In the german forum, someone was frustrated, that audiobook versions are available before the ebook versions. Here's what k-thom replied, I thought it worth translating for this thread
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There are many sound reasons (why audiobooks are available much earlier than the ebooks), just consider:
1) Lectors (proof readers) read the manuscripts out loud doing their proof reading. A dictaphone runs along, the recording than is sold a audiobook. Seen this way, audiobooks are even ready before the book going into print.
2) It's proven that audio-cds and MP3 are not illegaly copied up till now. For publishers, it's just more secure, to put their first efforts into those media.
3) Publishers do have a reading disability (weakness). To save all participating people from embarassing situations, they publish audiobooks very fast, for the publisher to know at least what he or she is publishing.
It's very hard to break these habits. But not impossible, as there are probate cures against them:
a) Threaten the publishers, to buy the audiobook only after the ebook was published. This way, the ebook will be published sooner, the audiobook later, or most likely not at all, while you 're blacklisted by the publisher.
b) Use speak recognising software, to let the audiobook show as text on your PC (and device). This is were Calibre lacks urgently needed basic features.
c) Scratch the manuscript with a thin needle from the CD, that way you get a progressive Hybrid Medium, you now only need a dedicated eReader-and-eHearer device.
>> As you see, these might just be the most useable tips. To advice you to wait until publishers get the point, seems rather pointless and not real.
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Not as hillarious, but still very funny (and more "to the thread title topic) is Josh99's reply:
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Wo knows how well the eBook programmers have learned their job and who know how well they're experienced in this totally new segment of publsishing. I think they just don't know about the usefulness of Copy & Paste. eBooks are typed down completely from the Hardcover Edition. That at least would explain the very high number of typos and formatting issues.
It would just be too expensive to get it proof-read once again. Especially since the future of ePublishing is still written in the stars, and many publishers share the legitimate opinion, even in 50 years from now, people only will consume fiction and nonfiction from heavyweighted harcover books.
Publishers will keep on saying, ebooks can be illegally copied and so on, and hesitate to publish eBooks. And because they're hesitating, this will actually come true: download records for scanned, illegal copies that are way better formatted as the poor experiments the publishers put in the eStores.
And than we are told, see, we were right from start, one can't trust this medium, and only this counts for the big losses of the publising companies.... 
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IMHO - to finish this sidetour and going back to the topic - I think the one complaining about audiobooks being available almost at the same time as the printed book, long before the ebooks become available, is getting the point:
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Shouldn't the eBook be the first edition in the market, since print copies are made from a digital master?
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