Visit my website at www.rowmark.co.uk for details of all my crime novels

News from the Audio Publishers Association in America is very welcome with the release of their annual Survey Highlights for Audio Books showing an increase in audio book sales over the last year. This is good news for me on a personal level because I have several of my DI Andy Horton crime novels published as unabridged audio books read by the highly accomplished actor and voice artist Gordon Griffin. In addition,  many of my sales, marketing and communications books are available as audio books. The survey reports: Unit sales were up nearly 10% in the past year, showing continued consumer interest in audiobooks. Based on the companies who reported (representing 61% of industry), total net sales (after returns) are up by 2 million units and $2 million. The total number of audiobooks being published doubled in the past three years, from 3,073 in 2007 to 6,200 in 2010. Audiobook downloads continued on a growth trend representing 36% of dollar volume (up from 29% in 2009...

In an article called, Giving Them What They Want: Keeping Up With the New Demand for Audiobooks,  published in the August issue of Publishing Trends . it's reported that digital audiobook downloads have steadily been increasing.  "The latest AAP Sales Report shows that downloaded audiobook sales were up 17% in May. With this rise in digital audiobooks and digital subscription services, they have also been attracting the 18-34 year-old crowd, bringing with it a new generation of tech-savvy and voracious listeners." This is good news for authors like me whose DI Andy Horton marine mystery crime novels (and my business books ) are available in audio format and as downloads. The article also goes on to say that publishers are exploring new channels like combining audiobooks and e-books, releasing some new titles as ‘download only’ and bringing more titles to market to increase sales opportunities.” Should be interesting to see what develops there! Some of my aud...

Dead Man's Wharf and Blood on the Sand will be published as unabridged audio books this year and available as downloads, as well as in CD and cassette format. Not sure when exactly they will be published but I think Dead Man's Wharf is in the Spring and Blood on the Sand later in the year. You can probably check on Amazon. I'm really pleased about this because audio books are great for those who are visually impaired, for busy people on the move, and for those who simply like to relax and listen to a good read.  I'm also delighted that Gordon Griffin is reading them. He reads my other Inspector Horton audio books: Deadly Waters and The Suffocating Sea . In addition, Dead Man's Wharf is being published in Large Print on 24 February 2011. And don't forget the new Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel, Footsteps on the Shore is being published in hardcover in a week's time on 27 January 2011. You can pre-order all these titles onl...

I had some good news last week from my publisher and that is Isis Publishing , the World’s leading publisher of unabridged audio books, wants to buy the rights to the fourth marine mystery crime novel featuring Inspector Horton, Dead Man’s Wharf . This means that later this year it will be published as an audio book and in digital download format. I expect it will be read by Gordon Griffin again, who reads my other talking books: Deadly Waters and The Suffocating Sea. Dead Man’s Wharf was given a star rated review by American reviewer Kirkus and hailed as an ‘exemplary procedural.’ It is set in Portsmouth and the Solent area and was released in trade paperback in February. I’m delighted Isis are going to publish it as an audio book because it means those with impaired vision will have access to it. And downloads are becoming increasingly popular with many people who wish to listen to books whilst driving, jogging, knitting, sunbathing, flying or well, whenever… I’ll let you kno...

Good news for authors.  The Digital Economy Bill has been rushed through the Commons before Parliament closes for the general election and one of the clauses is that Public Lending Rights (PLR) has been extended to e books and audio books. This means that authors will eventually get a small payment every time their e book or audio book is borrowed from a public libary in the UK and Ireland.  At present the PLR on books is 6.5p per loan up to a maximum of £6,000 per annum so even J.K. Rowling only gets 6K.  Still, that can hardly concern her, it's just small chnage.  But the PLR is certainly welcomed by many authors. Public Lending Right registrar, Jim Parker said work on redrafting legislation would begin after the election. He says, “The collection of data on e-books will be quite different with issues around ISBNs, and with audiobooks we will have two new groups of rightsholders—not just the authors, but also the narrators and producers.” Mmmm,...

Most authors don't mind how their work is read just as long as it is read. And, of course, they get paid for it, somewhere along the line.  Sales of e books are growing and will continue to grow as new devices come to the market, and that's great. All my crime novels are available as e books as well as in printed format, the more formats the merrier, I say. Deadly Waters and The Suffocating Sea are also available as audio books and MP3 downloads - a huge growth market. Then there is large print , again a growing market as the population ages and more people become visually impaired (although the e book could help with its ability to increase font size). Hardback is for those who want a special book to cherish and for the library market where books need to be durable.  And there are two types of paperback, trade paperback - a larger size which is popular in America and usually of better quality -and the cheaper mass mar...

Below is a link to a very interesting and well written article on one person's experience of the pleasure of hiking and listening to audio books at the same time.  While this may be abhorrent to some, others might find it relaxing and enjoyable. As an author whose books are also in audio book format,( the latest is The Suffocating Sea )  I find this most encouraging. I too am a walker, and a knitter (read the article), and I find that both help me work through my plots - especially when I am at a difficult stage in the crime novel. I can let my mind go into freefall at the same time as doing something productive ( knitting a jumper) and getting beneficial exercise, walking. Though I don't yet do all three at the same time, or should I say four - now that would be a feat! http://www.themillions.com/2009/09/on-walking-and-reading-at-the-same-time.html

I've started a discussion topic on one of the groups I belong to on Facebook- the suspense/thriller writers group - on the importance of branding for books? Please feel free to join the discussion if you wish. Here is the link below to Facebook or you can comment here on my blog if you prefer. http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=14849&uid=2397748813#/topic.php?uid=2397748813&topic=14849&ref=mf Having worked in marketing for many years I’m no stranger to the subject of branding. Branding helps create and reinforce an identity for a product or service and places it in the minds of the customer, thereby boosting sales. With books the branding can include: · the book itself – its style, genre, quality of writing · the packaging - the cover design, the size of the book, the title, typography, the quality of the paper · the marketing – where the book is advertised, what kind of advertising is undertaken, the images used, the style of copy writing, the marketing message ·...

Random House US is launching a major advertising campaign in the USA on 23 November, with Dan Brown and other notables from the world of fiction, showing consumers that books make an ideal Christmas present. And I thought well what's good enough for Dan Brown is good enough for me. So, in my own little way I thought I'd beat the drum for the UK. According to a survey in the UK by Deloitte, (one of my former employers by the way) books are desired by 65% of consumers and will be bought as gifts by 63% of people. With retail sales struggling books are still deemed to be good value gifts. So, if you fancy curling up with a Marine Mystery then please go ahead. At £6.99 retail price you could probably pick up a copy for a fiver on line. Unless you pitch for Deadly Waters, or The Suffocating Sea, my two latest marine mysteries featuring my rugged detective Horton, and they are a little more expensive at the moment. Books are always popular gifts at Christmas because they offer such g...

That is the question that is being asked today and is a headline in a very good article in The Independent because today Waterstone's is offering Sony's e-book reader for pre-order from its stores. While Borders UK became the first UK retailer to start selling the rival iLiad e-book in May, the Waterstone's launch of the Sony Reader is cheaper at £199. (Borders iLiad is £399.) But will consumers buy an e book reader at this price when they bulk at buying a book for £2.99? The article lists the pro and cons of e readers citing such things as being heavy and clunky to carry around, expensive and won't survive being dropped on the floor or in the pool like books. People also like passing on books to friends and buying them as presents. Of course the gadget lovers and bookworms will love e readers, and they'll take up less space around the home (but book lovers love to see shelves of books so the e reader will appeal to non book lovers - why then invest in an e book re...