Board Thread:General Wiki Discussion/@comment-34300318-20180111165116/@comment-34300318-20180111194325

Vngel W wrote: Although I don't narrate myself, I can at least tell you what makes me invest in someone who does.

1. Make sure you speak clearly and concise, but don't sound like a robot. Add emphasis where necessary. Ex: A chase scene should invoke a faster pace reading (without sacrificing clarity) with urgency in your tone.

2. Don't rush through your readings. Above, I mentioned a fast-pace in reading, but that's to capitalize on a scene, but don't do that for the entire reading. I've heard readings where people barely take a breath, removing any all build-up of the plot. Take a breath lol. It's okay to add dramatic pause when necessary. This requires you to know the tone of the story.

3. Here's a big one: only upload finalized cuts. Meaning -- don't upload readings where you stutter and fumble through your words. It pulls people out of the story. Remember, you want people to listen to your channel. Nobody's gonna wanna do that if they can get better quality somewhere else. That includes background noises; treat this like a studio.

4. It's not required, but get a high-quality mic to reduce static in the background. I understand most people can't do this. I actually recommend using whatever mic you can use, initially, so you can determine if this is something you want to do more than once. Down the line, if you want to continue then you can invest in a better mic.

5. I understand most people want to read the popular stories to gain attention, but I think you're better off reading stories from the little guy. You'd be surprised how many gems go under the radar. Writers love having their work read -- it's bonus points to have it narrated! It's a mutual relationship in the end -- They get a story promoted and you get more content to add, and possibly someone who can promote your channel.

6. This last piece is a bit self-explanatory, at least for some, which is to ask the author before narrating their story out of respect and, of course, credit them.

Extra: Try and establish a unique concept that can help you stand out against the multitude of narrators. There's no right or wrong way really, but there are more creative methods: the brand of your channel (Are you a crypt-keeper of tales, an all-knowing being who brings together stories from different realities, or just some gal/guy narrating? (this is fine, but just know is what I'm implying), how you choose your stories (do you do requests, forums asking for stories, or just pick you favorites?), how you involve your viewers, etc...

These are things to consider. Hope this help even if just a little and good luck with your channel! Thank you so much for putting the time into your response! The little extra tidbit regarding creating a way to stand out was incredibly enlightening. Really eye opening stuff. Can't find any advice like this anywhere on the internet. Thank you so much!