Audiobooks for inspiration

I have said a lot these past few days about my paperback, "I Walked With Jesus" but did you know I have published four audiobooks that will bring you closer to Christ?

Allow me to focus on them.

I Walked With Jesus is read by Krista Nicely. I interviewed Krista on July 15, 2021. Click here to read the interview. This book has brought me a lot of joy. I have felt closer to those I have chosen to write about in this book of short stories - many of whom have only one line in the Bible. This book has received 5 stars! 

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Powerful

I loved the way Kathryn brought the Bible stories to life.
The reader was clear and very good.
I would definitely recommend this book.

My Conquering Your Goliaths series has garnered widespread interest. The series idea came to me when my husband asked, "Why do you think Goliath picked up five stones?" The question came from a nephew and was then passed on to my husband and then on to me. The full title is: Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones. This book has 16 ratings on Audible.com; 47 reviews on Amazon, with an average 4.5-star rating. Nancy Peterson is the narrator of this book. I met Nancy through the recommendation of my sister. Nancy was excited to take on my project. 

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The second book in the series is "The Feast: A Parable of the Ring". The journey continues with Ms. Virginia Bean. It has received a 4.6 rating on Audible.

Would you listen to Conquering Your Goliaths again? Why?

I definitely would listen again, and I plan to. The story had so many Truths in it, and I would love to sit down with a notebook and just soak them all in.

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Another wonderful story!

This was a sweet continuation of Virginia's story. The struggles, frustrations, & victories were so utterly relatable. This is a parable every woman can relate to.

The third and final book in the series, "The Gift - A Parable of the Key" has received a 4.4 rating on Audible.

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Love the series!

I loved this book. The Gift is the 3rd in the series and now I am so involved with these characters that I feel like I am part of their lives. The Gift is very well written, the characters are well developed, and I felt as though I were right there with them. I especially love the Christian values and the way that they are brought out in the story. Just by listening to Virginia talking to God made me feel closer to Him. Kathryn Elizabeth Jones is now one of my favorite Christian authors and Nancy Peterson is one of my favorite narrators. She gives such a beautiful voice to the characters that I could listen to her all day - and I have listened for several hours! I highly recommend this series!

How to Review an Audiobook

Finished an audiobook that was fantastic?

Please review it. Like books, authors are eager for reviews - especially well-thought-out reviews that showcase their book in the most positive light possible. 

No audiobook is perfect, even if you give it a five-star rating. There might be a point where you lose track of the story or who is speaking. This is a given with audiobooks. 

Photo by Joyce Busola on Unsplash

This being said, reviewing an audiobook has some similarities with book reviewing and some differences, the obvious difference being you're listening instead of reading. You will be paying attention to the narrator. Is he/she a good fit for the book you are reading? Can you see them in their easy chair reading along? Does their voice reflect the genre? How is their pacing? Do they read too slow or too fast?

More than one reader has asked me if I narrate my own books. My quick answer is no, and I more than likely never will. And that isn't because I can't read [tongue in cheek] but because I haven't learned how to read in front of an audience that needs to be captivated 24/7. And this takes skill.

If you've listened to an audiobook where the author is the narrator, you may notice something right away - background noise. If the narrator is good, they will have a studio with the equipment needed to put out the audiobook professionally, but not all authors have such a set-up. A five-star rating should never be given to an audiobook where the studio presentation is lacking.

He may be cute, but is he right for the book?

Photo by Jason Rosewell on Unsplash

The story itself must carry over to an audio format. Unfortunately, even with the right narrator, not all stories convert to audio. A few years ago, I tried to get into an audiobook with a terrific narrator, but not so great a story. Just because a book is read and enjoyed with a four or five-star rating, doesn't necessarily mean it should receive the same rating as the audiobook. The opposite is also true. Some of my so-so book ratings on Amazon have received higher marks as an audiobook. Readers/listeners have enjoyed them better as an audiobook. What does this tell you about releasing an audiobook as well as a paperback?

One more thing. Check your grammar. You will be typing this up for potential future readers, make it your best work. The author, as well as the reader, will appreciate it.

And thank you! 

Hear that?

My audiobook is out and I would love for you to check it out! I love working with ACX and Audible.com for the production of all of my audiobooks. 

If you are too busy to read but feel as if you are missing out on life because you haven't read a book lately, you might want to try audio. If you know what audiobooks are all about and you haven't listened for a while, you might want to check out what Audible.com has to offer.

Have a great day!

Kathryn

Who Else Wants to Review I Walked With Jesus? [UPDATE]

Things on the book release homefront are getting closer with I Walked With Jesus: NewTestament Stories of Faith and Healing From the Least of These!

I would love to reach the 30 review mark by August 30th! [I am in need of 5 more reviewers!]

If you've been thinking about reviewing, but haven't committed yet, I would love to have you along. Let me know here or send me a note at kathy@ariverofstones.com.

Thanks!

You can choose to review the audiobook
[I will send you a code for a free audiobook - Update! I now have the free codes!]

or the paperback [I will send you a PDF]

The Shrinking Class of Book Readers - What audiobooks can mean for your sales

Are people reading books like they used to?

Nope.

According to a 2019 Pew Research Center survey, 37% of the population read print books only. And while there are still those who don't read at all [27%] a combined total of 36% [those who read digital books only, and those who are interested in both print and digital]  together the percentage is about the same as those who read only books. Only 1% of those surveyed failed to give an answer.

What does this tell me?

Because fewer and fewer people in the United States are reading, more and more authors are vying for audiobooks in their book marketing plan. 

And why not?

Consider, as an author, being open to 73% of the U.S. population? Even further, consider what the non-readers might do if they decided to pick up a book in a manner of speaking? Would they gravitate to a print book, or would they more than likely choose an audiobook, something they can listen to on that car trip, or boring sit at the doctor's office?

Consider also that two years have passed since this study. How many more do you think are listening vs. reading?

In 2013, I began the audiobook journey with my book, "Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones."

Get it at Amazon or Audible

My recent audiobook, "I Walked With Jesus: New Testament Stories of Faith and Healing From the Least of These," will be released hand-in-hand with my print book on January 30 for the first time. I will also have an eBook released, giving me three opportunities to reach readers, whether they read in book format, digital, or listen in audio.

Some of my books, the mysteries primarily, have done better in the audio format than in print.

In a nutshell, the shrinking class of book readers opens the way for me to try new things and to get more people involved in what I love the most - books!

Audio, you say? Get to know Krista Nicely

UPDATE: We are squeaky clean close to getting the audio finished! It should be this week! Don't be a stranger...

The audio narration begins today for "I Walked With Jesus: New Testament Stories of Faith and Healing From the Least of These."

Krista Nicely

Get to know Krista Nicely!

How long have you been narrating books? What do you enjoy the most about it?

I have been narrating books for a little over 3 years.  One of the things I enjoy most about narrating is the opportunity to be all the characters - the hero, the villain, the odd minor character or creature, both males and females, from the young boy to the elderly grandmother.

What is your favorite genre to narrate?

I don’t necessarily have a favorite genre. I do enjoy narrating books with an engaging story, interesting, dynamic characters. I also love a good challenge - such as learning to pronounce a few Finnish words for one book.

What is the trickiest part of narrating, perhaps something you have learned through practice?

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For me, one of the biggest challenges has been consistency - pacing and voice -  as narrating a single book can take anywhere from several days to weeks. When I get in my studio in the morning, which is when I typically record, I listen to some of the last recording and even read along with myself for a bit. This can help me feel the pacing as well as hear and in a way feel the placement of my voice.  This practice can help with maintaining a consistent sound from chapter 1 to the final chapter of a book.

If you could advise an author just starting in working with a narrator, what would it be? What advice would you give to a narrator just starting out?

Two things come to mind. First, make sure your book is ready for narrating and that it has been professionally edited. As a narrator, I work hard to ensure that I read the written manuscript exactly as written - preferably without errors. Also, a well-edited book is much easier to read.  And with that in mind, I would suggest that authors read their book out loud to themselves. Doing this will help them to hear the text and notice if dialogue sounds natural or awkward or even if there is a word that is overused.

Why did you decide to take on Kathryn's book?

I am always up for trying something new! This book is different from other audiobooks I have done in that it is a series of stories from the New Testament rather than a novel. Kathryn’s retelling of the stories and providing a possible backstory for familiar figures of the Bible interested me. I thought it would be a fun challenge.

Thank you, Krista!