Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is all about audiobooks! Do you listen to them, do you make them, do you think they’ll overtake ebooks?
I like audiobooks okay, but personally I don't LOVE them. I listen to them occasionally - like if I have a solo long-distance drive, or if I get an audiobook for free or cheaper in that format. Then I'll listen while doing housework or some such. Mostly, however, I find that I'd much rather have the quiet of my thoughts and/or listen to music. I mull my own stories when I'm not actually writing, so that's valuable thinking time for me. I'm so much in the habit of this that I find when I'm listening to an audiobook, my mind wanders. Soon I find that I've been daydreaming my own book and have totally lost track of the one I'm listening to.
Oops.
This doesn't happen so much with reading. Sometimes I get story ideas when I read, but it's easy to make a note and move on. I immerse much more with reading, either on paper or ebook. Audiobooks will never take over ebooks in my world.
That said, I *do* listen to my own audiobooks. They're an excellent way to catch myself up on previous events in the series, immerse myself in that world again, and gather up the various plot threads. I've been listening to the audiobook of THE FIERY CROWN - second book in The Forgotten Empires - narrated by the immensely talented Gabrielle Baker, as I complete a revision of book three, THE PROMISED QUEEN. I also listened to book one, THE ORCHID THRONE. I can say that getting the story in a different format - read by someone else - helps me "hear" the details better than if I read. Also it lets me multitask.
All of my audiobooks thus far have been produced by my traditional publishers. I haven't had any of my self-published books put into audio simply because the initial investment is so high. I've thought about it. I've also thought about recording them myself. I'm still not convinced it's worth the time and effort.
For those of you who DO love audio, other books of mine available in audio format are (so far as I can recall - let me know if I missed any!):
The Twelve Kingdoms: THE MARK OF THE TALA
Falling Under: GOING UNDER
Facets of Passion: RUBY, FIVE GOLDEN RINGS
I really like audiobooks for re-visiting stories I've already read, but it's difficult for me to "read" new books with them. I'm both far more critical, and I also have a tendency to space out (which doesn't matter as much if I've read the book before). There have been times, however, when I was so sick that reading or watching TV was too hard, and being able to listen to audiobooks was invaluable.
ReplyDelete(fyi, audiobooks is misspelled in the title both here and on your blog)
Corrected! thanks :-) (Now you know I copy/paste the title...)
DeleteGood to know on being sick - I could see that. Like being read to when you were a kid
No, I cannot see me ever choosing audio books. Only if I became blind. I find it weirder listening to sex scenes on audio
ReplyDeleteHa! that's funny, but I also get it :-)
DeleteI love audiobooks because they allow for my hands to be freed for chores or knitting. They are Fanny for long drives too, I do rewind a lot when my mind wanders. 😁
ReplyDeleteI guess that's what I should do!
Delete