Why is it that some audiobooks have you on the edge of your seat, believing you’re living inside the story, while others leave you out in the cold? Paula Parker—Grammy-winning director—breaks down the art of narration.     

We start with her own story. From singing and collecting quarters and performing in bus-and-truck shows as a child, to acting in professional theater in Chicago and New York and doing voiceovers for commercials, animated series, books, and films. 

When their work in audio took off, Paula and her husband, Paul Alan Ruben, founded their company, producing hundreds of titles with the major US publishers. Her keen ear for casting the right actor for the job took Paula to directing the full story with high-profile narrators and celebrities.  

She walks us through techniques for connecting performers with the emotional truth of the story, and the thrill of working with actors who relish collaborative discovery, along with the challenges of dealing with actors who don’t. She also covers directing authors—non-actors—when they narrate audio editions of their works.  

For actors: We dive into the intimate nature of audiobook performance, and the importance of developing a relationship with the listener. From there, we get into the importance of imagination, vulnerability, and breath, the impact of speed, and the value of honoring punctuation. 

For listeners: Paula compares audiobooks to dating. You know if you want a second one with the narrator. When you do, don’t be in a hurry to get it over with—listen at natural speed.  

Paula says great actors are like champion stallions and take the listener on the ride. 

TESS’S TAKEAWAYS: 

• Audiobook narration is an intimate form of storytelling more aligned with film than stage.   
• Great narration is not about vocal tricks and “oral interp,” it’s about great acting.  
• For a book to come to life, the narrator must develop a relationship with the listener. 
• The best experience is when the narrator and listener breathe together.  
• Narrators: Your booth is a sanctuary. Bring your vulnerability in to tell the story. 
• The truth of the story is not just in the words spoken, but the emotions underneath.  
• Listen to an audiobook at 1.5x or 2x the speed, and you miss the full experience. 
• Coat-check your ego, and be a willing participant in the collaborative process. 

ABOUT PAULA PARKER 

Paula Parker has produced and directed hundreds of audiobooks for major US publishers over 25-plus years and delivered numerous award-winning titles. 

Highlights include the recording of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods—10th-Anniversary Edition,  Audiobook of the Year for Brimstone with Rene Auberjonois, and a Grammy for Always Looking Up with Michael J. Fox. 

Before directing audiobooks, Paula worked as an actor, first in Chicago then in New York at the Public Theater and off Broadway, and in diverse regional productions. As a voice actor, she dubbed films, worked in commercials, and played characters in animated series.   

With a passion for teaching, Paula trained actors at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Neighborhood Playhouse, and moved on to coaching actors from film, Broadway and other New York theater, in narration.  

She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and fellow audiobook director, Paul Alan Ruben.  

CONNECT WITH PAULA 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-parker-5b687411/ 

MEET TESS MASTERS:   

Tess Masters is an actor, presenter, health coach, cook, and author of The Blender Girl, The Blender Girl Smoothies, and The Perfect Blend, published by Penguin Random House. She is also the creator of the Skinny60® health programs.       

Health tips and recipes by Tess have been featured in the LA Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Prevention, Shape, Glamour, Real Simple, Yoga Journal, Yahoo Health, Hallmark Channel, The Today Show, and many others.    

Tess’s magnetic personality, infectious enthusiasm, and down-to-earth approach have made her a go-to personality for people of all dietary stripes who share her conviction that healthy living can be easy and fun. Get delicious recipes at TheBlenderGirl.com.    

CONNECT WITH TESS:  

Website:  https://tessmasters.com/     

Podcast:  https://ithastobeme.com/      

Health Programs: https://www.skinny60.com/  

Delicious Recipes: https://www.theblendergirl.com/  

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/theblendergirl/     

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theblendergirl/     

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl    

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessmasters/ 

Thanks for listening!  

If you enjoyed this conversation and think others would benefit from listening, share this episode. And, please post your comments or questions below. I’d love to hear what you think.  

Subscribe to the podcast.   

Get automatic updates so you never miss an episode. Subscribe to this show on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app.   

Leave a review on Apple podcasts.  

Ratings and reviews from listeners help our podcast rank higher so it can reach more people. Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.