Meet Petrea Burchard | author and audiobook narrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Petrea Burchard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Petrea, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
None. Nada. Zero thought process. It was an accident.

I didn’t want to be an entrepreneur. I was working as an actor and a voice actor, and I auditioned for work that my agent found for me. Sometimes I got the work and sometimes I didn’t, but it wasn’t entirely up to me to find it. Then about six years ago, my biggest voice-over client decided to “go another way.” I had too many eggs in that basket and I wasn’t prepared. It was a blow.

Over coffee with a friend I was worrying about what to do. My friend said, “You should be narrating audiobooks.” And the whole thing clicked. I’ve been an actor all my life and a voice actor for decades. I’m also a writer, and I’ve written and published two books. Writer, actor, voice actor…audiobooks! Duh.

Because narrating audiobooks is different from acting or voice-over or just reading out loud, I’ve worked with several coaches. After 50 books on Audible, I felt ready to narrate my own book. Camelot & Vine recently came out in audio. Later this year I’ll record my book of comic essays, Act As If: Stumbling Through Hollywood with Headshot in Hand. I enjoy the discovery of narrating works by other authors, and narrating my own books is a deep joy. I love doing both.

I never thought I’d be an entrepreneur, but it’s very entrepreneurial.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Ever since I started narrating I’ve wanted to narrate my own work. When I narrate something I’ve written for my own voice it feels like I’ve come full circle. I’m not the only professional narrator who narrates their own writing, but we are in the minority.

I think another thing that sets me apart is my age. Audiobook narration is a youngish business. There aren’t a lot of narrators over 65, like me. It proves you’re never too old to try something new.

Has it been easy? Not even close! I ran kicking and screaming into the home studio environment. I didn’t want to learn audio engineering or start a new business! But I found out I really like it, and I enjoy the tech—I love editing and mastering audio, and I’m good at it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For sure we’d go hiking in the San Gabriel Mountains and definitely spend an afternoon at the Mt. Wilson Observatory. It’s one of my favorite places within driving distance of LA. It’s like futuristic science and steampunk all in one. Maybe head over to Wrightwood from there, and down into the high desert of the Antelope Valley. See some poppies if it’s the right time of year.

Another cool, historic spot is the Mausoleum at Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena. The place is beautiful, crazy, endless! Like a maze of the dead, with sadness and light and just plain crazy all in one. After that we’d stop at the Altadena Ale House for beer and pizza and a small town vibe right here in LA.

High Tea at the Huntington Librarty and Gardens, including a stroll in the gardens and a wander through the various art installations.

We might take the Pacific Surfliner to Mission San Juan Capistrano and wander there for a day. We’d start from the Glendale station so we can gawk at the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.

I think we should top off the visit with dinner and drinks at a restaurant with a great view, don’t you? Either Yamashiro or Castaway. Maybe both!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
So many people have helped me, it’s impossible to choose just one. So I’ll go back to the beginning and send a shoutout to Bell Sound Studios in Hollywood, where I used to record commercials regularly. Everyone there, especially the engineers, encouraged me, taught me, and helped me as I was moving from commercial VO (which back then was mostly done at professional studios) to audiobook narration (which was quickly transitioning to home studios). Some of these folks have moved on since, but Marilyn Saa, Keefe Kaupanger-Swacker, Robb Holt, and Mike Coromina helped me greatly. Mike even loaned me one of his personal microphones to use in my studio until I could get my own.

Website: https://www.petreaburchard.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petreabs/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petrea-burchard-196179236/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PBNarrator/

Other: Audible https://rb.gy/clvgq or https://www.audible.com/search?creativeId=792c6ece-15a9-4a32-b4ea-d95a6bbc6141&creativeId=792c6ece-15a9-4a32-b4ea-d95a6bbc6141&crid=5cd0f1cc161b4e5c8e7588abfeee87ad&i=na-audible-us&k=Petrea+Burchard&keywords=Petrea+Burchard&pageLoadId=N8yGNcB7RsTgGP4T&pageLoadId=FhcTKNN7605gPUQ7&ref-override=a_search_t1_header_search&sort=pubdate-desc-rank&sprefix=petrea+burchard%2Cna-audible-us%2C291&url=search-alias%3Dna-audible-us&ref=a_search_c1_sort_1&pf_rd_p=073d8370-97e5-4b7b-be04-aa06cf22d7dd&pf_rd_r=PDCZ17BMCSH1VV23D8CM&pageLoadId=suKqg2SeYtSECfMZ&creativeId=792c6ece-15a9-4a32-b4ea-d95a6bbc6141

Image Credits
Jerry Camarillo Paula L. Johnson Kate Wong John Sandel