DIVERSIFYING THE AUDIOBOOK INDUSTRY

摘要

The publishing industry has been hard hit by COVID-19: festival and conference cancelations, library and bookstore shutterings, disappearing book tours, publishers' office closings, production delays-especially with international printers-and, alas, probably more obstacles to come. But digital audiobooks can be the ideal, germless answer to patrons' long-distance literary needs. Audiobooks are booming. According to the Audio Publishers Association's latest survey, sales since 2017 have risen at an impressive rate hovering around 25 percent annually. The latest full year data shows almost $1 billion spent on audiobooks. Such increased demand conies with amplifying awareness for improved representation; as the pioneering hashtag-turned-ma-jor-influencer We Need Diverse Books continues to significantly affect the diversification of the children's publishing industry, and People of Color in Publishing similarly affects diversification across the general book publishing industry, so, too, are audiobook makers and shakers prioritizing authentic representation.