How the audiobook market is changing

While many in the publishing world are talking about non-print content as though it’s a hot new concept, others are quick to point out that the field is actually long-established in one form, at least—audiobooks.

But as the direct-to-consumer digital download revolution threatens to cut stores out of the loop in the same way it has for the music industry, Christian audio suppliers caution retailers against conceding defeat too quickly.

They maintain that the category—the Audio Publishers Association (APA) reported a $1 billion-plus market overall in 2007, 12% up on the previous year—remains a strong Christian retail niche for two reasons.

First, while the personal download trend is accelerating, that pace is slower in the audiobook world according to Dan Balow, publisher at Oasis Audio. He predicts that CD sales of audiobooks will continue to be significant for at least another five to seven years, pointing to APA research for 2004 that found 30% of all audio sales were then still on cassette ... ,” a format that was supposed to die off a decade before it actually did.”

Balow’s point was echoed by Todd Hoyt, president of Christianaudio, who observed that the “CD is still king. As the primary user of audio is still a commuter listening on their car CD player, I would not discount the fact millions of consumers do visit bookstores and look for physical products on shelves they can use immediately.”

In-store burning

David Amster, president of Integra Interactive, admitted to having been “totally caught off guard by the overwhelming interest by stores to burn all audiobook titles in standard CD play.” From next month the company plans to be offering more than 500 audiobooks in three formats—CD, MP3 burned to disc and MP3 download—on its myMEDIA BurnBar digital kiosks.

That and other in-store digital options offer further opportunities for brick-and-mortar retailers once the audio CD does wane, suppliers said. Todd Niemeyer, vice president of Global CBA Sales for Zondervan, said that his company’s Symtio program—cards sold in-store that give access to digital content downloads—has “been very successful in helping retailers be a part of this transaction.”

At Thomas Nelson, Senior Vice President of Christian Retail Sales and Ministry Development Gary Davidson, noted that Symtio was “making an impact into the perception of audio product in the Christian retail market.” Earlier this year Davidson’s company launched NelsonFree, which gives purchasers of select print title editions—currently just business-related—free online access to e-book and audio versions.

At retail, audiobooks demand a good understanding of a store’s customer base, such as at Jireh’s Christian Bookstore in Placerville, Calif. Though women are typically the main shoppers at Christian stores, Jireh’s owner, Bryan Gutierrez, skews his audio fiction selections toward men—because they are his heaviest purchasers, as commuter listeners.

He also incorporates some of the APA’s recommended best practices—presenting audiobooks face-out, on three endcaps bracketing the regular print section, and offering good discounts.

Good visibility

One of the keys to good audiobook sales is visibility. Suppliers advocate moving them from their own section to the general book area. And “don’t worry about depth,” Balow added. “Stock the best of the best ... if that means the top 100 titles and that is all, then focus on that and do it well. Carry the audio edition of the best-selling books.”

If some retailers have been cautious about audiobooks because of what Hoyt acknowledged to be the “suspect quality” of some titles in the past, that is no longer a concern. Zondervan’s Inspired by ... The Bible Experience: Old Testament won the APA Audies awards last year for best Inspirational/Spiritual and Multi-Voiced Performance of 2008. The New Testament edition was overall Audiobook of the Year in 2007.

Along with Christmas, summer is typically the busier selling season for audio, as many people shop for something to listen to when they head out on road trips. But sales of the Zondervan audio Bible and Thomas Nelson’s rival Word of Promise remained strong throughout the last year. Audio editions of William P. Young’s best-selling novel The Shack and the audio novelization of the hit film Fireproof have also been doing well for Oasis.

Balow sees the gap between stores that are making a go of audio and those that are not widening. “When you see some stores giving up on the category and then others viewing it as a solid segment, you have to wonder whether a store is missing something,” he said.

For his part, Hoyt sees Christian retail “embracing audiobooks more than ever.” He attributes that to demand for products not previously available and, in part, to his company’s aggressive pricing—an additionally important aspect for a category where typical $20-plus-range purchases are under scrutiny in the current economic climate.

KEY AUDIO RELEASES

Popular novelist Ted Dekker sees Christianaudio bring Nos. 5 and 6 in his “The Lost Books” fantasy series (Thomas Nelson) to listeners, this month. Each title is read on five CDs by Tim Gregory, and retails for $22.99. In Lunatic, hero Thomas is in hiding with other members of the Forest Guard, while Elyon finds the Chosen Ones facing their greatest threat.

Josh McDowell teamed up with son Sean McDowell to revise his classic apologetic work More Than a Carpenter, which has more than 15 million copies in print. Tyndale House Publishers releases the abridged audio edition, narrated by the younger McDowell, this month, on one CD. It retails for $6.99.

FOX News legal correspondent Lis Wiehl’s first novel, Face of Betrayal (Thomas Nelson), introducing readers to the Triple Threat, a trio of women crime fighters, is narrated by Pam Turlow, whose voicework includes characters in the “Left Behind” audio series. Released last month on seven CDs by Oasis Audio, it retails for $27.99.

“Left Behind” co-author Tim LaHaye’s Jesus: Why the World Is Still Fascinated by Him (David C. Cook) looks at the enduring interest in the figure of Christ. Released next month by Oasis Audio, the book is narrated by the author on six CDs and retails for $25.99.

The audio edition of Karen Kingsbury’s Take Two, second in her “Above the Line” series for Zondervan about Christian filmmakers, will include a cast of voices. Released next month on eight CDs, it retails for $19.99.

Best-selling author Stormie Omartian narrates her own The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children, which Harvest House Publishers releases next month. On five CDs, the title retails for $18.99.

For a more detailed list of new audiobook titles, see the New Releases listing on our Web site, www.christianretailing.com.