VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[iladelf]

Hello all,

I've been searching the forum for general newbie advice, but thought I would ask away my specific questions, and see what your suggestions are.

My storyline is this; I'm a former radio DJ that got tired of playing the low-pay-treated-like-dirt games, and got out in 2000 to work on computers. I do this out of my home currently, and would like to now get involved in voiceover work. Friends of mine have wondered for years why I haven't; I now am taking the time and opportunity to do this.

What are my goals? Well, just to have some added extra income at first, then perhaps make this my full-time gig in a year or two, if possible. My questions are this:

1. My initial goal is to make $300-500 a month, then go from there. What websites have the most opportunities for someone like myself, and is it really worth it to spend money per month belonging to these sites? Or should I focus on making my own good looking website and use SEO (search engine optimization) to get up and running?

2. Do you have any recommendations on finding copy so that you can create good demo audio files? I've seen packages for as little as $29; seems ok to me, but maybe you have other ideas (free perhaps?)

3. I've looked at this website regarding pay/payscale and non-receipt of payment. I don't want to lowball anyone out there, because I know that only ruins the bottom line for all of us in the end. So how do I know how to price my services? This has been an ongoing issue in the computer-repair field; lots of high-school and college kids fixing comps for spending money, and that's killed us techs that do this for a living. And, is non-payment a big issue in this industry? If so, I'd like to know it now before I dive into the kiddie pool.


Thanks to all for your advice. I've listened to several demos on various websites; lots of talented folks here. But I've always felt that, much like acting, if you want to work, it's out there; ya just gotta find it, that's all.

[ronharpervoice]

First of all, welcome. This is a good group to be part of.
here's my take:
voices dot com and voices 123 are cattle call sites. You may not get any work at all, or you may get a little. You WILL get practice. I wouldn't pay for scripts. Write your own, or use some from the radio - maybe you still have a copywriter friend in the biz. There's a lot of options for websites. I build and maintain my own. I learned HTML and am still learning SEO - that's an ongoing thing. Still, if you're going to do this, it may be worth the investment. You have to spend $ to make $. As far as rates, usually you can find out what a client's budget is. The rate sheet posted on voices dot com is adequate..a good starting point, but you'll have to develop your own worth.
There's a lot of former radio folks - myself included- out there. But you'll need to develop more flavors of reads than the DJ read. there's lots of information here. Read through as much as you can.
Good luck!
_________________
"When I was your age, we had to dial to get online"
===============
www.ronharper.com
www.ronharper.com/blog
www.videosonyourwebsite.com

[billelder]

Welcome! I think you'll find that everyone has to come to this business (and pay rate) their own way. You're at a good site for helpful information.

Since you were a former DJ (like myself) you might have some connections in your own market with clients. Offer your voice to represent their business. I always suggest to start from your home area and work out.

Get a domain name (as low as $8.50 a year) and a web site and put samples for people to hear. Most ISP's offer at least 10MB of free web space, and there are web hosts that offer a good amount of space and bandwidth for $5 a month.

I haven't had a problem with non payment. But, use your good common sense.