Were you confident enough to have a speaking part in the school nativity, loved drama class, joined the choir, and sang along to Youtube lyric videos when your parents left you alone in the house but unfortunately lacked the the self-esteem in your teenage years to carry on the road to stardom?

If any of that sounds familiar, I'd wager you've sat at home and thought "I could definitely narrate audiobooks for money". Yes! A glimpse at fame...behind the safety of the camera.

Here's how to set up:

Step 0: Practice.

Before you dive straight in ordering mics and headphone, let's do a test run. Have you got what it takes? Get your phone out and start practicing. The quality at this stage doesn't matter. You are acting, after all. Read to your granny, or your kids, or your nephews. Read stood up, upside down, laying on the floor. Not everyone can do it. Remember this it's not an overnight success and like a lot of side hustles, you'll have to invest in it at first.

Step 1: Set up a home studio.

One you're convinced you've got the skills, start getting the quality of your recordings right. You don't need a professional recording booth to start. A quiet room with soft furnishings will do. When you're starting out, you'll have to deal with maybe sitting stuffed between your wardrobe with clothes to absorb sound. Essential gear:

• A good USB microphone (budget £100-£200)
• Pop filter (around £10)
• Headphones (£50-£100)
• A computer with audio recording software (Audacity is free and super-user friendly)

Step 2: Learn to edit your audio.

Practice using Audacity. Watch tutorials. Ask a pal to help you. When you eventually land a job, it'll be worth investing in a good pop filter (about £20) because you'll need clean, high quality and consistent recordings.

Step 3: Create a demo

Once you're confident, record and edit a 3-5 minute demo that showcases your range. Include yourself narrating various genres in different styles.

Step 4: Go online

You can create profiles on freelancer websites like Upwork and Fiverr but more importantly, sign up on audiobook-specific platforms:

• ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange): Amazon's platform for audiobook production
• Findaway Voices: Another major player in audiobook distribution
• Voices.com: A general voice-over marketplace with audiobook opportunities

Step 5: Audition

Put your demo forwards and start auditioning for projects. You WILL be rejected. A lot. So much that you swear at your stupid microphone stuffed between your winter coats. Remember, you only need to not be rejected once to get going.

Step 6: Land a job!

You're the next Stephen Fry. Jokes, you're definitely not, but you have been chosen to read the author's self-published softcore-porn-faerie-fantasy novella. Your first job might pay only £3-£5 per finished hour, but your rates can increase with experience.

Step 7: Build a portfolio

As you complete projects, showcase them on your profiles. With experience, you can start charging £50-£100 per hour or more for non-exclusive projects.

Step 8: You're a STAR!

If you love it and it's making you some extra cash, great. Network and find other jobs and get help advice by joining Facebook groups and attending  events

Remember, this side hustle takes patience, persistence, and a love for storytelling. Who knows, if you stick with it, you might just find yourself earning a living by reading books aloud.

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