Meet Todd Waites

 

We recently connected with Todd Waites and have shared our conversation below.

Todd, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome can be overwhelming. Throughout the early part of my career, I would listen to my peer’s audiobooks, see their accomplishments, and think “they are so much better than me.” It would really bring me down at times. But then I would tell myself that I was still getting jobs, clients were happy with the work I performed, and listener reviews show that the vast majority of listeners like what I am doing. It took me a little while to convince myself that I am doing a good enough job. Eventually I did realize that I am good at what I do. I think it’s because it’s very difficult to objectively listen to your own work, like you do when listening to someone else’s audiobook.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a SAG-AFTRA voice actor, specializing in audiobooks. I’ve also voiced characters in video games, commercials, corporate videos, and live events. As an independent audiobook narrator and producer, I’ve completed over 70 audiobooks ranging from Non-fiction to Thrillers, Horror, Young Adult, and Zombie Apocalypse titles. It’s a great feeling to take the written word and bringing it to life.

I also am co-owner of Twin Tales Publishing. We strive to be a one stop shop for Indie Authors to get their ideas from their head onto the page, and into audio as well. We can offer the Indie Author cover design, editing, formatting, and mentorship to answer any questions regarding self-publishing.

Being the audiobook producer, I provide Indie Authors with help finding the right narrator, holding auditions, postproduction, as well as distribution. If the Indie Author is new to audio, I can handle the entire process, and deliver a finished audiobook from start to finish. We offer a Royalty Share option for authors, as well as a Pay for Production option, including spreading the payments out over time to avoid having to pay out all at once.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

There are so many resources for aspiring narrators today, and I wish they’d been available when I started. I had to learn things the old-fashioned way, trial and error. The three most important items a new narrator needs to know: the art of narrating, learning the technical aspect of narrating, and having a good recording space.

Narrating an audiobook isn’t just reading the book into a microphone, it’s acting. It’s a skill you need to learn in order to be successful. Thankfully there are many reputable audiobook coaches these days that will teach you the skill of audiobook narration. New narrators don’t know what they don’t know, and don’t know all the questions they need to ask in order to improve. They could eventually discover these skills and begin to apply them to their work, but it would happen so much faster having someone show them to you at the beginning.

For independent narrators, not only are you the narrator, you are also the producer. You need to have a quality microphone and audio interface. You need to know your recording software. You need to know how to master your audio so it sounds the best it can, while meeting all the technical specs that publishers require. My analogy is: You want to open a Pizzaria, but you don’t know how to make pizza and you don’t have a pizza oven. You could just get a bunch of frozen pizzas and a microwave oven and open shop, but I doubt you’ll be in business long. So it’s best to invest in the training and equipment to set yourself up for success.

When new narrators begin, the first thing they ask is “What microphone should I get?” When they should be asking “How can I make my recording space the best it can be?” As I always say, and I’m sure people are tired of hearing me repeat it: A $100 microphone in a well treated space will sound much better than a $1,000 microphone in a poorly treated space. Your recording space is the most important factor in getting quality audio. If your audio quality is poor, you won’t be winning many auditions.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

There are two people who have taken my skills to the next level. Patrick Fraley and Johnny Heller are two of the premier audiobook coaches in the business today. They are able to take a complicated subject, break it down into sub-sections, explain how to handle these situations, and present examples that illustrate it perfectly. They also take a simple subject, such as a pause in the narration, and show how something so simple, can infuse the narrative with drama, suspense, and emotion. Coaches can show you so much you need to know, but didn’t know enough to ask.

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