There’s a debate raging among bibliophiles. If you listen to an audiobook, is it the same as reading a book?
Purists say no. I say yes. Although listening to narration isn’t the same as reading the words, the end result is the same. You have still consumed and (hopefully) learned or enjoyed the material. It doesn’t really matter how it gets into your brain. If a scratch-and-sniff novel was a thing, I think a smellio-book would count as reading, too.
Creators and Consumers
Derek and I both narrate audiobooks as part of the voice-over work we do. The most recent one I voiced is called, The Psychology of Evil: Profiles of Serial Killers, by Florence McLean. It’s a fascinating hindsight look at some notorious cases from around the world and how evidence was sometimes missed or ignored.
I do love a well-narrated audiobook. Years ago, when they were “books on tape”, I used to rent audiobooks from the library. They made the commute into downtown Toronto and back much more enjoyable.
The Antidote to Amazon
I recently signed up for an audiobook service called Libro.fm. It’s the anti-Audible, which is Amazon’s audiobook arm. Instead of adding more profit to a giant conglomerate, a Libro.fm account is tied to an independent bookstore. In Port Stanley, that’s our wonderful Lake House Books. When I purchase an audiobook, Lake House gets the profit. It’s just another way to support an indie bookseller and keep your money out of a billionaire’s pocket.
It’s brilliant. Not only can you download the book, you actually own it. That’s not the case with some of the other services. I’m currently enjoying Christina Applegate’s, You With the Sad Eyes when I drive or cook or do chores around the house. Libro.fm has loads of sales, too, where audiobooks you’ve actually heard of are only $5-10 or so.
If you want to check it out – full disclosure – this is my referral link: LIBRO If you sign up via that link, I’ll get a free audiobook credit! And once you’re signed up, you’ll get a link of your own to share, too. Everybody wins.
There are so many wonderful independent bookstores. In London, Ontario alone there’s at least a dozen of them. All you do is choose the store you want, anywhere you want, and they’ll get the credit when you purchase an audiobook. Libro.fm also highlights Canadian authors. I’m just so glad to have found them and to be listening to great stories and storytellers again.
Change takes time. I’m currently trying to get audiobook versions of my own books onto Libro.fm. But for now, Pieces of Us: Felicity and Mitzi Book One is still on Amazon. It’s narrated by the wonderful Molly Botten and I’d love it if you’d check it out.
UPDATE: It turns out that I do not qualify to distribute my audiobooks to Libro.fm. They are currently working with big distributors only. This is why Amazon gets such a big part of the market share. Perhaps it will change in the future. I understand their decision. But I don’t have to like it!
If you read a book in braille or listen to a audiobook is it the same as reading it? We have five senses for a reason all providing input into our knowledge and experiences.
The answer, YES!
If the reader of the audiobook happens to be the actual author, they can bring life to the story you won’t get simply reading it and I’ve been lucky to have had that opportunity.
I’ve never been a fan of audio books. I like to hold a book in my hand.
My film reviewer colleague Rex ReeReed died yesterday at 87 and pulled out of my library is most famous book “Do You Sleep In the Nude,” 1968. Besides witty film reviews he interviewed celebrities too including Barbra Streisand.”Listen, all my life I wanted to be famous. I never had a Victor’s till I was eighteen. I used to buy clothes in thrift shops. I don’t go there no more ‘cause people bother me.”
My daughters mother in law loves audio books, has ‘em on her car radio, but isn’t it dangerous to be driving and listening to a book? So this is my two cents, I realize Lisa that you make money with your voice doing audio books. I auditioned to do one once but I had too much of an ‘announcers’ voice so didn’t get the gig. I’ll stick to hard covers and paperbacks.
I don’t think listening while driving is any more dangerous than listening to someone in the passenger seat. I know a lot of book purists but I love my Kobo, too. I can take a library of a hundred books with me when I travel. Different strokes! You have that kind of commanding voice, Bill. There’s no getting away from it AND it was your money-maker! 🙂
I’ve never looked into audiobooks, and maybe that’s because I don’t own a cell phone where I could easily listen from anywhere I happen to be.
However, I was recently given a Kobo. I admit to being technically challenged, so I was a little doubtful that I would be able to navigate my way around it. Slowly but surely, I just today borrowed my first book from the library. I am thrilled, lol. I do love my hardcovers and paperbacks, but after seeing everything I now have at my fingertips (thanks to technology) I am thrilled.
Who knows, maybe one day soon I will venture into the world of audiobooks, too.
That’s so great, Claire. Many people are paper purists, and I get that. But your Kobo can carry a whole bunch of books and not weigh you down!