APA at BEA

Audio publishers rev up convention programs

by Shannon Maughan -- Publishers Weekly, 5/5/2003

The countdown to Book Expo America has begun, and the Audio Publishers Association stands ready to host a series of meetings, workshops and events for its members and for booksellers attending the convention. Following APA's early-morning annual meeting open only to its voting membership, the BEA activities kick off in earnest with Thursday's day-long APA Conference at the Wilshire Grand Hotel. Entitled "Exchanging Ideas, Working on Solutions" the day's programming focuses on some key industry issues of the day. The morning's general session addresses "Driving Sales with Emerging Technologies" and is moderated by Joe Bates, manager of consumer research for the Consumer Electronics Association. Attendees will hear about the ongoing dialogue among CEA, APA and the automobile industry concerning viable audiobook formats and standards and what the future holds in this area.

Morning workshops include "Beyond the Bookstore: Exploring Special Sales and Non-Traditional Markets for Audiobooks," "Raising the Profile of the Audiobook Industry" and "Audio Publishing 101: Preparing Yourself for the Audiobook Industry."

A lunch break will be followed by the announcement of APA's outgoing and newly elected officers and board members. Then comedian/author/audiobook enthusiast Louie Anderson, whose most recent title, The F Word: How to Survive Your Family, is available from Time Warner AudioBooks, takes the microphone to deliver the keynote address.

Among the afternoon sessions, attendees will find "Bottom of the Food Chain: Returns and Reporting" and "Audiobooks on the Air: The Prospect of Traditional and Alternative Broadcasting." Roundtable groups will convene later in the afternoon to discuss industry challenges and potential solutions. And capping off the day's events is a cocktail party for participants.

On Friday evening APA members and their guests will honor the best in audio publishing for 2002 at the eighth annual Audie Awards dinner gala. This year's formal affair takes place at the Petersen Automotive Museum where special car exhibits will be on view. The Audies will recognize excellence in 27 categories ranging from narration to package design. Until May 30, audiobook fans can cast their vote for who will win in the "Can You Hear an Audie Winner?" found at the APA Web site (www.audiopub.org). Entrants become eligible for a grand prize drawing for the collected winning 2003 Audie titles and the bonus June issue of Audiofile magazine.

Saturday afternoon will find audio publishers and booksellers gathering for the third annual Audiobook Tea at the convention center. The event's three guest speakers are Doris Roberts, a star of TV's Everybody Loves Raymond and author (with Danelle Morton) of Are You Hungry Dear?: Life, Laughs and Lasagna (St. Martin's/Audio Renaissance); Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, author of The Dirty Girls Social Club (St. Martin's/Audio Renaissance) and T. Jefferson Parker, author of Cold Pursuit (Hyperion/Brilliance Audio).

Throughout the convention, information about the APA is available at APA member booths. For a listing of audio exhibitors at BEA, see pages 188–190.

Ear On... America at War

The combat phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom has come to an end, and the White House tells us that Iraq is "on the road to democracy." But the issues and circumstances that swirl around this desert conflict are still hotly debated and confusing for people of all ages.

The volatile events dominating newspaper headlines and television coverage in recent months have been particularly troubling for children to watch. Some recently released audiobooks can play a role in helping adults to analyze the facts and sort out their feelings about the war and maybe even invite some helpful family dialogue. The choices are plentiful; it seems that in our land of the free press and free speech there are almost as many books (and audiobooks) as there are opinions.

Kenneth C. Davis, author of the bestselling Don't Know Much About History, and a new adaptation of that work for children, entitled Don't Know Much About American History, believes that looking at the past (when presented in an accessible way) can help people see the present in sharper focus. "In the past two years, if we've learned anything, it is that history does matter," he said. "What you don't know can hurt you. If people can gain a new appreciation of history, they will have an understanding of today's events in historical context."

Davis has already received much anecdotal information about his books being a useful tool in volatile times. "Families are able to have a conversation about it," he said. "And the best way to learn about these things is to talk about them."

Other suggested listening:

Don't Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis (Random House Audio); Don't Know Much About American History by Kenneth C. Davis (Listening Library, ages 8-up); Why Are We at War? by Norman Mailer (digital audio download at Audible.com); Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles by Anthony Swofford (Simon & Schuster Audio); Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith by Robert Spencer (Blackstone Audio); Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism by Dore Gold (Blackstone Audio); The War Over Iraq by Lawrence F. Kaplan and William Kristol (Blackstone Audio); Endgame: Solving the Iraq Crisis by Scott Ritter (Simon & Schuster Audio; Audible.com); Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation by Michael Moore (New Millennium Audio); Black Hawk Down: A History of Modern War by Mark Bowden (Simon & Schuster Audio); Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden by Peter Bergen (Simon & Schuster Audio); The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror by Bernard Lewis (Random House Audio; Audible.com); Bush at War by Bob Woodward (Simon & Schuster Audio); Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11 by Thomas L. Friedman (Audio Renaissance); A Patriot's Handbook: Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love, edited by Caroline Kennedy (Time WarnerAudioBooks)