You all know I’m a big reader and a big fan of all types of reading. Hardcovers, paperbacks, ebooks; literary or commercial; adult, YA, middle grade, picture book; graphic novel, verse, non-fiction–I love them all! But there is one format that I haven’t personally been able to get into: audiobooks, which is kind of disappointing because they have recently had a surge in popularity (see the article in Publishers Weekly “Audiobooks Revenue Jumped 22.7% in 2018” by John Maher) and are more readily available than ever.
My lack of audiobook readings isn’t because I don’t think it’s “real” reading (who gets to decide what “real” reading is anyway?) or because it’s not a good way to experience a book (I think some books are actually better in audio form); it’s because of the way my brain works.
I’m a visual learner, always reading along (if that’s an option) while listening to someone speak or read directions. I often watch movies with the closed captions on when I’m at home. My brain absorbs information better when I can see it, so listening to audiobooks is hard for me. I’ll get 15 minutes in and all of a sudden I’ll be like, “Wait! What’s going on?” because my brain spaced out and I haven’t been listening for the last 10 minutes.
I also find listening to be an important tool both as a parent and a writer. I need to be able to hear what the kiddos are up to even when I can’t see them, so going around the house listening to an audiobook isn’t a great option. And I like to be able to hear what’s going on in the world as I observe it in order to inform my senses as a writer.
But I do feel like I’m missing out. So in order to work my way up to a full audiobook, I’ve started listening to podcasts. They’re much shorter than books and they come in all sorts of different topics. So far I feel like I’ve done pretty well with them. I can mostly stay focused and actually pay attention to what’s being said, and they fit really nicely into my daily routine. I like to listen when I’m doing laundry or grocery shopping. I’ve found having them play aloud works when I don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone else and having just one earbud in when I’m in a situation where it would bother others to hear what I’m listening to.
It’s also definitely an avenue I’ve been thinking about getting my own books in. Middle grade in particular is a space where audiobooks are very popular, so I’d love to have PIRATE ISLAND available that way. But then there’s the issue of time and not having enough of it to navigate a new project.
What’s your opinion on audiobooks and podcasts? Any great reads you’ve listened to lately?
I have a good friend who’s a avid reader and tells me she mostly listens to audiobooks now because she can do it while cleaning, gardening, driving etc. My only experience with audio were with loaned copies of bestsellers on long drives… And indeed I don’t much care for it. It varies a great deal depending on the reader, and they are not created equal.
My sister, who has very similar readings tastes as I do, loves audiobooks. That is so true that the narrator is so important to the listening experience.
It’s good to know I’m not the only one who hasn’t warmed to audiobooks. Like you, I’m visual and prefer to read. I also prefer to have captions on and leave the volume lower while watching movies! My daughter too. But my husband loves audiobooks and has been able to listen to far more books than he could read.
I was starting to think I was the only one who couldn’t get into audiobooks.
I love audiobooks. And there are so many available from the library. I sometimes have the “spaced out” problem, usually because the narrative prompted me to think about something and my mind goes off in some new direction. But that is why you have a rewind button. I suspect about 70% of the books I read each year are ones that I’ve listened to. A fat fantasy book appears much less daunting to me as an audiobook. Podcasts sound like a good way to get started. Also, try listening in short spurts, maybe a half hour at a time.
ACX has some great options for getting started with audio. I have two audiobooks out and a third in production. Check your contract for Elixir Bound. You might still own the audio rights.
All that’s good advice, Jeff! Thanks! I’ll definitely have to check out ACX. I actually have all the rights for Elixir Bound now (and republished myself with a new cover last year), so it’s definitely an option for that book as well.
I listen to both podcasts and audiobooks and they are the true saving graces of my weeks! Glad to hear you’re giving them a shot!
So many people love them, and I’m always willing to try something new and stretch my brain in new ways.
I’m a visual learner, too. Audiobooks are probably not my thing. But I have a friend who loves to read but now has a vision problem. He gets audiobooks from the library and they are a wonderful option for him.
Audiobooks are a great accessibility option. My library has lots of audiobooks available as well.
I love audiobooks. Just gave a presentation on why indie authors want to offer them to their readers. The number of books I read each year increased significantly when I added audiobooks. Perhaps if you made them part of your personal reward – while you take a 15 minute bath, during a trip to the coffeeshop, etc – you’d start to enjoy them more by association. I’m all about tricking the brain 😉
I saw you were giving a presentation on audiobooks; it’s definitely cool that you’re getting into that space. I actually like audiobooks…when I’m able to stay focused on them. It’s the attention span that gives me trouble, so I’m building up my tolerance, so to speak. 🙂
I had the same problem with audio books. I’m a podcast junkie, though. I subscribe to about 30 of them, so I wondered what the issue was for me. It took me a while to figure it out. I’m very much into the structure of a novel as I’m reading, very aware of chapters and breaks in the text, why they are there, the order of the words, how the sentences break down. A lot of the structure is lost in nan audio book, so I feel bit lost. I also realized different readers read at different rates of speed. I had to change the speed to closer to the rate I read. I usually fall somewhere around 1.25 or 1.5 speed on most books. When I speed things up, my mind is much less likely to wander.
I forgot that you can change the speed at which the book is read. Speeding it up might help keep my attention. Thanks, Dave!