“We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give.”
-Winston Churchill

 To answer the question above, HELL YEAH, it’s worth it to lend your voice.  To an extent.  There’s a line between volunteering and working for free. Let me define the two...

Volunteering: Donating your time, energy and resources to a project you believe in.  At some point, appreciation & gratitude is shown, monetarily or otherwise like fashion.  Example: I read for the reading- & sight-impaired. This organization throws banquets, offers gift cards, free movie tickets, and more to say “we appreciate you”.  I also read for podcasters who are not rolling in donations. They help promote my paid narrating services.

Working for Free: Being expected to repeatedly donate your time, energy and resources to a project you believe in, without any appreciation or compensation.  'Nuff said.

Last week I was reminded how some fiction podcasters view their readers as volunteers, never expecting to receive one red cent for their time.  Needless to say, it pissed me off. It wasn’t the first time I’d come across this mindset. Over the last year I’ve heard the following…

“The narrators/voice actors know it’s voluntary, they shouldn't expect money…”

This is being perpetuated throughout the podcasting world. Even though donations & sponsors are there to cover bandwith and writers, the narrators should be happy with….

“They get exposure & experience…”

Exposure to whom, exactly? More podcasters that expect them to work for free as well? And the talented narrators who aren’t in this for exposure & experience shouldn’t expect anything? Voice actors gain experience through a myriad of ways – classes, auditions, reading for the blind, workshops, etc.

      I’m way past the age where I think that some huge label audiobook producer is out scouting for new, raw talent in the world of podcasting and will happen across a story I narrated and offer me a huge contract. That’s not why I lend my voice.  I donate my time & voice to authors and podcasters I feel a connection to. I, and other narrators (amateur & pro) BELIEVE IN YOUR WORK.

“If a voice actor asks about money for reading a story, I know they’re not in it for the creative aspect of it…”

Huhwhaaa? Huge insult. I’m an actor, a voice actor & dancer. I’m not rolling in the dough.  There’s about 386,000 other avenues I could’ve traveled down if I just wanted to make money. We’re ALL about the creative process! 

      Also consider this… Some anthology podcasts pay their writers as little as $20 to use their work. That payment means the world to the writer. It tells the writer, “your creation is worthy of compensation.”  I remember my first pay as an actor, a dancer and voice actor.  It wasn’t anywhere in the realm of ‘industry rates’, but being told monetarily that my creative efforts were worth something to someone was the greatest feeling in the world.

Before You Blow A Gasket...

Even if your podcast isn’t huge and may never see $30 in donations, put some thought into how you can offer something to your readers & narrators. Mention in your podcast what they do (jewelry, blogging, legal aid, etc) and promote them. 

A majority of fiction podcasts out there don’t pay their narrators OR writers because they’re just starting out, or the listener base doesn’t warrant substantial donations.  I completely understand and respect that.  However, when the listener base grows, here comes the sponsorship dollars, donations and requests to help pay for bandwith & writers.  Again, understandable.  Bandwith can get pricey and the writers absolutely deserve it!

I’m baffled as to why the narrators are held in the “volunteer” status when everyone else involved receives compensation, though.  To me, it’s a one-can’t-do-without-the-other type deal. 

There are bad readers, good readers, then there are storytellers.  Bad readers will take a fantastic tale and turn it to merde in under 2 minutes. A bad reader will cost the writer & podcaster their listener base.  Good readers will take a decent tale and hold the listener’s attention, maybe inspire a retweet or two.  Storytellers, whether professional or not, will take a mediocre, good, or great tale and send it over the top, having your listeners begging for more. Between the writer’s words and the storyteller's voice, a magical world is created and the listener goes on that journey. You know the difference, your listeners know the difference. 

I absolutely did not write this post to bash podcasters. Hell, I’m about to produce one (with the intent on paying narrators). I know how much work goes into each production, and your listeners cherish you!

I wrote this to express that there are voice actors-narrators-storytellers here on the interwebs that deserve the courtesy of being respected for our dedication.  We are not afterthoughts, nor are we a dime a dozen.  Again, if you don’t have the funds to pay us we understand and will still lend our voices. Be aware that sincere, heartfelt appreciation without being thought of as perpetual volunteers will go a long way. Treat everyone involved with the deepest respect & gratitude.

If you are among the podcasters who are silently grateful and haven't gotten around to it, make a point to thank your narrators, for "Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone."

And I truly thank YOU for taking the time to read this.

• ShadowCast Audio Anthology* - "We look for the best Dark fiction we can find, and will bring it to you through a modern marvel called The ShadowCast Podcast."
• Shadow Publications** - "The Fiends collection are stories about killers, both of the supernatural and visceral type."
• EscapePod - The Science-Fiction Podcast Magazine
• PseudoPod - Horror
• PodCastle - Fantasy
• Clarkesworld Magazine - Sci-Fi & Fantasy
• Jake Bible's Dead Mech - Horror, Sci-Fi, Apocalypse & Zombies
• Scott Sigler - Thriller/Sci-Fi
• Seth Harwood - Crime, Thriller
• Well-Told Tales - Crime, Horror, Sci-Fi (last update was Sept '09, but the stories are still there)
• Old Time Radio - Old Time Radio Shows (the originals, Lights Out, Gunsmoke, and hundreds more)
• Podiobooks - "Free, serialized audiobooks delivered on your schedule."

AMIRA: After my husband and I first arrived in Paris, I was afraid to ever leave our apartment. So I would stare out in the window into the alley, and I would see this cat looking for scraps. One day some children came into the alley and trapped him in a box. I watched them light firecrackers and drop them in the box. I could hear him howl from three stories above. So finally, I had a reason to leave my apartment. I rescued this cat and I brought him home. He sits with me when I read, sleeps with me, and he purrs. But, every once in a while, he will bite me or scratch me. He does this because sometimes he forgets that he is safe now. So I forgive him when he bites me, because I remember what it is like to never feel safe. And that is because of you. So today, I ask only one thing of you: I ask you now to show me the respect by acknowledging what you did to me. That it was you who questioned me, tortured me and that you remember me.

SAYID: I remember you. I remember your face. Your face has haunted me ever since I left Iraq. [crying] I am sorry. I am so sorry for what I did to you. I am sorry.

AMIRA: I forgive you. When my husband return, I will tell I made a terrible mistake, that it was not you, and he will release you.

SAYID: Why? Why are you letting me go?

AMIRA: We are all capable of doing what those children did to this cat. But I will not do that. I will not be that.

I saw the scene when it originally aired in 2007 and loved it immensely.  It's still just a potent in 2010, in possession of the dvd set. Her delivery is so intense.  You hear so much more than her accent.  You can hear & feel the torture she once endured, how deep she had to dig to overcome it.  Her compassion for all living things, including... Sayid, her former torturer. Remarkably, her voice was devoid of anger.  There was deep indignance & determination. 


SO, HOW CAN I USE THIS?
There's so much to work with here.  Try it in three takes. First take - just reading it with the accent.  Second take  - reading it sans accent but with the emotion.  Third take - both accent & emotion.

What I've taken away from this scene is:

• reference for an Arabic accent
• reference to delve into the feeling of abject pain & surviving it (once I feel it, I can emote it)
• reference for a powerful emotion that isn't anger or joy

I've done this and other scenes in my "database" this way.  I've repeated & held on to them and now they're just part of my character database, able to be recalled on command when a particular role calls for it.