Audiobook Tips and Tricks for Newbies

Audiobook Tips and Tricks for Newbies.

You’ve never listened to an audiobook? Or you tried once or twice and it just didn’t hold your attention? You aren’t alone, it’s a learned skill. Here are my tips for new listeners.

?Start with a book you know and loved, but read reviews on audible to make sure people like the narrator. Your mind WILL wander. If you are listening to a book you already know, it’s fine if you zone out a bit. If you are a Kristen Ashley fan, Rock Chicks are great on audible and are only $1.99 additional.

?You can see what books you already own have an upgrade to audiobook available with this handy tool.

? Speed up the narration. On the bottom left of your screen, it gives you options. 1.25 works great for me, it may seem fast at first, but you get used to it and can’t go back to regular speed.  Any faster and it ruins the acting for me, but I know a lot that like it faster. Android (not apple) offers a lot more speeds to try. I feel like 1.15 would be perfect.

? Start with lighter RomComs, you usually don’t need to absorb as much detail.

?Really hot books can be embarrassing to listen to! Even if nobody hears it but you. I blushed while listening a lot at the beginning. Now, I find myself tuning out sex scenes more when I listen more than when I read. Speaking of listening to sex scenes, listening to a good one on headphones during sex is fun and totally hot if your partner doesn’t care.

? A lot of women say have more trouble with the female narrators.  Or have trouble with the male or female narrating the other person’s parts. Try a male POV book with Sebastian York narrating. I recommend any of Lauren Blakey’s Big Rock Series. Speaking of Lauren Blakely, she writes for audio, and some of her more recent books have incredible duet or even full cast narrations, like Birthday Suit.

? Drive, walk, jog, do laundry, mop. knit, do a craft. Just do something mindless while you listen. I can rarely just sit and listen unless it’s a super exciting part. Doing something like scrolling facebook or having to read something is too distracting for me.

?Some people like the sleep timer. Have the books read you to sleep. You can set how long it plays before turning off.

?Your echo can read your audiobooks. Just say “Alexa, Read my audiobook” and it will read your current audiobook from where you left off. It will also read your Kindle book, but it uses a mechanical voice for that.

?The diagram of a car on top next to the logo gives a clean, easy screen with big buttons. It’s usually meant for driving but I love it.

?Know that you WILL use that 30-second rewind button. A LOT. I get distracted or zone out all the time and have to go back. It’s normal. I also hit pause a ton. Don’t be afraid of it. How often do you re-read a sentence if you’ve looked away from your book? I use that button hundreds of times for every book.

?You can listen to your whispersynced books in your Kindle app and read along with it or switch back and forth. (I’ve actually only done this once. I don’t like switching. I prefer to listen OR read and will use the same format throughout a series. But Raegan, my co-blogger, loves to switch.

?You do not need an audible membership to get whispersync pricing. Look for this on the Kindle page.  You can find a bunch of $1.99 audible upgrades on my sale/free list. Just look for the headphones and the moneybag.

 

?Kindle Unlimited Members have some audiobooks that are free in KU. Search here, and look for this:

?You can also Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks.

? Audible now has a romance unlimited package for $6.95 extra that works similar to KU.

?Hoopla and Overdrive are both library apps where you can use your library card to virtually check out audiobooks on your phone.

?Wireless headphones are your friend. And if you just use it for audible, a cheap pair is fine. You don’t need great audio quality for a book. But I must say, I got the Apple Airpods and they are AMAZING.

?IMPORTANT TIP! If you connect your phone to the Bluetooth in your car, remember to turn it back to the radio before you get out. There is nothing worse than getting in your car with the kids, starting it, and hearing “his hard cock thrust…”. Audiobooks will autoplay!!! Valet parking is also fun. Your phone will connect while you wait for your car and the valet will get an earful.

?If you don’t connect via Bluetooth and listen through your phone’s speaker, sticking it in a cupholder, speaker down, makes it louder. BUT REMEMBER! If you get a call while listening, the book goes off for the call and automatically restarts when you get off the phone. I have been listening in the car, then got a call, got out of the car and walked into a store while on that call, went to the deli counter, hung up on my call, and all of the sudden “Spitters are Quitters” comes blaring out of my phone! Can you say embarrassing?

I hope some of these tips help. They may even help a seasoned listener! I have ADD and have learned to listen and focus in such a way that it actually HELPS me focus. I do all of my sale lists while listening. I do have to pause while I read blurbs to get book descriptions for my new release lists though.

Check out My Top Book & Audiobooks for 2018 right here, and happy listening!

Do you have any tips (or embarrassing stories) to share about audiobooks?