and publishers in the industry and received a lot of feedback on things that narrators could do to make the casting and production move a little smoother. It’s a longer read today, but I had a strong response to this question. I hope you’ll find the information useful.
1) Read all the directions in your offer and follow them. This was mentioned from every casting director that responded to me. Each one independently said that narrators need to read and follow the directions. While it’s a lot of information, and we know that narrators are eager to get started, there are important steps that need to be followed. If you don’t read the offer, you might miss important information like timeline, content or trigger warnings, if a pseudonym is desired, accent notes, etc.
Additionally, please answer all the questions in the email. It may seem like micro-managing to you to give recording dates, etc., but those questions are important for the casting team in ways you might not understand. There is a team working as you record, and your answers trigger the next steps for your production team.
2) Try to respond to emails within 48 hours. Casting moves very quickly. If we don’t hear from you, we have to move on.
3) Be contactable! This includes for your pseudonym (if you want to keep it separate, consider creating a separate website for your pseudonym) and include a way to contact you. Include your website on your email footer. I recently sent out a casting notice, and though there were narrators who didn’t book that gig, I wanted to look up their other samples. With no website, nothing available through searching online, and no books on Audible, I moved on to narrators who were findable.
4) Learn and understand the differences/nuances between producers/publishers. Sometimes narrator expect things from small publishers or producers that they receive from large corporations, and every company is different.
When approaching a new company to be hired, do some research. How many titles are they producing each year and how many casting people are handling that load? Is this company able to provide pronunciation research? How do they handle invoices, pickups, auditions, outreach, etc.
You could learn this from workshops, APA events, and colleagues. Take notes and reference them when reaching out or taking on new titles. This may even vary from producer to producer at any given company. Don’t get angry that one company isn’t providing research for you when other companies you work for do. Every company is different with different budgets, teams, etc.
5) Follow the naming instructions for your auditions. When you name things incorrectly, or don’t include your name on your MP3, auditions can get lost. If you don’t follow the naming protocol, casting has to go in and fix it, creating additional work.
6) Narrators shouldn’t cast themselves. Don’t tell casting you’re the only one for a title; ask if you can audition. There’s a line between assertiveness and aggression.
7) Tell us if you have travel plans. Again, this can feel like micro-managing. “Why does casting have to know my personal plans? I’m freelance!” Please know, you’re not asking for permission, and we don’t need to know what you do in your personal life. We do need to know when you’ll be unable to do fixes, so we don’t reach out to you with a pickup packet only to find out you’re traveling Europe and won’t be able to record for another two months.
8) Be flexible and understanding. Please know that script delays happen, and it’s something that is often beyond the control of the casting team. Casting departments answer to producers, publishers, and rights holders, and we can’t control timelines, even though we want to. Please be respectful and know that delays can happen. We all need to flexible.
9) Communicate. We don't know how to assist you if you don't communicate. Family issues, illnesses, script issues do come up and we all have to work together to meet the final deadline. Or we need to look into getting an extension or recasting it with someone else. The earlier you communicate, the better.
Please know that it’s impossible for casting to know every detail in a script that might be offensive, and every narrator has a different line of what they are comfortable with. We do our best to find triggers, but it just isn’t possible for us to list every line or phrase in a book that could possibly offend. If you are not comfortable for a title for any reason, tell us as quickly as you can so we can re-cast. What we don’t want is for you to record something that you’re uncomfortable with or quit halfway through.
10) Meet your deadlines. We need to be able to rely on you. If you’re easy to work with, meet your deadlines, and follow directions, we’re more apt to cast you again and again and again.
Jeff Guillot of Scribe Media summed up this topic nicely. He said: “I'd like narrators to remember that while they may be recording solo, they are not alone. If they have a question about anything in the book they are narrating and need some advice, they should ask. We're a team. We're all working together to make these audiobooks the best they can be. Lean into your producers and directors. We're here with you and for you!”
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TANYA EBY is an audiobook casting director and narrator. She’s also a USA Today bestselling writer. Her next posts will be less focused on work, and more focused on life. If you like these articles, please subscribe, and/or let Tanya know. And if you have questions for future posts, she’d love to hear your suggestions.
Good read. Thank you!
I think Jeff Guillot’s comments summarize the entire relationship dynamic between narrators and those for whom we work: "We are a team." And OMG... COMMUNICATION PEOPLE! It is so simple to drop a quick email to the publisher and let them know you’re away from the booth for a week in July! SO DO IT!Also, a publisher or casting director is NEVER "lucky" to have me work for them. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working for a few years now to become an overnight success that I am always honored that I was the one chosen out of all those other voices in the wilderness! I don’t expect that to ever change. Be a team member who gets asked back! Great column and great advice, Tanya!