Audible Experiences

Now having three books out on Amazon Audible and two more in the works, I've taken some time to examine the process and the venue. I realize that each person's experience will differ, but we can certainly learn from one another. For example, an author posted on a Facebook page for writers that her audibles far out-sold her other books. That has not been my experience, but I can still see the potential. I certainly love listening to them when I do my daily exercise, travel for a distance, or do menial tasks.


Of the five producers I've worked with so far, two have been female and three male. I try to choose a voice where the age and gender are based on the predominate main character in the book. In general, I've found the women to prove more conscientious and reliable so far, but this is probably because the men are more likely to have other pressing commitments at the same time. However, I've had listeners tell me they prefer to listen to a male voice. Regardless, many of the audiobooks I listen to are narrated by women, and I wonder if those authors have had similar experiences.


When we were producing my first audible, I only worked on With Summer's Songs. However after I found a narrator for Promise and it was progressing, I started Peace, the second book in the Farmer's series. Those two are now finished, and we're working on Pardon, the last book in the Farmer's trilogy and When Winter Is Past, a historical novel set in colonial Pennsylvania that has a slight connection to With Summer's Songs. I've found that I can handle two books at once but more than that becomes too burdensome. That's because I listen to each chapter and then relisten if there's needed corrections, and all this is time-consuming. 

Although producing audibles can have its headaches at times, it also holds satisfaction and joy. I think the market for audibles will continue to mushroom. Many of the younger generations prefer listening over reading, and this will likely only increase with time. My books are already in print and e-versions, and this gives my fans and potential fans one more option. 

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