The Narrator Roundtable

In our final episode of Season 3, we navigate the seas of social-professional connections. What feels real? Friendly? Warm? Cringe? Inappropriate? Uncomfortable? And how do we read these signs from others? Guest host Dominique Salvacion joins us to discuss the delicate art of authentic social connecting in professional networking spaces. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter)...

When we look at the page, how do we turn what we see in text into a fully lived-in, authentic character voice? With guest host Jess Nahikian, we discuss the technical work of turning language on the page into distinct performance choices and how we handle staying emotionally engaged when we’re working that deeply. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Fi...

How do we make choices about our online selves and still call ourselves authentic? How can we show only specific slivers of ourselves to the world and feel good about it, knowing that it will bring us the work and attention we want? We explore this and more with guest host Jess Moran. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Jess Moran Website  |&...

In this episode of the Narrator Roundtable, we discuss parasocial relationships as they pertain to the art form of narration and the entertainment industry in a larger sense, as well as the kaleidoscopic nature of our public personas as narrators… how much does our own authentic presence, fan base, wide-spread, or more insular, recognition play into our work, hire-ability, and craft? And how trans...

Audiobook narrators are all about preparation; we all know the tale of getting to chapter 45 and finding out that your main character has a Russian accent. But when you establish yourself as a professional narrator, is the conversation more nuanced than that? In this episode, we talk about *gasp* cold reads, but more specifically, how to make sure you are ALWAYS prepared to narrate a book, even if...

It seems like everyone has an idea about what indie work looks like, what publisher work looks like, and which one is better. In this episode, we talk to Ronnie Butler about how these ideas have shifted and how we can mend a bridge to see these two worlds as increasingly interconnected. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Ron Butler Website  ...

We have often praised the narrator community for being welcoming and generous, but how was that community built? How do we safeguard these safe spaces as they grow exponentially each year? How do we avoid becoming the industry equivalent of the high school cafeteria, where you pick your table and stay there? We are excited to welcome Andi Arndt to The Narrator Roundtable to help us break down thes...

When we talk about resources that help keep us in the audiobook game, we’re making the assumption that we’re here for the long haul. In this episode, we’re picking that assumption apart with guest host Alex Knox as we dig into purpose and what drives our reason for being in the narration industry in the first place. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok...

No matter the job, keeping track of income and expenses can be a hassle, and narrating is no different. In this episode, we discuss the pitfalls and pro-tips to getting paid with our guest host, Kimberly Wetherell. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Kimberly Wetherell Website |  Instagram Find André Santana Website | Facebook Profile | X (Tw...

Narrating doesn’t cover every expense for every narrator, so many of us become hustlers. We explore side gigs like coaching, directing, social media, and more. And this life of the grind is real for all of us. In the first episode of our third season, we talk with Emily Woo Zeller and explore whether that last ledge we’re about to reach on our financial journies is really the last ledge at all. Fi...

Narrators work in an industry in which using a pseudonym is common practice. How common? And why? Lessa Lamb joins us at The Narrator Roundtable to discuss privacy, branding, and the outside pressures that influence narrator decision-making.  View the results of the Narrator Pseudonym Survey . Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Lessa Lamb We...

It’s spooky season, so we’ve gathered around The Narrator Roundtable with guest host Nicky Endres to celebrate all things horror. Who loves it? Who hides from it? How do we approach the horror genre as narrators? And how does this underrated category of fiction intersect with our own lived experiences? Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Nicky End...

Audiobook narrators are voice actors, but sometimes we feel like distant cousins to our commercials and video game peers. With Yinka Ladeinde, we’ll talk about what it’s like walking across these worlds, question why they’re considered different in the first place, and maybe build some bridges in the process. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Yi...

Existing while narrating. Whether we identify as single, as coupled, or as otherwise entangled, we are all endeavoring to live a life while doing this beautiful work of audiobook narration. Patryce Williams joins our hosts on this episode of The Narrator Roundtable to discuss how creating time and space for life outside the booth can be a challenge. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky |...

Sometimes it’s more about the process than the actual destination, but sometimes they are equally important. Breaking into other genres as an audiobook narrator is definitely about creating career longevity and creative abundance, but it can also be a mode of connection. Sanya Simmons joins our hosts to discuss diversifying audiobook genres on this episode of The Narrator Roundtable. Find The Narr...

Performing romance and erotica is an experience that is almost always intended to titillate and can create a false sense of intimacy between narrator and reader. Sean Crisden joins us at The Narrator Roundtable to discuss how we navigate that delicate relationship, especially in the romance audiobook space. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Sean...

The Romance genre, and its multitude of sub genres, has some of the most avid readers that consume ebooks, paperbacks, hardcovers and audiobooks (sometimes simultaneously) with fervor.  Our hosts discuss the many facets of the world of Romance for audiobook narrators with Mary Jane Wells on this episode of The Narrator Roundtable. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) |...

That place where artistic expression and entrepreneurial enterprise merge for the independent author and the freelance audiobook narrator can be a wondrous and confounding thing.  Lacy Laurel joins our hosts on this episode of The Narrator Roundtable to discuss where artistry and business become necessary partners for the freelance audiobook traversing the indie market. Find The Narrator Roun...

How do we respect privacy as a part of the creative process? How do we resist the constant pressure to capitalize on every creative endeavor? How do we decide what is personal and what is private? How do we allow our careers to be in service of our creative, personal, and communal well-being? Accomplished Narrator, Screenwriter, Playwright, Actor, Producer, and Filmmaker Dani Martineck joins The N...

There is no Audiobook University. When narrators want to improve their skills, make connections, find community, or connect with publishers, coaching and workshops are often the answer. But how do we determine which opportunities are worth our time, money, and vulnerability? Are we paying to learn, or just to gain access? Shiromi Arserio joins us at The Narrator Roundtable to talk through the ROI...

The Narrator Roundtable hosts & special guest Mark Sanderlin gather to look back on the first ten episodes. Filmed live on April 24, 2024. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Mark Sanderlin Website  |  X (Twitter)  |  Instagram  |  TikTok Find André Santana Website | Facebook Profile | X (Twitter) | Instagram | Ti...

How’s your calendar looking? Are you cycling through feeling scattered and underworked, then feeling overbooked and overwhelmed? Our hosts dive into schedule and portfolio management with superstar Helen Laser on this episode of The Narrator Roundtable. Find The Narrator Roundtable Website | BlueSky | X (Twitter) | Instagram | TikTok Find Helen Laser Website  |  Facebook Profile  |&...

Audiobook narrators bring a world of performance experience to their work, but we don’t always get the credit that other performers receive. This week, we’re going to crack open the craft of audiobooks with our guest Eunice Wong as we remember the true power of our work behind the mic. Mentioned in this episode: Can We Please Put an End to Overperformed Audiobooks? Find The Narrator Roundtable Web...

There has been an interesting expansion and contraction in narration opportunities over the past 20 years, from a handful of studio-based actors mostly in LA or New York, to a huge wave of new at-home narrators joining the industry. What does the current landscape look like to a narrator with decades of experience? And what does it look like to someone just starting? In this episode, we welcome ve...

As narrators, one of the hardest parts of finding success in the industry is discovering our unique voice. And for us, the word “voice” can be used literally and metaphorically. What do I sound like AND what do I want to say through my work? How much of myself can I bring to each story? Is there an audience for someone who sounds like me? We welcome Gillian Williams to the roundtable to discuss fi...