June is Audiobook Appreciation Month! There are so many readers out there who want to read but may not have the time or patience to sit with written text. If you’ve been considering turning your book into an audiobook, here are some reasons why you should take the leap.
The History of the Audiobooks
It may seem like audiobooks are a new trend in the literary world, but these little gems have actually been around a lot longer than you think.
The first audiobooks were produced by Thomas Edison at a time when the phonograph was still considered cutting-edge technology. Edison wanted to produce audio stories with phonographs for the visually impaired. He even lobbied for these book forms at the Royal Institution in Britain to make sure they were easily accessible to those in need.
While the first audiobooks could only be a mere four minutes long, this idea expanded throughout time to the colossal library of audiobook choices readers have access to today.
The Benefits of Audiobooks
In a world where people are forever hustling from one thing to the next, who has time to read? The biggest benefit to audiobooks is the option to listen to stories anywhere. If you have access to any device that can download apps or catch a Wi-Fi connection, you can listen to audiobooks!
There’s a whole new generation of readers who love listening to books. Some of these readers used to love reading but now don’t have time. Others want to read but don’t possess the attention span to sit and do it. And then of course there are those readers who have always counted on audiobooks for their story fix and now just have more options to indulge in.
You can listen to audiobooks while you’re gardening, cleaning, driving, putting babies to bed, working, or pretty much whenever. Books on the go, all the time.
Where readers find free audiobooks
So, where do you find audiobooks? You can downloads apps and pay a monthly subscription for access to the newest releases and coveted text. There’s nothing wrong with that. But there are also a ton of places to access audiobooks for free. Here are just a few highlighted by Reedsy:
- Spotify
- LibriVox
- Audible
- Lit2Go
- Audiobooks.com
- BBC Sounds
- Rakuten Kobo
- open Culture
- Learn Out Loud
- YouTube
You can also find audiobooks through your local library! I rent them all the time through my library’s free Hoopla app. For more options on where to grab some free audiobooks, look here.
Audiobooks by Moms Who Write
Turning your book into an audiobook for your readers is an investment and a step that will only become more important (it seems) as technology continues to rule our world. Some of our very own members have taken the leap. Check them out:
Do you HAVE to have an audiobook to be successful?
Of course not. There will always be readers out there who prefer the crinkly turn of a paper page over listening to a story. These are the readers who need to touch the words, flip back and forth, and enjoy the quiet bliss of reading.
To be honest, that’s me. I love to listen to non-fiction audiobooks, but fiction paperbacks are my jam. I love to read good old-fashioned books, and I know I’m not the only one! Audiobooks are simply another way to reach your reader; it’s not the end-all-be-all to becoming a successful writer.
Happy reading (and listening) everyone!
About the Writer: Shell Sherwood is a poet, fiction writer, freelancer, and creator of silly children’s stories who could live on coffee, pastries, and romantic tragedies. She lives in Hudson Valley, NY, with her three boys and aspires to own a small writing getaway in every climate. Shell is currently working on her debut poetry collection. Learn more about Shell and follow her writing journey via her author blog, Instagram, and TikTok.