Personal recommendation from Dan O’Day:

Don't get suckered by voiceover "experts" don't even have voiceover careers of their own. Harlan Hogan
has been at the top of the voiceover world for more
than 30 years. He's done it. He's still doing it. And for
nearly 3.5 hours, he'll give you straight, knowledgable answers to all the questions you see listed below.

	Why is it so important that I think of it as a “voiceover business,” not a “voiceover career?”
	How and where do I find a good voiceover coach?
	How can I determine beforehand if a voiceover coach is likely to be good for me?
	How can I use my radio career to fast track my voiceover business?
	Would it be best to focus on one type of voiceover at first? My strongest interest is in audio books.
	What’s the quickest route to picking a great agent?
	I don’t have a lot variety in my delivery; I pretty much do one thing well. How do I add variety to my demo?
	If at the moment you could afford only one microphone, would you go with: condenser or dynamic? Side address, front, or shotgun?
	I have a home office but no “home studio” yet. Would a Porta-Booth and some good equipment (microphone with shock mount, interface, etc.) be enough to get started?
	What do you think of websites like VOICE 123? I’m contemplating becoming a member again. The first year I signed on (about three years ago) I didn’t get one job. I realize it was probably because I wasn’t responding to auditions fast enough and may have been charging too much. Any tips in this area?
	I’ve been in radio for 20 years, and I’m branching out into voiceovers using an Internet service. But I find I’m absolutely clueless: I don't have a demo, and I don’t have a lot of marketing acumen because I’ve been sheltered under the umbrella of a radio station for so long. I don’t know where to start! What is the very first step I should take right now?
	Do I need an agent in this day and age?
	Is the on-hold market worth pursuing? What I’ve seen of it appears to be very low budget and lots of tedious work for little money.
	How can I break into the promo/trailer world of voiceovers?
	How do television stations hire their “voice” and how much money can I make from those accounts?
	Who can give me an honest opinion of my current demo and tell me if it’s strong enough to get real work?
	There’s not a lot of voiceover work in my area. How do I get business in other parts of the country?
	I know it’s important to have a demo and find a studio. For someone who’s never done voiceovers and isn’t in radio, what is the very first step I should take?
	I’ve never had any exposure to the world of voiceovers at all, and I’m not in radio. Would it make sense to hire somebody to do a demo reel for me? Or to tell me if I have a possibility of succeeding in this business? What’s the one active step I should take right now?
	I’m already in the union. How should I approach auditions for non-union jobs — logistically, logically and ethically?
	I’ve taken the initial steps, gathering basic equipment. But I think I’m stuck. I feel overwhelmed by all the different companies out there that do websites. I want to rework my demo, but I’m equally overwhelmed by all the producers out there; which one do I pick?
	On a daily basis, how much time should I expect to devote to my voiceover business? How do I manage my time so that I’m doing something every day but it’s not overwhelming?
	What kind of accounting system do I have to set up in order to have money come in?
	To whom should I be marketing myself? Agents? Production houses?
	If I want to become a union member, how do I know when to join?
	Is it possible to be successful without having an agent?
	Will any of the voiceover websites act as my business entity — helping me with invoicing, etc.?
	How do I know how much is a fair amount to charge for my work?
	If I do different types of work for different types of businesses, should my website feature separate demos of each business style?
	I’ve thought about creating spec voiceover spots, similar to the way radio stations do spec spots. But this would be to land new voiceover clients. Can that succeed?
	What should I put on my demo? How long should it be?
	I’ve been in radio a long time, so I have a lot of audio. Should I put that on my demo? If so, do I delete any mention of the call letters? Or do I create “generic” spots rather than use any of my radio work?
	If I’ve never done voiceovers, what do I put on my demo? How do I find great material to help me?
	What are the first 5 things I should do on the “business end” of my new voiceover career?
	Is it mandatory to have a home studio in order to make a living at voiceovers?
	Should I create templates for my cover letters and contracts?
	Some people say using business cards is a bad idea. Is it?
	Should I have different business cards for each of my specialties?
	If I have ISDN, is that all I really need to work out of a home studio?
	What are the basic requirements of a beginning voiceover person’s home studio?
	When it comes to marketing, how often should I be making contact with agents, clients, casting directors, etc.? What should that marketing consist of?
	How often should I update my demo?
	Should I include my photo on my website?
	How do I find a good company to set up my website?
	Is it really important to have a dedicated phone number for the business, or is email sufficient?
	Can I get a professional quality recording over Skype, Vonage, or some other form of VoIP?
	If I go to a potential client and say, “I also can write and produce your commercial for you,” does that make me more or less attractive to the client?
	I’m interested in doing narration work, rather than commercials. Not having an agent, who do I approach to get that kind of work?
	Where can I find someone to help me put together a studio at home, what questions would I ask to be sure they’re knowledgeable, and what fees are reasonable to pay someone?
	When I go in for a non-union job, just starting out in my career, how do I get paid? Do I invoice them later? Do I get a check up front?

Harlan Hogan has crafted a world-class,
three-decade voiceover career from his home
studio in Chicago. He's given voice to some
of the most recognizable campaigns in
advertising history: "Raid kills bugs fast, kills
bugs dead".... "When you care enough to
send the very best".... "Energizer changes batteries — precisely"....
"Thick, rich Heinz catsup; good things come to those who wait".... "It's
the cereal even Mikey likes!" — all Harlan Hogan.

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