Midpoint Trade Books
eAudio

So what is eAudio?

eAudio is the name for audio books that are available through portable media like .mp3, .wav, and other audio formats.

The primary distributor of eAudio is Audible.com. Audible.com not only provides their own audio books, but are the providers for Amazon.com and iTunes. Midpoint Trade Books is excited to announce that we have recently signed a contract with Audible.com. So if you are looking for a distributor that is involved in many forms of media, you have found us.

What does it take to put together an audio book? For top quality audio, it is essential to hire a professional reader and record in studio. However, if you have a good reader, good equipment and a quiet environment, it may be possible to record it yourself. You need to make sure to check with the requirements of the site you are targeting, so that you don't have to re-record.

There are other locations for eAudio. Podiobooks is free service that allows authors to write and record their own material. There are no fees. However, this is run as a side business, so be patient as you wait for you first chapters to be approved.

These are just the basics of eAudio. If you are interested in having your titles listed in eAudio, please let Gail, Ruth or Janel know. Want to learn more about the nitty gritty, keep checking back.

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Getting up to speed on eAudio

Getting up to speed on eAudio is a big process.  However, one very beneficial place to visit for information is the Audio Publishers Association at www.audiopub.org. By visiting here you can find out a lot of information about eaudio.  For instance, they have a nice little glossary of terms that I want to include to get you started:

Glossary of Key Terms Concerning Audiobooks

Abridged Audiobook–A professional abridger “edits” the work from the original text to encompass the essence of the story while maintaining characterizations, plotlines and style. Most abridgements are done with author approval. Just as many book-based movies do justice to the book while not including every single scene, so an abridgement strives for the same goal of staying true to the spirit and content of the book.

Audio Original/Audio Only/Spoken Word–Audiobook products derived from sources other than book content. These programs include dramatic readings, stand-up comedy, seminars, conversations, etc. that have no book counterpart.

Cassette– Easy to use and with a wide install base, this technology still represents a significant piece of the audiobook market. A single cassette can hold more than 100 minutes of programming.

CD–The popularity of this format is steadily increasing. Most cars now come standard with these players and inexpensive adapters are available for cars without factory installed CD players. Red Book specifications indicate that a single disc can hold up to 74 minutes of digital audio material. This is why you will find in many cases the same program requires more CDs than cassettes. CDs can also be played on computers and CD/MP3 players.

CD ROM Disk or Mini-disk–These are sometimes included in audiobook packages to carry video and text if necessary or desired as added value.

Digital download/Audio Download–Audiobook content can be transmitted digitally in different compressions to compatible players or listened to directly from the computer.

MP3CD–An audiobook format for which an MP3 player is required, only some CD/DVD players can currently read this format. While this emerging technology still has a relatively small install base, MP3CDs can hold a large amount of audio material on a single CD.

Packaging–Audiobooks can come in trays, slides, jewel cases, sleeves, wallets and spined plastique books. Most audiobooks are shrink-wrapped and some have a mylar-seal. Outside boxes can be many different sizes due to the number of units inside and package design.

Unabridged Audiobook–The complete, unaltered work.

They also have a listserv available to keep you up to date on eAudio.  Here are the instructions to subscribe.

Please go and explore. I will. If you find anything that is eye opening in your eAudio journey, please let me know. I will let you know what I find as well.