If you missed it, be sure to check out eMusic Audiobooks Editor Maris Kreizman’s piece from the latest issue of PW on how to entice consumers to try audiobooks.

An excerpt from Kreizman’s column can be found below and the piece in it’s entirety can be found HERE.

I’m often asked by new buyers of audiobooks for recommendations. Their most common concern? That their Internet-addled minds will wander at the slightest provocation. So that gorgeous 34-hour recording of Anna Karenina? Not for them. Those who are just getting started in the world of audiobooks need a non-intimidating entry point.

“Gateway audiobooks” are an important category for the audiobook industry to consider. They’re the books that help a company like eMusic expand our consumer base and reach new users who are still unsure whether listening to books is for them. Once new users get hooked, they’ll be ready for that 57-hour recording of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich in no time.

If you’re trying to reach new customers, here are five categories that I often suggest to smooth the audiobook transition.

1. Humorous books written and performed by their authors

Tina Fey’s Bossypants was eMusic’s #1 bestselling audiobook of 2011 for a simple reason: it’s a book that’s meant to be heard, not read. On the page, Fey is plenty witty, but in audio she’s able to showcase her knack for impersonations and impeccable comic timing. The same goes for many of the perennial big names in comedic audiobooks, from Sedaris (David and Amy), Rakoff and Vowell, to Stewart and Colbert. This isn’t to say that audiobook publishers require big name comedians on their rosters—just that the value of hearing an author interpret his or her own work shouldn’t be underestimated as a key selling point.