Wow! Just got a 75$ private lead!!! - Who else?

Thomas C. Gass

I've just got this private lead from a company dealing with voice-overs:

Amy Snively · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007, 08:27 (GMT) Post subject:

Is it not-for-broadcast? Because if it's an internal corporate narration, that price doesn't seem too out of line to me. But maybe I'm on crack... (and please, someone, tell me if I am!)

2 minutes = ~300 words
$75 / 300 words = .25 a word

My normal rate for a corporate narration of under 2000 words? .30 a word. Usually I have a $100 minimum, but if it's a regular gig...

So, if you don't want to do it... you can send it to me Smile

Now I charge a LOT more for commercials and anything for broadcast, believe me. But for narrations, PowerPoints, and IVR promts, this is in my little ballpark.

(How much do you usually charge, Thomas?)

Robert Jadah · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007, 14:14 (GMT) Post subject: Delete de lead

it's the part about "someone in our company made a mistake and now we have no money" that would send me scrambling for the DELETE button.
A deep discount on a flimsy excuse doesn't make sense to me....
And $75 for two minutes is pretty bare bones...
speaking of which, do you still record topless, Amy?
Vice On!

Robert Jadah · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007, 14:20 (GMT) Post subject: $$ ??

Then there's this one this morning:

"I'm looking for voice actors, male or female, to narrate an audio book. Each actor will narrate 20 chapters at 500-1500 words each. I'd like the files in MP3 format.

Regards. *

Budget - $150."

That had better be the budget per chapter. But somehow, I doubt it.
Yours seems extravagant now, Thomas.

Thomas C. Gass · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007, 14:30 (GMT) Post subject:

Amie, thank you for you detailled reply!

By the way, I found your posting in reply to Phyllis only after having opened my own thread here... :-/

Cira Larkin - Studio 53 · Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007, 17:57 (GMT) Post subject: Re: $$ ??

[quote="Robert Jadah"]Then there's this one this morning:

"I'm looking for voice actors, male or female, to narrate an audio book. Each actor will narrate 20 chapters at 500-1500 words each. I'd like the files in MP3 format. Budget - $150."

Robert, I answered this lead just so I could tell them I misunderstood them as meaning their quote-per-chapter. Great minds think alike!

Cira

Amy Snively · Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007, 03:32 (GMT) Post subject:

Susan Tackenberg · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007, 15:44 (GMT) Post subject: Price list Europe v. US

Hi Thomas

I'd be interested to see your list too. I'm based in Germany, and we also have a 5 minute minimum rate, though as English-speaking v/o talent based in Germany we are a so-called "boutique item" and thus able to charge a premium. I don't have my own studio, either, which means that many of the job leads on V123 are simply not worth my while replying to as my rates would be uncompetitive. One likes to think that "quality will out" and the client will be prepared to pay a little more for that, but sadly this is not always the case... Wink

Susan

Frankfurt, Germany

Thomas C. Gass · Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2007, 19:37 (GMT) Post subject:

Hi Susan,

although this might be worth opening an separate thread, Il'd like to share my thoughts about international price policy in here. As with any other business, vo business is depending on local standard prices in any aspect: a leaf of bread simply is more expensive here, and renting a 2 bedroom flat can cost you 2000$ a month. No wonder vo standard rates differ a lot from those in other countries. On the other hand, why should a producer from abroad worry about the prices of bread in my country? He could also work with a vo talent based in his country and spend much less for the vo's work.

Thanks to internet and connections like voice123 we have the opportunity to make the *small world* even smaller and I think that we have to adapt our prices slightly to the standard of the country where the lead comes from. Of course it might be a disadvantage for a vo coming from a high price country like Switzerland, and I simply may have to lower the level of my "is it worth for me to answer this particular lead".

I'm a member of the German and Swiss union of vo, thus I am used to deal with even these two completey different price lists. If you're interested in the standard prices here in Switzerland, just drop me a private message with your e-mail address and I will forward my list.

All the best

Thomas

Thomas C. Gass · Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2007, 08:32 (GMT) Post subject:

Oh, and by the way . the end of the story of the 75$ lead:

I've answered it, asking for more detail about what the recording will be used for. The guy answered immediately saying it was for a "podcast" and if I could do the job the same day. I again replied "yes" and told him, that delivery would be via download from my FTP-server - login information will be sent after having received the 75$ through PayPal.

And that's the end of the story. I haven't heard anything from him again. Well, perhaps the 75$ were simply to expensive. What I've learned from it: if you think there might be something strange with a personal lead: hit delete.

Thomas

Ian Blumfield · **Voice Seeker** Joined: 19 Jan 2007 Posts: 5

That $75 lead is a bit cheeky, that's like saying "we made a mistake and we want you to pay for it!".

I wonder if it would work elsewhere...maybe at a restaraunt "my wife made a mistake on the menu and we only have this much money can we still have the meal....please!"

Bobbin Beam

JUST SAY NO!!!! Evil or Very Mad

Thomas C. Gass · Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007, 21:55 (GMT) Post subject:

...that's exactyl what I did, Bobbin Wink

Garry O'Neal · Posted: Sat May 12, 2007, 15:45 (GMT) Post subject:

Amy Snively · Posted: Sat May 12, 2007, 17:53 (GMT) Post subject:

That's how I do it, Garry. Unless the files are enormous, in which case I just use yousendit.com.