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The Growing Audiobook Bug

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The Growing Audiobook Bug

Dawn Brookes author

The audiobook market is growing rapidly, and in many genres audiobooks and eBooks are putting the squeeze on printed books. 

In this post, author, Dawn Brookes discusses the growth in popularity of audiobooks and argues its no longer a niche market for any one age group and not gender specific.

Some of the bestselling genres at the end of 2018:

  • Romance
  • Literature & Fiction
  • Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
  • Science Fiction & Fantasy
  • Teens

eBooks now have by far the biggest market share in these top genres e.g. 95% in Romance and 78% in Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, but audiobooks also outsold print in the last three months of 2018 in all of these categories except for Teens. 

In categories where eBooks don’t do as well as print books such as Medical books, self-help and business, audiobooks were on a par or had a bigger market share than print.

Print’s Not Dead

Print still rocks in children’s books, education & teaching, crafts, hobbies & home, art & photography and textbooks.

Print also has an equal market share to eBooks and audiobooks across many genres outside of the top ten bestsellers.

Who is listening to audiobooks?

Originally, audiobooks were listened to via tape and CD, often by those with sight problems, but there is growing evidence that the market is now so much wider.

The market includes people sitting in cars or public transport on long commutes? I had a reviewer saying they listened to one of my published audiobooks while jogging! Many people now listen to audiobooks while doing other things and in our multi-tasking, modern world, for some, audiobooks take the place of television.

Both men and women are listening to audiobooks and the trend appears to be catching on among the younger generation too.

Where do people obtain audiobooks?

A few years ago audio CDs came and went (not quite but you know what I mean) – I don’t think the CD audiobook market ever quite caught on. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe it did for a while and don’t get me wrong I don’t think CDs have disappeared forever yet – remember vinyls? They are back.

Audiobooks are now mainly obtained as digital downloads to a phone, tablet, laptop etc. I listen to mine on my phone or through Alexa! 

The obvious big players are Amazon and iTunes. Amazon sell via Audible and one of the main advantages is that if you listen to a lot of books you get a free audiobook initially and then heavily discounted audiobooks and one free download per month for a monthly subscription. The free audiobook trial gives you the chance to decide whether audiobooks are for you and you can cancel before the month is out if they are not.

Whispersync on Amazon gives you the opportunity to buy the audiobook version at a hugely reduced price when you buy a Kindle book, a bonus if you listen to a lot because audiobooks are expensive outside of subscriptions.

Although Audible is an Amazon company, there are other platforms where you can purchase audiobooks such as iTunes. If you are not someone who would listen to a bucketload of books then buy from whichever platform you want to as audiobooks are available from a whole lot of places and they are not all digital:

Remember you can borrow audiobooks from libraries too!

The Future audiobooks?

Judging by the change in market share from print to audiobooks in some of the top genres, and the higher market share in non-fiction, it is a growing market that has by no means peaked.  

Some authors have been slow to catch on to this growing market trend with part of this being due to the costs of audiobook production and initially returns were slow. This trend is changing and as more authors enter the market, although the competition will be fiercer, more choice is likely to improve the listener’s experience resulting in more subscribers.

Over to You!

Rachel Prince Mysteries
Authors Need to Make Audiobooks Available to engage more readers

Do you listen to, or even like audiobooks? Have you ever listened to an audiobook?

We would love to hear back from you to find out more about audiobook listeners. Are you among this growing market and if so, why? 

Love them or hate them – they are here to stay. Comments welcome.

Rebranding – Why, When & How?

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Kate Frost, author

Kate Frost explains how she came to the decision to rebrand an already published book, the process she went through and the results. This article highlights the freedom that Indie authors have in terms of being in charge of their own destiny and the learning processes required to make a success of it.

REBRANDING – WHY, WHEN AND HOW?

There are many reasons why I love being an Indie author. The freedom to create without restriction and connecting directly with readers being the main ones. Recently however, the ability to rethink, change and re-develop an existing book and series has made me realise how lucky we are as self-publishers that we have the flexibility to change our mind… 

The Baobab Beach Retreat was published in 2017 as a second book in a series, although I always intended it to be read as a standalone novel too, because it’s very different to the book that preceded it. But that’s where the problem lies – it is different. Whereas Beneath the Apple Blossom is contemporary women’s fiction with emotional themes of infertility, miscarriage and loss woven into the story, The Baobab Beach Retreat is most definitely a romance, with an exotic Tanzania and Zanzibar location far removed from the Bristol, Bath and Cheltenham-set first book. 

Any promotion I attempted fell flat because readers just weren’t tempted by a second book that didn’t visually appeal or let them immediately know the genre. And yet, the few people who did take a chance on The Baobab Beach Retreat loved it. But that was no good if I couldn’t entice readers to give it a go in the first place. 

A review by TripFiction cemented what I already knew, in particular this paragraph: 

“I enjoyed this book for all kinds of reasons and it is just as good as other romance novels I have read that grace the booksellers’ tables. For me, however, the cover is really unprepossessing – it is sand-coloured and therefore reflects the kind of setting but the genre just doesn’t come across. The yellow ochre colour is on the dull side and just didn’t entice me to pick up the book, yet the content is definitely worth reading.”

That was my light bulb moment and I had a complete rethink, finally deciding on not only a brand new cover, but totally rebranding it as a first book in a completely new standalone foreign-set romantic escape series. Although the process has been relatively straightforward and I’m certain that I’ve made the right decision creatively and financially, there was a lot to think about, along with the pros and cons of rebranding. 

CONS

  • It cost me money as I had to pay my cover designer again to redo the cover. 
  • It took a surprising amount of time to update the back matter, replace old covers with the new one, update my website and book pages amongst many other things.
  • Because I’d published a paperback under a series name I had to completely un-publish it and then republish it with a new ISBN and series title. 
  • The old cover will forever remain associated with the book on places like Goodreads, and although it’s unavailable for sale, the paperback linked to the old ISBN can still be found online. 

PROS

  • The cover now reflects the genre beautifully. 
  • It’s easier to market and to promote to romance readers.
  • I’m now able to create a whole new series of standalone books themed around the idea of romantic escapes – readers love series and like more of the same. Although each book will feature new characters and destinations, the underlying theme of romance and escaping real life will remain. 

Back to the idea of freedom as an Indie author, if something’s not working you can change it and it doesn’t matter if it’s months or even years after you first published. The more books I write, the more I’m learning about what works (and what doesn’t!) and I’m adapting things as I go. 

Last month I did the first promotion since the revamp and I got nearly 6,000 free downloads, subsequent sales, page reads, a couple of reviews and new signups to my newsletter, so yes, it’s been worth rebranding and it’s definitely made a difference already. But I’m back to having just one book in a series. The hard work begins now, building the new series and brand by writing and publishing the next few books that will take readers on a romantic escape.  

Kate will have copies of The Baobab Beach Retreat when she joins us at the Oakwood Literature Festival on 18th May. Look out for it, and her. Over to you – what do you think of Kate’s rebrand?

How Ghostwriting Helps You Become a Better Writer

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John Lynch gives us a glimpse into his ghostwriting career, and discusses how he believes it has made him a better writer. John believes ghost writing helps writers focus and deals with procrastination.

John will be running a Ghost Writing workshop at the Oakwood Literature Festival on 18th May. Tickets are FREE but limited, Book Now!

I’m a ghost writer. I also publish contemporary fiction and historical fiction in my own name, but I write every day, seven days a week, and 70% of what I write will eventually be published with someone else’s name on it. That’s what being a ghost writer means.

Why Ghost Write?

Why do I do it? I’m asked that question a lot and it’s usually accompanied by surprise that I don’t want all the money and glory that people assume goes with being a writer. Well, it’s true that ghost writers don’t get invited to book signings and they aren’t interviewed by the glossy Sunday supplements. But nor are 99% of those who publish under their own name. The money idea is just plain wrong, because I’m established enough that I only work for publishers and film companies and they pay me the same advance that they’d pay an established writer. I don’t get any more than that – but, once again, nor do 99% of those who publish under their own name. Very few publishers’ advances are “earned out”.

The books I ghost write take me less time than what I think of as “my” stuff. I might finish a ghost written book in six weeks and I’ve never had any complaints.

Improves Writing Skills

The great thing about ghost writing is that it makes you a better writer. You’ll never hear a ghost writer talking about writer’s block because the deadlines we work to don’t allow it. I’ve ghost written contemporary fiction, historical fiction, police procedurals, romance fiction (yes, I have, and I’m very good at it) and non-fiction. Something all writers learn is that you’ve never learned how to write your next book – all you’ve learned is how to write the books you’ve finished. All kinds of problems emerge when you’re writing fiction. What happens next? How can I get from where I am to where this book needs to be? How can I inject some conflict into this story? (Because, if fiction has no conflict in it, it won’t sell). How do I show what this character is like without just telling the reader? (Because a writer who hasn’t learned how to show instead of telling is still an apprentice).

You come up against those problems (and more) every time you sit down to write a book. And the great thing about having a deadline that you simply can’t miss is that you can’t sit around being moodily artistic. You have to solve the problem, you have to do it now, and when you’ve done that you will know how to solve it next time. And there will be a next time.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt in my mind – I’ve become much better at writing my own fiction as a result of the sixty plus books I’ve written for other people. And some of those other people don’t actually exist. That’s why publishers use people like me – because they find authors a nuisance and they’d rather do without us.

As well as ghost writing, John Lynch is author of the James Blakiston Series.

Over to You!

What do you think?

From London Book Fair to Oakwood LitFest

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Author, Wendy H. Jones describes her thoughts and observations from this year’s London Book Fair and her frantically busy schedule leading up to the Oakwood Literature Festival in May.

It’s been a whirlwind time for this author recently. Many people think that we authors sit in our writing rooms and pen beautiful words every day. Whilst that is true, we do sit in our offices and write most days, I’ve found out there’s a lot more to it than that. We do seem to spend an inordinate amount of time at festivals and various book events.

I seem to be attending several conferences all in the space of a few weeks. These are all different and yet all very much needed, both for authors and readers.

By far the largest of these in the UK is the London Book Fair. Taking place in March in Olympia Exhibition Centre in London, it was packed head to toe with exhibitors. Publishers, agents and writers from every possible corner of the globe were there. The first time I attended, three years ago, I was like a rabbit caught in headlights, not knowing where to go next. The frenetic pace wore me out as I tried to go everywhere and do everything. By the second year I had a better idea of what to do and how to network. This year I was a pro, meaning I could relax and make the most of LBF. 

Three Hats!

Whilst this is an industry, rather than a writers or readers, event, it nevertheless has an impact. Writers block, in Author HQ, is where all those who support writers hang out. I was wearing three hats – I was there as the Secretary of the Society of Authors helping them on their stand. Next as an Alliance of Independent Authors member, helping out on their stand. I was also there as myself, giving back and soaking up the industry. 

Knowing the industry well is crucial in the modern publishing world. No longer can we hide in a garret and dip our quills in ink. The modern publishing industry is changing so quickly that we need to keep up. London Book Fair helps us to do that, through meetings and discussions either formally or over coffee. The buzz and the vibrancy is exhilarating and inspiring. I left feeling inspired to write and to ensure I brought my books out in all the different formats. I had discussions about foreign rights, met with my publishers and discussed soft toys and colouring books for my picture books. 

Scottish Association of Writers

I was still on cloud nine the following week when the next conference hit. Which was a good job because, this was the Scottish Association of Writers Conference and, as president, I was running it. This was a completely different conference as it was just for writers. However, it still had the same vibe and everyone left feeling inspired to write. I had a blast. 

Literature Festivals

This brings me to festivals which are first and foremost for readers, like Oakwood Literature Festival. I was honoured to be invited to take part this year as, what we do as writers is one hundred percent for our readers. Meeting those readers and providing a space for them to meet authors Is vital. I love it when I can spend time talking all things books with readers, so I can’t wait for the festival. It may have a completely different vibe but it will be the best one yet.

Wendy H Jones is the Amazon Number 1 best-selling author of the award winning DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Her Young Adult Mystery, The Dagger’s Curse was a finalist in the Woman Alive Readers Choice Award. She is also The President of the Scottish Association of Writers, an international public speaker, and runs conferences and workshops on writing, motivation and marketing. Wendy is the founder of Crime at the Castle, Scotland’s newest Crime Festival. She is the editor of a Lent Book, published by the Association of Christian Writers and also the editor of the forthcoming Christmas Anthology form the same publisher. Her first children’s book, Bertie the Buffalo, was released in December 2018.

What do small litfests offer that big ones don’t?

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Debbie Young discusses why small literature festivals such as the Oakwood Literature Festival can add to the spice of life!

Small independent local litfests are currently in vogue, with more popping up around the country like daisies on an English lawn in spring. And, like daisies, although they’re commonplace, they’re charming in their own way. 

Daisy

“But,” I hear you cry, “how can they compete with long-established giants in the festival world such as Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Hay and Derby?”

Little litfests may not be able to command big-name bestseller speakers – but the thing is, they’re not competing with the big commercial ones that need the big names to pull in the crowds. They are offering something different that you just don’t get at big events. The following list of points applies to the Hawkesbury Upton Lit Fest (HULF), which I set up in my home village five years ago, and I’m sure it will apply to Oakwood too.

  1. They’re run by authors who put writers and readers at the heart of the event, rather than publishers and commercial interests.
  2. Each one offers a different crop of writers – not the same old, same old list of celebrities on the circuit, many of whom will have first achieved fame not through their writing but through other means.
  3. They support, encourage and showcase home-grown talent, offering local authors the chance to build confidence and experience on their home turf before progressing to greater things.
  4. They take place in a small, compact spaces, often condensed into a single day, which makes them accessible and manageable for visitors.
  5. The speakers are game for conversation with visitors, rather than being closeted away in a green room and escorted by minders to and from their events. They positively enjoy the opportunity to engage with readers, hanging out in the café and bookshop between gigs, chatting to visitors like old friends. (A favourite comment from a visitor to HULF: “This is a great way to discover authors you’ve never heard of.”)
  6. Because venues tend to be small and intimate– think village hall rather than city-centre theatre – the atmosphere is more democratic and inclusive, so the audience speaks out more confidently during Q&A sessions. (Another favourite comment from an audience member after a particularly lively Q&A at HULF: “You’d never get this at Cheltenham. You wouldn’t dare!”)
  7. And if that’s not enough to persuade you, compare and contrast the costs. Taking the family or even just yourself to a big litfest will cost you plenty of money – ticket costs, travel, parking, refreshments, plus the inevitable book purchase. Most small litfests, including HULF and Oakwood, offer free admission, leaving you more to spend on books and refreshments. 
Dawn Brookes, Debbie Young

So what’s not to love about a small local litfest? If one springs up near you, make sure you support it – then watch it grow. You’ll be glad you did.

Debbie Young writes cosy mystery novels and themed collections of short stories. She is UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors and a member of the Society of Authors and of the Romantic Novelists Association. She runs the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival and is also an ambassador for the children’s reading charity Read for Good. She lives in a house full of books in a cottage in the Cotswolds, when not off seeking inspiration for her writing in the family camper van. For more information, visit her author website, www.authordebbieyoung.com.

From Idea to Launch: What it Takes to Publish a Novel

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Dawn Brookes author
Dawn Brookes, author of cosy mysteries & nurse memoir series.

Dawn Brookes provides us with an insight into what it takes to write and publish a book. Here, she shares the process she goes through when creating a book for her cosy mystery series.


Introduction

When I published my first memoir, I didn’t use any planning or processing. I wrote when I could, and stuttered and stumbled my way to market! Since taking the steps necessary to reinvent myself as an author, I have learned to treat my work with the respect it deserves, and as I now need to earn a living from my writing, I also treat it as a business.

All authors are different, and what works for me may not work for someone else.

This post provides a brief outline of how I currently move from book idea to publication and launch.

Deadlines

Author deadlines

I set myself deadlines because I have always worked better that way. By nature I’m a last minute Jack so adhering to deadlines keeps me productive.

Writing

I am presently writing a series which makes the writing process a little bit easier as I already have the main characters and the primary location (a cruise ship). However, new characters and locations are introduced into each book. 

I can’t go into detail about my writing process in this post, but I find I’m most productive in the mornings so I work better if I do most of my writing then. I tend to write from 9am-midday and aim for 2,000-3,000 words by lunchtime. I may continue writing in the afternoon if I’m in the flow or trying to meet a deadline, otherwise I move on to other aspects of my author business e.g. marketing.

I try to take two days off a week, but I probably work harder now than I have ever worked! That said, I love what I’m doing so it’s no hardship.

Plot Development

I start off with an initial idea and usually a book title. Next, I just write and allow the creative process to take over. I usually have a murder victim and perpetrator loosely formed, but these can change as the book progresses. For my first two novels, the murderer changed as the plot developed and wasn’t finally decided until near the end. My reasoning being, if I can’t guess who the murderer is, neither can the reader!

Plot development

Once I have the first few chapters down, and have introduced and started to develop new and established characters, I map out the chapters more formally. I use tables and drawings with flowcharts to assist with this stage. I list my characters and their descriptions, adding information about where they fit into the overall story on a spreadsheet.

The first draft is finished at around 63,000. Standard book lengths is a topic for another day.

eBook Cover

At this stage, I contact my cover designer, explain the plot, characters and ideas and request an eBook cover. We discuss the concept and design at this stage. These covers follow a branding that has been developed for the current series, making them recognisable.

Early Edits

After an initial spellcheck, I do the first round edit of the draft using an editing software programme that helps sort out grammatical errors, word over-usage and other cool things.

I then print off a paper copy and do a read-through, correcting any plot inconsistencies, flow problems and radically delete verbiage. 

Beta Readers

Beta readers are a vital part of the author’s toolkit as they are dedicated to helping the author produce the best book possible.

The draft wings its way to my beta readers who kindly read it and check for readability, plot errors, and any other errors or inconsistencies they can spot. Their suggestions and corrections lead on to my own third edit.

Editor

After this, the manuscript goes to my paid editor who does a line edit and returns the manuscript for correction and checking. I then go through it again, approving corrections where required and clarifying the text where errors have been pointed out.

Having an editor go through my work is vital because the manuscript is critically examined objectively.

Preorder

Whilst this process is taking place, I make the eBook available on preorder so that pre-launch orders can be purchased. The initial marketing blurb has to accompany the preorder.

Not all authors use preorders, some choose to go for a big launch, particularly if they have a large list of fans waiting for their next book. As a relatively new author, I find pre-orders invaluable.

Proofread, ARCs

The manuscript is sent back to my editor for a final proofread and sometimes to a separate proofreader. In addition to this Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) are sent to readers who will offer comments and volunteer to review the book during the launch period.

Formatting

On receipt of the final manuscript, the book is formatted for print and eBook (Kindle in my case). Print files are different from Mobi (kindle) files and therefore have to be formatted differently with some similarities.

Print Cover

As the final page numbers are now known, I get back to my cover designer who will produce a ‘print ready’ PDF file for a paperback version of the book. I provide the blurb, the barcode and the ISBN number that goes on the rear.

Final Read Through

I do one final read through myself, and try to read it out loud as minor errors come to light by reading it in this way. I also get to see if it will stand up to audiobook scrutiny as all my books are also produced as audiobooks. 

NB. I had to make some serious changes to the first novel to make it right for audio!

Amazon

The final Mobi file is uploaded to Amazon ready for launch day. Other authors may also upload to other sellers e.g. Kobo, Apple.

The print version is created and uploaded onto Amazon. Print copies are ordered from my printer after viewing a proof copy. These books are what I sell at book fairs etc.

Marketing

I could have the best book in the world but if no-one sees it, it’s all for nothing! The majority of traditionally published authors sell around 3,000 books during its lifetime! For self-published authors, print book sales are around 250 it its lifetime. The eBook market is different, though, and the majority of self-published authors make their sales in this market. 

Marketing starts early on in the writing process and is the area that most authors find difficult initially. It’s a vital part of an author’s business, though so it has to be mastered. If marketing fails, the book fails.

Conclusion

This is a brief outline of what it takes to write and self-publish a book. Remember that within each step there is a huge amount of detail and work, the contents of which would be a book in itself.

Over to You

Dawn Brookes is author of the bestselling Hurry up Nurse series of memoirs and she also writes children’s books. This article describes Dawn’s workflow to publishing a book in her Rachel Prince cosy mystery series.

Authors: Any tips to add?

Readers: Let us know what you think of this article

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