Interview with a Narrator

I recently had the opportunity to chat (on the phone! *insert fangirl screaming and family room dance here*) with audiobook narrator Gunnar Qualen. He and wife, Jenna St Claire, are the voices behind some of my favorite characters in Samantha Cole’s Trident Security series. When I originally reached out to him, I had hoped he would agree to answer a few of my questions generated while writing about my experiences with audiobooks. I thought I would send him two or three questions, he would write back, and that would be it. Instead, he offered to speak with me on the phone and the three questions I had developed into a fascinating conversation about narrating in general and working in the romance audiobook industry as well. Here are the highlights. The answers are paraphrased because I was trying to talk and type at the same time.

Q: How did you get started in the audiobook narration business? A. At first it was just for fun. It developed into a full-blown business with an in-home studio when they discovered it was something they could do together that created a steady income and allowed them to continue doing things they enjoy outside of typical business hours.

Q: When you first started narrating romance novels, were you ever embarrassed by what you read? Does it get easier over time? How do you get through a particularly difficult passage?

A: Repetition is key. When they come across something difficult to read, they repeat it over and over until it almost becomes mechanical. They become numb to it as they hear it more. The hardest thing to read was a book involving a character calling him “daddy”, mainly because he’s a father and there is definitely a taboo around it and it just felt “gross.” It helps to have a coach for scenes like that. Working as a team with his wife helps because they can talk through and work through difficult scenes on the spot, or between recordings, so scenes become easier to read through multiple rehearsals.

Q: Are there projects you would turn down? Why?

A: It’s not the content so much as the writing. Books that have too many mistakes in the writing (bad proofreading/editing), formatting errors (misnumbered chapters, repeated passages), and excessive word repetition are difficult to read. He and Jenna are more likely to take a project if they like the book or know the author the already. Authors with authentic writing are easier to read. You can tell when an author knows what they’re talking about because they have personal experience in the subjects they write about or have done their research about a topic.

Q: Where does the work come from? Are you contacted directly by authors or by publication studios?

A: The authors contact them directly. A lot of the work is with authors they’ve worked with before that they develop a consistent working relationship with. Often authors contact them based on fan recommendations from other narrations they have listened to.

Q: How do you find the voice for a character?

A: Sometimes they can match a character to someone people already associate with a certain type, and they try to find that voice. Some character’s descriptions lend toward a clipped professional tone. Others more ominous and dark. While recording isn’t relegated to specific working hours, a character with a deep, no-nonsense voice is easier to voice in the morning, and that becomes part of their character.

Q: Where do you record?

A: Gunnar and Jenna have a studio in their home where they record together. That definitely lends itself to being able to record whenever the character’s voice develops. It also saves a lot of time in commuting, makes the recording more fun, and contributes to some fantastic blooper reels.

Q: Do you have a favorite type of narration to do?

A: Working together lends itself to duet narration. It helps when one partner has technical training and knows how to work the mics to avoid bleed through. Jenna is the tech genius of the pair as well as a reading coach, which makes time in the studio effective and speeds up the editing process. They also find it’s easier to read together because they can play off of timing, emotions, and inflection.

Q: Some authors won't read their books once they're published. Do you listen to your own narrations after the final audiobook is published?

A: Gunnar does not intentionally seek it out once it’s done because he’s already heard the entire book due to the duet format. He does look for critical reviews to get an idea of what people hear in the recording and how they respond to the narrative of the book.

Q: Why do you use a pen name/alias in your work?

A: It’s pretty much standard industry practice. It helps to differentiate different parts of your life. The same person can be a scout leader and an erotica writer/narrator, but keeping those elements separate makes things easier and helps avoid uncomfortable situations and conversations.

Q: What are your thoughts on people who feel listening to an audiobook isn't really reading?

A: Similar to a movie, when you leave a show you may feel the book is better. The adaptation isn’t the same, and movies really rely on effects for visuals. Listening to an audiobook can be similar: if you don’t like or relate to the voice, you may think the book is better. There is a difference between the two situations, though. Sometimes listening to a book gives more depth to the experience. It incorporates inflection, nuance, etc. Some things translate differently when you can hear multiple voices. Think of listening versus reading Shakespeare’s plays. There is considerably more depth and comprehension when you can hear the interactions, the timing, and the inflections than when you are reading. For some people, that immersive experience leads to deeper comprehension and overall enjoyment of the story.

Q: Do you prefer to listen to audiobooks or read the book? or both? and do you have a favorite type of narration to listen to?

A: Gunnar and Jenna don’t listen to audiobooks as much because they spend so much time in the studio. They rather spend their spare time away from recordings. Gunnar is an avid reader and prefers to read horror books for personal enjoyment.

Q: What do you like the most about working in the romance audiobook industry?

A: The fan base is incredibly loyal. Romance readers and listeners tend to be very diverse in their book choices, accepting of others, and supportive of each other.