Following the plan
Mid-year boost and audiobook outreach.
It’s that time of year when all the organisation peeps like to start walking you through a mid-year re-boot. And usually I am right onboard with them.
I am that person who makes big plans in January and then starts to chill in February. (It’s my birthday month, don’t judge me.)
But this year, something wonderful happened.
I sat down to organise my mid-year re-boot and brought up my yearly goals and I was on track.
Sure, there were areas I wanted to put more emphasis on, but overall I was on track. Exactly where I’m meant to be.
And the funny thing is, it made me feel a bit lost. For a moment I sat there and wondered to myself What do I do now?
Drink tea and carry on!
Now I just need to stick to the plan. I am getting there and I can’t wait to see where I am at the end of the year.
One of the things I wanted to put more emphasis on is my outreach. I would obviously love to have more consistent audiobook work, so I have increased my focus on that this month.
Outreach is a tricky one as an audiobook narrator. A lot of the time it feels like you’re shouting into the void, especially when you don’t hear back from anyone. But these casting directors want to hear from us (providing we’re set up and ready to professionally record an audiobook), they have books to bring to life and one of us might be the voice they’re looking for. How will they find us if we don’t introduce ourselves?
I heard a fellow narrator describe these outreach emails as “planting the seeds” and asking “how can you expect flowers if you don’t take the time to prepare and plant and tend to your garden?” and it changed the way I see outreach. It used to be something that terrified me. But now I look forward to creating new relationships with other audiobook professionals.
Continuing on with the seed planting metaphor, these things don’t grow overnight. It takes time. Which brings me back to why I’m so excited to see where I’ll be in the next 6 months.
In other exciting news! The first UK Narrator Conference is here!!!
I can’t believe it either, but the Audiobook Narration UK Conference will be taking place on the 3rd and 4th of October 2025 at the Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre.
This is very exciting news for us UK based peeps. It will also be my first in-person conference.
Let me know if you’ll be there or what to expect in the comments below. I can’t wait!
