THE NEXT BIG TREND IN READING but don't blink or it may be gone!

{Audio Book cover courtesy of Leonora Roy}

 

Driven by iPod, MP3 and smartphone users, a new market for audio books has been created.

Audible, the leading provider of audio book downloads, says the majority of its customers –

who number close to 900,000 worldwide – have never before bought a traditional audio book on tape or CD.
 
While e-books still account for less than 1 per cent of print sales,

digital downloads more than doubled to 6 per cent of the $800m audio book market.

Audible says its own sales have grown by more than 80 per cent since then. . . .

The economics of downloadable books make more sense.
 


Although recording costs remain, sales can be profitable on much smaller numbers,

and the problem of returns is eliminated.

Digital audio books never go “out of stock”,

meaning publishers and distributors can take advantage of the “long tail” effect,

in which low levels of demand sustain profits over a long period of time.

Why should readers choose an audio book?

First is the fact that an engaging audio book is the very best workout companion.

I don’t think nearly as much about my straining muscles or the fact that I am out of breath while listening to a book such as Christopher Moore's LAMB. 

In fact, I often have to completely ignore my protesting body’s grumbles as I break out in bursts of laughter.

Audio books also make great driving companions

and sitting in traffic is not nearly as tedious when I am savoring Harry Dresden

 

finding he is not nearly as clever as he thought and furiously trying to pry himself from a magical death-trap.

In fact, James Marsters has BECOME the voice of Harry Dresden for me. 

Narrators can literally make or break an audio book.  So if you are considering making an audio book, choose your narrator very, very carefully.

For some audio fans, eyestrain is the primary reason for listening to, rather than reading, and I must admit that sometimes my eyes just need a break.

So this is the NEW WAVE OF PUBLISHING ...

60% of Audiobooks Sold Are Now Digital

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/60-of-audiobooks-sold-are-now-digital_b65744

“According to the Audio Publishers Association, audiobooks are now a billion dollar part of the publishing industry.

Taking results from two studies of the audiobook industry,

the association noted that 3.8 million more audiobooks were sold in 2011 compared to the year before–generating a 2.6 percent rise in revenues.

Here’s more from the report:

The total number of titles published in the audio format has doubled over the past seven years and publishers continue to increase their output to ensure that the most popular trade books are available in audio at the time the print book is released.

 

REMEMBER:

The Indie Authors who benefited most from Kindle Direct Publishing were

those who entered the market early on.

The Audio Book Market's Window of Opportunity is there for you to enter

with websites like www.acx.com and www.voices123.com 

Don't wait until it is closing.