From then on the book succeeds pretty much on its own terms. For a novice, a non-actor, someone not active in any part of the show business, this may very well serve as an initial rough guide to the basics of the contemporary scene, at least as it appears from the perspective of Tennessee. For that is, in fact, where our author, an actor-director-engineer-producer and former Los Angeleno, is currently situated. Okay, that’s not in the thick of things, but let's face it: The basics of the game aren't all that different across the continents or across the decades. A lot of advice on etiquette is simply codified common sense; "Much of what is expressed and suggested holds true for just about any profession," he forewarns us in the chapter entitled "The Industry."

A smattering of quotes from actors (and the stray agent and casting director) pepper the text rather sparsely. Four or five quotations are inexplicably recycled, sometimes within the space of a few pages. A good copy editor might have made this volume a much more enjoyable "read," to use a favourite term of the author’s. And this is where the publisher lets the author — and us — down. For, on the one hand, we are presented with a fairly chummy and agreeable host who’s on our side. He really does want to help us out, de-mystify this nook of the ad biz and show us how it’s all done. On the other hand, we are bedeviled at every turn by dubious punctuation choices and by that vile spawn of the age of "spell-check:" homophonic substitution.

If you think you might enjoy a friendly guide to the voice-over world in general (animation is little remarked upon as a specific sub-division, advertising properly being treated as the norm for this occupation) and you aren’t offput by the use of "it’s" for "its," "there" for "their," "wrap" for "rap," "who’s" for "whose" or "conceded" for "conceited," then run out and buy (or, if you prefer, "by") this book.

Voice Over Etiquette — The definitive guide to working in the voice over industry by Bill Filipiak. Brentwood, Tennessee: Three F Publishing, 2002. 118 pages. ISBN: 0-9723532-0-8 (US$14.95)

Will Ryan, who usually records in Los Angeles, New York and London, once recorded an album in Tennessee featuring Clarence "Ducky" Nash. Everyone was on time.