2020, the year of exploring new ideas, trying new strategies to help drive those ever important book sales. To date I have only published in print and eBook mode, but I am very interested in the audio media as another reader outreach method to branch out with. Busy lives and technology have dictated new means to get a literary fix and audio books are becoming an increasingly popular choice. In today’s post, Author Bibiana Krall will share her recent experience in the audio world with her book, The Soul Keeper. Here’s some of her insights:
Thanks so much for your interest and this fabulous opportunity Veronica. I’m excited to talk about my recent foray into audio books.
Why did you decide to produce an audio book? Marketing, outreach, new audience?
I have a brilliant friend who is honest, savvy and was once an executive for a huge record label. Almost two years ago he urged me to look at why, ‘Audio is the new thing.’
Perhaps it is?
I pish-poshed and groused, real book readers won’t go for this…will they? I’m a lifetime bibliophile. As an educator concerned with literacy, the audio trend worried me, so I began to research it.
Listening is not the same as reading. Some of the cognitive factors aren’t being utilized, such as spelling, grammar, and visual structure. It’s apples and oranges, but audio still has positive benefits for the listener and the author.
Audio holds a 6-8% market share of all books sold, depending on geography. This equates to over three billion in revenue reported in the past two years. The bottom could drop out tomorrow, but this sector of the book business has consistently been growing at about the same rate as Indie publishing since 2018.
Who are you writing books for?
The three types of listeners I have indentified: Young people in developing countries with a smart device and no library, a professional on the move, and lastly the retiree or homebound person, is perhaps the most likely to be a crossover reader too? They are doing chores, weeding the garden and also have the desire for physical books. If none of your stories would appeal to these groups, then audio may not be right for you…yet.
How did you prioritize what stories to turn to audio?
This is tough. As a writer I love all of my projects, but as a person without a lot of free time to listen, length and genre was a huge factor for me.
Novels in audio format are *approx. 9300 words per hour according to ACX info boards. That is loosely eleven hours of audio for an 80k word book. Yikes!
I write short fiction as well and it has a more desirable frame of 1-2 hours. The Soul Keeper: A Ghost Story https://www.audible.com/author/Bibiana-Krall/B00Y5UIMKG is a #NewRelease on Audible and iTunes. Listen time is one hour and two minutes. I prefer the idea of a stolen hour, whereas the length of a novel on audio feels impossible to carve out of my week and really enjoy.
This Q & A went way over the ideal word count, so I have answered the remainder of this post on my blog here:Â https://www.bibianakrall.com/single-post/2020/02/01/Audio-Books
Thanks so much for giving me the space to talk about the move into audio and to try and help other writers decide what is right for them and their projects.
Comments, retweets and engagement are always welcome. If you have questions, just ask me and I will do my best to answer them.
Thanks again for hosting me here Veronica. It means so much that you and everyone reading this is an important part of the growing collective hive. #writerscommunity and #readerscommunity
My pleasure, Bibiana, thank you for sharing your #audiobook experience! Lots to think about for sure–don’t forget to check out Bibiana’s link above to get more insights! I really enjoyed listening to the audio version of The Soul Keeper, a different take on a great story. One thing I have learned, headphones make all the difference for your #audiobook listening pleasure. I invested in the over the ear/background noise canceling option—for me it has made a world of difference. #Readers, #Writers–what say you? I’d love to learn more about your experiences, likes/dis-likes etc. It’s Wednesday, time for #DearDiary:
The writing has commenced, along with a manic sleep schedule! The cats are exhausted having to get up with Maw, eat and then sleep in new rooms at all hours as their hoo-man types away. They’re also a bit incensed because rumor has it Gemma and Kyle have a new four legged companion that is not of the feline species roaming the corridors of Cherrywood Hall, a golden doodle named Teddy….this story is developing. 🙂
Suspense and chills from the writers of Twitter this week…
Author Joanne Paulson, Broken Through, 5 STARS
A blossoming romance and the hunt for a brutal serial killer keeps the pages turning in this 2nd book of Author Paulson’s Adam and Grace mysteries. Detective Adam attends a conference in LA, longing for his new lady love. He wants to set up a romantic weekend for them, but will work stymie the flames of romance? Grace’s friend Suzanne reports the killing of a neighbors pet, which leads to a sinister murder and a string of unanswered questions regarding other missing women in the area. As the investigation unfolds, several suspects are identified as their secret lives of deception are exposed.
As the killer grows more brazen, Suzanne is sent away to be with her parents to get her out of harms way, but is he already on her trail? Adam returns home to lead the investigation, thwarting the hopes of a romantic getaway. As his love for Grace grows, so does his hesitation due to traumatic issues experienced in his past–will they be able to overcome the hurdles so that their love has a chance?
The suspense grows as the hunt for the killer draws to a close–will they be able to stop him before more women are murdered? A surprise twist at the end leaves you gasping for Adam and Grace’s future. I thoroughly enjoy this thriller series–a great read, highly recommended!
Author Bibiana Krall, The Soul Keeper, 5 STARS
Author Bibiana Krall once again weaves a tale of peace, love and the pull of the unknown. Willow drifts along in the streets of San Francisco, living the aimless carefree life that is the mantra of 60’s hippiedom. Visions taunt her—is it the remnants of her drug fueled existence? Or is she being pulled into the darkness of a love gone wrong from long ago? Haunting tale of sadness and mystery that will surely give you chills. Great read, highly recommended!
Next up in the #reading queue:
3 1/2 Months to go!
May will be here before I know it and I love getting the pre-trip emails from Viking Ocean cruises showing what’s in store. This link gives a brief look at the cities we’ll be stopping in. The big debate is whether or not to do the Moscow side trip–it’s a ‘leave at 4am return at 10pm’ kind of itinerary (uugghh), but….you do get a once in a lifetime chance to see the capital. Would you do it??
Crowns and Kisses,
Veronica
P.S. Next week it’s another #InspirationResearch adventure—we’re heading north to beautiful Victoria, B.C., staying at the stately Fairmont Empress! Gemma and Rikkhe approve 🙂
