Audio Adventures: The Wonderful World of Audiobooks – Part 1
Are You Sitting Comfortably?
“Once upon a time…” Don’t you just love that phrase? It conjures up a world of magic and imagination. It reminds me of fairy tales and the exciting stories by the likes of Brothers Grimm! Perhaps it takes you back to your childhood and reminds you of having stories told to you at bedtime. Cosying up, settling down and getting ready to hear the next exciting instalment of a favourite adventure…what could be better!
Books give you permission to escape into the world of whatever the author has created and is waiting just for your personal interpretation. We all love hearing stories whether it’s anecdotes at a party or how individuals have succeeded or overcome challenges in their lives and the art of good storytelling is so precious. Enter the audiobook…
Why listen to an audiobook?
In today’s fast moving, pressured and hectic world it’s even more important to make time to switch off and escape from time to time. Sitting down with a book and taking time out might seem a luxury but evidence has shown the benefits it can bring about to your physical, emotional and mental health. But what can you do if you simply DON’T have the time to stop altogether? The answer is simple; ‘pick up’ or rather start listening to an audiobook.
The world of audiobooks has surged phenomenally over recent years and is proving more attractive to the younger working generation with just under 30% of audiobook listeners being between the age of 25-34.
So why is this?
6 Reasons to Give it a Go
- We are a society where multi-tasking is the norm. Audiobooks enable the listener to enjoy escaping to another world or to share in the thoughts and knowledge of others while still continuing with daily routines.
- It has enabled people to cut down the wasted time sat in a car while going from A to B or the empty time as you are walking to work, preparing a meal or exercising the dog. Statistics gathered by Voices show that 63% of listeners do so during a commute and a whopping 54% listen while doing household chores.
- It allows you to lie back, close your eyes and relax at the end of the day instead of straining to keep your tired eyes open while absorbing words on a page.
- Another positive to listening to audiobooks is that they give an opportunity to enjoy books for those who find the physical act of reading a challenge; this could be due to concentration, visual impairment or learning difficulties such as dyslexia. They too can let their imaginations run wild and escape into the author’s world.
- I would also argue that audiobooks are more environmentally friendly as they are paperless.
- They are often cheaper to purchase than a paperback version of a book and take up a lot less space – no shelves needed!
There are many other health benefits which you can read about in the as outlined in the article published in LIBRO.FM
So we agree, there are huge benefits to listening to an audiobook and if you haven’t already tried one, you really should. Whether you like a good romance or thriller or perhaps a self-help book or biography, there is something out there for everyone. Good sites to browse and find one are places like Audible and LibriVox. For a full list of the top 10 sites, take a look at Techradar.com
As you can tell, I feel the virtues and positive reasons for delving into the world of audiobooks as a listener are plentiful and if you were wondering whether to switch from a paperback to a title on audible, I would say Yes – Go for it! It will open up books to you in a whole new way. Enjoy having stories, events and factual knowledge imparted to YOU by narrators who specialise in bringing words to life. Hopefully you’ll find a voice that resonates with you and enhances your enjoyment of the book. I certainly became an audiobook narrator because for many years as a teacher, telling stories and bringing learning to life was my passion. Now, as a voiceover artist I get to do it every single day! You can hear some samples of books I have narrated in the demo section of my website.
If, after listening to audiobooks yourself, you are curious about becoming a part of the process and story itself – as a narrator, then take a look at my next blog in which I will delve into and hopefully simplify the realms of becoming an audiobook narrator.
If you’d like to find out more about me and my role as a voiceover artist, please click here.
Anne-Lise Kadri – Voices for Impact
