My interest in AudioBooks was rekindled a couple weeks ago when I passed through the Los Angeles International Airport. During my mandatory stop by the airport bookstore, I discovered a new product: Playaway – Ready To Go Audio.
The product provides a preloaded audiobook in a handy audio player: no downloading, no transferring titles to iPods, no CD discs, no tapes [can one still buy a cassette tape player?]. Just plug out a tab to activate the battery, put on the ear-buds, push a button, and listen.
I bought a copy of 1776 by David McCullough, read by the author himself. What a voice! Magical! I enjoyed several chapters as I flew across the Pacific.
One can learn more about this new delivery system at Playaway’s website. It also serves as an online store, though Barnes & Noble, Border’s, Brookstone and Hudson Booksellers carry selected titles as well, along with more traditional AudioBooks on CD’s. Via the website, one can also initiate correspondence about customized Playaways.
This device reminded me of another website that I’ve turned to often over the past three years: Audible.com. Over 30,000 titles are available for online purchase and download, including books, newspapers, magazines, radio programs, lectures — quite a range of material.
A couple of days ago, I learned about a rather new online service called LibriVox, which provides free AudioBooks for download, an audio version of the better-known Gutenberg Project, with titles chosen from those now in the public domain, the venerable classics. Much like the Books For The Blind program of years ago, volunteers read/record the books and submit them for distribution.
Most interesting to aspiring and even seasoned writers are the prospects of publishing your own AudioBook. Using your computer, a decent microphone and an audio-recording program, any writer can produce an AudioBook at virtually no cost.
Distribution? Some of the Publish On Demand providers — Lulu is one — will include AudioBooks in their online stores, at almost no set up charge — just arrange an income-sharing scheme with them. And one can, with a little effort, sell them from your own website, promoting the AudioBook via various internet outlets.
Ambitious and innovative writers with initiative may find ways to make this route to publication truly productive. Consider giving it a try.
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