We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Beck a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Lauren thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you have any thoughts about how to create a more inclusive workplace?

I think being a woman in any workplace has its own set of challenges, but one thing I’ve noticed since venturing into the Audiobook world is that although the Romance genre is generally geared towards women, it’s the men in the industry who receive the most praise- whether it’s higher pay, work load or recognition. While there has been a time where I felt like my efforts were diminished in comparison to my narrator counterpart, I feel lucky that the majority of my experiences have been nothing short of exceptional.

I got my first taste of what real advocacy for women in the industry looked like when one of my co-narrators used his status and platform to bring awareness to the pay gap between femme and masc narrators. The beauty in it is that I am not the only person he has done this for, in fact, he will outright refuse a project unless his femme counterpart is paid his same wage.

Experiencing that was a pivotal moment because it was a reminder to never sell myself short. That my time and talent was worth just as much and I think if more male narrators used their platform in the same way, it would set an industry wide precedent moving forward.

Lauren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, my name is Lauren Beck. I’m an Audiobook Narrator. I ended up in this industry by way of a healthy dose of delusion and the stars aligning.

Back in 2023, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and it turned my world upside down. I used audiobooks as a way to cope with my fear of the unknown but it also served as my reintroduction into reading. I remember thinking “how does one even get into narrating?” but that thought was fleeting and I continued on with life as I knew it.

In the weeks following, I was doom scrolling the internet when I stumbled upon someone live narrating a book. I sat there in awe. I followed that account and popped into their “lives” regularly. At first, it was really just as someone who could appreciate the craft and the talent it took behind the scenes, but I ended up going down a rabbit hole that led me to reaching out to a fellow Narrator who offered insight on how to get started. That email changed the trajectory of my life.

I took everything my now-colleague said to heart. Created a makeshift booth, got the proper equipment, did the research, started practicing and most importantly: weaseled my way into my then-mentors DM’s. He taught me everything I needed know and did so out of the kindness of his heart –which is something I’ve noticed about pretty much everyone within this industry. There is no gatekeeping. I’ve never experienced so many people with the same goal lift each other up and genuinely want to see them win.
The rest is pretty much history. I secured my first project just a few weeks after I started auditioning and now, almost a year later, I have 5 titles live on Audible and my first big release is set to come out next month. We’ve come full circle though, because the Sports Romance book I am currently recording is in duet with the very Narrator who, in the beginning, humored me enough to answer all of my questions in an email about how to get started.

I’ve been told I have a smooth, smoky quality to my voice. It’s served me quite well in Fantasy books, however I don’t specialize in only one genre. I have experience in Contemporary Romance and in Dark Romance as well but the list for what I would love a chance to narrate is ever-growing. (Mysteries and Psychological Thrillers, I’m looking at you)

I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. I’ve been afforded the opportunity to network with so many talented Narrators, Authors, Influencers and Readers. I’ve cultivated a brand that allows me the freedom to let my authenticity shine and the fact that I get to call this my job when it doesn’t feel like work is something I will never take for granted.

Have you ever had to pivot?

This whole career was one giant pivot. I went from being a Stay at Home Mom of seven years, to creating this business from the ground up with nothing but a love for reading, a small childhood acting background and a ton of ambition.

I think the work/life balance has been the most challenging aspect for me. Producing Audiobooks means recording during quiet hours. Which means my window of opportunity is limited to when my kids are at school, or in the middle of the night.

I think the key to success when faced with obstacles such as these, is giving yourself a lot of grace and the space to adapt to whatever life throws at you.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’m still a little fish in a really big, talented pond so while I don’t have a substantial following (yet), I think the content I have curated up until this point really highlights who I am as a person. I think people as a whole are drawn to authenticity and allowing a little of your personality to shine in your professional content really does seem to make a difference in views and engagement.

I started out by following Narrators and Authors first. I really wanted to tailor my own timeline to the same kind of content I was trying to put out. From there, I started noticing which types of reels were gaining traction and figured out how I wanted to create my own version with my own projects. Sometimes it’s as easy as finding a trending song on an app and applying your niche content to that trending sound. Other times, I will make a point while prepping my script to highlight scenes that I think would do well in a behind-the-scenes recording. I try to vary my content to showcase my talent while also promoting the book I’m working on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laurenbeckvoice.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurenbecknarrator/
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.com/@laurenbecknarrator?xmt=AQF0JuOeQ1RSfA1FI8zMhTWtvMBbw90W_a_8gBsAwJtwwYI

  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenbecknarrator

Image Credits

Katie Coffee