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line_figure_questions_9771Oops! The page you’re looking for doesn’t exist, has moved, is undergoing renovation, is hiding, or has been stolen by space aliens.

But don’t leave empty handed!

Here’s a free gift for radio commercial copywriters:

Radio Copywriting Secrets Revealed

Radio Copywriting Secrets Revealed -- free download!Here’s a free gift for voice over professionals:

How to Record Voice Overs At Home or on the Road

How to Record Voice Overs at Home or on the Road - free download!

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And now we’ll go back to searching for this missing page.

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ACX Audiobook Narrators 60-Day Report17 audiobook narrators share their recent experiences with:

  • Learning to narrate audiobooks
  • Learning to produce and edit their own narrations
  • Learning to work within the ACX platform
  • Working with rights holders (i.e., the people who hire them)

If you’re interested in narrating audiobooks — or if you’ve attempted it in the past and have been frustrated or discouraged — they offer you specific, actionable advice.

You’re gonna like these guys. I’m proud to introduce them to you.

A Home Study version of the ACX Master Class will be made available for just a short time. Make sure you’re on the Alert List via the form below.

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Video Interview with Audiobook Newbie/Nominee

Joseph Narducci 2015 Audible Audie NomineeOn February 10, 2014, Joseph Narducci began his career as an audiobook narrator by taking a class devoted to…narrating audiobooks.

Here’s what he posted on the evening of the first class.

Fantastic Opening Class Narducci-cropped

Soon he recorded his first audiobook. That’s exciting for any narrator.

But the real excitement came earlier this year, when Joseph was nominated for a 2015 Audie Award for his very first audiobook.

The Audie Awards ceremony begins today at 7:30PM Eastern. (We’ll be streaming the live ceremony here.)

In the meantime, here’s Joseph in a video interview with David H. Lawrence XVII in which he talks about what it’s like to leap from Audiobook Newbie to Audie Nominee.


 

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Last week on my Facebook page I posted a brief blurb for radio copywriters.

A longtime friend of mine who’s one of the best copywriters around took exception to my advice.

It might be helpful to share with you here my original statement, my friend’s objection, my rebuttal…and an additional rebuttal for today’s readers.

The Original Radio Advertising Maxim

Radio advertising copywriters long have been told, “Don’t sell features; sell benefits.”

Wrong.

Don’t sell features or benefits.

Sell the results the consumer will experience by using the advertised product or service.

One Reader’s Objection

Paul Myers, a copywriting legend who’s been at it since before the invention of the written word, replied:

“The expected change in state IS the benefit, Dan. [sigh]”

My Devastating Rebuttal

No, the expected change is not the same as the benefit.

To illustrate….

Feature: The all-new PoundsAway contains Miodyoxide-104, which speeds the human body’s metabolism.

Benefit: By increasing your body’s metabolic rate with PoundsAway, you’ll lose 20 pounds in 2 weeks.

Result: (Female) Now you can go shopping for a new bathing suit to wear at the beach this summer.*

Result: (Male) Now you won’t have to spend your entire summer vacation** holding in your stomach.

(*More than one source has explained to me that “shopping for a new bathing suit” is a far greater motivator than wearing a new bathing suit. Otherwise, I would tout the result as “now you can wear even your most revealing bathing suit on the beach.”)

(**“Vacation” is a term that few radio people will understand. If I knew what it meant, I would tell you.)

One More Feature – Benefit – Results Example

Often in my radio copywriting seminars I’ll offer this illustration…. 

Feature:  The automobile has four doors.

Benefit:  Because the automobile has four doors, it’s easier for people to get out of the backseat more easily and quickly.

Results:  So when you’re picking up your kids at school, they’ll be able to climb into the backseat so fast that the impatient carpool parent behind you won’t even have the time to honk at you before you’re driving away.

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Dick Orkin Famous Radio RanchI believe this was the first video I ever attempted.

I featured it once before on this blog, but that was shortly after I had launched the blog in 2008, and as I recall all 7 of my readers quite enjoyed it.

In this video, Dick Orkin’s longtime Creative Director, Christine Coyle, takes me on an impromptu tour of the Famous Radio Ranch, from which so many wonderful (and wonderfully entertaining) commercials have come.

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