Richard Salem

I started recording Audiobooks in December of 2020 as the realization of a lifelong dream. A deep, resonant, expressive voice with an excellent sense of timing are my hallmarks. Most of the projects I've completed since December of 2020 have been fiction in the mystery/thriller/horror genre. I've also completed a few fantasy, humour and sci-fi books, and a few biographies as well. I also narrated three, 12 one hour episode TV documentaries, one on Law Enforcement and two on the Paranormal for a South African production company. One other non-fiction book was a university-level textbook, a companion to the DSM V, though it was pulled from ACX after two years because the person who listed it did not own the rights.

I can perform (and have for many of the books on ACX) in a number of accents. General British, London, Arabic, Irish, New York, American Southern, American mid-west, East Indian, Australian, Russian, Italian, Chinese and Israeli to name a few.

My past: I've been a self-employed precision digital imaging consultant since the early 80's, at first specializing in teaching and applications development using AutoCAD. I pioneered high-quality graphics for map publishing on the PC, then applied those techniques to the security graphics field for a number of banknote companies. The skills and software I developed for accurately digitizing and publishing maps could be directly applied to what the banknote companies called 'second origination', colloquially known as counterfeiting - if you wanted to scoop your competitors' clients, you first had to exactly reproduce what they were printing. When the Euro was introduced, most of the banknote companies I worked with were bought up to print Euros, so I shifted to ID cards, producing graphics for hundreds of countries and companies world wide. I wrote a suite of design tools, teaching myself how to program as I went (if you're interested, my security graphics website is still up at hcc-graphics.com). Alas, chip-based security, the advancement of commercial graphics software, and the 'moving on' of my mentors meant producing graphics was no longer viable for me.

Time shift segue: As a young teenager I became obsessed with powerlifting. I was ridiculously strong and my over-zealous training resulted in torn retinas. The surgeries to repair the tears left me legally blind for the better part of a year. I went from deadlifting my teachers' cars to show off at recess to not being allowed to sit up on my own lest I tear the delicate stitches holding my retinas in place. I wasn't allowed to use my eyes for anything - no reading, no TV, nothing. Audiobooks saved my sanity. I listened to every audiobook the library had available that my parents would let me listen to, and I fell in love with them. Now that I have the time, I am revisiting my teen love affair in the hopes that I can be for someone else what audiobooks were for me - a lifeline.

 Opleiding

15 years of performance Improv have shaped my acting acumen. I've had audiobook coaching sessions with Jeffrey Kafer, Johnny Heller and Jesse Bickford. My tech has been fine-tuned by Don Baarns.

 Ervaring

I have worked with a number of authors directly, and have completed one of more projects for the following publishers: Bancroft Press, Velox Books, Halve Maan Press, Dark Ink and Red Cape Publishing.

 Specifieke vaardigheden

No.