Since childhood, I have preferred read-aloud options for storytelling. The cozy closeness of loved ones reading to me is one of my favorite memories. Reading aloud to my students, children, and grandchildren has been a highlight of my career and parenting. Perhaps I am a bit of an audiophile, or my eyes tire easily. Whatever the reason, when a book is suggested to me, I automatically ask if it’s available on audio. My friends know how to entice me with, “It’s available on audio.”
From the beginning of my self-publishing journey, I committed to making all my manuscripts, both fiction and non-fiction, available in whatever form possible. Readers have their preferences, and I did not want to exclude anyone. Sure, there was a learning curve to producing an audiobook, but it was not that much more complicated than learning how to self-publish. Ten books later, I am delighted to say that all but one have become audiobooks.
Now that I have some experience and success as a published author, I love to encourage new writers along their paths. For many, it feels daunting to consider an audiobook when they are inundated with a hundred or more suggestions for how to best reach readers. I have been asked often by fellow writers, “Why do I want to do this?”
Let’s dive into the reasons I advocate for audiobooks. As an educator, I understand that auditory comprehension is higher in children than reading comprehension. Combine the two (audio and visual), and a reader instantly has higher fluency, ability to pronounce unfamiliar words, and overall comprehension. Although I have no quantitative proof, I believe it may also be true for adults.
1. Audiobooks make books more accessible to people with reading challenges, such as visual impairments, dyslexia, and learning challenges.
2. Audiobooks allow people the ability to listen to books on portable devices. They are not bulky and take up minimal space.
3. Audiobooks allow people to multitask and get more done while still enjoying books. Audiobooks allow people to listen to books while they are doing activities such as driving, exercising, or doing household chores.
4. Audiobooks can bring books to life with professional narration, sound effects, and music, making the listening experience more engaging and immersive.
5. Audiobooks are increasingly popular, with sales growing rapidly in recent years, making it a potentially lucrative market for authors.
6. My favorite reason for creating audiobooks is that, unlike conventionally published books, never once has an audiobook fallen on my face when I fall asleep.
Less than a decade has passed since I published my first audiobook, and already, my audiobooks account for a third of my total book sales. What a powerful commitment to your readership to upload an audiobook and hear the title of your book, your name, and “Read to you by the author.”
