AudioFile's Inside Track

Do-It-Yourself Audiobooks

2006-07-05T09:13:00.000-04:00

Audiobooks have definitely made the cultural radar when authors get their friends to create audiobooks.The New York Times reports on the do-it-yourself audio adventures of authors Julian Rubinstein, Greg Palast, and Adriana Trigiani.

THE ACE: Digital-only versions of these celeb-filled productions may well be a great way to expand the listening audience.

The Odyssey Award Announced

2006-06-28T16:04:00.000-04:00

A major new audiobook award, the Odyssey Award, has been established by the American Library Association. In the realm of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, the Odyssey is a major recognition of audiobooks by the ALA. The award will be selected by two divisions of the ALA--ALSC and YALSA--and will be given for an audiobook produced for children up to 18 years old. Titles published in 2007 will be eligible for the award. Booklist, the ALA's publication, is the sponsor of the Odyssey Award. Read more .

THE ACE: Several audio publishers, including Tim Ditlow and Bruce Coville, have worked tirelessly as advocates for this award. Thanks to them are due from all of us!

Chip Chomps the Apple

2006-06-25T00:14:00.000-04:00

Audiofy, the maker of the tiny memory cards that hold up to 30 hours of audio content, announced beta software that transfers the audio programs to Apple iPod listening devices. The ChipZip runs on Windows XP, Windows 2000, and Mac OS X 10.3.9. Read more.

THE ACE: Publishers, want your content in Audiofy chips? Contact Dan Wagaman.

OverDrive Over the Top

2006-06-21T18:59:00.000-04:00

Digital media vendor OverDrive and Books on Tape signed an agreement for library distribution of BOT's Digital Collection that includes Listening Library and Living Language titles, as well as adult Books on Tape audiobooks. An initial list of 200 BOT titles will go into the program. Read more.

THE ACE: Overdrive is serving 3,000 libraries with downloadable titles. Is this fast enough change for you? Where's your digital content?

Cooler Escapes with Audible

2006-06-21T18:45:00.000-04:00

Seagrams is trying a new marketing partnership this summer--with Audible.com . Check it out here.

I'll take my audiobook with a Tahitian Sunset and Passionate Kiss. Promo Magazine has the full menu.

THE ACE: Where were these guys at the APAC cocktail party?

Not Stationary for Long

2006-06-05T16:06:00.000-04:00

Preview Stephen King's short story STATIONARY BIKE on Audible.com until the official CD release date of June 6. Narrator Ron McLarty reads what Simon & Schuster calls "a fever dream of a tale."

THE ACE: Ron McLarty's novel THE MEMORY OF RUNNING rocketed to fame, and fortune (?), because of King's endorsement in Entertainment Weekly as "the best book you'll never read."

Listen & Live Pins Foreword Awards

2006-05-25T13:47:00.000-04:00

Foreword Magazine's 8th Annual "Book of the Year" Awards has two audio awards--Audio Fiction and Audio Nonfiction. Three Listen & Live Audio titles made the cut--one gold award for A FRACTURED MIND by Robert Oxnam and read by William Dufris, and two silver awards: JONNY MAGIC AND THE CARD SHARK KIDS written and read by David Kushner and PINNED by Listen & Live publisher Alfred Martino, read by Mark Shanahan.

THE ACE: Get your audio titles entered in Foreword's 2006 competition. Details here.

Getting It Right: Book & CD

2006-05-24T17:11:00.000-04:00

Picture books with accompanying CDs are getting nice attention from booksellers and families. Kidwick Books got a rave from the St. Louis Post Dispatch for their packaging of book and CD. Other audio publishers are following suit.

THE ACE: Did you check out Triplex Packaging's cool new CD/Book prototype at APAC?

That's a Velveteen Latte, Right?

2006-05-24T09:56:00.000-04:00

Rabbit Ears are already popping up everywhere. Listening Library re-launched the amazing, award-winning Rabbit Ears line of children's storytelling at BookExpo. Starting at the end of August, the Rabbit Ears's production of THE VELVETEEN RABBIT, read by Meryl Streep, will be part of the Starbucks HearMusic program. Later in the fall, THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, also read by Streep, will be at Starbucks counters. Kudos to Random House for this coup of major visibility for audio!

THE ACE: On sale date for the Rabbit Ears new collections is August 22.

Audies Live & Aloud

2006-05-23T16:04:00.000-04:00

TheAudies.com is now live--with 2006 Winners, and Finalists,offering the multimedia PDF Sampler of The Audies 2006.
The PDF file is imbedded with soundclips and links -- check it out! All Finalists are showcased and the Winners highlighted by category.

THE ACE: Coming soon to the AudioFile website photos of the gala at the National Press Club last Friday, May 19.

Audie Winners To Headline 2006 Audio Theater Workshop

2006-05-23T15:28:00.000-04:00

Audio Theatre is alive and well, as witnessed at the recent Audie Awards. National Audio Theatre Festivals (NATF) is a prime resource for anyone interested audio theatre -- and NATF does great training conferences! The NATF Annual Workshop is imminent, June 18-24, 2006--but registration is open until June 1.

THE ACE: 2006 Audie Winners Barbara Rosenblat and William Dufris will headline the workshop.

The Audies Sampler

2006-04-27T11:06:00.000-04:00

A fanfare, please! TheAudies.com is now live and offering the multimedia PDF Sampler of The Audies Finalists 2006.
Check out this cool PDF--it's linked to sound clips for all Finalists and to AudioFile's reviews. The sampler also shows each nominee by category.

THE ACE: Platinum sponsors of The Audies gala get special recognition and are hotlinked to their Web sites.

APAC: Prepare for a Year of Change

2006-03-01T11:28:00.000-05:00

APA annual conference program looks like a winner. Get the schedule.
APAC Chair Anthony Goff says, "The excitement and content within this year’s programs will enlighten and guide audiobook publishers and fans through the coming years of change." There's a good challenge for us all.

THE ACE: Thursday: May 18, 2006: Washington, DC: Be there.

Bags of Fun: 3/22/06

2006-03-01T10:31:00.000-05:00

Attending the PLA Conference in Boston? Remember--the APA is sponsoring the Beantown Banquet on Thursday, March 23. Michele Cobb and the APA Library Committee need your help to stuff 750 audio-goodie bags. Can you lend a hand, or send a volunteer? Sheraton Boston Hotel, Exeter Room, 6:30 PM, Wednesday 3/22.

THE ACE: This is more fun than you think. A nice informal effort by APA members and helpers.

APA Sales Data

2006-03-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

Audiobook sales survey results are in. The APA-sponsored survey of audio publishers gathered data in 2005 about 2004 audio sales. The resulting estimate of the size of the audiobook market: $832 million. The APA Web site has the details.

THE ACE: Watch for your 2005 sales survey, and submit it. This is our industry--be a part of it!

Audiopolis

2006-03-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

Nepotism at its finest. AudioFile launches Audiopolis, our first podcast. Premiering this week in the Apple iTunes Music Store, it's a kick to hear the audio medium doing the work in our reviews.

THE ACE: Put Audiopolis on your site. Grab it hear, I mean here.

Hemingway--Papa of Storytellers

2006-02-23T23:31:00.000-05:00

Ernest Hemingway's novel have been rare as audiobooks except in the library market until Simon & Schuster's recent agreement with Hemingway's heirs. Actor Campbell Scott is in the studio this week recording FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. A FAREWELL TO ARMS, THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA, and others soon to follow. S & S previously published three volumes of Hemingway's short stories, read by Stacy Keach.

ACE: Check that backlist!

Kids Audio--The More the Merrier

2006-02-13T20:01:00.000-05:00

Two major publishers are launching childre's audio lines: Simon & Schuster Audio will add children's titles this summer, beginning with PETER PAN IN SCARLET by Geraldine McCaughrean--a sequel to J.M. Barrie's classic. Scholastic Audio, under the helm of Jennifer Feldman, former publisher of BBC Audiobooks America, plans 20 children's titles for 2006 in both book-and-CD read-along format and conventional audiobooks. Publishers Weekly reports .

THE ACE: Why is the return of Peter Pan so interesting? Author Geraldine McCaughrean, though little-known in the U.S., is hugely popular and celebrated in the UK. AudioFile recently interviewed Geraldine.

Zoom, Zoom: A Beautiful Ride

2006-02-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

BMW's online short movies were a big hit. Now the German automaker has commissioned original audiobook short stories. Random House UK and BMW offer four stories to be released over the next two months, beginning with Don Winslow's BEAUTIFUL RIDE--a BMW Z4 convertible stars.

THE ACE: An innovative use of evolving technologies, the stories are podcasts [free] that can be downloaded to desktops and digital devices.

Another Guinness; No Grammy

2006-02-08T22:48:00.001-05:00

Jim Dale, celebrated narrator of the Harry Potter series, Audie-winner, Earphones-winner, MBE [Member of the Order of the British Empire] and Grammy-nominee and 2000 Grammy-winner, did not take home the 2006 Children's Spoken Word Grammy last night. But, he's consoled by receiving his second Guinness World Record for "Most Simultaneous Entries in an Audiobook Top Ten List" when all six Harry Potter titles monopolized the top slots of Amazon.com's audio bestseller list.

THE ACE: Marlo Thomas took the children's category Grammy Award over audiobook favorites Jim Dale and Tim Curry.

The Grammy Game

2006-02-08T22:23:00.000-05:00

The unlikely combination of George Carlin, Sean Penn, Garrison Keillor, Barack Obama and Al Franken went head-to-head in this year's Grammy Awards. Barack Obama, came up the winner--for his memoir DREAMS FROM MY FATHER from Random House Audio.

THE ACE: The Obama audiobook shows off what audio can do best: Use bonus material--Obama's 2004 keynote speech from the Democratic Convention--to enrich the audio experience.

Amateur Hour in Audiobooks

2006-02-02T12:34:00.000-05:00

The popularity of podcasts is encouraging fans to step up to home microphones and record their own audiobooks. NPR reported Amateur Audio Books Catch Fire on the Web on the trend and lists Web sites where we can find such podcasts: LibriVox, PodioBooks, Urban Art Adventures, Dead White Males.
Is this a good thing? Want to comment? Email me.

THE ACE: AudioFile is launching a blog of spoken reviews called SoundReviews. Anyone interested in subscribing or featuring it--ask us for the launch date.

Audies Finalists, Finally

2006-01-30T22:05:00.000-05:00

The 2006 Audies Finalist announcements made the rounds among publishers, producers, and narrators today. Complete Audies Finalist List [Downloads as a PDF]. Five finalists in each of 28 categories highlight exceptional work of 32 audio publishers. Ecumenical as always, the large trade houses share the limelight with several small independent publishers. Bravo!

THE ACE: Picking up 22 Finalist accolades--Harper Audio--across 14 categories. Bravissimo!

Make Note: Notable Recordings 2006

2006-01-28T23:03:00.000-05:00

Along with the high profile Caldecott and Newbery Medal awards, the children's services ALSC division of the ALA announced the Notable Recordings list at the conclusion of the San Antonio conference. Work from 8 audio publishers made the list of 21 audio titles--congratulations to: Audio Bookshelf, BBC Audiobooks America, Full Cast Audio, Harper Audio, Listening Library, Live Oak Media, Recorded Books, and Weston Woods.

THE ACE: Publishers can attend the committee's discussion of titles at the Midwinter conference. Enlightening. Don't wait to get your titles to next year's committee, the 2007 Notable guidelines are available.

YALSA Hails Impact of Audiobooks

2006-01-28T22:36:00.000-05:00

In the announcement of YALSA's 2006 list of Audiobooks for Young Adults, the ALA division also acknowledged the impact of the audio format on both literacy development and recreational listening for teens. YALSA recently approved renaming the committee and a change of focus. The committee is now an official selection committee: Selected Audiobooks.

THE ACE: Congratulations to Bolinda Audio, Brilliance, Full Cast Audio, HighBridge, Listening Library, and Recorded Books for the recognition of their titles on the YALSA list. Not too early to submit for next year--email the YALSA office.