We recently connected with Carmen Seantel and have shared our conversation below.

Carmen, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned to be a voice actor and audiobook narrator by asking questions and connecting with others. It started with a friend of mine who has been an audiobook narrator for several years; she opened my eyes to this career. Then I researched a ton! And with a little sprinkle of hyper fixation I developed some skills and soaked up everything that I could from resources like narratorsroadmap.com, narrator.life, and ACX.com. There were several Facebook Groups centered on ACX which were where my knowledge really blossomed. ACX is a marketplace where authors and publishers can connect with voice talent, engineers and others on the audio production side who are capable of producing a finished audiobook. Oh, and of course, handy dandy YouTube university was key to my progress. Eventually, I ended up on social media for my voice acting business and found myself in a competition for audiobook narration. This is the part of my learning journey where the windows and doors of the audiobook narration community were blown wide open. With connection, study, practice, auditioning, continuous improvement and peer guidance, I began to really thrive in this part-time career. Finally, I sought out voice acting, business, acting and dialect coaching, all of which helped me become a better narrator and voice actor. I wouldn’t change anything about my entry into this career; it was a perfect path for me. I will share that the most essential skills that I learned were those relating to audio engineering, prepping manuscripts, time management and acting. The obstacles I face involve the costs of coaching and upgrades, sound equipment issues, time commitment, and getting too comfortable.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am Carmen Seantel, an audiobook narrator and voice actor. I first got into voice acting through a friend of mine; she encouraged me to pursue this career, just to see if I enjoyed it. I thought about it, heck, I even bought some equipment and set up profiles on audition websites, I just never actually began pursuing in earnest until I was motivated by the need for a second stream of income. You see, I am a single mother and my children began participating in (not free) extracurricular activities and I wanted to be able to support their dreams and skills financially. So I began auditioning, hustling, researching and, eventually began to book audiobook projects as voice talent on a regular basis.

I provide voice talent, pre-production preparation of a manuscript, post production proofing, editing and mastering of the audio. I help my clients understand everything that goes into the making of an audiobook and I promote their work on social media by live streaming the narration recording process or simply sharing small snippets and clips of the voice work that I put into their project.

What sets me apart from (but also makes me similar to) others in this industry is my OWN story and my OWN voice. We are all unique in our OWN way, with our OWN history, and while we share having our OWN experiences, these experiences are not the same.

As a black, queer woman from a very small town in the Pacific Northwest, having been adopted by a white family in infancy and homeschooled, I find all of these things inform my choices as an actor. Additionally, I have personal experience or knowledge of the following topics which could bring an authentic edge to various projects: Emotional & Mental Health (including PTSD, Childhood Trauma, Anxiety, SA Survivor), Military, Leadership, Management, Animal Training, Horseback Riding, Parenting, LGTBQIA+, and more.

I am most proud of my versatility and ability to feel the text as I perform and narrate, and not simply “read out loud”. I believe in the power of audiobooks to make the safe space of an author’s words more accessible to all. I absolutely love hearing from new listeners, “I never thought I would like audiobooks, I don’t have the attention span to sit and read a book, nor the time, but after hearing you, I have a new love of reading.”

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had known about the power of social media from the start and begun to grown a community from day one (1). I entered the social media arena around month four (4) and that was helpful, but, before that, I realized that going it alone in this industry is very lonely, especially with imposter syndrome roaming rampant.

Now, every day, friends in my community share achievements, experiences, old goals that are now seeing progress, and this motivates me to work and push. They also remind me of the importance of rest, grace, self care, and balance. I will never stop talking about the value of community; the impact others can have on you, and the impact you may have on others.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the joy at having this work reach people who need it, leaving an impression on hearts and minds. There are so many people, who, like I was as a kid, don’t have access to different cultures, different emotions, different mindsets. The world I had access to as a child was small, closed off, and, at times, dark and cold. To not only HEAR the stories, but to FEEL them through a human voice, through the power of aural storytelling, through performance. To bring representation, compassion, love, pain, healing, and so much more to listeners. That is the most rewarding aspect, because I see 10 year old Carmen in every single reader who gains something out of listening to the audiobooks that I have had the honor to perform.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.carmenseantel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenseantelnarrator/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Carmen-Seantel/pfbid02KEHFKB12CCCvPELJPTrK5k9sF62wWNCRaL4D1MSEuV8Y5JSo9khqixbQ3w58joY9l/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carmenseantelnarrator
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carmenseantelnarrator Threads: https://www.threads.net/@carmenseantelnarrator Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/carmenseantelnarrator Audible – Romance: https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Audrey+Obeyn&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=37SWHK7NCHGQBE8XY6PR&pageLoadId=1wNYi1xmkZhJdnNa&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a_search_c3_lNarrator_1_3_2 Audible – All other genres: https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Carmen+Seantel&ref_pageloadid=not_applicable&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=4J4FJ8THS8R5EDZEMFSD&pageLoadId=ec2Lu3TR8GbwHaq1&creativeId=0d6f6720-f41c-457e-a42b-8c8dceb62f2c&ref=a_search_c3_lNarrator_1_1_1