Audiobook Blog – Audiobooker, by Mary Burkey – Booklist Online
Booklist Online: More than 130,000 book reviews for librarians, book groups, and book lovers - from the trusted experts at the American Library Association
Mary Burkey, a teacher, librarian, and audiobook addict, writes about listening, learning, and the joy of headsets
Friday, January 27, 2012 7:38 am Free audiobook download: Her Royal Spyness Posted by: Mary Burkey
Katherine Kellgren reads this cozy mystery written by Rhys Bowen, a limited time freebie from Audible. Grab this 2011 Audies Award nominee for “Best Mystery/Suspense Audiobook” - pure fun narrated by Booklist‘s “Voice of Choice” Kellgren. No doubt they’ve decided to offer this introduction to the Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie series to hook you on the series – be prepared to devour all five of these light, frothy treats! Here’s the download link
And check out the video below for a guided tour of Audible’s headquarters, an episode of Cubes hosted by the lovely Katy Kellgren
Thursday, January 26, 2012 7:42 am 2012′s best adult audio Posted by: Mary Burkey
A new honor for top narration: the Listen List, compiled by the Reference and User Services Division of the American Library Association. I am thrilled that adult audio fans and selectors now have this tremendous resource to add to ALA’s recognition of the best in youth audiobooks. The evaluation criteria really gets to the heart of why we listen – I especially love the fact that this honor reflects the joy that ADULTS find in being read a good story! The unique aspect of the RUSA Listen List? The addition of “Listen Alikes,” other current & backlist audios that match the mood & tone this year’s honorees – instant listener’s advisory, collection development, and display ideas! Check out the full 2012 Listen List:
All Clear by Connie Willis. Narrated by Katherine Kellgren. Brilliance Audio. (ISBN 978-1-4418-7576-1).
This sequel to Blackout, a stellar science fiction adventure, follows the plight of a group of historians from 2060, trapped in WWII England during the Blitz. In a narrative tour de force, Kellgren brings to life a large cast of characters, including a pair of street-smart urchins who capture the hearts of characters and listeners alike.
Listen-Alikes: Away by Amy Bloom. Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat. HighBridge. Pirate King by Laurie R. King. Narrated by Jenny Sterlin. Recorded Books. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Narrated by Josephine Bailey. Books on Tape.
Bossypants by Tina Fey. Narrated by Tina Fey. Hachette Audio. (ISBN 978-1-60941-969-1). AudioGO. (ISBN 978-1-60941-719-2).
In a very funny memoir made decidedly funnier by its reader, Tina Fey relates sketches and memories of her time at SNL and Second City as well as the difficulties of balancing career and motherhood. In a voice dripping with wit, she acts out the book, adding extra-aural elements that print simply cannot convey.
Listen-Alikes: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris. Narrated by David Sedaris. Hachette Audio. I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. Narrated by Sloane Crosley. Penguin Audio. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell. Narrated by Sarah Vowell. Simon & Schuster Audio.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley. Narrated by Dominic Hoffman. Penguin Audio. (ISBN 978-0-14-242856-6). Books on Tape. (ISBN 978-0-3078-7583-9).
Dominic Hoffman reads this elegiac novel of memory and redemption with fierce grace, inhabiting Mosley’s characters with voices perfectly crafted in pitch and rhythm. His rough, gravely narration manages the pace and mood of the book with astounding skill, brilliantly capturing the mental clarity and fog of 91-year-old Ptolemy Grey’s world.
Listen-Alikes: Emily, Alone by Stewart O’Nan. Narrated by Andrea Gallo. Recorded Books. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Narrated by Jeff Woodman. Recorded Books. Noah’s Compass by Anne Tyler. Narrated by Arthur Morey. Random House Audio. Books on Tape.
Life Itself: A Memoir by Roger Ebert. Narrated by Edward Herrmann. Hachette Audio (ISBN 978-1-60941-035-3). AudioGO. (ISBN 978-1-61113-792-7).
Ebert’s clear-eyed account chronicles his life from his youth in Urbana, Illinois, to his fame as a world-renowned film critic in Chicago. Herrmann’s engaging, affable reading mirrors the author’s tone—honest, often humorous, sometimes bittersweet—as he unhurriedly ushers listeners through Ebert’s moving reflections on a life well-lived.
Listen-Alikes: Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life by Steve Martin. Narrated by Steve Martin. Simon & Schuster Audio. Recorded Books. Chapters from My Autobiography by Mark Twain. Narrated by Bronson Pinchot. AudioGO. Life by Keith Richards and James Fox. Narrated by Keith Richards, Johnny Depp, and Joe Hurley. Hachette Audio.
Middlemarch by George Eliot. Narrated by Juliet Stevenson. NAXOS. (ISBN 978-184-379-439-4).
Juliet Stevenson brings crisp clarity, a witty sensibility, and a charming tonal quality to Eliot’s masterpiece of provincial life. Through her deft management of pacing and tone, she reveals character motivation and illuminates the many themes of the novel. But most of all she reclaims Eliot for listeners who thought they did not enjoy classics.
Listen-Alikes: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. Narrated by Lorna Raver. Blackstone Audio. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. Narrated by Nadia May. Blackstone Audio. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Narrated by Josephine Bailey. Tantor Media.
The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig. Narrated by Kate Reading. Penguin Audio. (ISBN 978-0-14-242830-6).
In this Regency Christmas caper, a pudding, a spy, a hilarious school theatrical, and a memorable country house party lead to laughter, love, and an offer of marriage. Reading’s lovely English accent and exuberance are a perfect fit for the wide range of characters, from young girls to male teachers to members of the aristocracy.
Listen-Alikes:
The Black Cobra Quartet series by Stephanie Laurens. Narrated by Simon Prebble. Harper Audio. Blackstone Audio. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emma Orczy. Narrated by Ralph Cosham. Blackstone Audio. The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer. Narrated by Phyllida Nash. AudioGO.
One of Our Thursdays is Missing by Jasper Fforde. Narrated by Emily Gray. Recorded Books. (ISBN 978-1-4498-4675-6).
In this genre-bending romp, the “written” Thursday must rescue the “real” Thursday from a nefarious Bookworld plot. Emily Gray wears Thursday like a second skin, as she does the robots, dodos, and space aliens running around. The story is paced such that every nuance of pun and word play is captured and rendered aurally.
Listen-Alikes: Blackout by Connie Willis. Narrated by Katherine Kellgren. Brilliance Audio.
The Peculiar Crimes Unit Mysteries series by Christopher Fowler. Narrated by Tim Goodman. Recorded Books/Clipper Audio. Relative Danger by Charles Benoit. Narrated by Patrick Lawlor. Blackstone Audio.
A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley. Narrated by Jayne Entwistle. Random House Audio (ISBN 978-0-307-57643-9). Books On Tape. (ISBN 978-0-3077-0479-5).
Flavia de Luce, a terrifyingly proficient 11-year-old amateur chemist and sleuth, investigates the beating of a gypsy and the death of a villager in this third outing. Entwistle’s spot-on narration reveals the irrepressible, intrepid heroine’s prowess and captures a delicious range of secondary characters in these whimsical mysteries set in 1950s rural England.
Listen-Alikes: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Narrated by Sissy Spacek. Harper Audio/Caedmon. Recorded Books. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessi. Narrated by Emily Janice Card. Penguin Audio. Books on Tape. Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas. Narrated by Lorelei King. Macmillan Audio. BBC Audiobooks America.
The Snowman by Jo Nesbø. Narrated by Robin Sachs. Random House Audio. (ISBN 978-0-307-91750-8). Books On Tape. (ISBN 978-0-307-91752-2).
The icy chill of the Norwegian countryside and a series of cold-blooded murders dominate this Harry Hole crime novel. Sachs contrasts Hole’s world-weary professional attitude, his unquenchable thirst for justice, and his yearning for love and comfort, as he skillfully maintains a suspenseful pace and projects an overarching sense of doom.
Listen-Alikes: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. Narrated by Simon Vance. Books on Tape. Hell is Empty by Craig Johnson. Narrated by George Guidall. Recorded Books. Rain Gods by James Lee Burke. Narrated by Tom Stechschulte. Recorded Books.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Narrated by Simon Prebble. Blackstone Audio. (ISBN 978-1-4551-0867-1).
The tragedy and heroism of the French Revolution come alive through Prebble’s distinctive and graceful narration. As the lives of Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton intersect, Prebble takes listeners deep into France and England, narrating terrifying descriptions and breathless acts of courage with a cadence that sweeps one away.
Listen-Alikes: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. Narrated by George Guidall. Recorded Books. Sharpe’s Fury by Bernard Cornwell. Narrated by Steven Crossley. Recorded Books. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Narrated by Frederick Davidson. Blackstone Audio.
The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht. Narrated by Susan Duerden and Robin Sachs. Random House Audio (978-0-307-87700-0). Books On Tape. (ISBN 978-0-307-87702-4).
In this imaginative novel, Balkan physician Natalia, on a mission of mercy, learns of her beloved grandfather’s death. Duerden’s mesmerizing voice leads listeners through the complexities of this rich novel with its intertwining stories, while Sachs memorably relates her grandfather’s haunting tales in a gentle and gruff voice.
Listen-Alikes: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. Narrated by Anna Fields. Harper Audio. Blackstone Audio. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Narrated by Jeff Woodman, Barbara Caruso, Richard Ferrone. Recorded Books. Pretty Birds by Scott Simon. Narrated by Christina Moore. Recorded Books.
Why Read Moby-Dick? by Nathaniel Philbrick. Narrated by Nathaniel Philbrick. Penguin Audio. (ISBN 978-1-61176-024-8). Books on Tape. (ISBN 978-0-307-96967-5)
In what should be required reading before cracking the pages of Moby-Dick, Nathaniel Philbrick’s homage to this great American novel compels the listener to experience Melville with an almost incandescent joy. His voice resonates with palpable enthusiasm and calls to mind a New England professor giving a fascinating lecture.
Listen-Alikes: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. Narrated by Frank Muller. Recorded Books. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy. Narrated by Pat Conroy. Random House Audio. Books on Tape. The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt. Narrated by Edoardo Ballerini. Recorded Books.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 6:17 pm Odyssey, Notable Recordings, Amazing Audiobooks Posted by: Mary Burkey
The year’s best listening named by the American Library Association’s youth divisions in a just-completed conference in Dallas. Yes, the total list of award-winners announced yesterday has plenty of great titles, too. But there are three committees that focus on the unique attributes of audiobook production and narration when selecting the best.
ALSC, the Association for Library Service to Children, evaluates titles for children from ages birth through fourteen, and includes music in the Notable Children’s Recording list. Check out the list of 28 titles available here: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncr
YALSA, the Young Adult Library Services Association, selects audiobooks for listeners ages twelve through eighteen for their list. You can see this year’s list of 30 titles here: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/audiobooks/2012
And the Big Kahuna is the Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production. The Odyssey committee, comprised of both ALSC and YALSA members, collaborate to name one winner and honor titles as the most distinguished examples of sound literature, for listeners ages birth through eighteen. This year’s winner is Rotters, written by Daniel Kraus, narrated by Kirby Heyborne, and produced by Odyssey-winner Listening Library. Mesmerizing, horrifying, yet grounded in solid reality – Rotters is utterly amazing. You can read my starred review here, and my “Talking With” interview with Dan about his reactions to revisiting his work as an audio production here. Liz Hannegan & her stalwart committee members -who listened to over 500 submissions (yes, you read that right!!) – shared a happy moment with Booklist consultant Sue-Ellen Beauregard and author Kraus right after the award announcement in the photo above.
There were four Odyssey Honor titles:
Ghetto Cowboy, written by G. Neri, narrated by JD Jackson and produced by Brilliance Audio.
Okay for Now, written by Gary D. Schmidt, narrated by Lincoln Hoppe and produced by Listening Library.
The Scorpio Races, written by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Steve Westand Fiona Hardingham and produced by Scholastic Audiobooks.
Young Fredle, written by Cynthia Voigt, narrated by Wendy Carter and produced by Listening Library.
So get your headphones warmed up and start listening – if you manage one title a week, that’s more that a year’s worth of great audiobooks!
Monday, January 16, 2012 5:53 pm Best Audiobooks of 2011 Posted by: Mary Burkey
Thirteen lists featuring audio excellence for adults, teens, and children! I think most everyone has finished sounding off about their favorites, so I’ve compiled links to the top audiobook titles from 2011. There’s more great listening here than ever before – so many fantastic releases from the ever-growing number of audio producers. You’ll find titles to satisfy all ages, in all genres. So start building your buying or borrowing lists now. And if I’ve missed a list, please drop a note in the comments below.
Thursday, January 12, 2012 7:37 am Paul Ruben on Digital Shift Posted by: Mary Burkey
Grammy & Audie award-winning producer/director Paul Ruben’s expertise in the recording studio has resulted in top audiobooks for every major industry publisher. Voice actors who have benefited from his coaching and narrator workshops name him one of the best in the business. Savvy audiobook fans know that the entire production team deserves recognition for memorable audios, and seek Ruben’s name in the credits. Paul graciously offered his observations on the changing world of audio production with me when I asked five industry pros about the impact of digital home studios for my January “Voices in My Head” column in Booklist. Their answers are so thoughtful that I want to share every word with you. I’ve already featured Paul Gagne, of Weston Woods/Scholastic Audio and narrators Tavia Gilbert, Johnny Heller, and Barbara Rosenblat. You can click the link to check out the abridged Booklist column Digital Shift Happens .
I’m so grateful that you’ve stopped by Audiobooker, Paul! I know fans and librarians will appreciate your thoughtful observations.
Paul, you’ve won many honors & awards as an independent audiobook producer/director, and have coached scores of narrators. Your wonderful blog gives an inside look at your important role in the audiobook community. As many narrators create home studios, what do you feel is the shift in the industry that is driving this change?
Thanks, Mary, for the kindness and opportunity to respond. Home studio is two facts of life: for the future more publishers will be employing home studio narrators; the shift to home studio is largely driven by publishers’ desire to spend less on production. Because I’m not a publisher I don’t have even anecdotal experience to more specifically address this shift. What I can more confidently say is that advances in technology make the home studio recording a reasonable option for publishers: relatively inexpensive, professional equipment, electronic delivery of scripts, program, etc. Essentially home studio talent can create, edit, and master an audio program far more inexpensively than a traditional studio.
What do you see as the positive and negative aspects of recording with an audiobook production team in a recording studio versus solo recording in a home studio?
If you extract money from the equation (no small positive if you’re a publisher) I’d argue there is little or nothing inherently beneficial about a home studio recording.
While working with a full service studio, such as John Marshall Media, where I record all my programs, does not guarantee an award-winning program, the full service studio does meet publishers’ needs in a way that a home studio can’t, especially if you regard those ‘holy trinity’ needs through the lens we who work to serve publishers do: speed, quality, price. Because a recording studio can employ highly trained engineers and post-production staff, and have access (particularly in New York and LA) to hundreds of experienced narrators, it is capable of turning out multiple, high quality (both technically and in terms of talent) audio programs for multiple publishers, inexpensively and fast. Though the audio book director may soon become an anachronism, some publishers still employ them, and only at a traditional studio.
It’s important to emphasize that there are many gifted home studio narrators (I’ve employed some and know many). That said I have never met a narrator who wouldn’t prefer a competent director. Why? The likely result is a better performance, thus, arguably, a more enjoyable experience for the listener.
As audiobooks move from a physical edition created by a team of narrator plus a studio production team to a digital-only edition created by a smaller team or perhaps a solo narrator/producer, how do you see these changes impacting the decisions that must be made by librarians evaluating and selecting audiobooks for library patrons?
I think librarians are a compelling force in the audio book industry. From my perspective they not only provide free, or low cost, audio programs to consumers, they are quality conscious. They care about the program, technically and aesthetically. I can’t speak to acquisitions policy. But I can speak about performance, and how to evaluate a narrator. Though determining performance quality is, of course, impossibly subjective, there are what I’d call ‘performance markers’ that, once identified and explored, may shed light on why a consumer does or doesn’t like a given performance. Knowing how to evaluate performance may be one way of determining: who’s going to like this? And why?
Care to reflect on the impact of the impact of Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange or other possible major shifts in the industry that solo home recording or digital technology makes possible?
ACX is a meaningful response to the need for product. There are only so many books whose audio rights are acquired by publishers. ACX seems particularly suited to home studio talent, largely, I think, because it’s simply less expensive to produce an audio program for a home studio.
Any other information that you feel is important for librarians to know about in relation to these topics?
I mentioned evaluating narrators’ performance earlier – it’s all I really feel relatively certain talking about. What I want librarians to know is that, in my opinion, there may be an axiomatic relationship between home studio and performance quality: While it bears repeating that there are many very talented home studio narrators and certainly lots of poor performances direct from a traditional studio, in the aggregate, a traditional studio with director will produce a more satisfying listening experience than a home studio.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012 7:36 am Barbara Rosenblat on Digital Shift Posted by: Mary Burkey
Audiobook narrator extraordinaire, recognised as the gold standard, gracious grand dame of voice actors – the accolades could go on and on. That’s what I wrote when Barbara Rosenblat was named the 2009 BooklistVoice of Choice in recognition of her lasting impact in the world of audiobook narration. I first interviewed Rosenblat to gather her reflections on voicing Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken, the 2010 Odyssey Award winner. She recently shared her thoughts about the changing world of audiobook production with me, and I am so honored to add Ms. Rosenblat’s long view on digital shift.
This conversation came about when I asked five industry pros about the shift from studio production teams to solo narrators recording in home studios for my January “Voices in My Head” column in Booklist. Their answers are so thoughtful that I want to share every word with you, before the column with their abridged remarks appears this month. I’ve already featured Paul Gagne, of Weston Woods/Scholastic Audio and narrators Tavia Gilbert and Johnny Heller. I’ll finish up this series of posts tomorrow with a visit from producer/director Paul Ruben.
Many thanks to the marvelous Barbara Rosenblat for stopping by! Lend an ear to her words of wisdom below…
There is a wonderful new movie out called, ‘The Artist’. It is in black and white and, what’s more, it is a ‘silent movie’. Talk about retro! It tells the tale of a silent screen heart throb at the dawn of the ‘Talkies’ who refuses to ‘get with the programme and adapt’. Speaking on film?? Rubbish, he declares. Of course, the upshot of this is that he is left by the technological wayside, while a pretty young thing who adores him, makes her way in ’Hollywoodland’ and becomes the darling of the Talkies.
I once asked a prominent audiobook producer for his thoughts on where our industry is now and he said, ‘We are at ‘the Talkies’. Technology is changing rapidly but the demand for quality product has never waivered.
Ask any librarian and they will tell you that fans of audiocontent abound and the entire industry stuggles to keep up. That said, the way in which this content is provided has proven quirky and multifaceted. Just as librarians used to just deal with Dewey Decimal System and tell you to be quiet, they are now uber-librarians,guiding patrons to computers, digital downloads, vast resources never before available. The advent of hand held devices has steered the industry into helping listeners get their content as quickly and portably as possible.
My own history dates back to reel to reel recording with, at least an engineer and, at most, a director on board. This triumverate has always and will always take a lot of the guesswork out of the final product. But times being what they are, and technology advancing as it is, it becomes clear that recording artists like myself have an opportunity to create good product from home studios as well as in the traditional environment. Self directing is a skill that, one hopes, does not take away from the immediacy of the recording. The sense that what you are listening to is not being simply read but performed. That is key to any audiobook worth listening to.
What librarians need is a cogent way to separate the wheat from the chaff and, at the moment, there is insufficient oversight of the industry. Blogs from ardent audiofans abound but they are scattered in the webisphere. Audiofile Magazine works tirelessly to keep abreast of the industry and inform patrons of the choices out there. Booklist and other mags for the publishing industry try to focus on the many changes and fine work being produced with either the ‘triumverate’ or the ‘home studio’. Either way, tastes will always remain highly discerning and cream will rise to the top. After all…in an audiobook, you can’t skim.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:43 am Notable Children’s Recordings discussion list Posted by: Mary Burkey
These audiobooks are the year’s top titles under consideration at the American Library Association’s Midwinter conference in Dallas. The cream of the crop will appear on the 2012 Notable Children’s Recordings list, as must-have recommendations of music & audiobooks for libraries serving children ages birth – fourteen years. If you are attending Midwinter, pop in to any of the committee’s scheduled meetings to observe the evaluative discussions of the titles – very illuminating if you are new to the world of audiobook reviewing! The final list will appear on the Association for Library Service to Children’s website (where you can find lists of all past Notable Children’s Recordings), following the excitement of the Youth Media Awards press conference, where this year’s Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production will be named. The Odyssey committee discussions are closed to the public, but you can share the announcement via the live webcast on Monday, January 23. The Young Adult Library Services Association’s 2012 list of Amazing Audiobooks will also be announce at Midwinter – I’ll let you know about that discussion list when it is announced!
Sunday, January 8, 2012 10:30 am Free: A Confederacy of Dunces audiobook Posted by: Mary Burkey
Pulitzer Prize-winning comic classic from John Kennedy Toole, narrated by Barrett Whitener, free for a limited time from Audible.com – here’s the direct link. Grab this 13 1/2 hour must-have title from Blackstone Audio quickly, as these deals don’t last long…
Friday, January 6, 2012 7:34 am Johnny Heller on Digital Shift Posted by: Mary Burkey
This audiobook narrator has hundreds of titles on his resume, multiple awards on the shelf, and was named one of the top 50 voices of the 20th century by AudioFile Magazine. Heller has enthusiastically jumped into the 21st century, utilizing his home studio to make the digital shift that’s radically changing how narrators create their work. So you know he has the background to reflect on the current state of affairs in the audiobook industry. Check out the interview below for Heller’s musings – and a taste of his wry humor.
This conversation came about when I asked five industry pros about the shift from studio production teams to solo narrators recording in home studios for my January “Voices in My Head” column in Booklist. Their answers are so thoughtful that I want to share every word with you, before the column with their abridged remarks appears next month. I’ve already featuredPaul Gagne, of Weston Woods/Scholastic Audio and narrator Tavia Gilbert. Next up are Barbara Rosenblat and Paul Ruben.
Thanks, Johnny, for stopping by Audiobooker for a chat. If readers want more Heller, be sure to visit his blog Abbreviated Audio - and check out this post to see how I know Johnny’s Chicago west suburban accent is spot-on
MB: Johnny, you are one of the industry’s most honored & prolific narrators. You’ve communicated your role as an innovator with your studio & as an established narrator invloved with ACX on your Abbreviated Blog. As many other narrators create home studios, what do you feel is the shift in the industry that is driving this change?
JH: I think it’s no secret that publishers want to bring the cost of production down. There’s only so much money one can make on an audiobook and most of it already goes to the publisher, the author, the agent and the download marketing site. Narrators with home studios allow producers to cut out the cost of a recording studio. It’s the nature of commerce and the free market to increase profit wherever possible. Sadly, the industry is moving to a place where being an excellent actor isn’t enough. Now we narrators need to be engineers as well.
MB: What do you see as the positive and negative aspects of recording with an audiobook production team in a recording studio versus solo recording in a home studio?
JH: On the positive side, in a home studio I can control my hours and work naked — although I keep sticking to the chair and frequently scare the dogs when I emerge – not to mention the impression I leave on guests that I didn’t know we had. Also on a positive note, I get more work because I have a home studio than I otherwise would. If I didn’t have a home studio I’d have to find a second job – probably a gig going door to door selling home studios.
On the negative side, I think only certain gifted narrators have the ability to work without a director and create a wonderful audiobook. It’s better that narrators be left to create characters and share the authors voice with listeners and let others worry about editing and mastering.
Producers save over $100 an hour having a narrator work in a home studio. A 10-hour book takes about 20 hours to record on average and that’s not including editing, mastering and doing retakes. So a home studio can save a producer $2000 on a project. None of that money goes back to the actor, of course, and the producers don’t have to give it to the actors because they know that actors are always ready to work on any project at any time for any amount of money as long as they can get someone to cover their shift at the diner.
It’s also a negative because when a gifted narrator works with a gifted director like Paul Ruben or Robin Miles or Dan Hypes or Marc Avila or Zane Birdwell, magic is created — a wonderful collaborative effort to produce an exceptional audio experience that completely captures the author’s voice. I’m not saying that a great audio can’t or doesn’t happen in a solo effort – just that it’s more effort for the actor and the actor must be very good indeed to equal the collaborative efforts a fine studio and director are capable of.
MB: As audiobooks move from a physical edition created by a team of narrator plus a studio production team to a digital-only edition created by a smaller team or perhaps a solo narrator/producer, how do you see these changes impacting the decisions that must be made by librarians evaluating and selecting audiobooks for library patrons?
JH: I’m not sure that librarians will be impacted too much by the industry move toward home studios. They shouldn’t be – maybe if the audiobook production savings is passed on to the library it would make a difference but other than that — I don’t think it should matter.
If a library’s customers like books produced by Recorded Books, that’s what they should stick with. If a librarian has a choice to make between spending their ever-diminshing budget on some solo vs. studio produced audios, I would suggest they go with the ones that sound the best or carry the titles most likely to be circulated. I know that certain producers are great with libraries and certain producers aren’t. I really don’t think it should affect the library too much at all….unless one can hear that a given solo production is awful and a studio production is not. If an audio sounds bad – don’t buy it.
MB: Care to reflect on the impact of the impact of Audible’s Audiobook Creation Exchange or other possible major shifts in the industry that solo home recording or digital technology makes possible?
JH: I have a blog called “For the Hell of It” at www.abbreviatedaudio.com and all of my blogs have been written to make people laugh. I actually tried to teach/share as well as provide giggles in my last one which was about my experiences with ACX. I’m working on Part 2 of the blog now.
I don’t know yet what ACX will do – for the actor, author or the industry. I’ve heard great things and horrible things. I know it’s a chance to get audiobooks made of books that otherwise would not be available on the market but I believe that it my be a wee bit monopolistic and something in our American character distrusts that. However, everyone at ACX has been as pleasant and helpful as they can be thus far and they are trying very hard to get narrators to do projects. It would help if the rights holders to the available projects would respond to auditions but I believe ACX is working out the kinks. Time will tell if it’s a good thing of a huge horrible Amazonian creature prepared to swallow the world.
MB: Any other information that you feel is important for librarians to know about in relation to these topics?
JH: Here’s the thing. Libraries are where people must go to learn and read and grow. Especially in an economy like this. Librarians need to find the best audiobooks, the most audiooooks and at the best audiobook prices and that’s not an easy threesome to assemble. They should talk to fine people like Dave Wiley, Paula Roman and Craig Mears – and all their sales reps and see what they can do for each other. I know this: producers of audiobooks who market to libraries understand that budgets are being slashed. They also know how very important audiobooks are to libraries and the public they serve. I can’t imagine that reasonable trade cannot continue. I feel certain that AudioGo, EChristian, Recorded Books, Blackstone, Tantor, Audible, Hachette, Harpers…etc all want to provide – and do provide – great audiobooks and they all want to see their productions in libraries. Librarians need to remember how important they are to the audiobook industry and to the community at large. You are irreplaceable and far more appreciated than you know.
Thursday, January 5, 2012 7:23 am Audiobook publisher to pull out of OverDrive Posted by: Mary Burkey
BrillianceAudio will suspend all library purchase of titles as of January 31 through OverDrive. The message sent to OverDrive library partners stated that this move would not affect currently held Brilliance titles, but that libraries won’t be able to add copies at January 31. INFOdocket’s Gary Price muses that
Brilliance Sells Access to Titles via Audible, No Need To Lend
Amazon Will Add Some/All Brilliance Titles to the Their Amazon Prime Program
I am incredibly dismayed that the trend of publishers turning their back on established library patron access models has moved to the audiobook publishing field. I’ll be seeking more information from Brilliance, Amazon, Audible, and OverDrive. Stay posted for updates…
