Audible subscription deal
Have you been waiting for Audible to drop a deal?
Your wait is over. Audible is enticing new customers with a subscription offer: $5.95/Month for 4 Months until December 31, 2023.
In terms of audiobooks, Audible is the platform in the USA for audiobook streaming.
Audible’s offer seems great. I’ve seen many readers within book-related Facebook groups contemplating signing up or signing back up again.
Audible is Amazon’s premier audiobook service, providing a library of thousands of titles containing bestsellers to indie authors, just like myself, from any genre.
I am considering signing up for Audible myself for a while. I love audiobooks and have two that I have been eyeing to read for a while: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and Ravenhood Series by Kate Stewart. Unfortunately, my library system carries neither.
Since I started focusing on my writing or procrastination, I consciously decided to source audiobooks as I read so much of my own work about the craft and other authorship-related advice.
Have you been an Audible user previously?
I have never used Audible. I assume Amazon makes the login process easy since most people in the US already have an Amazon account.
Every company has an app, regardless of how small, so I assume Audible has one where you can listen to your chosen books in the library on your phone or smart device.
However, can you listen to the audiobooks offline as well?
Does Audible work on Kindle devices? I will have to find out now.
You can find the offer here.
While the $5.95/month offer is enticing, the benefits of an Audible subscription extend far beyond just the price. Here are some key advantages:
- Audible Credits: With a subscription, you receive credits that can be used to purchase any audiobook in the Audible library. Even if you cancel your subscription, your purchased books are yours to keep.
- Audible boasts an extensive catalog of audiobooks, covering everything from classics to contemporary works, ensuring there’s something for everyone.
- Flexible Listening: Whether commuting, exercising, or relaxing at home, Audible allows you to enjoy your favorite books hands-free.
- Audible Plus Catalog: Besides the credits, subscribers can access the Audible Plus catalog, which offers a vast selection of audiobooks, podcasts, and exclusive content.
How to Cancel Audible Subscription
If Audible isn’t for you, canceling your subscription should be simple.
Log in to your account, navigate to the subscription settings, and follow the prompts to cancel. According to Amazon, your previously purchased books are yours to keep, even after cancelation.
I am still on the fence about whether to accept the offer or not. I am still determining if I will be able to use the credits every month.
What do you think about the offer? Or is Audible not for You and you prefer a different streaming provider like Spotify.
January 2021 Newsletter
 As the first month of the year is coming to a close I am very surprised how little I managed to achieve. However, there is one highlight of which I am very happy with. I have a book cover for Jessie Grean. To get a book cover was a very interesting process as I had several ideas, but didn’t know how to get them out of my brain. After contacting several cover designers, I felt that Angelique from The Book Studio could translate my vision. And here is the end result. |
That also means that I am close to finalizing a publishing date.
I am very excited, but there is still so much to do, but I am loving this progress.
How did your January go?
Julia
My debut novel is with the last editor!
I can’t quite believe it. I am on the home stretch now to get Jessie Grean published. Even though I had to push the publication date back to spring 2021, I am already bursting with excitement. Don’t get me wrong, there is still so much to do before Jessie Grean can finally find an audience, but….
Of course, there is the final revision once I will get my manuscript back from the editor. I hired her to find any spelling and grammar mistakes and other glaring issues with the novel.
Additionally, I am still deciding what I want to do with my book cover. The issue is I have none (imagine tears in my eyes). Months ago, I started to reach out to others on various social media platforms, like this to get book cover designers’ leads. After my initial angst of not finding anyone, I realized a ton of talented book cover designers are out there. Currently, I am looking at their portfolio, and hopefully, I will be working with someone shortly. I will write a septate post for that process down the road.
Another thing I am looking into is audiobooks. I love audiobooks. I have several month’s worths of titles collected over the past 20 years. So, for me, it was a no-brainer that I would an audibook for my debut novel. Currently, I am at this point there I am hoping to record the audiobook version myself. So, wish me luck.
There are two other projects I am working on as well. One is what you are reading at the moment. I decided to get back into blogging as well as starting a newsletter.
In the beginning, I felt overwhelmed by both decisions as I wanted to continue writing new fiction work.
However, I think blogging and newsletters are great ways to connect with you and keep you updated on my progress as a writer, Jessie Grean, the audiobook, and future projects as well as getting feedback.
Now you know how I am using my time when I am not writing fiction. What are you working on at the moment?
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What’s the book, Jessie Grean, going to be?
A drama, a comedy, or coming of age novel? To be honest, when I set out to put the initial idea of Jessie Grean on paper, I was clueless. Only after transforming the initial comic idea into a full-length book, I realized that I had to think about what direction I want to go.
Before starting what is now Jessie Grean, I wrote a romantic comedy. I wouldn’t say that I am the funniest person in any room, but somehow the subject matter simply felt like it would lend itself to a lighter fair. If it hadn’t been a romantic comedy, the book would have been a drama. So I made the conscious decision to infuse the manuscript with some silliness, over the top reactions, puns, and some wannabe jokes. I even bought the book “Comedy Writing Secrets” to hone my funny bone.
What’s a romantic comedy?
I would be surprised if you’ve never read a romantic comedy before. Usally romantic comedies entwine romantic partners in a light and humuouse way. Even the drama aspect in those stories is depicted in a light way.
I enjoy romantic comedies, as I expect these kind of stories to be light, fun and a quick read. It’s light flighing on cloud nine before digging into deeper emotional roller coasters with other books.
There are so many fantastic romantic comedy books out these days. Here are a couple of great examples: “Tweet Cute“, “Red, White and Royal Blue“, and “The Bromance Book Club“.
Naturally, my eyes drifted to the yellow cover of the book and briefly considered to make Jessie Grean a light affair. Light might be the wrong word as making people laugh is actually very hard. Writing drama is much easier for some reason. However, well-placed jokes or comedic turns increase the memorability in a drama immensely. Books as well as novels who succeed with this balance linger much longer in my memory I’ve noticed.
But did I really want Jessie Grean to be a romantic comedy? The straight-up answer is no. I didn’t not only feel that this genre is right for my young adult books, but I concisely decided not to have romance in the book at all. That’s not true. There is a sliver of romance. Yet, after my second to the last edit, I almost wholly took out Jessie’s potential romantic encounter. When I read young adult books, I hate most of the time that the protagonist has a love interest or that there is a love triangle. It almost feels like the writer ticked a box when they inserted the romantic parts into the book. For me, it distracts from the journey of the characters. I prefer it when the main character focuses on self-growth and learning skills instead.
What is a drama through?
I supposed most works of fiction are dramas in one way or another; even then, they are conceived as comedies, like the romantic examples given above.
There are classic dramas like “Hamlet” and the new ones like “The Hate you give“. The stories cause emotional rollercoasters. And the friction is palpable usually from the beginning.
When I looked at the first complete draft for Jessie Grean I didn’t want the book to be a straight-up drama as they can become dark very quickly. Not just that, I noticed that I had written a fish-out of water story.
What’s a fish out of water story?
As the idiom already indicates, a fish, aka the main protagonist, has to go either on a journey and finds itself in circumstances previously unknown to her/him. I suppose most dystopian, as well as fantasy books, could be partially categorist in that trope.
A fish out of water story helps the reader to discover the new world along with the protagonist without putting awkward exposition into the book, which can feel out of place and was only put in to give the reader extra information.
What’s a coming of age story?
Coming of age stories detail the grow of the protagonist from young adult to propper adulthood.
Your first thought might be that all young adult books are coming of age stories. But young adult is a term for books mainly targeted appeal to teenagers and college grads. This doesn’t encublulate the genre at all. Coming of age stories reflect the struggles of teenagers today or the time period the book was written in. That is why coming of age stories are mainly found in contemporary young adult books.
Jessie Grean is definitely a coming of age story. It’s her story of self-discovery and growth. But does she manage to transition into adulthood successfully? I guess you have to read the book once it’s coming out.
What’s a young adult book?
As I mentioned above, Jessie Grean is definitely a young adult book. Not only is the character 16, but it’s also about her journey.
I want to state that here, just because the protagonist is a teenager doesn’t automatically mean that it is a young adult book. In general young adult books are aimed at teenagers and young adults. But everyone can read the book regardless of their age.
However, a couple of years ago, I realized that just because the character is young, the books might not be targeted at the age group of the main character. I learned that lesson with the “The Boy In The Striped Pajama“.
So Jessie Grean is a young adult book containing dramatic elements and tries to grow into herself. She learns new skills and carves out a new life for herself in a new to her environment.
What genres do you like to read?