[Dan Wells] Switch to Audiobook

[Hubay he/him]

So anyone who follows dan's twitter and/or blog will have noticed he just sold the audiobook rights to Night of Blacker Darkness, which is awesome but unfortunately means the ebook is out of commission for the next six months.

I'd been planning on getting the ebook for my friend's birthday next week, because he likes vampires, enjoyed the serial killer trilogy, and gets a kick out of satire/madcap humor (in short, it's perfect for him). While the news is great for dan and I'm happy for him, I'm not sure if an audiobook would make a good present. See, I've never listened to one, and I'm pretty sure my friend hasn't either. So while I'm sure some people love audiobooks, I don't know if it's his cup of tea.

What do you guys think? is it ok to buy an audiobook for someone who has never listened to one and might potentially not enjoy them? Any advice would be appreciated.

[KChan she/her]

You could always try to stealthily get his opinion on audiobooks, but honestly, I think it might be safer to go ahead and grab the ebook copy now, just in case. I grabbed mine on Barnes and Noble tonight even though I have a few more things to read before I can pick it up.

Also, do we even have a release date for the audiobook? Since your friend's birthday is next week, the ebook might be a better choice for that reason as well.

[Shivertongue he/him]

Audiobooks depend entirely upon the reader they get for it. A poor reader can ruin an otherwise good book.

I enjoy audiobooks, usually getting through one a month or so, depending on the length of the book. It's a different kind of immersion factor, as you can't skim the pages, and the story if being recited right into your ear. With a good reader, the different characters get very distinct voices.

They aren't for everyone, though. Some people honestly can't stand them, because they prefer the physical copy, or because the reader distracts them from becoming immersed. What I would do, is use Writing Excuses promo through Audible to get a free book, and see what your friend things of audio at no cost (providing you cancel the membership before the two-week trial period is over).

[Ryan he/him]

Or, you could go to Escape Pod or Pod Castle to listen to some free audio fiction. They only do short stories, but at an average length of about 45 minutes, they're plenty long to get a feel for audio fiction. And, of course, there's hundreds of episodes up.