Podiobooks...I think I've been missing the party

[ColoradoMom]

Seriously, I feel like I've stumbled into a whole new world that's been having a great time without me. Has anyone else been over to podiobooks (http://www.podiobooks.com/index.php)?

I only just found out about this little subculture because I got a Kindle for Christmas and purchased a book called Quarter Share by by Nathan Lowell (http://www.podiobooks.com/title/quarter-share).
I found it on Amazon where it seems to have something of a cult following and then I noticed that the reviews were talking about podcasts and so after reading the first book I went over to check them out. All I can say is way to go with self promotion Nathan...wherever you are...He's got a whole series of books up in podcast form.

What a great way to gain exposure. Plus you get to narrate your books as well.

Does anyone here have a podcast of their book going?

[san_remo_ave]

No. Never used it. Not a big audiobook user.

Think I'd only be tempted to try it with something I wrote specifically for promotional purposes. Anything else I'm trying to actively market and sell to print publishers and they tend to want to purchase rights to audiobooks at the same time.

[profen4]

Nathan Lowell is with Ridan Publishing - http://www.ridanpublishing.com/index.html . I agree that he's done a remarkable job establishing an audience, and I believe his books are selling really well.

[nkkingston]

I have a couple of podcasts I subscribe to - Pseudopod is the most relevant one to this discussion - but I tend to listen to them on long journeys rather than day to day. I think I'm still somewhere mid-2009 with Pseudopod! The short story format works for me, and the price (free!) works very well indeed.

Podiobooks face the same challenges as audiobooks, in that the audience isn't huge and tends to have specific demands. The quality of the podcast is a significant factor; the difference having a good voice actor and a decent sound set up can make is huge. Length, file size, format... I'd be tempted to do it with some of my short stories but I haven't the time or money to do it to a standard I'd be happy with at the moment.

As san_remo_ave points out, most publishers want audio rights as well, since they usually have their own deals worked out. It's probably something you'd want to save for slef-published or purely promotional works.

[PercyBlok]

There are a couple authors that used Podiobooks before they were published. Podiobooks served as a platform builder. I have downloaded some for my iPod for when I walk. A lot of their stuff is available for free there on Podiobooks. Great site if you do a lot of driving and can plug iPod into stereo.

Scott Sigler
Pip Ballentine (Geist author)
Tee Morris
J.C. Hutchins

[shelleyo]

Podcast fiction is its own little category in a way. Some authors do amazingly well.

I often feel like I'm missing some party too, especially when the stuff is only available via podcast. Because I don't listen to it. I don't do podcast fiction or audiobooks in anyway. Can't stand it. I need to read when I read, not listen.

I kind of feel like someone on the outside looking in, because I listen to several podcasts that are non-fiction, interviews, reviews and I love those. I just can't stand to listen to fiction. That might change down the road, I don't know. My best friend mostly uses audiobooks and rarely actually reads. I'm a little jealous of the ability to enjoy that, but I don't.

Shelley