New Swedish Books, autumn 2019 1
9 Autumn 2019 literature and able to adjust to a
different media landscape. A good quality audio book is expensive to produce – it takes a particular editorial expertise, professional readers, studio time, sound engineers, audio editing and so on. Yet, not all books work as audio books. Today people in the trade are increasingly investing in specialised publishers in order to publish literature specifically adjusted to fit the audio book format. For example, it has become popular again to publish serials with fewer characters and clear plot twists. – Another new condition that I wanted to highlight is the importance of social media. Nowadays publishing companies have a totally different and direct access to their buyers and readers. Through forums such as Facebook and Instagram publishers are able to make their work more transparent. Followers can see the process of publishing from the moment the contract with the author is signed to the moment the books are delivered from the printers and out to the public. ” Publishers are both the guardians of literature and able to adjust to a different media landscape“. Publishers are also active on Facebook groups, giving personal suggestions to listeners looking for recommendations. In this way they can interact with their audiences in a different way to before. Likewise, subscriptions services know a lot more about their users through the data that these digital platforms are able to collect on the books that people actually read/listen to, how many books are finished or at what point in the story the reader/listener begins to trail off. How does this affect publishing? And authors? – When people got used to streaming audio books it became more apparent what books and genres were popular. On the Storytel platform it is clear that genre literature is in high demand: for example crime or suspense, romance and erotic fiction. When it comes to romance as a genre then its readers (listeners) are much more active than others and often read across genres. And more traditionally published authors are, at the same time, becoming increasingly interested in the impact that genre literature has had and are curious to experiment with these new formats. It is often more difficult than one imagines! Publishers play an important role here in assisting in the development of a writer’s manuscript. The major publishing houses have therefore invested in expanding their skill sets when it comes to dramatic composition. – A genre that is faced with greater challenges in terms of the audio book format is non-fiction. Bonnier’s non-fiction publishers and editors have recently initiated a project that extends across publishing houses and involves working on issues of non-fiction dramaturgy. Some publishers have unfortunately been tempted to reduce their specific nonfiction expertise, which in turn greatly affects both authors and in the long run the population’s general knowledge. The industry already possesses the resources needed and there are several successful examples of narrative nonfiction to learn from. The editor of Lars Berge’s award-winning non-fiction book The Wolf Attack highlights a number of qualities that a good non-fiction book should have to work well as an audio book. For example, using a first person narrator, having a clear chronology and conflicts that are understandable, and a more spoken word style and rhythm. This in turn means well-balanced and not too long sentences, preferably with well-chosen dialogue. The text needs to keep the tension by using cliff hangers to tempt the reader/listener to continue on. How did you proceed in order to arrive at your conclusions? – My research is based on interviews and on observing specific cases within the trade. For instance, I have had the privilege to spend time with the Bonnier publishing group as a guest researcher so as to interview some of their employees. Overall the publishing industry has made a big effort in the last few years to improve the standard of their publicly available statistics, making it possible to examine the development in actual figures. What insights and lessons can be learnt? – My study confirms that the streaming of audio books is transforming literature. Publishers and authors encounter a world where the story must hold the listeners’ attention. It is vital to master dramaturgy. That knowledge is a particularly valuable asset in the book market today.