These Short Stories Won't Read Themselves

Let me begin by saying that the goal is not really for me to be known but my voice. Voiceover work is all the rage these days since the pandemic created the opportunity to try and survive from home. Some people think all you need is for one person to tell you that they like your voice before you are trying to record a demo.

After over four years in the industry, I have gotten past the feeling that they are looking for my voice because I sound good. What most people are looking for is a specific sound. It might not even be the sound you want to present while you are making it. My entertainment world consists of Voiceover work and Standup Comedy. Show business is where a gig is more about what they want than what you have to offer. Even the most handsome fellow with outstanding acting skills, but they're looking for Steve Buscemi, leaving you out of luck.

Getting discovered is the name of the game. I do not have any great insight because I am among the masses trying to be seen, heard, liked, or whatever else gets you that break. This Short Story podcast is most likely not going to do it, but it's fun and a way to practice the art of reading, presenting, keeping attention, and feeling good about something you'd like to have as a career.

I had not read most of these stories before creating the podcast Short Stories Fables and Tales Read by a Guy You Don't Know. My plan, way back when I started voice acting and narration, was to read as many short stories as possible, put them on youtube, and wait for people to watch. Of course, my voice sounds so good that everyone wants to hear me read anything, even the phone book. The phone book is a big book with phone numbers that used to come out each year. The White Pages for residence and the Yellow Pages for business. The number of people that randomly desire me to read anything is proportional to the number of people that still use the phone book. How's that for bringing the imagery around? Well, that didn't happen.

This is why we podcast

A podcast is an escape of sorts. There are stories and news created to entertain, leave you on the edge of your seat, or teach a lesson. There are a ton of podcasts you can listen to and several platforms. I recently encountered TapTapes, a handy app with 30-second spots made by verified podcasters to promote their art. You can then get to the full podcast series, and I have found some interesting content. Just like regular Social Media, you promote quality content that entertains the masses, and you can do pretty well. In addition, you can comment on podcasts and interact with the creators.

Anyone Can Be A Voiceover Artist

This is not true at all. A famous comedian once said something to the effect of "anyone can walk into a room and say that they are a comedian. I feel that anyone with a good voice can tell people that they are a voiceover artist and it's true. Anyone can read into a microphone, be the voice of a cartoon, or narrate a book, but will they be successful. My feeling is that the best way to gauge success is to test. Maybe put out a podcast of Short Stories and see if people like them. Maybe create a Facebook page for something you know people enjoy and see if you can get traction using your beautiful voice.

With All That Being Said, He's the Podcast: