Choose a narrator for your audio books….sounds easy doesn’t it? I’d like to share my hit and miss experience and some tips about finding those perfect narrators for your audio books. The good news is that now that I’ve learned a few things I have two wonderful reliable ‘voices’ for the production of my books. The miss (when I didn’t know what I was doing and was new to the audio book world) was the situation where I found my first narrator wasn’t willing to collaborate and work with me. She said that she was hired and paid to narrate the book that I sent, nothing more. Sigh!
You will find, as I did, that your book ‘sounds‘ far different than the written word on the page and how it sounds in your head. You, the author, will need a narrator that will allow you to make changes. You might remember my interview with my childrens’ book narrator and gifted opera singer, Carin Gilfrey. Now I thought it would be interesting for my readers to get to know, Daniel Dorse, the voice of Sergeant Detective Jack O’Roarke. (The World of Murder Series).
An Interview with Voice-over Actor and Producer, Daniel Dorse
Q. Tell us about your acting/directing career.
A. I was an early reader, quickly reading several levels above my grade, because to me, it was all about the story.
I cared less about seeing Dick run (“Run, Dick, run!”), than about seeing Dick run after Jane, hoping for a kiss, until she sicced Spot on him (“Run, Dick, run, you little perv!”). & along with that, because early reading lessons always involved reading aloud, it was for me all about telling the story expressively, in a way that it was interesting to listen to. Fast forward to the same sort of thing in high school English class, & reading aloud from Romeo & Juliet or Great Expectations, & then inevitably, to high school drama class.
I was then involved in theatre for many years, both academically & professionally–mostly acting, but also some directing, play writing, criticism, & teaching–culminating in a B.A. from UCSB (Michael Douglas & I were classmates who did several shows together), an M.A. from UCLA, & a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
Q. When did you begin professional voice-overs and narrations?
A. I was performing in dinner theatre in Buffalo, NY, the producers got a call from an ad agency asking for recommendations for actors for some TV commercials, which I did, & when, a few months later, I was back in Seattle, working on my Ph.D. again, I heard of some actor friends making extra money voicing radio & TV commercials through a local studio, I chatted them up, cut a “spec” demo with copy I’d clipped from newspaper & magazine ads, & quickly started booking commercials. When I had a national spot running for Roman Meal Bread, I felt it was time to try the “Big Pond”, & moved back to Southern California, got an agent, & booked a few things there ( a United Airlines commercial, a Disney trailer, etc.). I also did some stand-up comedy during these lean years.
Q. What led you to start a voice over career?
A. Because I was in “Show Business”, I was also in the restaurant business–waiting tables, bartending, managing–until, pushing 40, I decided it was time to get “a real job”, & because the gaming industry had always interested me, I went to Dealers’ School, moved to Vegas, & dealt & supervised craps games for the next 25 years, still doing VO for extra money, including 3 seasons as the unseen play-by-play announcer, “Motor Mouth Mike Morgan”, for G.L.O.W.–Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling. A little over 2 years ago, I sort of returned to my grade school roots, & started doing audio books from my home studio, & have since produced nearly 50 (thus far), all fiction, ranging from sci-fi to mystery/thrillers to horror to medieval romance. While it can certainly be a challenge at times, I really enjoy playing all the characters & bringing a story to life for the listener.
Part II next Tuesday February 4th
Click here ArtofMurder–RAS for a sample of Daniel narrating my murder mysteries
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DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! “The Writer’s Corner”
In addition to my twice weekly blog I will also feature an interview with another author once a month. These authors have already responded and you can read their interviews by clicking on their name: Janet Evanovich, Ann Purser, Susan Elia MacNeal, Karen Robards, Mark Childress, Rhys Bowen, Dean Koontz, Tasha Alexander, Patrick Taylor, Sheryl Woods, Jo-Ann Mapson, Jeffrey Deaver, Cathy Lamb, Elizabeth Gilbert, Amber Winckler, Raymond Benson, Andrew Grant, Heidi Jon Schmidt, Robert McCammon, Sue Grafton, Janet Evanovich, Walter Mosley, and many others.
So come along with me; we shall sneak into these writers’ special places, be a fly on the wall and watch them create! Raymond Benson was my January author. In the coming months, Andrew Grant, Janet Evanovich, Barbara Delinski, Loretta Chase and Sherryl Woods will join us. Dean Koontz just granted me an interview and will be featured here this spring!
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