How to Become a Voice Actor or Hire a Voice Actor with Trenton Bennett

We are continuing our CoronaVirus Series and talking to people who are able to earn a living from home. Today I asked Trenton Bennett a very well known and talented voice actor /audiobook narrator for audio books. Trenton is providing us with some tips on how to become a voice actor. I had the privilege of hearing Trenton Bennett present at Podfest and one of the things that impressed me was the fact that he started this career later in life. Many of our listeners are thinking about a new career after midlife. Trenton shares many tips and strategies for becoming a voice actor or hiring a voice actor to narrate a book that you’re published. Looking for a new career you can do from home definitely listen in.

How to Become a Voice Actor

Trenton shares what ACX is and a course that he took to help him become a voice actor. “ACX” is short for “Audiobook Creators’ Exchange”. It’s the place where everyone goes to produce audiobooks for Amazon / Audible and iTunes. ACX is really the best place to start because they manage the process of finding work, producing, and interacting with the author (or “rights holder”, who is not always the author) to get an audiobook pushed out to Amazon / Audible and iTunes.

Trenton recommends the ACX Master Class at http://www.acxmasterclass.com. It is taught by Dan O’Day and David H. Lawrence XVII and it’s aimed at taking someone from “day 1, I don’t know anything” to “I’m good, I get the tech, and I’m managing my own products on ACX” The costs of using the equipment are low and methods they teach are really easy to do.

How to Set Up Your Recording Studio

It can be as simple as using a closet in your home that’s in a quiet space: leave the clothes in because they dampen the sound. I first started off in a walk-in Master Closet and have since built my own studio. Some people like to build booths. If you live in a noisy area or large city, this is a better solution, but for many people you can just convert a room if you have one.

There is a really great Facebook group called “Voiceover Artist and Booth Building”

They have tons of articles about everything from a blanket-fort to building your own room-within-a-room.

Trenton hired a pro to help him build his studio. He hired George “the tech” Whittam to consult with me remotely, and it was worth every penny. George gave him a lot of tips and then specific guidance. He ended up deciding to build his own acoustic panels and put together the room all by himself. You can do it! I even post a video on how I built my own acoustic panels and ceiling cloud to help other people.

Trenton’s You Tube Video on Creating a Recording Studio

How to Hire a Voice Actor like Trenton Bennett

Trenton shared “It’s really easy! If you’ve already published to Amazon, you can go into ACX and ‘claim’ your book as something that belongs to you. Then you write up a profile, call for auditions, and narrators see your title and respond. It’s really important to properly put together the description and other information about your book, which is a full course all unto itself! But I am always happy to help anyone get started if they want to reach out to me.”

Unique Book Titles that Trenton Bennett has Narrated

Trenton narrated some unique titles including Corbin Bernsen’s Rust and The Starchild Trilogy, by Robert G. Williscroft.

Trenton Shares about Rust by Corbin Bernsen

“Rust really was an honor to do. I was so pleased to be asked to record it! Corbin Bernsen is a great actor, and this particular project was all him. It has a small-town vibe, a tough but beautiful story, a crisis of faith... and there was a lot of pressure there because it was also a movie directed by Bernsen himself. I can’t easily emulate his voice, so as I voiced his character I had to pick a sound that was close to him but wouldn’t beat up my voice trying to be a very specific person.”

Trenton Shares about The Starchild Trilogy

“The Starchild Trilogy was a huge challenge – the first book alone has over 50 distinct characters, dialogue in other languages, and some of that I had to put together on my own! It’s a genre called “Hard SF”. This is a kind of science fiction where the science is the star. That means that in between some Tom Clancy action and interstellar intrigue, I might go on some long tangents explaining VASIMR engines or orbital launch loops. Hard SF is a labor of love – it has a small but very smart fan base.”

Trenton’s Advice on Designing Your Lifestyle

“It’s never perfect! I have ...