Audiobook Month and Playaways
I just found out that June is Audiobook Month. I had no idea there was any such thing as "Audiobook Month" but when Bruce Coville and David Lubar tell you June is the month where we celebrate audiobooks, I'm inclined to believe it.
It just so happens that next week marks the launch on my first audiobook ever. It's for Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto and I've been listening to an advance copy of it for a few days now. I will admit it's been interesting hearing an actor's interpretation of something I've written. It's great to hear the parts he's brought out the humor that until now I've only read on the page or "heard" in my head. It's also a little painful to hear the names I've always pronounced one way come out in another.
Overall, AWESOME experience though. Thank you to all the enthusiastic people at Brilliance Audio and thank you to the most talented narrator, Nick Podehl.
One aspect of audiobooks I'd like to talk about is the Playaway. A Playaway is a personal mp3 player that contains one single book on it. It's a great little piece of technology and something we need in this industry. Here is what one of these contraptions looks like:
Isn't that a nifty looking sucker? The reason the Playaway is important to our industry might not immediately be obvious...
There are plenty of people who do not have access to a computer in their home. Or they cannot afford a CD player or their own mp3 player. Access to a computer at the library might be nice for doing a research project or for checking email, but it's useless when it comes to storing your audio library. That is where the Playaway comes in. It fills an important gap in bringing literature to people, particularly young people.
Some kids are auditory learners. Some kids are dyslexic and cannot easily read a book. Some kids just love to go to sleep listening to a comforting or reassuring voice. Imagine being able to browse a shelf in your public library, choosing a Playaway, plugging in your headphones and listening to the book you've been dying to read. Simply awesome.
When I was at Book Expo America last week (stay tuned for some awesome photos and the rundown) I had a chance to chat with the people of the Playaway company and they are so enthusiastic about their mission... and quite an important mission it is. Thank you.
It just so happens that next week marks the launch on my first audiobook ever. It's for Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto and I've been listening to an advance copy of it for a few days now. I will admit it's been interesting hearing an actor's interpretation of something I've written. It's great to hear the parts he's brought out the humor that until now I've only read on the page or "heard" in my head. It's also a little painful to hear the names I've always pronounced one way come out in another.
Overall, AWESOME experience though. Thank you to all the enthusiastic people at Brilliance Audio and thank you to the most talented narrator, Nick Podehl.
One aspect of audiobooks I'd like to talk about is the Playaway. A Playaway is a personal mp3 player that contains one single book on it. It's a great little piece of technology and something we need in this industry. Here is what one of these contraptions looks like:
Isn't that a nifty looking sucker? The reason the Playaway is important to our industry might not immediately be obvious...
There are plenty of people who do not have access to a computer in their home. Or they cannot afford a CD player or their own mp3 player. Access to a computer at the library might be nice for doing a research project or for checking email, but it's useless when it comes to storing your audio library. That is where the Playaway comes in. It fills an important gap in bringing literature to people, particularly young people.
Some kids are auditory learners. Some kids are dyslexic and cannot easily read a book. Some kids just love to go to sleep listening to a comforting or reassuring voice. Imagine being able to browse a shelf in your public library, choosing a Playaway, plugging in your headphones and listening to the book you've been dying to read. Simply awesome.
When I was at Book Expo America last week (stay tuned for some awesome photos and the rundown) I had a chance to chat with the people of the Playaway company and they are so enthusiastic about their mission... and quite an important mission it is. Thank you.