Are you fascinated by audiobook narrators, too?
An interview with Suehyla El-Attar Young - narrator for "Equal Partners"
I am a huge fan of audiobooks. I can get through far more audiobooks than I can paper books or e-books; unlike paper books, I can listen to audiobooks while driving or folding laundry. And audiobooks are so good these days. Remember renting books on tape from the library back in the day? Maybe it was the narration or maybe it was the technology – but let’s be honest, they were not great. I recently listened to an old P.D. James that was recorded in the early 90’s, and it was painfully dull. But the audio version of Murder on the Orient Express narrated by Kenneth Branagh? Six hours of heaven. I fully admit that sometimes I bond so much with the narrator’s voice, I go back and listen to the last chapter again, simply because I don’t want the book to end.
So, I was beyond excited when a producer from Macmillan Audio wrote me in February with two auditions to choose from for Equal Partners. She explained in her email, “I focused my brainstorm on a couple key areas: really strong professional female narrators and women who go above and beyond with research and development.” Each recording was about five minutes in length, both reading from Chapter 1.
I immediately chose Option 2; something about that reading just clicked. I think the best way I can describe it is that the narrator read the book the same way it sounded in my head. Turns out that Option 2 was from a woman named Suehyla El-Attar Young. Within hours she had accepted, and that afternoon Suehyla and I were introduced via email.
Since then, Suehyla and I have exchanged multiple emails and had one virtual call. AND I LOVE HER. I. Love. Her. She’s funny and smart and I am fascinated by her work. And then I thought – if I am intrigued by Suehyla and her audiobook career, then surely others are too. Right?
Plus the timing is perfect! Suehyla is starting to record Equal Partners THIS WEEK. And – very exciting – Macmillan Audio offered to send me the first 10 minutes for my newsletter readers! Please look out for the next newsletter and you can be one of the first to hear Suehyla’s narration.
But now, to our interview…
I know you are an audiobook narrator. Do you do other work, too?
“I am an actor/writer of stage and screen – that’s how I introduce myself. But I really love narrating. So, I should probably introduce myself as an actor/writer/narrator. I guess it’s just storytelling I love in all its forms. As a narrator, I can’t describe the accomplishment I feel when I finish a book. I can’t put into words that would adequately encompass what it’s like when I can see everything happen in my brain as I am narrating, and I just want to take the listener on the same experience. I’ve learned so much because of the books I’ve had the opportunity to narrate; the added empathy, ideas I would’ve missed – because I probably would not have picked up that book to read. I just love it. Narration brought me the same elation that live theatre brought to me.”
Fiction has to be more fun than non-fiction. Right? Because you get to do funny voices?
“It depends honestly! Sometimes when a fiction book has a ton of characters and, I’m like, oh God, did I use this voice already? Does this guy sound too much like this other guy? Do all my romantic leads sound too gravelly? And then I get in my head and it shuts me down. Plus, there are some fascinating non-fiction books out there that don’t need character voices to make them fun and interesting — the information is enough to keep one rapt.”
(I suggested she was just being nice because Equal Partners is nonfiction. She insists this is her honest opinion.)
Do you have a pre-recording ritual?
“I have an entire mouth care routine: brushing, flossing, rinsing. Then I take ice water and hot water into the booth with me.”
What is the ratio of recording time to listening time?
“On average, an efficient narrator will do two hours of recording for every one hour of the actual audiobook. The formula for determining the recording length is different for every studio/publisher — but they’re usually spot on. Some narrators I know can do a nearly 1 to 1 — which is stunning.
“My process has always been a ‘punch in.’ There aren’t takes, so to speak. You record, if you mess up, you do a punch-in where you messed up and you keep going. At the end, the audio gets edited and then goes to Quality Control. Quality Control will read the book WHILE listening to the audio — they will take notes and notice any background sounds editors may have missed, any bodily noises that slipped in, mispronunciations, strange inflections, incorrect intents, misreads, that sort of thing. Those errors, which we call ‘pickups,’ are then sent back to the narrator to correct. The narrator ONLY corrects those specific sections, matching the audio around it. The pickups are always given in a cushion of their surrounding audio, so context can be considered when re-recording.”
(I find this fascinating. Other fun facts I learned talking to Suehyla: she can’t read from a script while recording because the sound of pages rustling would get picked up by the mic, so she reads from a screen. Also, she sometimes records from a production studio and sometimes from her own home studio. Equal Partners will be read from her home studio.)
Any other funny stories to share?
“You’ll love this – sometimes when I’m narrating and it’s prior to publication, I’ll catch mistakes – and send that back to the publisher! So, in that way, the recording step becomes another set of eyes on a new book. I narrated one non-fiction book that made reference to a well-known leader of a country dying of heart attack – but I knew full well he’d been assassinated. I looked up to confirm, and then sent word to the publisher. It would have been disastrous if the author had left that in, because she would have lost credibility. I think she had just gotten confused, because she was so knowledgeable about everything else. But they all missed it.”
(Suehyla – if you find a typo in Equal Partners, please let me know. I’ll fully own up to it in my newsletter.)
Do you ever read your reviews? (My book isn’t even out yet and I’m already scared of the reviews.)
“In my nearly 12-year career, no matter how many times I tell myself not to read reviews, I read them anyway. And no matter how many positive reviews I read, it only takes one negative comment to cause me to question everything. One review that will never leave me... ‘Do yourself a favor, and read the book on your own. This narrator ruins everything. I could only sit through two hours before giving up and buying the hard copy.’ Ouch.”
(I mean really, reviewer. Was this necessary? You couldn’t word this in a nicer way? We’re all human.)
“But I love that review so much! Because they still went and bought the book! That’s awesome for the author. And that’s all I ever want to do, is not be in the way of the author but to add to the vehicle they have built… I’ve never had a chance to share that before now.”
(What a lovely, humble statement. I was genuinely touched that Suehyla cares so much for the books that she narrates - not for her own success, but for the author. And I have to say, I have met so many selfless people throughout this process: agents, editors, marketing specialists, publishers, producers, narrators… You know that giant list of credits at the end of every movie? Books are no different. There might be one author, but there is an army of supporters that work hard to bring that book to life. I am beyond thankful to Suehyla – and for everyone else involved in this project.)
If you want to know more about Suehyla’s work, check out her IMDB page and her Audible page. I’m happy to brag on her behalf – she got an Audie nomination for Uncanny Valley. (Which I have already added to my Goodreads list.)
Publication date is coming – and coincidentally, Equal Partners will share a birthday with Evan on June 28.
And here begins the shameless (but seemingly necessary) self-promotion. Pre-orders are crucial because every book ordered up to June 28 will count towards the first week’s sales. (Which, I’ve been told, is important.) So, if you’re interested, you can preorder the book now. You are not required to order from an online retail giant; you can order Equal Partners through your local independent bookstore. And if you want to hear more from Suehyla, the audiobook is also available for pre-order.
If you are interested in sharing this book with a class or a larger reading group, orders of 25 or more receive a significant discount. You can order those here.
Thanks for reading!
Hi Kate! What a great interview and very exciting, too, knowing your book will be available as an audio book. While I've never listened to a book this way, your description of it is certainly enticing. I love sitting in my chair and reading page by page, a good light and coffee on my right, but we'll see! Maybe I'll be trying something new, too, thanks to you! Heartiest congratulations!