Our second feature — “Cooking Up an Audiobook” — in Publishers Weekly’s Focus on Audio 2012 takes us inside a Random House Audio recording studio to see how an audiobook gets made as Marcus Samuelsson records his memoir, Yes, Chef.
Celebrated chef Marcus Samuelsson knows kitchens better than most people, but today he is mixing them up with chickens. “I never forgot that lesson, even though as a kid we didn’t kill the kitchens we ate for dinner,” reads Samuelsson.
He says the line into a large, futuristic-looking microphone, reading from a stack of pages in front of him—chapter 4 of his new memoir, Yes, Chef, which will be published by Random House in late June. Samuelsson is a James Beard Award–winning chef, among stacks of other culinary distinctions, and a fixture of Food Network programming, and has his own popular and acclaimed restaurants, including most recently, Red Rooster Harlem.
But today he sits perched on a stool in a cramped sound booth at Beatstreet Productions in New York City, being corrected about the word he just used.
“You said ‘kitchens’ instead of ‘chickens,’” says John McElroy, a veteran audio director and owner of Eljin Productions Inc., who sits at a large desk in the main room of the recording studio, on the other side of the booth’s soundproof door. “Let’s take that again.”
It’s time once again for Publishers Weekly’s annual Focus on Audio: our annual, in-depth look at what’s new in audiobook publishing.
And this year, we have four great articles that are chock full of audio information, trends, inside stories, and a whole lot more.
Let’s kick things off with our first story, “Aligning the Stars in Audio” — a feature all about the pleasures and perils of celebrity narrators.
On paper, getting Johnny Depp to narrate Keith Richards’s autobiography, Life, should have been simple: Richards’s representatives agreed to have Depp narrate and Depp’s representatives ironed out the deal with publisher Hachette Audio.
While convincing a Hollywood celebrity to narrate an audiobook is usually a long shot, in this case it was the most straightforward part of the process: Depp had long been friends with the Rolling Stones’ guitarist. “He does an excellent impersonation,” says Michele McGonigle, director of audio production and executive producer at Hachette Audio. “They’re very close.”
But that closeness nearly derailed Depp’s participation in the project, and at the same time proved to be its saving grace…
Earlier this month, Garrison Keillor — along with Tim Russell and Sue Scott — performed audio dramatizations of portions of the his latest novel, Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny at Common Good Books in St. Paul, Minn.
The audio edition of Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny is also performed by Keillor, Russell, and Scott and available from HighBridge Audio. Take a look below for some pictures from the reading at Common Good Books:
Yet again, it’s Audiobook Release Roundup Time. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the latest new releases from some of the industry’s major audio publishers.
And, as always, if you are an audio publisher, and we left you off the list, just let us know — we’ll add you to our roster right away.
What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained Robert L. Wolke, read by Sean Runnette. Tantor Media, unabridged, eight CDs, 9.5 hrs., $44.99 ISBN 978-1-4526-0636-1
Chemistry professor emeritus and award-winning food columnist Wolke offers a reference guide to the science of food, everything from the truth about raw sugar and cream of tartar to how microwaves and “instant-read” thermometers actually function, explaining it all in a clear, accessible, and fun fashion. Sean Runnette turns in a subtle, winning performance in this audio edition, capturing the spirit of the text—his reading both informs and entertains—and delivering friendly, clear, and steady narration. Additionally, Runnette is restrained and wry—and vaguely reminiscent of Niles Crane from TV’s Frasier—nailing the book’s many moments of humor. This delightful audiobook—which includes a PDF with more than 30 recipes from the author’s wife, Marlene Parrish—is a must for foodies and science fans. A W.W. Norton paperback. (Feb.)
It’s time –once more unto the breach, dear friends — to take a look at which titles topped Publishers Weekly’s Audio Bestseller Lists, this time during the month of April.
Here’s a quick preview of the Fiction and Nonfiction Lists:
Top Audio Fiction
1. Guilty Wives by James Patterson, read by January Lavoy. (Hachette Audio)
2. The Confession by John Grisham, read by Scott Sowers. (Random House Audio)
3. Evidence by Jonathan Kellerman, read by John Rubinstein. (Random House Audio)
4.Calico Joe by John Grisham, read by Erik Singer. (Random House Audio)
5. The Sixth Man by David Baldacci, read by Ron McLarty and Orlagh Cassidy. (Hachette Audio)
6. Cross Fire by James Patterson, read by Andre Braugher and Jay O. Sanders. (Hachette Audio)
For all PW’s Fiction Audio Bestsellers, click HERE.
Top Audio Nonfiction
1. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, read by the author. (Macmillan Audio)
2. Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting by Wayne W. Dyer, read by the author. (Hay House)
3. Every Day a Friday by Joel Osteen, read by the author. (Hachette Audio)
4. Power to Shape Your Destiny!: 7 Strategies for Massive Results by Anthony Robbins, read by the author. (Simon & Schuster Audio)
5. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, read by the author. (Simon & Schuster Audio)
6. Imagine: How Creativity Works by Jonah Lehrer, read by the author. (Brilliance Audio)
For all PW’s Nonfiction Audio Bestsellers, click HERE.
It’s time once again to take a look at our latest batch of audio reviews. And this month, we start with the fiction side and Madeleine L’Engle’s classic A Wrinkle in Time, narrated by Hope Davis and available from Listening Library.
A Wrinkle in Time Madeleine L’Engle, read by Hope Davis. Listening Library, unabridged, five CDs, 6 hrs., $25 ISBN 978-0-307-91657-0
Hope Davis narrates this engaging new audio production of L’Engle’s classic novel. When the troubled and underachieving Meg Murry’s physicist father goes missing, Meg—along with her younger brother, Charles, and friend Calvin—warps across the universe in an attempt to find him. The trio is aided by three angels, Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which, who use Dr. Murray’s mysterious tesseract project to whisk the children through space and time. Davis delivers pitch-perfect narration that captures the spirit of the author’s prose. She also creates distinct voices for the book’s many characters, most notably the petulant Meg and enthusiastic Calvin. Listeners are in for a real treat—and longtime L’Engle fans will delight in Davis’s outstanding performance, which breathes new life into this acclaimed fantasy title. Ages 10–up. (Jan.)
In another celebrity casting coup, Hachette Audio landed Tom Hanks to narrate the audio edition of Stephen Colbert’s children’s book I Am a Pole (And So Can You !).
Colbert — who I am told will co-narrate the audiobook by interrupting Hanks’s performance — made the announcement last week on The Colbert Report:
If our previous post about the audio edition of Etgar Keret’s Suddenly, A Knock on the Door, piqued your interest, check out the following audio excerpt — Ira Glass reading the book’s titular story:
Our Audiobook Q&A Series returns, and this time around we chat with Dan Zevin, author of the forthcoming memoir Dan Gets a Minivan: Life at the Intersection of Dude and Dad, about recording the audio edition of his book for AudioGO, the perils of pronunciation, and the dangers of carbonated beverages.
1. This is your first book to have an audio edition. What was behind your decision to narrate Dan Gets a Minivan yourself?
I used to contribute funny radio pieces to NPR’s Boston station, WBUR, and I also hosted a funny call-in show called “Everyday People,” where I interviewed non-celebrities like my UPS guy or a birthday-party clown. I forgot how much I loved going into a studio and recording until I posted some of those spots on my website for Dan Gets a Minivan. Narrating my book was a chance to get back into the studio again. Now I want to start doing radio again. Or maybe I can just narrate other people’s books instead of having to write my own.
2. How was the recording process for you? Was it what you expected? Was it different?
It was surreal. My book is a comic memoir about the transition from couplehood to familyhood. It’s funny, but it’s personal. Spending six hours reading it aloud was like spending six years re-living my life. Now I can fire my shrink. I’m cured.
Listen Up is dedicated to all things audio. We’ll be bringing you the latest audiobook news and reviews, casting coups, innovations in marketing, Q&As with authors and narrators, audio clips, and plenty of recommendations. Contact our blogger, Adam Boretz, at aboretz@publishersweekly.
Our second feature — “Cooking Up an Audiobook” — in Publishers Weekly’s Focus on Audio 2012 takes us inside a Random House Audio recording studio to see how an audiobook gets made as Marcus Samuelsson records his memoir, Yes, Chef.
Let’s kick things off with our first story, “Aligning the Stars in Audio” — a feature all about the pleasures and perils of celebrity narrators.
What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained
1. Guilty Wives by James Patterson, read by January Lavoy. (Hachette Audio)
1. Killing Lincoln by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, read by the author. (Macmillan Audio)
Our Audiobook Q&A Series returns, and this time around we chat with 