“I remember it feeling odd and very cool to *hear* my books. I think audios are an amazing format–a wonderful variety of storytelling.” –Nora Roberts
Audio books have exploded in popularity. Consequently, more and more Romance books are now regularly offered in audio format– from best sellers to category romances to erotic romances [cue cheers and applause]. But you think selecting a book to READ is complicated? Well, selecting an audio book adds a whole ‘nuther layer of decisions and dilemmas! They ARE worth it, though. So in this three part series, I hope to make audio book procurement a little easier. The first two installments are for all you Aural Pleasure virgins. If you are already an audio book addict, feel free to jump in with your own voice of experience.
Aural Pleasures 101 – “Why” and “Where” to buy Audio Books
I’m addicted to aural pleasures and NEED them when I’m doing the type of work that allows me to set my brain on automatic pilot. I can sometimes take a month or two to finish one audio book because I save it for those “special” mind-numbing, boring tasks that I almost don’t even notice I’m doing if I’m listening to a good audio book. Road trips and commutes become bearable, almost enjoyable, thanks to audio books. If I was one of those creative, crafty people, I’d probably enjoy listening to a good book while making hand-knit willy warmers. My oldest niece, LissaNY, has three little kidlets and can’t spare a minute to read a print book, but she can find time to LISTEN to a book while doing other activities. Of course, for those with vision problems, audio books have always allowed the same escape the rest of us sought with print books.
I wonder whether book discussion groups find that playing audio passages of that month’s book selection adds interest to their discussions. As I’ll discuss in the next two installments, listening to a book in audio format can offer a different perspective to a story. Do any of you belong to a Book Club? Do you play audio books at your meetings?
My niece is lucky– her local library is tech-savvy, so all she has to do is download her choice of audio books then send it to her MP3 player. Most libraries DO have audio books on CD and cassette available, but my local library has a pretty skimpy selection. However, I recently discovered they’ve now signed up with NetLibrary for eBooks and eAudio Books, so I’ll have to investigate that avenue (just as soon as I remember where I put my library card, but don’t tell Wendy I said that, K?). In the meantime, I’m stuck paying for all of mine.
I’ve scored several books on CD and cassette from eBay. You may not always find the latest releases for the best prices there, but if you are trying to collect all the audio books for a favorite series, or you want cassettes instead of CDs, or you are looking for older releases, I highly recommend ebay. Just be sure to follow all the “buyer beware” precautions. And it’s a great place to sell off some of the audio books you no longer want to keep– then you’ll have extra bucks to buy even MORE audio books!
The two most recognizable producers of audio books are Brilliance Audio and Recorded Books. Brilliance sells downloadable audio books through AudioBookStandDL.com or on CD/cassette through AudioBookStand.com, along with Amazon, Borders, etc. Honestly, the download price for a Brilliance audio book is outrageous and makes no sense, so, unless I’m desperate, I buy the CDs. You can hear a sample of many of the audio books (usually an introduction followed by an actual sample) at either AudioBookStandDL.com or AudioBookStand.com. Be sure to sign up for AudioBookStand’s email list because they have regular clearance sales that will allow you to pick up popular audio books on CDs/cassettes for really great prices, and while you’re there, sign up for their reseller’s newsletter to find out about upcoming audio book releases. Amazon will usually have a pre-order sale price on the most popular audio books, and while Borders/Waldens sells them for full list price, a 30% off coupon (just Google “Border’s coupons”) will often get you within a buck or two of Amazon’s pre-order price. That’s it for my local choices in brick and mortar bookstores (I love my Waldens). I know there are other chains and independents out there, but I don’t know if you can do any better with their pricing or not.
If you want to splurge and download your Brilliance audio book from AudioBookStandDL.com, you will first need to download The Overdrive Media Console®, which manages your downloads, playback, and transfers to portable devices or CD.
No matter where you purchase Brilliance CDs, you can listen to them as you would a music CD, upload them to your PC for playback or, once they’ve been uploaded, you can then download them to your MP3 player (theoretically, ’cause I’ve never done it). The CDs are usually divided into 99 tracks, which sounds odd until the first time you need to replay a scene or sentence, then you’ll realize that, without those short tracks, hitting the back track button could send you all the way back to the beginning of the book.
For Recorded Books, the best place I’ve found to score their audio is through Audible.com. In fact, when you purchase a downloadable audio book from Amazon, you are re-directed to Audible (usually member pricing through Audible is a bit better than pricing through Amazon). I have to wonder, though, if Amazon’s recent acquisition of Brilliance Audio will change all that. In addition to Recorded Books selections, Audible also offers audio produced by Harlequin Enterprises, Virgin Books Limited, even A&E Television and many more. The first 5-10 minutes of every audio book can be sampled before buying.
The first thing you will encounter at Audible is their monthly pricing plan– one credit equals one audio book and you pay a minimum of $14.95 per month to download one audio book a month, or $22.95 for two books a month, etc. Well, that’s all fine and dandy if that’s what you want, but you can also do what I do– $9.95 per YEAR gives me the right to purchase any audio book at member pricing, which is significantly below list price. Watch for regular emailed special sales and stock up for even bigger savings.
You’ll first need to download the AudibleManager® software which allows you to download Audible audio to your computer, transfer audio from your computer to your mobile audio player, listen to Audible audio on your PC and manage audio on your mobile audio player. An additional software download is required to burn audio books to CD, and there are others that allow you to download audio books directly to your iPod. It’s all easy-peasy and non-techie (they even use pictures!) and they’ve got live phone support techs that actually know what they’re talking about (although I’ve only had to contact them once). Longer audio books will be downloaded in two or more parts– not a big deal unless you load up your MP3 player to take on a trip and forget to load part 2! [ACK!] Another nice feature at Audible is that you can purchase books on sale and just leave them in your Audible library until you’re ready to download them. In fact, you can re-download them whenever you want. Audible offers a listener rating system of 1-5 stars and listeners can also submit reviews. Gift certificates are available.
Although I’ve never purchased from anywhere else, note that there ARE several other sites that offer audio books for purchase. But whenever I come across one, a quick browse reveals that they don’t offer very extensive Romance sections. Still, it might be worth a Google or two to check them out. You can also buy or rent audio books directly from Recorded Books at bend-over-and-say-ouch prices.
I recently came across a site called On the Go Books which appears to work similar to NetFlix movies. You pay a monthly fee, place audio books on your rental list, and they mail you the next one on your list as soon as you return the previous one. Have any of you used On the Go or a similar service?
I’ve saved the best reason to “read” audio books for last. I don’t have time to do this too often, but sometimes ya just gotta grab a slice of Heaven here on Earth. A nice warm bath, a darkened room, maybe a few candles, and a good audio book. Now lie back, relax, and let the world go away while you soak. Reader Zen, I tell you! (And I find it quite easy to ignore the puppy-dog pleading look on my husband’s face as he repeatedly finds reasons to lurk.) I have the luxury of a whirlpool tub with an in-line heater so the water temp is maintained no matter how long I float away. If you don’t have that luxury, then you’re just going to have to muster enough energy to move your big toe and turn the hot water on every now and then (or you could just summon your personal bath slave). The last time I visited Reader Heaven, I ended up floating away for over 2.5 hours! But I walked (wobbled) out of there feeling as if I’d just spent a week lolling on a beach with not a care in the world. *sigh*
So why/when do you listen to audio books? Where have you obtained them?
Coming up:
Aural Pleasures 102 – “How” to Select an Audio Book – Come share your tips for selection
Aural Pleasures 103 – “What” Audio Books are Recommended – Get ready to share your recommendations
Read more from Bev at Cubie’s Confections.
I love audio books! My first was with “A Series of Unfortunate Events” and I haven’t looked back since.
Not to long ago I saw either a 60minutes or maybe it was the Sunday Morning show on CBS do a little thing on them and the readers are paid an absolute pittance and yet the success of being pulled into the story and loving the experience is mainly in their acting abilities and hands…or more specifically vocal chords.
Looking forward to this series 🙂
You know, I haven’t listened to an audio book since I was a kid and it was one of those Read Along books…you know, turn the page at the chime…LOL. I can see the benefits of them though and might have to try one soon.
Some instructions on how to get your audio books onto your MP3 player can be found here. I managed to get All Through the Night onto my iPod so they aren’t too hard to follow. 😉
Tilly, YEAH! Another Aural Pleasures addict! I totally agree with you- the narrator can make or break an audio book. In fact, you’ll see I devote a lot of “ink” to the narrator in parts 2 and 3 of this series. Please come back and chime in with your voice of experience!
Jennifer– LMAO. I forgot about those, but you are right. Technically, they ARE audio books, aren’t they? LOL
C2, thanks for the linkie. The only ones I’ve downloaded to my MP3 player are Audible audio books. And the AudibleManager handles it all automatically. All I have to do is plug it in, and the Manager does everything else. But I’m hanging on to your link in case I ever want to download from one of my uploaded audio books on CD.
I love audio books! Actually it was an audio book that got me turned on to reading romance. I went on a two week road trip for a family reunion this last summer all by myself and grabbed a bunch of audio books from the library to help me through the boredom. I just happen to grab a Tami Hoag book and fell in love with the romance part of her story. I like to listen now every once in a while for a change of pace or if I want to be a vegetable and do nothing. I thought you have to pay full price for one if you download from itunes, no?
LissaNY, the niece here. I LOVE audiobooks. I have three young kids and a husband that works from home, so time to actually read anything is next-to-none (I have had Bloodfever by Karen Moning sitting here for two weeks, and I am still on page 2!) But audiobooks, ah-haa. While I am cleaning, while I am driving (only so much kids’ stuff can one woman take), while painting the house (restoring an old house), and yes, while knitting and crocheting.
I loved those little record/book combos when I was a kid, and when I was about 19, I worked for a real estate appraiser which involved hours and hours of driving around rural areas. My first audiobook was one of the Mrs. Pollifax books read by Barbara Rosenblatt, and from there I was hooked. I am very rarely without a book on my MP3 player. I usually get them from the local library system audiobook collection, but as a resident of NY, I also have access to the online NY State library, which has a TON of stuff. And if I can’t download it from there, I get the CD or cassette from the library system.
Not only am I addicted, but my husband now is also, as are my kids. We live in a rural area, and it takes 45 minutes to get to grocery shopping. I put in an audiobook for the kids, and they are happy. It is also great for the kids to hear an “expert” reading to them. My son is 6 years old and in 1st grade, and he is already reading at a 4th grade reading level. His teacher thinks that the audiobooks are part of it. I can’t tell you how many friends that I have addicted to them also. Hook them up with the Merry Gentry series, and they are forever after with earphones in.
I have my favorite narrators, genres and opinions about what to look (out) for. I’ll chime in when BevQB gets to that topic. Thanks!
oh wow, talk about good timing. lol. I was just blogging about audiobooks this evening. I’m a long-time addict from back in the days when I lived in a remote jungle village in Indonesia (long story but basically my folks worked out there so that’s where I grew up). We had no TV or electricity but we did have books and we did have books on tape. Hours and hours of entertainment! Similarly, when I was living in Africa (peace corps), a friend passed along a HUGE collection of mp3 audiobooks burned on CD. I think that lasted me for almost an entire year. oh the joy!
I used to check out books on tape from my local library but since CDs became the defacto format, I’ve noticed that their selection of romance novels isn’t as robust. To my great joy, my library recently started offering free audiobook downloads that I can access from home. I’m loving the convenience! Too bad the selection sucks. But that has to change in time, right?
A good narrator really does make all of the difference. Barbara Rosenblat reading the Amelia Peabody books…what a treat that is! Actually, she does a bang-up job of every book she’s read (that I’ve listened to anyways). I doubt that I would have enjoyed Judith Ivory’s book “Beast” half as much had I read it the conventional way, but Rosenblat’s narration made it really come alive.
Looking forward to reading more on this topic. And now I’m off to bed and my audiobook. Tonight it is a Nora Roberts. 🙂
Being totally blind, I’ve always relied on audiobooks. In fact, listening is how I read at the moment, though most of the time it’s a speech synthesizer reading to me.
I’m not all that familliar with commercial audio sites, though, except for Audible, which I love, so thanks for the post!
madame butterfly said:
I’ve never downloaded from itunes, but if they are charging full price, I’d say look elsewhere. You should be able to find lower prices for the same audio books at the places I mention above.
Hee-hee, yes, I was the one that got LissaNY hooked on LKH’s Merry Gentry series. She, of course, has now sworn her eternal gratitude to me. *snort*
And LissaNY and Sula– it’s funny you mention Barbara Rossenblatt because she’s the reason for my top rec in Aural Pleasures 103!
Shannon, a speech synthesizer reads The Good, the Bad, and the Unread to you? Wherever did you find the add-on for Sybil to English translations?! (hee-hee)
There is definitely an art to translating Sybilish. Sometimes I have to sit there and stare at the phrase/word for a few minutes thinking, “If I were Sybil, what would I be trying to say here?” Cracks me up.
Bev – we should publish a Sybilish-to-English dictionary. That would crack me up no end.
*smacks forehead*
There’s the key right there–
Yeah, from now on, let’s start jotting down Sybilisms. It “prolly” won’t “beez” long before we have enough for a pretty weighty tome.