We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michelle Price. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michelle below.

Alright, Michelle thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Before I became an audiobook narrator, I worked in the field of suicide prevention. Then, right before Christmas in 2020, I was let go from my position. This was the day after I had confided in my boss that I was having thoughts of suicide myself. To say I was absolutely devastated is an understatement. 2020 had already been a tough year. I was separated from my sons father, I was planning a large event for my job, and as March rolled around, I was hit with working from home due to Covid-19, my dad passing away on March 20th, and my state locking down officially days after that. So losing my job right before Christmas in that same year was unfathomable.

I spent the next four months isolating myself in my home. I was beyond depressed and hopeless. I searched for work in a similar field to no avail. That’s when my therapist suggested something I hadn’t thought of: What if I completely pivoted and went for a dream job? She asked me what I was interested in and if I could make money that way. I considered this and thought of my love of reading and books. I thought about how many audiobooks I listened to in the last several years. I dared to wonder if I could even be a narrator in my little city.

People had always said my voice was pleasant, soothing, professional, and sometimes even sensual I’d recorded voiceovers for school projects, phone messages for the non-profits I worked for, and was often asked to speak at meetings and events because of it. I had also always loved the idea of theater and acting but whenever I tried, I would get sick to my stomach on stage so I ended up behind the scenes. Recording audiobooks gave me an opportunity to connect with text, perform, and do what I’ve always wished I could in the privacy of my walk-in closet.

I went online and googled it. I don’t even know what my search was exactly but I stumbled upon some videos by Bailey Varness on YouTube explaining how to get started as a narrator on ACX. It looked like a person could make a decent living by recording audiobooks and I wanted the freedom to work from home willingly and with the flexibility to be a mother to my then 2 year old son. I decided to take the leap and bought the equipment mentioned in her videos at a price I could afford. I then went to Goodwill and bought lots of thick blankets and quilts to treat my small walk-in closet in my bedroom to create a makeshift booth.

Then one day, I marched into my closet, immediately went to ACX and found some books to audition for. Within days, I booked my first project and quickly another. I was over the moon with happiness an felt a little like a celebrity. It was a lot more difficult than I expected but I knew I had found something that I was meant to do.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Michelle Price and I am an audiobook narrator, director, and creative living in Roanoke, Virginia, USA. I am a mother to a imaginative 5 year old son and 2 kitties that have been with me through some of my best and darkest moments. I have been narrating since April 2021 and cannot imagine doing anything else. Since I began narrating I have found success in performing romance audiobooks but I am looking forward to applying my talents to many different genres (especially general fiction, historical fiction, Young Adult, and Non-Fiction). There are so many lives to live as a narrator and performing the books I’m cast in brings me into worlds I may not haven chosen if I was browsing a bookshelf in a library. It’s incredible.

I love being able to connect with characters on an emotional level and express those emotions in an authentic way. I get goosebumps when I’m recording and I can feel the romantic and sexual chemistry between my character and another. I love it when my character is in the same room with the villain and the hatred and tension is palpable. It’s even better when the author is so good, they make me hate the villain for real. I get actual chills thinking about it and remembering scenes where I experienced that.

I am particularly proud of my work on the Saint View Psychos trilogy by Elle Thorpe (co-narrated with Gregory Salinas), Curves for Days by Laura Moher (co-narrated with Paul Bellantoni), and Bloodthirsty by Cassandra Featherstone (co-narrated with Kayden Lukakis). These books stick out because I connected so much with my character in each book (Bliss, Rose, and Remy respectively). All of these titles had main females that were curvy or plus size. They also had incredible backstories that led them to become a total badass and find confidence in themselves. I identify strongly with that journey.

Now, I don’t own a bar/sex club like Bliss. I didn’t win the lottery and move to a small town to find love like Rose, and I’m not an international assassin like Remy but the stories behind all that are human and beautiful, which is why I’m most proud of those titles. I think it’s important to note, I am proud of all of my work but these women have stuck with me the most. I strive to bring realness to my narration. I’m not Michelle Price telling a story. I am the character telling you about my life. I want my emotions to be your emotions. I want you to experience my joy and my pain. All of this is why I love my job so much.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I started narrating audiobooks based on some YouTube videos and ACX. I didn’t really know much about what I was doing and at first, I didn’t think of anything that I was doing in the framework of me being a business owner. I started narrating in April 2021 and by October 2021, I discovered a course called The Great Audiobook Adventure (TGAA) by Elise Arsenault. I went to an info session but I couldn’t afford the course at the time. TGAA would teach me about the audiobook industry, how to narrate, and how to run my creative work as a business. Even though I couldn’t sign up, I was determined to go through the course.

Then, in March of 2022, I finally got the opportunity to sign up. Since then, I completed the course, joined Elise’s continuing coaching (Momentum Club) and become a mentor in the TGAA community. I have learned how to track my data, become a better narrator, how to reach out to people in the industry, and be the CEO of my business. It has been an absolute lifesaver and I can’t see myself not engaging with my making coach, Elise, or the community that exists around it.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Not only is it rewarding to live different lives through the books I perform but I would say the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is having the time and flexibility to be with my son when he’s out of school on a Monday, being able to volunteer to read in his classroom during the day, or pick him up early if he’s not feeling well. I don’t have to ask for time off to attend a doctor appointment or to visit with my mom for an hour in the morning when I have the urge. I need to be mindful of my schedule and pivot when the unexpected happens but it’s not something I have to ask permission for. I love that.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.michellereadingoutloud.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/michellereadingoutloud
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/michellereadingoutloud
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellereadingoutloud/