audiobooks

“A Man Named Baskerville” audiobook available at Apple Books

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Audiobook cover of "A Man Named Baskerville" by Jim Nelson

I recently learned that the audiobook version of A Man Named Baskerville is now available on Apple Books. This is great news—if you’re an Apple or iPhone user, it’s now even easier to listen to the audiobook on your device, as the player is already installed and ready to go. I also see that Apple is offering it for a substantial discount over the Amazon USA sale price, so that’s a nice bonus.

The audiobook is narrated by Michael Langan, a respected voice talent who brings his skills in producing Received Pronunciation voice-overs. This is especially important for Baskerville, as the main character’s ability to shapeshift among the upper-classes rests on his 19th century posh British accent.

If you’re not familiar with the book, A Man Named Baskerville is my retelling of the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. The novel’s antagonist recounts his life story for the reader, from growing up on the streets of the Brazilian coast, to the jungles of the Amazon and the beaches of Costa Rica. He winds up honing his skills as a con man and murderer in Victorian England, where he encounters Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson during Jack the Ripper’s Autumn of Terror.

Learn more here, which includes a sample of the praise the book’s received from reviewers.

If you’d like to preview the audiobook, you can find previews available at Amazon, Audible, and Apple Books. Remember, Amazon Prime members have special perks with Audible, and may be able to listen for free.


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Audiobook’s first month & an update on the hardcover edition

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A Man Named Baskerville by Jim Nelson

Two pieces of news:

First, the audiobook of A Man Named Baskerville has been well-received. It currently holds seven 5-star reviews on Audible and sales have been brisk. MX Publishing released their top audiobook sellers for the month of February, and Baskerville ranked fourth out of 24. It’s the only novel in the top five (the rest being short story collections).

Second, the hardcover edition of Baskerville releases tomorrow! I’ve proofed this edition, and it’s exciting to see my story now available in hardback with a slipcover. If you prefer reading books this way, you can order your copy now.


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“A Man Named Baskerville” audiobook now available

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Photo of headphones atop an open book
Marco Verch (CC-2.0)

The audiobook of A Man Named Baskerville dropped this week on Audible! I’m excited beyond words about this development—I’ve long wished to see one of my novels brought to audio format. On top of this good news, I see that the audiobook has already received a five-star rating from an early reader (listener?).

It’s narrated by Michael Langan, a seasoned voice talent with a long list of audio work under his belt. Michael specializes in Received Pronunciation voice-overs, which is vital for a book like Baskerville. The main character’s chameleon-like ability to mix with aristocracy and the upper-class hinges on the RP accent his father instilled in him when he was young. Michael exceeded all my expectations.

If you’ve been thinking about picking up A Man Named Baskerville and enjoy an audio experience, I hope you check out this new edition. A free sample is available, and Amazon Prime members enjoy special perks with Audible.

Audiobook cover of "A Man Named Baskerville" by Jim Nelson

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“A Man Named Baskerville: Special Edition” Kickstarter starts now

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As mentioned in my last post, MX Publishing is holding a Kickstarter fundraiser to spread the word of the publication of a special hardcover edition of A Man Named Baskerville as well as a forthcoming audiobook.

Well, the Kickstarter has started, and I’m asking for your help. There are some great donor rewards for your generous contribution:

  • A Man Named Baskerville PDFs
  • Signed paperback copies
  • Signed copies of the hardcover first edition
  • Exclusive Hound Megapacks, which include A Man Named Baskerville and several other of MX Publishing’s Baskerville-adjacent offerings, including The Widow of Dartmoor, a graphic novel of The Hound of the Baskervilles, and Hounded: My Lifetime Obsession with Sherlock Holmes and the Hound

You may donate at any level. Even if you don’t wish to donate, please consider sharing this Kickstarter with your friends and followers on social media.

(Please note this money does not go into my pocket—it’s used to defray the cost of production, distribution, and marketing.)

That link, in case you missed it:

A Man Named Baskerville – Special Edition Hardcover


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Coming soon – A MAN NAMED BASKERVILLE: Special Edition & audiobook

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A Man Named Baskerville by Jim Nelson

I’m pleased to announce that I’ve signed with MX Publishing in London to release two new editions of A Man Named Baskerville, my reinterpretation of the classic Sherlock Holmes mystery.

Some time in early 2025, you should expect to see a new hardcover and audiobook of Baskerville. I’m especially excited about the audiobook, as this will be the first one produced for my novels.

In order to offset publication costs, MX Publishing will be running a Kickstarter. The donor gift tiers are still being decided, but you should expect to see signed copies of paperback and hardcover editions of Baskerville as thank-you gifts, plus perhaps a couple more surprises.

You can sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter launches—just follow this link and add yourself to the “Saved” list.

And watch this space too, as I’ll be announcing more details as they finalize. You can click on the blue “Subscribe” button to receive notifications.

Thank you for following me this year! I hope to have lots more exciting news and new developments in 2025.

Kickstarter – A Man Named Baskerville: Special Edition


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The coming revolution in audiobooks

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A stack of books, the top one open, with a pair of headphones resting against them.
Marco Verch (CC-2.0)

In November, Amazon opened a beta program for Kindle Direct Publishing authors called Virtual Voice. It may be the biggest upheaval to independent publishing since Amazon launched KDP over a decade ago.

Virtual Voice uses synthetic (i.e., computer) voice technology to produce audiobooks. On first blush, that sounds like a pretty crappy experience—who wants to listen to a robot narrate a book? Know that automated voice technology has advanced tremendously in recent years, to the point that people have trouble distinguishing between it and a human voice.

The AI software that’s in the news so often these days is much of the reason for the improvement. In 2018, Google demonstrated an AI that could order food and make reservations over the phone without the person on the other end knowing it was not a human speaking. More recently, a study shows that 78% of people think they can tell the difference between an AI voice and a human, but only 2% were accurate. (If you’re skeptical, this Google Forms test gives you the chance to listen to recordings of celebrities and AI impersonations and see how well you can tell the difference. You’ll have to admit it’s not easy.)

It’s tempting to go into my thought process over the pros and cons of synthetic voice audiobooks. At this moment, I’ll just say I find the possibility alluring.

I’ve done audio in the past. I recorded Everywhere Man at Fantasy Studios, a dreamy, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was quite expensive and exhausting. A few years ago, I made a concerted effort to hire a voice actor to record Bridge Daughter. I was put off by the terms dictated by every actor who responded to my call for bids. Both experiences impressed on me the risks of producing my own audiobooks, risks of both cost and rights.

Synthetic voice audiobooks eliminate a lot of the question marks. If I’m reading the Amazon announcement correctly, a KDP author chooses a voice from a catalog of voices, previews a sample, and names a sale price. My guess is, the final audiobook will be ready in a few hours. Audiobooks created with synthetic voices are labeled as such on the Amazon market and may be previewed, so the buyer knows what they’re getting.

It sounds like a no-cost, risk-free offer for independent authors. I’m more than curious. Unless Amazon botches the roll-out—a possibility, they’ve botched things before—I predict we’re going to see a Cambrian explosion of audiobooks on the Amazon market soon enough.


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