Is there an audiobook version in the works?

[TiVangelist]

I'm half-way through the book and enjoying it enormously. The only thing I think might be more fun than reading it is hearing Ken tell us these stories himself.

[Ken Jennings]

I would love to do an audio book version, but I get the impression that only super-mega-sellers get audio book treatments. Brainiac is doing just fine, but it's far from a super mega-seller.

[TiVangelist]

Is David Rakoff (of This American Life fame) a super-mega-seller? The CD version of Don't Get Too Comfortable came out the same time as the hardback. Maybe because people are used to listening to him? As it happens, I wasn't that familiar with him as a radio essayist (is that a term?) before I listened to the book, and hearing the essays read in his voice added a dimension I'm sure I would have lost if I had read the book without knowing how he would sound.

Luckily for most readers of Braniac, we have heard you speak and can sort of imagine how you might sound telling us these anecdotes. I did find myself wondering how you'd do the chapter endnotes with the answers to the interspersed trivia questions, though.

[cadams35]

Well, he might just tell the question and go "BTW, the answer to that question is at the end of the (audio) chapter".

But, if one owns the audio version, wouldn't you think they'd have read the book?

[TiVangelist]

I know people who listen to books on their commute to work, or while working out, or whatever. Generally, they are listening to books they haven't read and may or may not own in paper form.

But you're right, there's no doubt a solution to the problem of the chapter end-notes.

[bradpatridge]

I would love to do an audio book version, but I get the impression that only super-mega-sellers get audio book treatments. Brainiac is doing just fine, but it's far from a super mega-seller.

I got an idea, break out your mic and some cheap software, read your entire book into the mic. viola, mp3 format book on tape. then just let us download the huge file from your server. everyone is happy ....well, almost everyone.

[Mugford]

I would love to do an audio book version, but I get the impression that only super-mega-sellers get audio book treatments. Brainiac is doing just fine, but it's far from a super mega-seller.

I'll buy you a tape recorder!

[Ken Jennings]

Reviving this recently-spammed thread to note that Maphead will in fact be available as an audiobook from Tantor next month.