A fellow self-published author is preparing to produce a couple of her books in audiobook format, and one of my editing/publicity clients has already taken that step with two of hers. I really didn't think it would be an option for me at this point, but I'm learning of ways that I could possibly make this work via ACX - to get Forget Me Not and Bleeding Heart made into audiobooks. I have to admit, I'm excited at the thought! An author's dream come true. :)
The thing is, I need to have an idea beforehand that readers would be interested - that there would be a place for my audiobooks and a certain level of demand for them.
So here are my quick questions of the day:
- Do you listen to audiobooks? If so, which types of stories are your favorite in that format?
- Would you like to see "The Heart's Spring" series in audiobook format?
- If Forget Me Not and Bleeding Heart were made into audiobooks, would you buy them for yourself or a friend, or help spread the word about them in some way?
Thank you in advance for any feedback!
I've tried a couple of times with audio books, but just never really connected. I know a lot of people who love it, because they can multi task (or have a long commute), but even my favorite books I find it hard to listen on audio! Hope that helps! :)
ReplyDeleteI understand, Jamie! I really loved the audio version of Legend by Marie Lu, so after my experience with that I wanted to find another to equally enthrall me. But Insurgent on audio never fully captured my interest, and I tried starting Unearthly, which had an interesting beginning, but I jut haven't gotten around to finishing it. :\ Then there was The Heist Society that I bought on CD for a road trip - enjoyed what I heard, but again, haven't finished. I even bought the sequel to Legend (Prodigy) - started it, and haven't finished...
DeleteOn the one hand, I'm glad to have these around for those times that they can come in handy (like road trips and such), but yeah, it's hard in "everyday" life to make time for them!
Thanks so much for your feedback. :)
~Amber
I've never tried audio books, it has never "sounded" tempting to me! I like books b/c I love to read--not to be read to. I know people who like the kindles that have text to speech option so they can iron, do the dishes, etc. I have a Kindle Fire so again, I have no experience with this option. Plus, if I'm not reading along, in part, I don't listen very well and then I have to stop & rewind, stop & rewind - like with my preacher's sermons! Hope that helps some.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Bleeding Heart or Forget Me Not b/c I hate reading a series before all of the books are out, but I'm not sure I can wait anymore! Especially after the Forget Me Not blog tour!
kam110476,
DeleteThat's a great point: "I like books b/c I love to read - not to be read to." It is a very different experience to have someone read to you vs. reading something yourself! And while I do enjoy being read to on occasion (and I grew up having my mom read to me :)), there's just something more exciting and personal about reading something to yourself.
I have the basic Kindle, so I don't have the text to speech option either... I'm surprised the Kindle Fire doesn't have that! Interesting. And that's another great point - if you get distracted, you can't just reread some lines, you have to rewind and try to find the spot you got lost.
Thank you very much for your helpful feedback! And I'm so thrilled you're eager to read Forget Me Not and Bleeding Heart. :) The third book (Morning Glory) probably won't be out until July or August... But the most closely interconnected stories are FMN and BH (unless something pops up when I'm writing MG that surprises me, LOL). MG will continue with one secondary character's storyline, but each book has its own "happy ending," so there aren't any real cliffhangers or anything like that. :) Jeannie over at "The Character Therapist" posted about the differences between trilogies and three-deckers today:
Trilogies vs. Three-Deckers
"The Heart's Spring" is definitely a trilogy, where each book focuses on different characters and has its own satisfactory ending. So if you want to read FMN and BH now (I'd recommend starting with FMN, as it's the first book in the series chronologically), I don't think the wait will for Book 3 will be overly frustrating! ;)
Thanks again for your interest, and I apologize for the really long response!
~Amber