In today’s episode, you’ll meet Great Voice students Nan Charters and Andrew Smith, two audiobook lovers who found their way behind the mic after very different careers.

First, you’ll meet Nan Charters. A former publishing professional and legal assistant whose love of books, language, and reading aloud eventually led her to voiceover. Encouraged for years by people complimenting her voice while lecturing at church, Nan finally took the leap during COVID and immersed herself in Great Voice training and certification.

Next, you’ll hear retired IT professional Andrew Smith, who turned a longtime interest in broadcasting and voice work into a growing audiobook career. Andrew shares how one audiobook led to another, including return authors and a new trilogy project, all recorded from a shared home studio with his wife, who is also a narrator.

Tune in to hear Susan coach Nan on the power of contrast—using a subtle sense of foreboding beneath bright, beautiful imagery to create intrigue and draw listeners deeper into the story. And then Susan works with Andrew on slowing down his delivery and visualizing the scene, helping the imagery come into sharper focus and making the performance more vivid and immersive.

Chapters

• 06:31 Building Character and Story for Audiobook Auditions
• 12:43 Refining Performance and Tone
• 24:46 Life as an Audiobook Narrator
• 30:25 Exploring Character Depth in Narration

Hosted - Susan Berkley

Producer - Salena Metreger

Music by Darrin Fossella

Show Opener by Tanya Wade

This episode is sponsored by Full Compass and Less Annoying CRM. Great Voice and Full Compass have partnered to provide great quality equipment at the best prices. Visit GreatVoiceGear.com to see Great Voice Company exclusive kits. Take advantage of an exclusive deal for Great Voice Podcast Listeners on a CRM designed for voiceover businesses. Go to https://greatvoice.com/crm to learn more.