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Audio Books
The other day I found this website that offers free downloads of audio books. Not an amazing catalog, but there’s some Nietzsche and a little Jane Austen.
I thought some folks might be interested, so I was going to post this as a little snippet post. But then, right before I pressed the publish button, I got to thinking about audio books.
How many people listen to audio books? How come indie publishers don’t do audio books? In our iPod frenzied times, I’d think there would be a huge market for that sort of thing – and it couldn’t be all too difficult or expensive to do, could it?
I mean, wouldn’t it be cool if I could go to PGP, pay a few bucks, and download a copy of A Jello Horse read by the author?
Or — even better/kookier, what if indie publishers asked authors to do author commentary, like director commentary on dvds? The author could walk through the book and talk about each section or something.
I don’t know. I’m just thinking with my fingers here.
both of those are great ideas. maybe a site could be dedicated to just that, to find those books and hook up the readings. like an extended apostrophe cast or something along those lines. good thinking.
both of those are great ideas. maybe a site could be dedicated to just that, to find those books and hook up the readings. like an extended apostrophe cast or something along those lines. good thinking.
damn audio commentary would be sick
damn audio commentary would be sick
In my experience, writers talking about their own work is boring at best, bile inducing at worst, and the rest of the time you’re thinking of a way to get out of the room. Sorry, writers, but you’re just not that interesting. Not even the best of you. Not really.
In my experience, writers talking about their own work is boring at best, bile inducing at worst, and the rest of the time you’re thinking of a way to get out of the room. Sorry, writers, but you’re just not that interesting. Not even the best of you. Not really.
i love when people refer to groups as if they’re outsiders when they’re as much a part of the referenced group as anyone else. fuck you writers. oh, wait. i write poems.
a. that’s not true because goddamn i would stab a motherfucker for more dfw audio, as much as there is around. and even more so for writers i’ll never hear discussing their work: barthelme, joyce, etc.
b. how many times have you been at a reading and heard these two questions asked: how many hours do you write? where do you write?
people are interested in the behind the scenes minutiae. even if they’re just aspiring writers themselves who cling to the idea that if they can just replicate the same patterns, that some of that magic will rub off on them. we’re all guilty of it early on. even beckett drank white wine because joyce did even though sam was more an irish whisky guy. and he tried to wear the same size shoes.
i love when people refer to groups as if they’re outsiders when they’re as much a part of the referenced group as anyone else. fuck you writers. oh, wait. i write poems.
a. that’s not true because goddamn i would stab a motherfucker for more dfw audio, as much as there is around. and even more so for writers i’ll never hear discussing their work: barthelme, joyce, etc.
b. how many times have you been at a reading and heard these two questions asked: how many hours do you write? where do you write?
people are interested in the behind the scenes minutiae. even if they’re just aspiring writers themselves who cling to the idea that if they can just replicate the same patterns, that some of that magic will rub off on them. we’re all guilty of it early on. even beckett drank white wine because joyce did even though sam was more an irish whisky guy. and he tried to wear the same size shoes.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, actually, how indie presses should start making audiobooks… I know a ton of people who rarely read but do the audiobook thing commuting, etc. Folks are already doing podcasts or recordings of themselves reading for journals like Pank, doesn’t seem like too big a leap to record longer works.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, actually, how indie presses should start making audiobooks… I know a ton of people who rarely read but do the audiobook thing commuting, etc. Folks are already doing podcasts or recordings of themselves reading for journals like Pank, doesn’t seem like too big a leap to record longer works.
The universe is a mirror, my dear. So is the comments section at HTML giant.
The universe is a mirror, my dear. So is the comments section at HTML giant.
This has been a question of mine, whether or not it counts as reading a book when you listen to the audiobook version say jogging or driving. A friend of mine is really into audiobooks and when we discuss things we’ve read, he’ll say he’s listened to it. I’ve been trying to decide.
I suppose if you know the story, that’s fine. He’s the same guy that said Palahniuk’s Pygmy was a bunch of gibberish sounding business with its one word sentences. I thought that was funny.
Also, there’s the deal of eye strain or brain massage with words on pages too, but that’s something else. I read people have less dementia and better memory functions as they age if they’re big readers or like crossword puzzles.
This has been a question of mine, whether or not it counts as reading a book when you listen to the audiobook version say jogging or driving. A friend of mine is really into audiobooks and when we discuss things we’ve read, he’ll say he’s listened to it. I’ve been trying to decide.
I suppose if you know the story, that’s fine. He’s the same guy that said Palahniuk’s Pygmy was a bunch of gibberish sounding business with its one word sentences. I thought that was funny.
Also, there’s the deal of eye strain or brain massage with words on pages too, but that’s something else. I read people have less dementia and better memory functions as they age if they’re big readers or like crossword puzzles.
Peter Markus, absolutely. I agree with you 100%. I don’t talk about my writing at readings and I don’t talk about it much elsewhere either except when it’s required of me in interviews and even then I’m not comfortable with it. Process is process, nu?
Rebecca Loudon
Peter Markus, absolutely. I agree with you 100%. I don’t talk about my writing at readings and I don’t talk about it much elsewhere either except when it’s required of me in interviews and even then I’m not comfortable with it. Process is process, nu?
Rebecca Loudon
literary mix tapes would be awesome.
literary mix tapes would be awesome.
The less I know about how writers think and feel about their own writing, the better it is for me.
The less I know about how I think and feel about my own writing, the better it is for my writing.
The less I know about how writers think and feel about their own writing, the better it is for me.
The less I know about how I think and feel about my own writing, the better it is for my writing.
yep
yep
I would love to buy a Side by Side of some of my favorite books–on one side the text, on the other the author’s thoughts. Even better if it were online and hypertext (am I using “hypertext” correctly?) links led to audio of the author’s thoughts.
I would love to buy a Side by Side of some of my favorite books–on one side the text, on the other the author’s thoughts. Even better if it were online and hypertext (am I using “hypertext” correctly?) links led to audio of the author’s thoughts.
I’ve never tried an audio book… but I’ve listened to many plays/radio-plays and they are always really engaging… as much as any book is.
I guess it wouldn’t work for books with any sort of creative formatting… but maybe that means those are trash!
I’ve never tried an audio book… but I’ve listened to many plays/radio-plays and they are always really engaging… as much as any book is.
I guess it wouldn’t work for books with any sort of creative formatting… but maybe that means those are trash!
I am going to do this
make an audio book or something
I am going to do this
make an audio book or something
I missed this earlier. Sorry.
I sort of thought about doing an audio book version of A Jello Horse. Seems like maybe we should consider some sort of indie book audio service. There are lots of short story and flash fiction podcasts, and those are great, but long pieces might be enjoyable as well. With lots of publishers, maybe. Giving away everything for free. The Indie Book Audio Collective.
I listen to a lot of audio books, actually. Not usually “literary fiction,” but sometimes. Three to four to five times a week, I go outside and run around and around for an hour, and I’m just as happy listening to people talking as I am people singing.
I missed this earlier. Sorry.
I sort of thought about doing an audio book version of A Jello Horse. Seems like maybe we should consider some sort of indie book audio service. There are lots of short story and flash fiction podcasts, and those are great, but long pieces might be enjoyable as well. With lots of publishers, maybe. Giving away everything for free. The Indie Book Audio Collective.
I listen to a lot of audio books, actually. Not usually “literary fiction,” but sometimes. Three to four to five times a week, I go outside and run around and around for an hour, and I’m just as happy listening to people talking as I am people singing.
[…] example, back in the summer of ’09 I asked the question “How come indie publishers don’t do audio books?” This led me to imagine one-upping big presses by suggesting that small presses produce audio […]