Audio book status.: seanan

Audio book status.

Because this has become a very popular question in the past few weeks, here's the status of the Toby Daye audio books:

Brilliance Audio, which has been wonderful to me, and a joy to work with, only initially bought the rights to record the first three volumes. Audio book production is not cheap, and that makes producers move with caution. Right now, there is no contract to continue the series. I'm very sorry about that, but it's the only answer that I have.

Now, this does not mean you should flood Brilliance with demands that they continue; they need to know that there's a market, but no one likes to be nagged. It does mean that you can increase the chances that the series will continue in audio form by buying additional copies of the existing recordings for friends or family members who might have an interest in audio books.

I've occasionally seen people say, when authors made posts like this, "It's not my job to support your career." This is absolutely true, and I am in no way asking you to support my career (beyond, you know, buying books to feed my cats). But! If you are someone to whom the audio book editions are important, the best way to get more audio books is to buy things from and provide feedback to my audio book publisher. I can say there's a demand until I'm blue in the face; if the sales figures don't support it, I will not be heard.

Again, Brilliance has been nothing but a joy to work with. I would love to do more Toby with them. If the sales figures of the first three volumes support that, I will hopefully be able to do so.

last_archangel

February 27 2011, 16:59:20 UTC 6 years ago

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Thank you for the quick answer! I'm a little bummed (mostly because I liked the actress - her speaking patterns remind me of my best friend), but I'm still very excited for the book!

spectralbovine

February 27 2011, 17:54:07 UTC 6 years ago

Heeeey, it's you! (We've had a few conversations in

audiography.)

February 28 2011, 05:32:48 UTC 6 years ago

Yeah, we do seem to keep running into each other. :)

seanan_mcguire

February 27 2011, 17:56:40 UTC 6 years ago

If we manage to continue the series, we should have the same actress. I know she wants to continue.

ravenclawed

February 27 2011, 17:13:32 UTC 6 years ago

I can't afford to buy more audio copies of the first three, but I was planning on doing a big post to my lj (and sharing the link on Twitter) about my love for the Toby books and that everyone should buy them. After reading this, I'll add that everyone should buy the audio books too.

I bought my audio copies through Amazon instead of Brilliance directly, does that make a difference?

ashabardon

February 27 2011, 17:39:03 UTC 6 years ago

I find Audible.com is much cheaper than either those or iTunes. Joining is free. In fact they normally have some kind of free book offer on :D

The only difference between where you buy them is the price!

February 27 2011, 17:57:13 UTC 6 years ago

Excellent!

And no, it doesn't matter where you buy them, as long as you buy them legally. :)

February 27 2011, 17:13:50 UTC 6 years ago

I've just started listening to the Rosemary and Rue audiobook and continue to maintain that Feed is the BEST audiobook I've ever listened to (53 times and counting! I can't wait for Deadline!). I'm registered blind and while I can and do read books on my iPad (even if it gives me eyestrain), nothing beats a good audiobook and it's definitely important. So far I'm a bit of a newbie to Toby's world but I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far.

February 27 2011, 17:57:31 UTC 6 years ago

Yay!

February 27 2011, 18:40:10 UTC 6 years ago

I actually find, due to an annoying habit of skim reading, the only way to properly appreciate a book now is to listen to the audio version. It's the only way I can appreciate a story for what it is.

Also, Seanan, for your zombie-loving twin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJKK5SkmCSE

I'll do a review of Deadline too as soon as I get an 'official' copy :D

February 28 2011, 04:09:01 UTC 6 years ago

sfogarty

February 27 2011, 19:08:53 UTC 6 years ago

FYI, my copy of Late Eclipses claims to have just shipped from Amazon.

phoenixsansfyr

February 27 2011, 20:54:27 UTC 6 years ago

Yikes, unhappy blonde alert D:

salacious_pop

February 28 2011, 00:39:48 UTC 6 years ago

Amazon has been able to provide "at your door on the day of release" purchases for many items, including books, CDs, and video games for quite a while now, in an attempt to keep up with physical stores.

Even if the item was boxed and invoiced this evening, it won't actually be on the truck until tomorrow, arriving on Tuesday at the earliest.. which is exactly what the customer and Amazon wants :)

aiglet

February 28 2011, 03:25:59 UTC 6 years ago

That may very well be what the customer wants, but it's not terribly good for the author in terms of making the sales count in places that they need to in order to keep selling books (like best-seller lists), I don't think. Of course, several whole minutes of Googling fail to tell me if that sort of delivery counts as "on sale the day you bought it" or "on sale the day it gets to you."

See also here for why that might make an unhappy blonde alert as well as some of Seanan's other posts about book buying necessities.

6 years ago

yoritomo_reiko

February 28 2011, 04:09:55 UTC 6 years ago

Not necessarily. "It will arrive on Tuesday" isn't the same thing as "I bought it off the shelf a week before release." But thank you for worrying about my nerves. :)

February 28 2011, 04:09:13 UTC 6 years ago

Cool. You should get it Tuesday.

aldoryn

February 27 2011, 19:28:03 UTC 6 years ago

I read the Toby books from the National Library Service for the Blind (NLS program), and I've enjoyed them very much.

I'm planning to buy additional copies from Audible sometime soon.
I hope the fourth book can be produced in audio as well.

I've also begun reading Feed, and I'm liking it very much.

February 27 2011, 19:48:36 UTC 6 years ago

I do wish they were available on the UK iBookstore though, in the interim. I'm just glad I have the first three books to listen to. I remember the days when you had to wait months or years for decent books to be made available - and unabridged (I hate abridged books!) - for blind folk.

BTW, not exactly Toby related but I really identified with Gorgia in Feed, so nice to have a disabled protagonist for a change - and a blogger/journo to boot!

February 28 2011, 04:25:57 UTC 6 years ago

Sadly, because I don't have a UK publisher for the Toby books, it's harder to get any virtual editions over there; only the physical ones can be easily imported. :( I hope we can find a UK publisher soon, it's one of the things I'm asking the Great Pumpkin for this year.

I'm really glad you liked George! I miss her so.

mrs_norris_mous

February 28 2011, 04:25:02 UTC 6 years ago

Fabulous!

groblek

February 27 2011, 20:00:09 UTC 6 years ago

Thanks for the reminder that they exist - I'd noticed them before when I put your name in iTunes just to see what would turn up. They weren't in the budget at the time, but we just bought all three.