The Need
A friend asked me to please make an audio version of my latest book. He has “long Covid,” symptoms that continue indefinitely after a person is no longer infected with the virus. My friend has trouble reading text.
Also, different people learn best in different ways. An audiobook would make all the difference for those who naturally learn well by listening but not by reading.
The Dilemma
If the only people who listened to an audio version of my book were those who can learn better by listening, I would certainly make that audiobook. Women Can Renew the World If…and So Can You, however, is not appropriate for those who like to listen to books while they’re doing something else, such as household chores. You might do that with a novel, but not a meaty nonfiction work. Multitasking is a myth. When we try to do two things at once, the brain allocates resources. It does not, indeed can not, give full attention to either of the two tasks.
So what’s wrong with that? Wouldn’t I rather someone at least pick up a few ideas from my book than none at all? Therein lies the first dilemma. Women Can Renew the World If…and So Can You is such that missing some words, or even whole sentences, can lead to misunderstanding. One sentence may qualify another. Most passages are needed to understand later passages. If you only take in one concept, but not related concepts, you not only won’t get the picture, you can get the wrong picture.
What’s more, this is a teaching book. Most of the How To segments include exercises. You need to make note of your answers. You can’t do that while loading the dishwasher.
The Dilemma Becomes a Moral One
Even so, I would tip the scale in favor of the audiobook except…. Click here to see a small portion of an Oprah Winfrey TV show that dramatically influenced my life. YouTube published the show in segments. The link I gave just above is to Part 4, but I encourage you to watch the other parts as well.
About three minutes into Part 4, Oprah calls on an audience member to illuminate the brain science. He shows a slide of a view through a car windshield when the driver is not talking on the phone. Then he shows the same view when the driver is on the phone, even hands-free. The way the brain allocated resources with the driver on the phone was to narrow the peripheral vision. The man showed another pair of slides as well. In the no-phone slide, one can see objects, such as a bicycle, that we can’t see in the on-phone slide.
The slides were the heaviest incentive in the show for me to take Oprah’s “no phone zone” pledge: I don’t talk on the phone while driving, and I don’t talk to anybody else while they’re driving. If I believe so strongly that even talking on the phone could result in a serious or fatal accident, how can I, in good conscience, make an audio book? The distraction of phoning pales in comparison to the distraction of focusing on a meaty book, full of information and exercises.
Some Ideas of My Own
I thought of making the audiobook script begin with something like this:
Author’s Note: Thanks so much for purchasing Women Can Renew the World If…and So Can You. You’ll find this book packed with information you’ll want to remember. The information in one passage helps you understand the next. You won’t want to miss anything. You’ll want to work the hands-on how-to exercises. So to get the most out of Women Can Renew the World If…and So Can You, please listen when you can devote your full attention to the text and be prepared to make note of your exercise answers. I especially implore you not to listen to this book while driving. Even talking on the phone hands-free while driving causes the brain to narrow your peripheral vision. Imagine what the brain will do if you drive while concentrating on an instructional work. I want you to get the most out of this book, and I don’t want you to hurt yourself or someone else while trying to do so behind the wheel. So, please, save it for when you’re not on the go.
Studies, however, indicate that many people think others should not talk or text while driving, but that they themselves can do it safely. If I make an audiobook, I believe some people will still try to listen while driving. Some might even take the Author’s Note as a challenge to prove they can multitask. Some may think they’ll get enough if they only catch certain phrases here and there (which they won’t), but even then, they are still far more distracted than one who’s on the phone.
I’m wondering if there might be a way for a person who clicks to buy the audiobook get redirected to a page with some of the information above and asking them to click “Agree” to not listen behind the wheel. Taking a stand in writing can be a powerful incentive, but even so, some would probably ignore their agreement.
Your Ideas
As you can see, I’m undecided. This is a blog post in which I hope to learn from you.
I’d like to hear what you all think about my ideas just above. Even more I’d like to know if you have other ideas for me to publish an audiobook safely, with a clear conscience. You can use the comment space below, the contact page of my website, or direct email. Or just let me know if you would rather discuss your ideas by phone.
Margaret, I’m not a good judge. I like to read and I learn by reading. I never listen to audiobooks!
BUT I do have some friends who only use audiobooks. Go figure, as we say in Brooklyn!
From your question it does seem that this is not a good choice for audio.
Thanks so much, Mary.
I have heard from quite a few people already–some through blog comments, some through social media and one (so far) by direct contact, and it’s amazing how every one of them has a slightly different perspective.
I know you won’t be shy about offering me your comments on the book itself when you finish reading it.
Yours,
Margaret
I have never had an audiobook, so I can’t qualify my opinion, but I do think you have a good idea in requiring an agreement, Margaret. I drive a lot in my musical gigs; I claim my mileage in my yearly tax report. While driving, I prefer to listen to sports talk radio, but when the commercials come on, I switch to an adult contemporary music station. I don’t get distracted, but when the traffic situation becomes difficult, I turn the radio off until I’m in the clear. If I had an audiobook playing, I believe that it would not only have a lesser influence on me, but it would probably distract me because it is somewhat interactive. So the agreement idea makes sense to me. I also had the thought of how cost-effective it would be to make an audiobook. Hopefully it wouldn’t cost as much as having it printed. Best, JB
Thanks so much, John.
I’m really learning a lot from the responses I’m getting, not only about the questions I raised, but about how many different ways there are that various individuals do things.
As for your question, I understand from a fellow writer who has published an audiobook that it is not all that expensive. Another decision on my mind is whether to get into that right away, or stay on task with some preliminary marketing of the print and Kindle books while they’re “hot off the press.” I’m leaning toward the latter, not to have too many irons in the fire at once. But maybe sometime before the end of the year.
Thanks again,
Margaret
As you know, Margaret, I am an avid audiobook fan. I do not talk on the phone while driving, unless I pull over, but my phone is not hooked into a “hands free” mode. If it were, I would consider that talking hands free is not much different from talking to a passenger.
As for driving while listening to an audiobook – rarely do I listen to anything on the road besides fiction (or music, of course).And I was listening to audiobooks on the road long before I began to download them to my phone – which I actually slip against my chest inside my bra so I don’t have a problem hearing it. If I miss something, it’s simple to go back and listen again when I get home (or wherever).
Nonfiction – I might listen to it while driving but would not expect that to be my ONLY listen. Again, if traffic causes me to miss something, I can pick it up later. What I’ve found though, is that listening to nonfiction is great because I CAN listen to an entire book again and again, whereas, I might not take the time to read it throughout more than once. I would Never try to take notes or do an exercise – unless it’s a thought-process exercise – and then only while in light traffic or long-distance driving.
Since most of your driving is in Houston traffic, you may not be familiar with how an audiobook can actually help you focus better during long trips. I often travel the state highways rather than expressways, because I prefer the quieter drive. Four lanes of a freeway requires constant attention, especially during prime hours. State highways and farm roads might take longer, but they are less nerve-wracking for me, and yet the long drone of a highway drive can cause drowsiness. Singing to music helps, but for me, so does a good book. It keeps my right brain occupied so my left brain can deal with driving.
But that’s me. Like I said, I usually don’t listen to nonfiction on the road, but if I’ve already heard the book at home, maybe did the exercises, then it’s great to hear it again. I’ve done that especially with books on how to market online. It’s also nice to have a hard copy as well as an audio copy. Nonfiction is the only thing I will take the time to read, now that my eyesight is getting older. Even with the right glasses, it just isn’t fun for me to read fiction.
Now about asking someone NOT to listen while driving… I don’t see how you can enforce it. Certainly it is valid to ask people not to listen while driving, and for the type of person your material attracts, that might be all you need. Your interest is in their safety and the safety of other people on the road. However, I do believe the value of being able to easily review material is a good reason for having the audio version.
I don’t know if any of this helps, but since I have more than 200 books on my phone, and I just returned from a 6-hour round trip to Houston listening to a novel for much of the trip, I felt I should chime in. Otherwise, I hope you’re staying well and safe.
Thank you, Chris, for your prompt and thoughtful reply. I don’t like driving on the multi-lane freeways either, never have. But as you say, it’s hard to avoid when living in a big city like Houston. It’s a long time since I’ve had occasion to drive out of town on smaller highways with less traffic, but I can remember how mind numbing it could be, which is why I used to listen to music long before the days of audio books. But I don’t even listen to music on Houston freeways.
I appreciate hearing from people like you who have listened to audiobooks a lot. Even though I learn well by listening, I haven’t tried an audiobook yet because I like to be able to mark things up as I read (which is much easier even in Kindle now). That way, when I want to go back and refresh my memory, I can flip through the pages quickly and look for the underlining or marginal notes. Even in a novel, I sometimes underline character names when the characters are introduced so I can go back and remember who’s who if it’s not clear from the text. But of course, that was never necessary with any of your novels. You know how to make the character memorable from the first.
I did read something a while back about why talking on the phone is different from talking to a passenger. The idea was that a passenger can see and hear what’s going on around you, and will usually pause if something happens that requires quick driver attention. In fact, I have sometimes found it helpful for the passenger to point a possible danger out to me.
It’s certainly true that one can’t enforce an ask. But I figure it’s worth a try–couldn’t hurt, might help.
I’m pleasantly surprised at how many people have weighed in on these questions already, some here on the blog, and others on social media, and it’s only a few hours since I’ve put it out there.
I expect more within the next few days. It’s all very interesting and enlightening.
Thanks again!
Margaret
I only “read” audios. I don’t multi task while doing so. It’s the quality of the narration that determines if I stay with it. Now days many audios are quality productions abs u feel like u r listening to play or live speech. These make the experience far better than reading. I found those in my bookclub who do audios enjoy more selections than those who read the book when the narration is a production.
Thanks, Barb. Your comments are encouraging to me. I’m especially glad to know that you don’t multitask while listening to your audiobooks. I’m leaning toward releasing an audiobook near the end of the year, in time for the giftgiving winter holidays.