I’d first like to thank Joshua Alexander for gifting me a copy of his book. He asked two things of me with this gift: 1) I read the whole book and 2) upon finishing my read through, I write and post an honest review. I could just type “It’s good, go read it.” That’s not me. So, here it is—my take on Voiceovers Super Business.
There are a few things I’d like to address at the start. Firstly… Read this book ALL the way through! Now that you’ve finished it… Read the book again, but have a pen and paper ready to go to take some notes. If you don’t want to read the whole thing again, I would at least consider re-reading Chapters 8, 16, 23 and 26. I found these to be the most helpful/informative to read. If you are a newbie to voice over, please—FOR THE LOVE OF GOD—read Chapter 26 before ANYTHING ELSE—even the awesomely long title!
When reading this book, I felt like I was talking to a hyperactive kid loaded up on metric ton of sugar (you know, one step below straight snorting cocaine). It was ALL over the place but not in a bad way. I went into this book completely open minded, and I would suggest anyone else planning on reading this book to do the same. Voiceovers Super Business felt like a TED talk—giving knowledge on something while bringing personal experiences in for examples.
Now, when reading this, you really should take it slow. Absorb it. Digest it. You’ll learn so much and discover so many fantastic tips from this book. Like this review (I suppose) it’s not always direct and will require some interpretation. One tip Joshua talks about is having a voice recording app on your home screen of your phone. I recommend doing this 100 PERCENT and found it helpful for many reasons, not just VO.
I honestly have nothing negative to say about this book. It was fantastic! Were I to give something even REMOTELY approaching criticism, it would be a COMPLETELY personal thing that ultimately didn’t affect me, but I could see it being a turnoff for a certain type of person. Namely, there are a few times the author’s religious beliefs are discussed in the book. Hell, there’s a whole chapter on the “commandments.” In the end, though I’m not a religious individual, I didn’t let this cloud my judgment or prevent me from enjoying the book. In fact, I actually appreciated Joshua being so open about that part of himself.
With the long-form review out of the way, I wanted to answer some quick questions.
Would I recommend this book and, if so, to whom?
I would absolutely recommend this book—specifically, to anyone interested or already working in the voice over industry. Voice talents, directors, sound engineers…everyone!
Did I learn anything from this book?
I learned loads from the book! I’m confident it will benefit my career in voice over.
What is my main takeaway?
My main takeaway from this book would be that you aren’t alone in this industry, and, if you want it bad enough, you must trust yourself and allow yourself to reach out to others for support and guidance.
Was it worth my money?
I mean… I got a free copy… But, even if I did pay full price, this book was 100% worth my money! It’s way cheaper than an academic text book, and you’ll most likely learn just as much or more. The author wrote two other books, and you can bet your ass I ordered them!
TL;DR – If you can prepare yourself for a read that feels like Willy Wonka’s Boat Ride, this book is a must-read for anyone in the VO industry. Just…make sure to bring a pen and paper for notes. Good luck!
You can find out more about Joshua and his books on his website: https://seattlevoiceactor.com/voiceovers-super-business-book/