An Audible Enhancement to Storytelling
By Vaughn Roycroft | May 23, 2022 |
My wife and I recently had dinner with another married couple—old friends whom we hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. We went through the usual greeting rituals and settled into our seats, me directly across from Burke, who seemed particularly ebullient. “What’s up?” I asked, sensing there was something.
“What do you think of the audiobooks thing?” he all but burst in reply.
It took me aback. “It’s huge,” I said. “And growing fast, by all accounts.”
I’m sure all of you realize how true it is. In fact, according to a recent Publishing Perspectives piece by our own Porter Anderson, audiobooks have just completed their seventh straight year of double-digit growth, with worldwide sales of over $3 billion in 2020—on their way to a projected $15 billion by 2027. (The phenomenal performance of the category is likely not news to you, and learning more is only a google search away, so I won’t spend a lot of space on industry news.)
Burke’s ebullience, and the fact that he broached the topic right out of the gate, indicated his genuine enthusiasm for the medium. Burke is a doctor who is beginning to shepherd his practice toward his own retirement. His zeal at our dinner was born of my being a fiction writer. But that was paired with the fact that, for decades, he read zero fiction. For years he read nonfiction almost exclusively. Due to his increasing free time, including more car trips to their summer cottage, Burke has discovered Audible. He went on to tell me that he’s read over 50 audiobooks in the last year, and he just can’t get enough. He’s been catching up on the classics, and on bestsellers and notable authors he’d missed out on over the years. It’s evident that he’s having a ball, which makes me glad.
But I also found our conversation heartening. Mainly due to the fact that Burke pressed me about when my books would be available on Audible. The question sent the conversation on a tangent, about cost, voice talent, etc. Still, here’s a guy who I thought would never experience my story. Now he’s anxious to do so. That’s quite a reversal. All due to this particular medium.
You might have noticed that my response to Burke’s initial query was a bit deflective. He asked how I feel about “the audiobooks thing,” and I wasn’t exactly forthcoming. That’s partly because I’m still figuring it out. How do you feel about it? Shall we explore this publishing phenomenon together?
Heard Any Good Books Lately?
Well, have you? I have! This particular instance provides the perfect example of how my audiobook journey is proceeding. The good book I’ve heard lately is Darling Girl, by WU’s own Liz Michalski (if you haven’t experienced this book yet, in whatever form, I highly recommend it).
I actually started Darling Girl by reading the hardcover. An upcoming road trip had me adding a digital edition to my Kindle, for easy packing. But then it dawned on me that on this trip I would be driving alone. Since I was already so invested in the story, the solution was simple: download the audiobook as well, for the drive. It worked out wonderfully, and I ended up experiencing about half of the story via the audiobook and I loved every minute of it.
This has been the pattern for me—downloading the audio version of my current read for extended car trips. Of course, with each experience I get more accustomed to switching back and forth. But it’s more than that. I’m also growing less resistant to the medium. What do I mean by resistant? It goes back to my automatic deflection when my friend asked me about audiobooks. I’ve got to admit to a bit of snobbishness when it comes to “listening” to a book rather than “actually reading” one. My attitude is swiftly changing, and the realization has me feeling a little silly. I suppose I used to consider audiobooks as a bit of a cheat—like they weren’t rigorous enough to make them worthy of a “literary experience.” Keep in mind, this was before I actually tried them. But I didn’t think audiobooks could provide immersion or retention as well as reading a printed book.
Those of you who’ve been reading my posts here for any length of time (if you have, thank you!) have likely gleaned my pique over the snobbishness that’s often aimed at the SFF genre by the literary world, so the recognition is slightly embarrassing.
Besides becoming more accustomed and less resistant to the medium, I’ve continued to grow more impressed. I’m beginning to see audiobooks not just as a viable part of my reading life, but one that has it’s own unique set of advantages. Things beyond the fact that sonic storytelling frees one from the requirement of paying attention visually. Advantages which I believe that we, as writers, ought to be aware of as we consider our publishing paths and options.
Allow me to attempt to explain some of the additional pluses I’ve discovered.
Sound Advantages
*Audiobooks can provide relevant accents. Starting small here, but this is a plus I noticed during Darling Girl. The story primarily takes place in London, with a prominent secondary character having been raised in New York, and narrator Elizabeth Knowelden adeptly utilizes accents for the various characters in voicing their dialog.
*Audiobooks can provide prosody. Speaking of accents, do you know the term? I didn’t. Prosody refers to the rhythmic and intonational aspect of language. Do you know how some people seem like natural-born storytellers, or are excellent at delivering a joke? Much of that has to do with prosody—using the right tone, inflection, and emphasis at the right time. A good audiobook narrator can provide this enhancement to storytelling. Action scenes can become more gripping, emotional scenes more tender, and so on.
*Audiobooks remind me of the magic of being read to. We’ve all had someone read to us, if only when we were children, and it can be a magical thing. I remember my fourth grade teacher, Miss Paul, used to read to the class as a reward for good behavior. She was an excellent narrator. I fondly recall feeling all the feels during her renditions of The Wind in the Willows and Charlotte’s Web, to name a few. We would become so engrossed in whatever story Miss Paul was reading, if we were restless or acting up, she had but to remind us of the story she might withhold to get us to snap to. That’s a fifty-year-old memory, and you know what? Having a skilled narrator read to you is still pretty darn magical.
*The voice talent for audiobooks is fantastic and getting better all of the time. Speaking of the magic of being read to by a skilled narrator, there are some extremely talented folks narrating audiobooks these days. I’ve often heard of audiobook fans seeking new titles via their favorite narrators. My goddaughter swears that a big part of her adoration of the character Jamie Fraser in the Outlander series is due to his portrayal by celebrated narrator Davina Porter.
*Even famous actors are getting in on the audiobook trend. I’ve heard wonderful things about the ensemble cast of the audiobook of Daisy Jones and the Six, including Sara Arrington, Jennifer Beals, and Benjamin Bratt, among others. Some of today’s finest actors are using their talent to bring great books to life. You can have Claire Danes read you The Handmaid’s Tale, Tim Curry read Lemony Snicket, or Meryl Streep read Heartburn. Oh, and how could I leave out that you can have Andy Serkis read The Lord of the Rings to you? Talk about magic! I’d say that’s a pretty special advantage.
The Ongoing Death of Literature
I recently saw that a popular fantasy book reviewer was lamenting the corrosive effect on storytelling of BookTok, a popular segment of TikTok. He fretted that the books that skyrocket to popularity there are required to be faster, shorter, pithier, grabbier, and he senses that it’s only growing worse—that high concept and ever increasing pace will seize the publishing world, eventually banishing all other, slower, deeper, and more character-driven fantasy books from the marketplace.
I clearly recall, during the explosion of YA fantasy titles a decade ago, that it seemed adult epic fantasy would be relegated to the bookish outskirts. Funny how trends come and go, isn’t it? I’m sure there is plenty of fret out there about audiobooks replacing actual books, too. Remember when e-readers where going to replace bound books? Or when TV would be the death of literature? No doubt it was radio before that. Heck, I’m sure there were those who thought that writing in bound books rather than on scrolls would be the death of the quality reading experience.
Anyone who fears for the death of bound books has only to look at the flourishing specialty book market in the SFF communities. Younger epic fantasy fans and collectors in particular are paying top dollar for artfully bound, illustrated, and signed editions of popular series. Physical books are all the rage, and it seems there’s no end in sight to that very old trend. Seriously, I think they’re a more durable bet than vinyl LPs.
Aspiring To Embrace Opportunity
I’m currently an aspiring self-publisher. The audiobook trend is one that deserves my attention and consideration. Yes, it can be expensive to produce your books as audiobooks. But I have to consider the potential of gaining readers like Burke, who, in spite of our long friendship, would likely have never purchased or read a bound version of my book, but who’s anxious to give it a try via Audible. I also have to consider hiring a sought-after narrator when I factor in the number of audiobook readers I know who seek new titles via their favorite voice talent.
I may not have an audiobook version available on the day I release my debut this coming fall, but that doesn’t mean I’m not pursuing having them in the future. I sense an opportunity here. Besides, since I’ve abandoned my snobbishness, and have experienced the flexibility and additional advantages audiobooks can provide to readers, why wouldn’t I want to offer those things to my own readers?
Let me hear you, WU! Are you willing to sound off about “the audiobook thing”? Ever been an audiobook snob, like me? Are you interested in embracing the opportunity? Or have you already had your own audiobook? How’d it go? Please, voice your opinion!
Vaughn Roycroft’s (he/him) teacher gave him a copy of The Hobbit in the 6th grade, sparking a lifelong passion for reading and history. After college, life intervened, and Vaughn spent twenty years building a successful business. During those years, he and his wife built a getaway cottage near their favorite shoreline, in a fashion that would make the elves of Rivendell proud. After many milestone achievements, and with the mantra ‘life’s too short,’ they left their hectic lives in the business world, moved to their little cottage, and Vaughn finally returned to writing. Now he spends his days striving to finish his epic fantasy series.
Vaughn,
Excellent topic, and one I’ve recently (well, in the past few years) discovered, too.
I could never get any worthwhile “sitting time” to relax and read a book, and when I did, I was usually too exhausted to understand the words that were coming out of my book (h/t to Chris Tucker). One day at the library, I heard a large collection of audibles whisper my name. So what did I pick as my virgin title? The Cuckoo’s Calling, by J.K. Rowling. I forget who did the reading — some famous British thespian, I’m sure — and I remember what a delightful narration it was… you know, when I could understand his accents. I kept wondering, “What did he say?” and had to back it up, over and over and over again. I could not understand the words that were coming out of his mouth.
It wasn’t his prosody (nice $5 word, btw) — because our words need to be delivered in the manner in which they were meant — it was the accent. I have the same problem watching PBS or British shows, even though I love them. The Queen’s English is like a second language to me, and I have to really focus, lest I lose the point of the scene. However, I do speak American English fluently (especially Southern American — not to be confused with South American). Reese Witherspoon captured Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman perfectly, and I understood every word, doggonit! Since then, the rest of my audibles have been nonfiction, and have been read by their authors, which isn’t always for the best.
But yeah, I’ve been dancing tango calesitas with audibles, and have loved every minute of it. Wonderful read, as usual. Maybe your next article can be an audible.
Hey Mike – Had to laugh about your (necessary) distinction of Southern American vs. South American. And speaking of the tango: hey y’all, if we’re talking true S. American, that durn accent could be a Portuguese ‘un! That’ll leave ya lost as last year’s Easter egg.
I tend to absolutely adore most any accent from the UK…Heck, make that the Commonwealth (that Aussie one, tho!). Which is maybe why I’m not too bothered by them. You should go check the sample of Elizabeth reading Liz’s prose–just fabulous (and easily comprehended, I think). I saw folks raving about the Witherspoon version of Go Set a Watchman while researching the piece. Folks rave! I suppose that goes to show that casting matters here, too, right?
Thanks much, for kicking off the conversation so brilliantly, for your kind praise, and for the delightfully punny tweets of the post, my friend!
Vaughn,
I’m on board… or rather getting on board. The thousands of dollars required to hire someone inspired me to record my own.
I am using skills from my acting and singing careers to see if I can pull it off. Reading aloud is its own art form. (I always read my books aloud during editing… checking on the prosody.) Glad you are thinking of this too.
Tom, I think your background in acting and singing is a huge asset. I have the same, as well as oratory skills, and when doing a reading, I give it my all: changing voice, tone, timbre, even personalities. But it takes enough practice to the point of recitation for each book, just like a script. I think you’d do an exceptional job!
Vaughn, I think there’s a huge appeal to authors reading their own work—and with your acting/singing skills, that will more than offset the “name recognition appeal factor” of hiring a professsional narrator. I narrated my own books and did the audio editing as well (which takes a long time, but is as absolutely necessary as editing the written draft). I uploaded via Findaway Voices. I have received a lot of compliments, thanks in large part to my husband’s very dry recording studio! Good luck and I’m happy to help if you have questions about the process.
Thanks for the encouragement, Carol. Editing IS the deal, because every syllable and utterance IS the art form… the space in between each word and line sings as loudly as everything word and inflection. Which is so unlike the written form.
Hi Carol! I’m so glad you weighed in to share your experience with the issue. That’s so cool that you took on this challenge and that the feedback is validating of your choice. How could I have not guessed that WU would be full of folks who are not just talented writers, but multidimensional talents!
Thanks much for sharing with us, and for your very kind offer. Wishing you the best!
Hey Tom–I’m so glad you weighed in on this, as I was thinking about you when I wrote it. Well, since my dinner with Burke, actually. I’ve been thinking I should check in on you progress. So glad it’s coming along! And, dang, I didn’t even consider the challenge of editing. Glad you’re a prosody pro, too!
I may be reaching out for guidance as I approach the topic. Thank you, my friend. As always, wishing you the very best!
Great post, Vaughn. I’d love to say Audible books are wonderful, for me, they’re not. My first and last experience listening to a CD version in the car (years ago) was thankfully at 5:30 a.m. I listened so intently, I blew straight through a red light. Every now and then I re-join Audible. Without fail, I fall asleep before the end of Chapter One. My neighbour, an artist, listens to audiobooks while she works. I learn great titles she’s “read” then either buy them on Kindle or get them from the library. Like many, she’s voracious and a keen Audible fan. I admire those who can read in this way!
I look forward to reading your books, Vaughn!
Hi Brin! Oh no–I hadn’t thought of the potential for audiobooks to make the listener sleepy. Makes sense, as they really are soothing, aren’t they.
That’s cool that you and your neighbor can share that way (although it’s too bad that you can’t share the same copy). I miss seeing you more regularly, but I’m glad I get the occasional chance via IG. The place is looking so awesome. And… Goats! So great to see. :)
Thanks for weighing in. (Won’t be long for my debut now. Thanks, too, for your very generous and enduring support, my friend!)
Thanks for the kind words about DARLING GIRL, Vaughn! I recently listened to it myself and have vowed never to read the London bits aloud myself bc Elizabeth was just too good. I’ve been an audio book fan since my kids were little. It was a great way to introduce them to favorite stories and keep them entertained on trips. I used to feel guilty counting books I listened to as ‘reading’ but I’ve gotten over that. I recently downloaded several favorite classics including REBECCA and listening to them – especially with the correct accent, as you noted – has opened up facets I hadn’t appreciated before.
Hey Liz — Elizabeth is a treasure! So good. Mo and I had to take two cars up to the cottage, and we stopped for a sandwich for lunch. She’s all, “Come and sit with me in my car to eat,” and I was all, “No can do. Darling Girl is getting too exciting!” Lol.
Burke said the same thing about the classics as audiobooks, many of which he read in school. He’s even done War & Peace, and said it was fantastic. I really am starting to see it as another dimension. I doubt it’ll ever be anywhere close to my primary means of enjoying books, but it’s a very viable addition to the arsenal.
As I said, the praise is nothing but the truth — absolutely LOVED Darling Girl. (Speaking of which, did you get my email in that regard? Just afraid I’ve got an old/incorrect email addy). Thanks for enhancing the conversation on enhancing the reading experience, Liz!
Hello Vaughn. First, a confession. Although I’ve listened to only three or four audiobooks, I was intrigued a few years ago. But I was too cheap (and vain) to pay for a pro. I have always been a closet thespian, so I hired a retired electrical engineer to record me narrating Godsend, my most recent story, for ACX. I thought I was pretty good, but my self-congratulation was drowned out by Bronx cheers and boos from the half dozen or so people who bought and listened to it. I should have sought them out and given them their money back, but as I say, I’m cheap.
I am also the house curmudgeon or Luddite at Writer Unboxed, so I’m not on board with audio. Your friend the doctor says he read fifty audiobooks last year. He didn’t. He listened to actors channeling the story for him. As a consequence, the creative demands of translating ink blots on the page into meaning was done by third parties. The idea of books being unique to each reader as she/he imagines them is greatly reduced. As with video, we all watch/listen to the same interpretation. Do listeners stop and replay a perception or beautiful passage? I doubt it–after all, they’re too busy to read, and the medium greatly favors action over thought.
But it doesn’t matter what curmudgeons think: the marketplace has spoken. I imagine that one day writers will write specifically for listeners, even for specific actors, not for readers. Ray Bradbury, that’s your cue.
Hey Barry – I hope you appreciate that I’m not too far ahead of you on this one (behind you?). I’m such a recent convert, in regard to Burke’s claim that he’d “read” over 50 books (his words), I initially wrote “listened to,” and only recalled his words and my conflict over them in the editing phase.
I guess no matter how you qualify or term his experience, I’ve got to tell you that, as a Spartan, I vastly preferred our dinner conversation about Tolstoy and Tolkien to the typical one, in which he would painstakingly explain to me how the last U of M v. MSU game was a fluke.
Oh, and speaking of Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 is one of the titles Burke has revisited. Not sure if you’ll find that ironic or as just another slap. But I really do appreciate your perspective. Thanks for being voice of the Luddite (I’m on team curmudgeon myself).
Vaughn–your use of “listen to” vs “read” wasn’t lost on me. It’s your doctor friend who missed it. By the way, as a Spartan, you are a true gentleman and a scholar for having condescended to listen to an Ann Arborite use “fluke” to explain MSU’s win. But that’s how losers explain away crushing defeat, isn’t it? Haha.
I’m old enough to remember BT (before television) As a kid I loved radio drama. I even remember the names of my favorite programs (which I’ll spare you). The last time I tried an audio book, I didn’t finish it because I found the narration didn’t differentiate the characters in an interesting way. I should probably try it again. But I wonder if the radio drama approach, a cast instead of a narrator and restrained and appropriate sound effects might be in audio books’ future.
Hey Bob – Well, I can go back to BCTV (before color). In those days we kids were the remote control (not just volume and channel, either–also including moving the rabbit ears around). My dad was a big radio drama fan, and we’d listen to old radio shows in the early evening on good ole’ WKZO radio (they had an evening revival program for years). Even as kids, we could appreciate Jack Benny. Talk about prosody!
I hope you give it another go. Thanks much for weighing in. Wishing you the best–both with your enjoyment of books and with your writing!
Hi Vaughn, Ironically, I have a history with audio books, because while living in Des Moines, I drove to see my mother in Chicago oh so many times. By myself, the best way to enjoy the drive was an audio book. My car accommodated me, so that I could hear the road, the traffic and also easily stop the audio when I needed to. I HEARD SO MANY BOOKS during those years, it was wonderful. Sometimes I would then buy the paperback or hardbound just so I could go back and enjoy the writing, the story, all of it. Now I have a Kindle and I have books. I don’t currently LISTEN, but like you, should I once again have a long drive, I would want that technology, as long as it can also mean you are safe on the road. I know many “readers” now listen at home. I still prefer a book in my hand. Great post, Beth
Hey Beth — That’s so great that audiobooks provided for you during all of those car trips. It really does make the time pass, plus you get the benefit of experiencing more books, even if it’s not via the preferred method. I’m with you–there’s nothing quite like a chilly morning with fire in the hearth, a warm cup on the arm of my Morris chair, and a good book in my lap.
If you get the opportunity, try one of the ones with top voice talent narrating. Audible has some great lists to guide you. Thanks much for enhancing the conversation, my friend.
What a great post, Vaughn, as always. Plenty of great points here. I’m also a new-“tech” resistor by nature, but because of my work as an editor I make a point to push through that. I started in this business so long ago that I remember when everything transitioned to electronic files in editing, the editors and even publishing houses who resisted it found themselves pretty far behind the curve and playing catchup.
Still, it took me two years to get the audiobook up for Intuitive Editing, mostly because I couldn’t imagine listening to a craft book that way myself. I absorb better for reading with that type of informative work. And I didn’t do it until an attendee at one of my events whose disability limited her to audiobooks only lamented not being about to read my book. I promised her I’d have that format up within six months (and I did). It has not only turned out to be popular with readers, but I love the experience of actually doing it, and finally learned firsthand how illuminative it is to read your own work aloud. 😄 Going forward with my nonfiction I’ll record the audiobook to release at the same time as other formats.
Thanks for a thought-provoking post!
Tiffany,
Good to hear your evolution. It was my readers who now read so well who also pushed me to get into this. I love doing it, but it does cut into the work of writing the next book(s). I’ve got two in line right now to record. Needless to say, I don’t see as much sun as I used to.
Hey Tiffany — Ha! Maybe I should do a practice-run in prep for my future audiobook, so that I can finally make myself appreciate the illuminative benefits of reading aloud, lol.
Ahem. Anyway, it’s wonderful to have your perspective as an editor on this! I can see the benefit of having a craft book in this medium. Perfect way to keep the writing mojo going during intrusive long drives during intense work periods (seems we all have such drives spring up when we least want them, don’t we?).
Thanks for a wonderful addition to the conversation, my friend. It’s always great to hear from you. Wishing you the best with your multi-tiered future projects!
I’m a huge fan of audio books. Yes, it’s a different experience from reading in print, but it is still reading. I listen when I drive, so my listening has dropped off a lot in the last couple of years, but when I was driving 300+ miles every other week for several months to see my dying mother, they were a godsend. They’ve allowed me the freedom to choose a story I might not otherwise invest the time in reading, and that’s been both fun and a boon to my writerly education. Knowing my books would later be audios, as all have been, has also reminded me to watch for homophones, make the pronunciation of unusual names clear, and be extra attentive in my read-aloud. The right narrator can really make a book come alive, adding another layer to the story, a gift for us as readers and as writers.
Hey Leslie — What a good idea, when faced with a regular drive, to use the opportunity to try new and different audiobooks. And such an important reminder to those of us who intend to go this route, about homophones and pronunciation of names, etc.
I agree, that although I don’t think I’ll be switching to audiobooks as my primary way of enjoying books, that it can be a real enhancement. Which is definitely a gift. Thanks for the terrific additions to the conversation!
Vaughn, I have enjoyed listening to audiobooks on trips, though it’s been some time since I last tried one (I think it was Ian McEwan’s “On Chesil Beach.”) But the resonance of audio compared to reading text differs so much for me in plumbing depth—I am a slow reader, and will often read paragraphs multiple times when I am either admiring a writer’s skill or baffled by phrasing or intrigued by subtlety. Audio, even though it has emotional ringings in the skull, doesn’t work in the same way for me.
I’m with Barry on this that it isn’t reading, but more of a set theatrical piece (though often superbly done). And I’m with Mike in that I often can’t catch accents—I lean forward in a furrowed brow “what?” when I listen to my English and Irish ancestors roll their tongues over common words that my ears are too furry to discern.
Of course, sometimes even the text leaves you panting, like me trying to figure out the Glaswegian word salads in “Snuggie Bain” or the street slang of characters in Tim Winton’s “The Shepherd’s Hut,” set partially in Australia’s outback. But at least I have a fighting chance with the text by reading it over a few times (and trying to pronounce those allegedly English words in my mind).
But I’m ready to hear you read some heady battle or tribal-tension scene from one of your works. I am on offer to do some grunts, groans, sighs and wailing cries if need be.
That was supposed to be “Shuggie Bain”—”Snuggie” is the naughty version.
Ha! Should be read only in footed jammies.
Hey Tom — I know no one here at WU will be surprised that you love to examine, review, and turn sentences upside-down and all around, myself included. Your love of language is evident in everything you write, so I can perfectly understand your preference.
You’re hired! I’ll supply the necessary beverages before each battle scene. Should be a hoot… Speaking of which, I do have a warrior sect that communicates at night via owl calls. So yeah, very hooty times ahead for us. Thanks much for weighing in on the “not-so-much” side of the issue. See you in the studio!
Barry, this whole conversation is out of my league — but I must tell you that “Those Who Gobble” struck me instantly as an excellent book title, a magnet for casual browsers in bookstores. Now, the story?
Tom–you make the case for reading far better than I did. It’s a bit like the difference between those who gobble and those who savor what they eat. Thank you.
The audience for novels is international. It speaks many languages. It has many price points and preferred media. In developing that audience, as agent I seek to reach as many readers as possible, in as many languages, prices and formats as possible.
However, each edition presents challenges. Publishing in other languages means translation, which can be good or bad. Price points are a shifting target. Some consumers will pay $25 for a hardcover but avoid the feeling of being cheap by buying a mass market, or the reverse, so what is the best way to launch a title? What is the right price for an e-book? Movie/TV adaptations are a whole other realm of difficulty in which audience expectations may shift, even leading to different endings.
Digital delivery of audio books has surged in step with the rise of digital devices. Today you don’t slide a CD into a dashboard player in your car, you connect your smart phone via Bluetooth. You can, I’m told, seamlessly shift between e-book and audio book, each picking up where you left off with the other. Pretty cool. That said, success in audio is inevitably tied to the audio narrator. Audio customers say so over and over. Thus, if considering reading your own audio edition think carefully. Actors have skills that most of us do not. (Though not all actors are equally good audio readers.) As Barry learned, it might be good to do a market test with a sample reading.
That said, reading your own work aloud may be both humbling and beneficial. You may find out how many unnecessary words you use. Audible publishes audio originals (which, BTW, come with contract issues to address) and guess what, those editions are subject to editing–with a very different lens. Or should I say microphone? I don’t think there’s a right way or wrong way to go, just that audio is an important component in audience development and one that requires that authors pay attention to the factors that made that format a success, or not.
Hey Don — Always great to have your unique but extremely interesting perspective on issues like this one. I hadn’t realized about Audible originals! I can only imagine what a monkey wrench translation puts on the audiobook issue. I mean, translations can be bad enough just on the page, let alone in spoken word.
There’s such a rush to get fantasy adaptations out right now, and I can see that rushing doesn’t always serve the work (for all its cost and hype, Wheel of Time is getting a very mixed reaction in the fantasy community). I suppose I’m still grateful for them. Just goes to show the benefit of a cautious approach, which is what I’ll take when it comes to Audible.
Thanks for providing the inside look! Always great to hear from you.
I’ve been a fan of audio books since they were published in cassette tape format and I took them from the library hoping all that tape stayed securely wound and didn’t get “eaten” by any of my cassette players. My favorite audio books readers in those early days all seemed to be narrating for Recorded Books, so that’s what I dreamed for my own books, to see them released in audio by RB, one day. That particular dream came true for my first five published books. Aside from getting published in the first place, those were some of the greatest high points in my writing life. I wish I had the voice skills to narrate my own books but I know I don’t because I read them all aloud several times before they’re finished. Maybe I’ve gotten a little better over time, but I find it exhausting.
Hey Lori — Wow, an early adopter, AND an author who’s produced several audiobooks. You are waaay ahead of the curve here. Good for you! That’s got to feel great. Maybe give reading the next one yourself a try? I always get a lot of satisfaction out of tackling something I think is out of the question.
Thanks for sharing your (incredible) experience with us. Wishing you the best!
Vaughn, thanks for bringing up audiobooks. I’ll always prefer reading to listening, but on road trips I’ve enjoyed a few, though it’s also annoying if I need to backtrack. It helps if there are two of us in a car. We have a subscription to Formed.org which provides both contemporary and classic Catholic books, lectures, plays, movies, etc. My favorite so far has been He Leadeth Me by Fr. Walter Czisek. I can’t remember who narrated it but his voice was clear and engaging. Not once was I drifting off to sleep, which can happen…
I have a friend who hired an actress from a local college to narrate his middle-grade book and he was immensely pleased with the quality. However, he was disappointed in the exclusive arrangement with ACX (something ridiculous like 7 yrs, ouch). I’m sure you will research all this thoroughly when you’re ready. Good luck!
Hi Vijaya — I’m traveling myself today (with an audiobook!), but wanted to quickly say thanks for the comment and for your supportive wishes! Cheers!
HI, Vaughn — I’m in, and have been for a very long time, a quandary. I’m a novelist and I’m also partly deaf. Audiobooks are nearly impossible for me because I rely on lip reading to hear (two hearing aids only help so much). If I’m in the car by myself, I can listen to a book on Audible by cranking the volume way loud. But if my hubby or anyone else rides along, audiobook ain’t happenin’ — no one could hear themselves think! All that said, I recognize as a writer that audiobooks are here to stay and I welcome that for that preference/capability. I’m more concerned with overall widening readership of stories, period. If audiobooks expand/deepen the pond, bring them into the mix. But, please, do not replace the printed story with audiobooks only. DItto, the visually challenged (and others) share my battle cry. Diversity must rule story consumption needs, akin to story creation and genres themselves.
Amen, Melanie. Thanks for adding this vital footnote to my post.
I am being dragged into this new medium by eye failures. I much prefer the silence of reading, but the printed characters are becoming increasingly jumbled. i have not yet made the switch from print to sound, but am slowly setting up the apparatus to do so. Which has been a technical challenge, since the 1st book I bought was for kindle (not on Audible )The kindle reader i chose theoretically does text to sound, but I haven’t uncovered the magic sequence to unlock to speech yet. My phone wants all actions to be switched to talk mode before I can access the kindle app text to speech. And so it all goes. But some day soon, I will be listening to books rather than fingering paper in the silence of the moment. The writing is on the wall.
Vaughn, I’m catching up on my WriterUnboxed backlog after some particularly busy weeks, and I thought I’d pop in on your comments and point you to a podcast that is essentially an audiobook of The Pilgrim’s Progress that my husband is doing (he’s refreshing, writing scenes only implied in Bunyan’s text, doing the narration, adding a musical score, doing the foley/sound effects, etc.). He’s done the same treatment for his own novels after getting the unsold audio rights back from the publisher. You can find the podcast wherever you get podcasts (High & Silver presents: The Pilgrim’s Progress) and you can find the other audio at his website (zacharybartels.com/audio). I think this is the kind of enhanced audio book that would be great for a fantasy series like yours.
Coming late to this discussion, having been in the woods for the last few weeks. Like Lori Benton, I have been listening to audio books since they were cassette tapes. Mostly I listened to them on my long commute or on road trips. Yes, I had to choose books that were not too thrilling lest I speed up or so somnolent that I’d get sleepy.
Now, though, I listen to them when I’m doing anything that I’m not particularly fond of and that doesn’t require my full attention, such chores or cooking. Sometimes I listen to them when I’m taking a longer than usual walk or after I snuggle into bed and turn off the light (many apps have a sleep timer).
I recently recorded an audio version of my memoir Innocent: Confessions of a Welfare Mother which will be released on all streaming outlets July 15th. I agree about hiring a professional narrator, but believe that there is an advantage with memoir to having the author narrate. I worked with a professional producer who coached me and called on my long-ago college theatre classes.
I still love physical books, as my groaning bookshelves will attest. However, audiobooks fill a special niche in my reading life.