The daily gig ….

An audiobook “voice actor?” That was not a career title I had considered.

Oh. So you just listened to the little excerpts on my website demonstrating my delivery of British, French, German, Russian, Tennessee “Swamp.” Deep South, and Brooklynese — and what I just said sounds like bulls—? Read on for how my “voice” has been evolving over the past two years (as well as long before that). I’m sure this will be my longest blog post yet, so I’ll try to keep it lively so I don’t lose you.

Having been a copywriter, ghostwriter, and content provider for decades, when I entered this industry, I saw myself primarily voicing commercials, corporate explainer videos, GPS, and even telephone voice prompts. Non-fiction and marketing copy/blog posts were all I had ever written, so I assumed they were all I would ever narrate. But those pesky, fun voices residing inside me since my teenage years — doing imitations of TV and movie characters — kept bugging me. I am and always have been a storyteller with a penchant to mimic voices and accents.

So when I hired a seasoned voiceover coach to help launch my new career, we proceeded to make what we referred to as my commericial “reels” — proof that i could lend my voice to a bank commercial, a healthcare company, a beer ad, or a beauty product. I was taught by her to vary my tone, put a smile in my voice, speed up my delivery without sacrificing quality, and sound as if I were merely having a convincing conversation with a listener.

My coach’s final request? Choose and then read excerpts from a few books — just to “round out” my menu of narrating skills.

So I did.

And from the moment I began speaking into her professional mic, my goofy voices began to poke their heads out. When I finished acting out a chunk of narrrative from a book about a witch in a foreigh accent, my coach leaned back in her studio chair, wide-eyed. It seems she wasn’t prepared for my alterego. “Audiobooks are your future,” she said.

Next thing I know, I am throwing my hat into the ring for Audible books. After only a few auditions I was off to the races. Many auditions later (it’s a numbers game), I’ve voiced mysteries, fantasies, memoirs, and sci-fi thrillers, plus some pretty tame non-fiction books about how to improve just about anything you do using self-hypnosis. Right now I’m recording the sequel for a post-apocalyptic fantasy after having narrated the first book for a very prolific author — this one is SEVENTY chapters, complete with dozens of accents in an imagined world of demons, imps, slimy monsters, and scholars.

So let’s back up a bit.

Writing has been my earning mainstay since the late 1990s. The idea that I could do what came easily to me and then get paid for it was always more than I could dream of. It began with writing for (print) newspapers. Then it evolved into online content for sites looking for people experienced in ceratin business genres. There were small as well as big jobs in beween, from creating website content to ghostwriting a personal statement for a med school candidate to writing an entire podcast for a huge company based on articles I’d written that got syndicated. I LOVED it. Having written for Forbes and continuing to maintain a blog on Psychology Today, I saw my new “digital” writing grow in depth, breadth, and variety — all as I deposited paychecks for my at-home business, driving my husband nuts over how to claim it all on taxes.

At one point, the writing began feelling a bit formulaic. I am easily-bored . For years, I have broken out of confines meant to contain me for any W-2 or contract job I’ve tackled. I just wanted more. Thus, my journey to unleash my hidden talents became a reality. Now, however, you’ll see how I recently applied that penchant for coloring outside the lines to my writing career.

For the past eight years, I’ve been the creator of daily content for a “bot,” among other writing gigs I perform. The word comes from “robot.” Duh, Consider it a social media-friendly “engine” for providing customizable content purchased on a subscription basis by time-challenged folk looking to sound like experts without ever tapping a keyboard. For instance, if you’re a mortgage loan officer but want to get more newsletter followers, you might want to show the depth of your knowledge by “writing” something consumer-friendly about real estate. Their clients are, after all, Realtors and consumers looking to buy, remodel, or refinance homes. How boring is it to read about the nature of adjusable rate loans or lament how interest rates aren’t changing any time soon?

My typical day until recently:

(1) Read the day’s link sent by my editor and begin thinking about how to re-tell the content without plagiarizing it. Then look for other sources to back it up and inject my own knowledge of the topic as well. An example? My background includes real estate and construction knowledge, so perhaps I would write about how to prepare yourself to choose the finishes and amenities for your new home without breaking the bank. Or what kinds of roofs are less susceptible to fire damage if you live in a fire-prone state. Or why powder rooms are often placed near entry doors to a home (I LOVE diving into the history of residential architecture).

(2) Write the article, making sure I’ve snagged a jazzy, eye-catching title and maybe even a lead-in using a line from a movie. (In another life, I must have worked in the film industry).

(3) Submit it to my editor for review. I have now been busy for about 40 minutes. Ugh. Time for coffee.

(4) Either head straight to ACX (the narrator portal for Audible) to check out new titles looking for voice actors, and/or hightail it up to my studio to continue narrating a book, lukewarm coffee in hand.

How that has now changed:

Several months ago I approached my editor abour narrating the news as well as the articles I write for his bot. I convinced him that the world has truly gone audio. Fewer and fewer souls have the time to read. He loved the idea and agreed to beta-test it after finding a podcast venue. He is now adding my recordings to his daily content and “our” clients love it.

Now? My paycheck is padded with this value-added little treat that can be heard in your car or while making your kids’ breakfast. Narrating daily for the very entity I write for is just too much fun. Reading anything aloud is the best possible way to proof what you just wrote.

If you’ve read this far:

I suppose I’m telling you all this because as I’ve said (or you noticed), I’m no young chick.

The blog I write for Psychology Today is titled (R)Aging With Grace. I love encouraging other “seniors” (I used to hate that term, but with age come that “I don’t give a f—” attitude I have come to thoroughly enbrace) to take all those skills you may have been suppressing all these years and put them to work for either fun or profit. The world needs your words, your voice(s), and your expertise.. Go forth and prove ageism in reverse, Just for me. I dare you.