FAQ | APA Bilingual Online Quick Pitch (formerly known as Speed Dating)

Friday, May 5, 2023, noon-1:30pm ET

Open to members of the Audio Publishers Association: Lottery-chosen narrators will present themselves and their skills to audiobook producers online via Zoom. Prospective Quick Pitchers must be proficient in English and one other language (can perform an entire audiobook). To be entered into the selection lottery, a prospective narrator will register for APAC at Audiopub.org, create a profile on Erggo.US, and upload at least one clip to their profile for evaluation. Our usual rule excluding those who have had Speed Dating in the last 2 years is suspended for this session only.

Candidates must be registered and have created their Erggo profiles (complete with at least one uploaded clip) by Monday, April 3, 2023 (midnight Pacific Time).

The final list of participants will be selected no later than April 21.

FAQs:

What should my clip include?

Your clip should be short (maximum 5 minutes), just one source per clip is best, and it should highlight your best skills – include dialogue and/or accents if that’s what you do well, but don’t feel you MUST include those.

Which publishers will be participating?

We don’t know until the event itself, but we generally have 20-25 APA member companies represented. Selected narrators will be given a list of the attending publisher/producers after the event.

How does the Zoom session flow?

Selected narrators will be invited to a Zoom test session before the actual event to work out any issues with access, video, and audio. For the event itself, you will join the meeting at an assigned time, be placed in a waiting room until it’s your turn, then have 2-3 minutes to tell the producers in the meeting all about you and your skills (this is NOT an audition; you will not be reading selections).

What will I need to complete my Erggo profile?

Before you create your profile, gather what you'll need:

- a great photo - an appealing, straight-on shot.

- your social media links.

- urls for on-line press about you. (Think self-promotion.)

- urls for websites you constantly use in your work. (Think dictionaries, pronunciation databases, etc.)

- audio clip (or clips) you'll want the APA judges (and potential clients) to hear. (We recommend that you select your three strongest performances.)

Does it have to be perfect the first time?

No. You'll be able to edit your Erggo profile any time you'd like. Just click profile in the lower menu bar, then settings. You can make all the changes there.

How do I subscribe to the event?

You subscribe to the event after you’ve registered as an Erggo user. When you’ve completed the sign-up and activation on Erggo, click on events in the menu bar. In the “enter event code” field, type the code you received in the APA registration email. Click “go.” That’s it. You’re in!

Why does my photo load sideways or upside-down?

If you create your profile from a mobile device, the photo may load incorrectly. Here’s a link that will help.

I can’t activate my account, because I never received an activation email. What do I do?

Some mail clients grab the activation emails in spam filters. Have a quick look in the junk folder. When you find the Erggo email, just click the activation link. You’ll be all set.

I’m having trouble uploading samples to my profile. What’s happening?

There are file restrictions on samples: 10MB limit on MP3, WAV, FLAC, and MOV formats. If you try to upload larger files or other formats, the system will reject the activity. Our advice: Use MP3 files smaller than 10MB.

I’m STILL having trouble uploading samples to my profile. What’s going on?

Browser extensions (like AdBlock or Dashlane) can interfere with uploading files to your profile. Try disabling extensions, or in Adblock, whitelist the Erggo site. That should do it. (BTW Whitelisting should also clear up problems you may have with activation emails redirected to junk folders or spam filters.)

Any other questions?

Ask them in the comments section at the bottom of this page. We’ll answer them as soon as we can.