Why audible? So many people told me at the Tucson Festival
of Books that they only listen to books now, rather than reading, whether while
they walked, exercised, did chores or even while driving, that I decided to
really push for all my books to be in audible.
Thomas Edison made audio books for blind people in the 1800s,
but not until after the advent of cassette tapes did audio books hit
mainstream. So why are audio books up 32% in the first quarter of 2018 while
digital sales have flatlined? Multitasking and burnout. So many people have
told me they can’t focus any more, they are so burned out by a phone and internet-centered
existence they just can’t find the patience to read an entire book. One reader
recently told me they couldn’t make it through a short story. And in a day and
age where everyone is said to multi-task, why should reading be any different?
Hardly anyone just sits themselves down in a quiet corner and listens to a book.
They stay busy accomplishing other tasks or performing other activities. Audio
books become a companion to other tasks and often become a habit while performing
those tasks. They can even be social, listening to a book together while on a
road trip.
In the audio vs digital or paperback argument, do you get the
same benefit? Yes and no. Your brain still processes the language the same,
first decoding and then comprehending, so in that way you are still taking in
the book. However, some would argue that you are not as one-on-one with the narrator,
giving them your undivided attention and can quite literally miss some important
details and nuances. You are not as emotionally invested in the story. Or are
you? I guess it depends on the “what” you are doing as you listen, and how good
a listener you are. Listening is a different activity than reading, and some
people are better at it than others, audio versus visual. For example, do you learn
better from hearing someone talk or from reading the information at your own
pace? Whatever your answer to that,
listening to audio books will definitely improve your listening skills…and who
do we know that can’t benefit from that?
Guess what else I found out about audio books? Many readers
are not only listening instead of reading, the what of their selections seems
different from paperback or digital sales. I have still to figure this out
entirely, but I am doing some logistics research, trying to ascertain the
demographics of those who now prefer audio books over other forms. Do you listen to audio books? If so, what genre do you choose most often? I'd love to hear your opinions of audio books.
https://www.amazon.com/Keepers-Secret-Tell-Tale-Publishings-Anthology/dp/B076TCH3FL
3 comments:
Good post, Elizabeth. I think audio books appeal especially to people who have long commutes to work. When I had a 1/2 hour drive to work, I loved listening to audio books. My son gave me the entire collection of the Narnia stories on CDs. I loved listening to the set on my way to & from work. It made the time go by quicker.
Great post! I know many people love audio books. I haven't gotten hooked yet, but I bet if I had a long commute I would. It's hard for me to concentrate when I'm doing other things.
I'm not a convert . . . yet. My first audio book was the one I had to listen to in order to edit, my very first book from 1987 rereleased this year by Tell-Tale Publishing (a shout-out to Elizabeth!). Of course I was tethered to my desk at work over the lunch hour so I found myself relaxed by the narrator's soothing British accent into nodding off. (She was excellent, BTW!). But I know plenty of people who only go audio.
Post a Comment