Audiobooks on the rise

Two AMP titles won Independent Audiobook Awards: ‘Kintsugi’ (Non-Fiction and Best Female Narrator) and ‘The Ghost Network: Activate’ (Young Adult).

June is Audiobook Month and, according to a 2020 Audio Publishers Association (APA) survey conducted by Edison Research, audiobook consumption is up. The average number of audiobooks readers listen to per year increased to 8.1 from 6.8 in 2019.

Humor continues to be a top genre for audiobooks in the survey and for Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP), said Audiobook Editor Charlie Upchurch. Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan is currently AMP’s best-selling audiobook. Comedian Sarah Cooper’s audiobooks, How to Be Successful Without Hurting Men’s Feelings, is also very popular.

Another noteworthy result from this year’s survey, especially as it pertains to AMP’s list of titles, is the percentage of parents who are very interested in audiobooks for their children, up to 39% in 2020 from 26% in 2019. In fact, 35% of adults who have listened to an audiobook in the last year report having children, age 17 or younger, who have also listened to at least one audiobook. AMP has seen continued success in this category and continues to expand its offering.

Currently, AMP Kids is partnering with Epic!, the world’s leading digital library for kids, to release several titles on its Read To Me! platform. This unique format combines an e-book with an audio track to narrate a book and highlight words on a page to assist early readers. Audiobooks are not only extremely helpful in promoting literacy, but also in providing vision-impaired people with additional access to reading.

Jessica Pan’s hilarious memoir, ‘Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come,’ is AMP’s top-selling audiobook title.

Although driving still ranks as the primary environment for audiobook listeners, readership has increased for activities at home, such as chores and cooking; exercise, such as walking and running; and not doing anything else other than listening. Included in this group are consumers who use audiobooks as a way to practice self-care and well-being. AMP titles that fit in well here are The Honest Enneagram, The Multi-Hyphen Life, Minding Miss Manners, Identity Theft, and Kintsugi, which won two 2020 Independent Audiobook Awards (IAA) for Non-Fiction and Best Female Narrator.

The Ghost Network: Activate by I.I. Davidson also won an IAA for Young Adult. A few other notable AMP audiobook titles are: Be Straight with Me by Emily Dalton, Dear Girl by Aija Mayrock, and DKMH by Dacre Montgomery.