It looks as though 2013 will be a another volatile year in publishing. No less so for me. Publishing has been in a state of upheaval for some years now, and so I guess it’s true that the more things change the more they stay the same—same as in more upheaval.

Is this the year of the indies? The year that self-publishing authors are finally accepted in the mainstream? (With some of the same benefits that the mainstream has enjoyed, like wide distribution to multiple sales channels?) I don’t know. Truly, the stigma surrounding self-publishing seems to be lifting in most circles. Though with authors by the (hundreds of) thousands flocking to Amazon to get their work out into the world of readers—who they may possibly out number—getting noticed is still a struggle. With the “democratization” of publishing pushing the retail prices of books and e-books lower and lower, the economics of the old model simply aren’t working. Amazon‚ the savior of self-publishing authors rewards low prices with higher royalties, which is good for consumers—but in no small part is responsible for the unsustainability of the old model for publishers big and small. Overhead simply can’t be supported on margins so slim.

So if trends continue this way, and they seem to be, it’s out with the old and in with the new. With every closed door, a new one opens. Adapt or die. All those clichés seem to apply. The question is—what will we do with these opportunities?

For me, I am mourning the loss of the old ways. Now I am standing on the edge of a cliff. Will I fall …? Or, fly?

I’ve been a follower of the Shatzkin files for a while now. Mike Shatzkin is a longtime guru in the “publishing industry,” and he usually has valuable insights for those of us on the outskirts of big publishing. This blog entry is particularly thought provoking.

It begins:

The announcement of what amounts to the first book publishing program spawned by Google demonstrates a paradigm we’re seeing repeatedly. It suggests a sweeping change in publishing from how we’ve known it. The bottom line is that most people employed publishing books perhaps as soon as 10 years from now won’t be working for publishing companies.

The trade publishing business over the past twenty years has been transitioning from what it was for a century. The Internet, which so many of us said two decades ago “changes everything” is ultimately responsible. Amazon.com has been the primary catalyst, with print on demand technology (especially Ingram’s Lightning Source) and ebooks (mostly Amazon, but others too) as supporting players. With so many more books to choose from and really available than there ever were before, the function of gatekeepers, which trade publishers and booksellers clearly and proudly were, becomes an anachronism.

The big question — at least for me — is what is trade publishing transitioning to?

I encourage anyone working in publishing, or writing with an eye toward publishing to read the full post. Only time will tell if he’s right.

In keeping with my audiobooks theme this month, I give you an interview with the narrator of our two newest audiobooks, Douglas Pratt. In January, Pratt voiced Geoff Schumacher’s books Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue about Hughes’s last years in Las Vegas. On the heels of that book he dove into Sun, Sin & Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas (Revised and Expanded). Both books went live on audible.com, iTunes.com, and Amazon.com in February.

We don’t hear that many non-fiction works in audio, as it seems to me, to be a form that is more suited to narrative fiction. However, Schumacher’s works, while dense in information, are written in a conversational style that lends itself to this format. We (at Stephens Press) knew these books would be near the top of our list to get into audio.
My aims in auditioning talent for these books was to find someone with a pleasant voice, straight-forward style, and an enthusiasm for the material. I think I hit the jackpot with Douglas Pratt.

Sue: Doug, would you share a little bit about yourself?

Doug: Ah, my favorite subject. I’m a sixty year old father of two wonderful kids, and I’ve had more careers than I can remember. I was born in a tiny town near Niagara Falls, in the northwestern area of New York State. My grandfather planted an arboretum with over 400 varieties of trees, a beautiful place that we are now turning into an educational center; you can see pictures at www.robinhillpreserve.com. I have been a printer, a programmer, a computer store owner, a radio announcer, a magazine editor, an author of nine books and countless articles, an NRA Pistol instructor, an association executive, and an IT contractor. I have a passion for the space program and a devotion to the hobby of model rocketry. I currently make rocket and science kits for schools through my company, Pratt Hobbies (www.pratthobbies.com), hoping to inspire another generation with things that go whoosh and zoom.

Douglas Pratt

Sue: Is that what drew you to the Howard Hughes story?

Doug: Howard Hughes was an instant “go!” because of my interest in aerospace history. If there is one thing you can count on aerospace people for, it’s great stories. Get them started, and they’ll go on for hours, waving their arms through their loops and turns. My uncle Stan Smith, who was the lead engineer on the Bell X-1, used to say that the quickest way to kill a pilot was to put him at a bar with other pilots and tie his hands behind his back. I try for that sort of thing when I narrate a book like this. (Sue: Doug’s enthusiasm for Hughes’s story was evident and that’s what won him this gig.)

Sue: With your varied background, what got you into doing narration work?

Doug: People are always asking me to read to them, so I decided to try doing it professionally. I’ve always loved listening to audio books. Audio books, like radio, don’t demand your total attention; I can work in my shop or putter around the house and still get a good book in. So I spent a year getting professional voice coaching and learning the business.

Sue: How long have you been doing narration? How do you like it?

Doug: When Audible unveiled their ACX (Audible Creators Exchange) service that allows voice artists to connect with publishers who are in the market, I jumped right in. It took a while, but I was starting to get some notice when Stephens Press gave me the opportunity to do Geoff Schumacher’s outstanding Howard Hughes biography. I think that is going to be my breakthrough project.

I don’t have a very versatile voice with a lot of characters, since I don’t have a theatre background. I have to look for projects that are right for me, and that means books I can get excited about. I love narrating books. I’ve always loved books, coming from a literary family. I’ve written nine books of my own, it is enormously hard work writing a book. Don’t get me wrong, narration is work, especially if you care about doing justice to a book…and I never narrate a book I don’t care about. It just isn’t the same massive effort it takes to write the darn thing.

Sue: Was there anything in the Hughes book that surprised you or that you never knew about the man?

Doug: I thought I knew Howard Hughes pretty well, having researched him a bit at the time I built and flew a radio controlled model of the H-1 Racer. I knew he was an interesting character. I knew Howard Hughes primarily from the aviation standpoint, so it was very interesting learning about his movie work. But the most striking thing about the story to me was his descent into paranoia, his gradual surrender to his germ phobia and hermit lifestyle. It’s not so much a human tragedy, as Hughes really wasn’t a very sympathetic character … it’s hard to feel sorry for him. It’s primarily a tragedy because of the wasted potential.

Sue: You dove into Sun, Sin, and Suburbia right after finishing Hughes.

Doug: Yes! The two books really complemented each other. At the end of Hughes we learn that after Hughes’ death his cousin Will Lummis assumed control of the estate. Lummis is the real hero of the story. He could have sold off the pieces at a loss and wrapped it all up. Instead he ran it as a business, managed the divisions until they were worth something and then sold them, and developed the Las Vegas land Hughes owned into the planned community of Summerlin. It’s a fascinating end to a long and interesting story.

Sue: As a sometime visitor to Las Vegas can you describe your experience with Sun, Sin & Suburbia? Schumacher really got into the nitty-gritty of the city’s evolution in more recent history. This isn’t a subject area that tourists get to know. Will it change your view next time you visit?

Doug: Absolutely. My family and I spent two weeks in Las Vegas when my daughter Valerie competed in the NFL National Championships … that’s National Forensics League, not football. She was a champion debater in high school, and because I was working in my own business I could travel with her team. I wouldn’t trade those four years; hanging around with high school debaters will restore your faith in the future. So when she got a Nationals qualifier and we heard it was in Las Vegas, we planned a family vacation. Everyone had a blast, but my personal favorite was the Valley of Fire State Park … it felt like we were driving around Mars. I knew it was impossible to take in all Vegas had to offer in two weeks, but now that I’ve read Schumacher’s book I am itching to go back. I understand so much more about the place now, and that deepens the pleasure of visiting. I like to think it makes us more than just average tourists, that we can get more out of it by understanding just why Las Vegas is a unique thing. And there is so much more I want to see … the Symphony, the parks in Summerlin, even the Zappos headquarters in the old City Hall.

Sue: I noticed that your voice really changes when you are reading something that strikes you funny. There were some places in both books where I imagined you turning off the mic and cracking up. True?

Doug: True indeed. As I said, I don’t do character voices, so my enthusiasm for the book is what I can bring to the table. When I was working with voice coaches, we spent a lot of time deciding how much is too much…it can get over the top quickly. But I am genuinely excited by the books I narrate. It’s like being at a party or a dinner, and having a story that you’re just dying to tell … that’s what I try for.

A funny soundbite from Howard Hughes.

Sue: Thanks so much Doug for talking with us! Working with you has been a real pleasure. For those fascinated (as I am) with the technical side of the craft, I am going to run a follow up with Doug on the recording process! Stay tuned.

Check out Howard Hughes: Power, Paranoia & Palace Intrigue and Sun, Sin & Suburbia: The History of Modern Las Vegas. Both are available on Audible, iTunes, and Amazon. You don’t have to be a member of Audible to buy books there. (Though I highly recommend becoming a member if you like audiobooks, it is the cheapest and easiest way to get lots of listening pleasure.) The process of getting a book into your: computer, iPod, smartphone (any brand that plays music), Kindle, iPad, or other brand of tablet, or any brand mp3 player, is painless and automatic. If you haven’t tried audiobooks I urge you to sample these two. If you have a smartphone there is an Audible app for managing and playing your audiobooks (I recommend this) or you can play through iTunes or other music program. Incidentally, Amazon also offers syncing the audiobook with the Kindle ebook version, so you can start reading at the same place where you stopped listening!

Stephens Press continues its venture into audiobooks with the publication of their bestseller, My Brother’s Voice by Stephen Nasser. This true story about a young boy surviving the Holocaust has been a perennial favorite since its first printing in 2003. The book debuted in hardcover, followed by trade paperback and there have been numerous reprintings in the intervening 10 years. It came to Kindles and iPads everywhere in 2012. And in all those venues it continues to sell well, and spread its message.

Mr. Nasser is the dynamo behind the lasting impact his story has had on his many audiences of students and adults, alike. He has spoken to groups upwards of 800 times all around the USA, and the world. He continues to do so almost on a weekly basis. Soon, the story will come alive in a stage play.

When Stephens Press first decided to venture into audiobooks, My Brother’s Voice was high on the list of books that publisher, Carolyn Uber, (and myself as the newly dubbed “audiobooks coordinator”) wanted to hear in audio. We knew that this book would need a special voice, to bring the story to life. So I began the audition process on ACX (audiobook creator’s exchange) a division of Audible.com. I knew that I wanted a younger voice and one that could convey the emotion and drama of this story, but without going overboard toward maudlin or melodramatic.

I listened to many sample “reels,” and chose a few narrators and sent requests for a “sample” reading. Most all of them obliged me with a five minute reading from our book. What struck me was how different the interpretations all were. They were all good, in different ways, but the one I knew I wanted stood out for me right from the start. That one was Maxwell Glick.

Max had exactly the right tone, and a balance of drama and matter-of-factness. His clarity and pronunciation, superb. He also portrayed just the right amount of youthful “naiveté” that I felt suited they young “Pista” Nasser of the story. And, Max is an actor—that was also something I felt we needed for this story—because only an actor would “get” how to convey the emotional component. He does and boy did he ever!

I was thrilled when Max agreed to work with us on narrating this book. We’re lucky enough to have an interview with Mr. Glick, and following that an audio sample of his work on My Brother’s Voice.  Please read on for your reward!

When I agreed to host the tour in the waning days,  I hadn’t thought about what to say. This has been, by all accounts, a successful tour—and after three weeks straight of making the rounds on writers’ and readers’ blogs around the globe—it seems like everything has been said. So, what kind of a spin can I give this? What is there new to say? Well, we’ve got new readers, and new reviews. And much to our relief, we authors, readers mostly liked the book—quite a bit.

So I thought I’d recap the highlights of the reviews and comments.

Fan boy moment–> LIKE OMG, this book was amazing! There. Got that part out of the way. Now I won’t sound like an idiot during the rest of the review. But daaaaaaamn I had to say that. —Sean Hayden, author

When I began reading Witch Hunt: Of the Blood, I never expected to be thrown into such a realistic world of love, betrayal, acceptance and rejection. … the overall anthology is more of a complete novel than a multiple authors book. —Anne Michaud, author

Witch Hunt: Of The Blood well worth the wait! That’s it in a nutshell. —JB Lockhart

This group of writers did a fantastic job capturing the characters and making them come to life in this wonderful historical fiction that will keep you turning pages well into the night until you devour all of them. —Sally A. Wolf

None of these writers failed. Each of the stories is historically accurate in addition to being eminently readable. The history is accurate and the fiction is entertaining.—Dawn Gray

And there were similar comments throughout the tour. So, we got our strokes as writers. That’s always nice, but what we hope for most is that you’ll go check out the book on on of the sellers. You’ve got nothing to lose—and fun reading for a couple of evenings to gain. Do it! (Heck, the ebook is only  $4.99! That’s what, a latté?)

To tempt you further: a sneak preview of my novella. This free excerpt falls in the middle of the book so it’s not in Amazon’s free sample—exclusive freebie right here!

Witch Hunt: Of the Blood