Audio continues to dominate the news. And after Spotify and others hogged the limelight last week, Amazon is determined not to be left out of the frame. They have just launched what they are calling “immersion reading” in Audible.
ALLi News Editor Dan Holloway
Of course, there is a press release, and I will confess I snorted my coffee across the screen at the line from Andy Tsao, the chief product officer at Audible, “Now at Audible, you can read with your eyes too.”
Reading with your eyes. Who'd have thought! In fairness, of course, what they mean is that, whilst you are within the Audible environment, you can now use your eyes as well as your ears. Which brings us to what immersion reading actually is.
How Immersion Reading Works
At base, it is a way of linking up the e-book and audiobook version of the same title for those who have purchased both. It is not, importantly, a tool for changing a book you have bought in one format into another format you haven't paid for. And possibly the most important sentence in the release (for us at least) comes at the very end: “Publishers will not see changes to related royalty payments.”
Within the Audible environment, readers will be able to switch between “listen” and “read and listen,” with the latter giving them the chance to follow along in text, with the word currently being read aloud highlighted in real time.
Questions about Format Convergence
If you feel like this particular kind of feature launch is one you are seeing rather frequently, you aren't imagining it. Mark Williams has a fascinating piece exploring what he calls “format convergence.” He goes right in and looks at what will worry people most. As he says, “Audible's reassurance that royalty payments will be unchanged for Immersion Reading is notable precisely because it was necessary to state.”
I recommend you read and consider the questions Williams raises about rights, in particular whether what he calls the “double purchase” model that allows promises like Audible's to be made is viable in the long term.
Thoughts or further questions on this post or any self-publishing issue?
If you’re an ALLi member, head over to the SelfPubConnect forum for support from our experienced community of indie authors, advisors, and our own ALLi team. Simply create an account (if you haven’t already) to request to join the forum and get going.
Non-members looking for more information can search our extensive archive of blog posts and podcast episodes packed with tips and advice at ALLi's Self-Publishing Advice Center.
