Why would only the audiobook be available?

ownedbycats · 02-05-2021, 07:47 PM

Someone was talking to me about a book, so I went to Kobo to find it and maybe add it to my wishlist. It was for sale, but only as an audiobook.

Weirdly enough its part of a series and some of the later books in the series are available as eBooks. Also it's available on Amazon as an eBook.

Any idea why the publisher would do this?

Sirtel · 02-05-2021, 10:21 PM

What book is it?

ownedbycats · 02-05-2021, 10:56 PM

Larry Niven's Ringworld.

library addict · 02-05-2021, 10:59 PM

There are some books (I thought it was only novellas, but don't listen to books so I may be wrong) that are Audible Originals, so only available as audio books.

Some may be released as e-books later on, but not necessarily.

Other companies that sell audio books may have already started producing original content of their own as well.

As for why, if they are the only format by a favorite author, they make more money. And audio books are a growing market.

ETA: Oops I misread the question. I thought you were saying it was ONLY an audio book.

library addict · 02-05-2021, 11:01 PM

It could also be that the ebook is in Kindle Unlimited so they get credit for pages read. But Amazon demands exclusivity.

Audio rights are separate from print and digital. So the audio book may be in wide release while the digital is only at Amazon.

Sirtel · 02-05-2021, 11:25 PM

It's not in KU. But many, if not most, ebooks from this publisher seem to be Amazon exclusives. Some even are only available in the US (The Belgariad and The Malloreon series by David Eddings, for example).

Sirtel · 02-05-2021, 11:28 PM

Anyway, why not buy it from Amazon? I know you're a Calibre user, so...

ownedbycats · 02-05-2021, 11:34 PM

I will probably do that. Just that fighting with Amazon's DRM is very annoying sometimes.

JSWolf · 02-06-2021, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Larry Niven's Ringworld.

Ringworld does exist as an eBooks.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01513ZIL6

JSWolf · 02-06-2021, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I will probably do that. Just that fighting with Amazon's DRM is very annoying sometimes.

I've never had a problem removing the DRM from KF8 or Mobi eBooks from Amazon.

ownedbycats · 02-06-2021, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Ringworld does exist as an eBooks.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01513ZIL6

Yes but I usually purchase from Kobo.

JSWolf · 02-06-2021, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Yes but I usually purchase from Kobo.

Maybe the publisher doesn't do ePub.

The code is not all that good. It's not as bad as some and it would be fairly easy to clean up.

Quoth · 02-06-2021, 10:58 AM

Audiobooks are about 100 years older than ebooks. So there are going to be some that are not ebooks. Though a book on 78s for a blind person was a lot of discs. Even CDs could be a bigger quantity than cassette.
It's trivial to convert LP, CD or Cassette to Audible or any other electronic audio format. It's a lot of work to convert electronic source for PDF to print for an ebook, and audio books exist where there is no electronic text, requiring scan, OCR, proofing, formatting etc.
The paper, audio and ebook rights can be separate.
The publisher isn't fussed about ebooks. Certainly audio has more growth and what was once a niche and mostly for partially sighted and blind is now mainstream.

So there are loads of reasons.

Paperbackstash · 02-06-2021, 12:18 PM

Was it a small press, self-published, or large publisher? Perhaps there is a temporary issue with the rights or a closure of a publishing house that caused the e-books to be unavailable. One of my favorite horror author had most of his collection unavailable in e-book form when there was an issue with a small press publisher not paying and then closing, until he could rework it. Audiobooks with small publishers or self-published are sometimes done separately outside the e-book or physical copy of the book, so perhaps that is the case here?

JSWolf · 02-06-2021, 01:43 PM

But the eBook is available. It's just available at Amazon and not on Kindle Unlimited. There is no ePub version.

02-05-2021, 07:47 PM	#1
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,975 Karma: 75337983 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	Why would only the audiobook be available? Someone was talking to me about a book, so I went to Kobo to find it and maybe add it to my wishlist. It was for sale, but only as an audiobook. Weirdly enough its part of a series and some of the later books in the series are available as eBooks. Also it's available on Amazon as an eBook. Any idea why the publisher would do this? Last edited by ownedbycats; 02-05-2021 at 07:50 PM.

02-05-2021, 10:59 PM	#4
library addict Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,117 Karma: 37197878 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Nexus 7 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" (retired=Sony PRS650, Kobo Mini)	There are some books (I thought it was only novellas, but don't listen to books so I may be wrong) that are Audible Originals, so only available as audio books. Some may be released as e-books later on, but not necessarily. Other companies that sell audio books may have already started producing original content of their own as well. As for why, if they are the only format by a favorite author, they make more money. And audio books are a growing market. ETA: Oops I misread the question. I thought you were saying it was ONLY an audio book. Last edited by library addict; 02-05-2021 at 11:03 PM.

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02-05-2021, 10:21 PM	#2
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,477 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	What book is it?

02-05-2021, 10:56 PM	#3
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,975 Karma: 75337983 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	Larry Niven's Ringworld.

02-05-2021, 11:01 PM	#5
library addict Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,117 Karma: 37197878 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: USA Device: Nexus 7 2, Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8" (retired=Sony PRS650, Kobo Mini)	It could also be that the ebook is in Kindle Unlimited so they get credit for pages read. But Amazon demands exclusivity. Audio rights are separate from print and digital. So the audio book may be in wide release while the digital is only at Amazon.

02-05-2021, 11:25 PM	#6
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,477 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	It's not in KU. But many, if not most, ebooks from this publisher seem to be Amazon exclusives. Some even are only available in the US (The Belgariad and The Malloreon series by David Eddings, for example).

02-05-2021, 11:28 PM	#7
Sirtel Grand Sorcerer Posts: 13,477 Karma: 239219543 Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Estonia Device: Kobo Sage & Libra 2	Anyway, why not buy it from Amazon? I know you're a Calibre user, so...

02-05-2021, 11:34 PM	#8
ownedbycats Custom User Title Posts: 10,975 Karma: 75337983 Join Date: Oct 2018 Location: Canada Device: Kobo Libra H2O, formerly Aura HD	I will probably do that. Just that fighting with Amazon's DRM is very annoying sometimes.

02-06-2021, 10:58 AM	#13
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,045 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Audiobooks are about 100 years older than ebooks. So there are going to be some that are not ebooks. Though a book on 78s for a blind person was a lot of discs. Even CDs could be a bigger quantity than cassette. It's trivial to convert LP, CD or Cassette to Audible or any other electronic audio format. It's a lot of work to convert electronic source for PDF to print for an ebook, and audio books exist where there is no electronic text, requiring scan, OCR, proofing, formatting etc. The paper, audio and ebook rights can be separate. The publisher isn't fussed about ebooks. Certainly audio has more growth and what was once a niche and mostly for partially sighted and blind is now mainstream. So there are loads of reasons.

02-06-2021, 12:18 PM	#14
Paperbackstash Wizard Posts: 1,656 Karma: 20102554 Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Central Florida Device: Oasis 3, PW 3 & 5, Fire HD 8 & 10	Was it a small press, self-published, or large publisher? Perhaps there is a temporary issue with the rights or a closure of a publishing house that caused the e-books to be unavailable. One of my favorite horror author had most of his collection unavailable in e-book form when there was an issue with a small press publisher not paying and then closing, until he could rework it. Audiobooks with small publishers or self-published are sometimes done separately outside the e-book or physical copy of the book, so perhaps that is the case here?

02-06-2021, 01:43 PM	#15
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,758 Karma: 145864619 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	But the eBook is available. It's just available at Amazon and not on Kindle Unlimited. There is no ePub version.