The coming revolution in audiobooks

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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A Man Named Baskerville giveaway

Cover of "A Man Named Baskerville" by Jim Nelson

In celebration of Halloween, I’m working with Goodreads to give away 50 copies of A Man Named Baskerville!

To enter the contest, follow this link and apply to win. There’s no obligation. All you need is a Goodreads account to apply.

If you know any friends or family who may wish to enter, please feel free to share the link with them.

Read here to learn more about my rewriting of the Sherlock Holmes classic. And if you’d like to start reading now, A Man Named Baskerville is available for purchase in Kindle and paperback. The book is FREE for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Now available: A MAN NAMED BASKERVILLE

Cover of "A Man Named Baskerville" by Jim Nelson

IT’S HERE!

He took on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, and he lost. Now he wants revenge.

In 1888, Sherlock Holmes slayed the spectral hound haunting the Devonshire moor, thereby laying to rest the curse of the Baskervilles once and for all. The perpetrator escaped into the night and was presumed drowned, consumed by the murky bog…

In truth, the criminal mastermind survived the night to nurse his wounds and plot his revenge against Sherlock Holmes.

A MAN NAMED BASKERVILLE recounts the life and times of Rodger Baskerville, exiled heir to the esteemed family’s fortune. His journal records his adventures from the Amazon rainforests to the beaches of Costa Rica to Victorian England, where he attempts to take his rightful place at Baskerville Hall. Along the way, he peels back the layers of family secrets and scandals untold in Dr. Watson’s account of the demonic hound haunting the Baskervilles.

Most of all, he describes a Sherlock Holmes unlike the legendary detective you think you know.

A MAN NAMED BASKERVILLE retells the infamous Arthur Conan Doyle mystery in a way you’ve never read before. It’s a sizzling new take on a classic hailed as a masterpiece of the English language, named one of the most influential books ever by the BBC and Le Monde, and beloved by Sherlock Holmes fans worldwide for over a century.

It’s a rousing adventure, from start to finish! What’s more—it’s a Sherlock Holmes story unlike any you’ve read before.

A MAN NAMED BASKERVILLE is now available for Kindle download! Order it now for the new release price of 99¢! And the book is FREE for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Three specials for the new year

If you’re looking for new books to read this year, I’ve partnered with over 300 authors to offer specials on new books and boxed sets:

NEW MYSTERY & SUSPENSE – A collection of new mystery, crime, and suspense novels, many with a special price. Includes my novel of suspense and paranoia, Man in the Middle, on sale for 99¢.

KINDLE UNLIMITED BONANZA – Adventure, science-fiction, romance, and fantasy books, all available free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Includes the Bridge Daughter Cycle boxed set and my cyber-noir In My Memory Locked. Voracious readers apply here.

SCI-FI & FANTASY GIVEAWAY – Hundreds of free science-fiction and fantasy e-books available free for a sign-up. Includes the first book in my Bridge Daughter series.

Too many books! All promotions end February 28. Please give these authors a try, or use this as an opportunity to pick up one of my reads.

Complete Series Binge Bundles Under $10

The Bridge Daughter Cycle: Books One to Three by Jim Nelson

If you’re looking for some post-holiday reading, my three-part family saga Bridge Daughter Cycle has been included in the Complete Series Binge Bundles Under $10 special. Over forty complete book series from various authors are available at reduced boxed set prices, including all three books of the Bridge Daughter Cycle for $4.99. The series includes science-fiction, mystery, suspense, and fantasy.

If you’re interested, check out the full listing here. This special ends January 11th, 2021, so check it out while you can.

“Man in the Middle” now available

Man in the Middle, by Jim Nelson

A quick note to announce that my latest novel, Man in the Middle, is now available!

This novel of suspense follows a security guard who, during the first week of the pandemic lock-down, begins to see things he suspect he’s not meant to see: Men working underground on Internet data lines in the dead of night. Neighborhood patrols enforcing the shelter-in-place order. And a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars in BitCoin.

Meanwhile, he is left to wonder if he’s contracted COVID-19, and whether he will have to submit himself to hospital quarantine.

Man in the Middle is now available in Kindle and paperback editions. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can read it free. The Kindle edition is still on sale for 99¢, but not for long, so get it now.

“Man in the Middle” now available for pre-order

Man in the Middle, by Jim Nelson

I’m pleased to announce the upcoming release of my next novel, Man in the Middle.

The story takes place during the first week of the pandemic lockdown. Suffering from insomnia, a furloughed security guard starts seeing things he’s not supposed to see.

Men working underground on Internet data lines in the dead of night—neighborhood patrols enforcing the shelter-in-place order—the upcoming Presidential election looking bought and paid for—and a conspiracy to steal millions of dollars in BitCoin.

All the while, he shows worrying symptoms he’s infected with COVID-19. It’s only a matter of days—even hours—before he’s taken into emergency care and quarantined in an isolation unit.

All signs point to something amiss in his affluent suburban town, and the further he digs into it, the more he discovers nothing is as it seems.

Man in the Middle will be released November 16, 2020 on Amazon. You can pre-order a Kindle edition today for only 99¢. A paperback edition will be available on or shortly after the release date.

And, as always, thanks for your time and support.