If you hand me a book, the first thing I'll do is crack it open, stick my nose right in the center of the pages and give it a giant inhale, eyes closed as I soak up one of my favorite smells in the world. I may look like a crazy person, but I don't care. I love books THAT much. (As a biased aside, my own has a GREAT new book smell - give 'er a whiff if you haven't already!)
So you can imagine my own surprise at writing a review on—gasp!—AUDIO books today! But hear me out (no pun intended).
What is Audible.com?
Many of you may have already bucked the paper book trend (what are those again?) in favor of reading e-books on Kindle or your iPad. Audible.com is a subscription-based service (much like Netflix with a similar price-point) that allows you to listen to books while running, driving, or dancing in your room.
I first discovered Audible while I was in NYC for one glorious month as part of my self-funded 14-city book tour, and I hyperventilated at the thought of narrowing down my book companions to fewer than 5, seeing as I have no less than 20 unread books on my shelves that I am dying to read (check out my full list on GoodReads).
Given that I would be traveling so much, it seemed like a great time to (slightly begrudgingly) make the switch to audio—at least for a little while. So I signed-up for a free trial at Audible.com and wanted to share the experiment with all of you! I used my free download to get the book Talent Code - a must-read recommendation from my brother.
How the Free Trial Works (which includes one free book download)
You can sign-up by clicking here (note: these are affiliate links—all proceeds go to cupcake consumption). If you cancel before your trial period is up, no harm done! You still walk away with a free audio book. If you continue your membership, you will be charged a monthly fee ($14.95 or $22.95, depending on what plan you choose), which gives you one or two book credits to use each month. There are also incentives if you refer a friend.
The Audible Affiliate Program:
Audible has a fantastic associate program, in which anyone with an account can create links to refer their audience to Audible and Amazon. It's free to become an affiliate, and it's very simple to set up. With each successful referral, you earn an advertising fee.
My initial review of Audible.com
Pros:
- I love the preview feature that allows you to listen to snippets of the book before purchasing
- I like the price consistency - one credit is applicable to almost all of the books on the site
- Books are super easy to download and play in the Audible app
- There is no need to create a new account—it's conveniently linked up with Amazon.com
- If you decide to cancel your membership, Audible pitches some great deals to keep you there a while longer :)
Cons:
- My own ADD! I still have a hard time listening to audio books without getting easily distracted or wishing there was music on instead.
- The site navigation is a little bit clunky
- The search feature leaves MUCH to be desired (:::cough, cough they should use Google enterprise!:::)
Ready to give it a shot? About the Audible Membership Free Trial
From Audible.com (who will do a much better job describing the details of the free trial than me):
Download any audiobook, free, when you try Audible for 30 days. Choose from 180,000+ best sellers, new releases, sci-fi, romances, mysteries, classics, and more. After 30 days, Audible is just $14.95/month. Membership includes your choice of book each month. Don't like your book? We'll exchange it for you. Cancel anytime—your books are yours to keep.
I'd love to hear your thoughts: Are you an audio book convert and/or already an Audible.com member? Does this seem like something that you could get into, or are you still stuck on books like me?
Book Tour Update:
I've been a little quiet lately...landed in NYC last Wednesday and decided to take a complete break from everything—from work, commitments, social media, and from buzzing around to see everyone and anyone I can fit into my schedule. I've gotta say—it feels amazing.
At first I caught a case of the Slow-Down Sads (my new term for feeling low when you suddenly slow down and stop DOING) but it's nothing that daily yoga isn't helping to cure. I'm in a place of transition and reflection—and though a little uncomfortable at times, it's a welcome opportunity to re-evaluate everything I'm doing. More on all of this soon...for now, I'm continuing with my semi-hermit-just-enjoy-the-big-apple plan!
The picture below is the first time I saw my book in a major chain—facing out at Barnes & Noble Union Square!
