I must confess a secret. It begins with the letter F, and I’ve been ‘F-ing’ in secret for three years now. Want to know my secret? I’ll tell you.

Three years ago I added Fiverr.com to the list of voiceover sites I belonged to. I chose to keep it secret because of the stigma ‘old school’ VO pros have given the site, and the entire gig economy, in general. At this point though, that stigma as worn off and Fiverr has become a player in the voice over game. Fiverr, the gig economy, and my income have grown up. We’re big people now, and frankly we are no longer changing the voice over industry . . . we have changed it. It’s done.

For several years, the old school prejudice has been hostile to any business model that doesn’t include the traditional path of sending demos, getting doors slammed on your nose and waiting tables. I and those like me have been referred to as ‘bottom feeders’ and even dreaded “low ballers” in blogs and vlogs. I found this pretty offensive as a fellow human being and dare I assert colleague but I guess that would mean I’m taking things wayyy too personally.

It was obvious that fledgling voice actors like me were interfering with the status quo and yes, the bottom line of some very traditional established voice actors. I on the other hand, saw technology changing the industry and there was no way I was accepting learning the game the old way since it was obvious the ‘sport’ itself was changing rapidly and dramatically.

So, admitting I was listed as a seller on Fiverr wasn’t that easy for me. I had to overcome the initial feelings that the industry’s stigmatization of Fiverr had elicited in me. The voiceover industry has changed. Those of us thriving in this changed industry have embraced it and moved forward, and some people in the VO establishment aren’t happy about it.

We are everywhere!

I’m happy I’ve hung in at Fiverr. Recently, at least in my opinion, Fiverr has been providing pricing tools which will move its base pricing away from the $5 zone and allow artists to price themselves according to their talent and experience. Five years ago I could see the point of charging $5 for some creative work. Everyone was struggling and Fiverr was a place both creative people and entrepreneurs could test techniques and concepts with just a few dollars changing hands. Today, a lot has been learned and the $5 is basically for a handshake. As it should be, the rates of those of us who have built a client base are going up. Fiverr is now a place with a large base of artists experienced in effectively creating content for small businesses. We can help. We know what we’re doing.