APA ANNOUNCES NEW AUDIOBOOKS LIST SERVICE

The Audio Publishers Association (APA), founder and owner of the highly regarded AUDIOBOOOKS@hslc.org listserv, announced today that it had transferred ownership and management of the list to Frank Johnson, president of Audio Diversions and one of the early pioneers in Audiobook online retailing. The new discussion list should be up and running by April 23, 2007.

“The change was made in order to allow the APA to focus its resources more directly toward the needs of its publisher members and its affiliates in audiobook production, retailing and promotion,” said JoAnna M. Laskas, executive director of the nationwide trade association. “It is our hope that in putting the listserv in the hands of a company more closely related to the men, women and children who use and listen to Audiobooks, we can encourage an active discussion and exchange of information and opinions associated with this fast growing educational and recreational medium,” Laskas continued to say. “We feel this is an ideal way for customers to become aware of, and involved in the evolving issues associated with the titles, formats and delivery of audiobooks.”

The new list will be known as AUDIOBOOKS@list.audiodiversions.com and can be reached at that address or directly by a link from the Audio Diversions website at www.audiodiversions.com. Terry Pogue, who has been serving as assistant moderator of the list since 2003, has agreed to continue in the same position.

This listserv is sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to the promotion of public awareness and the increased use of spoken word audio in all formats. Participation is open to anyone interested in the spoken word.

Johnson, a former treasurer of the APA, served as moderator and promoter of the listserv from its formation in the 1990s until he stepped down in 2005. “The AUDIOBOOKS list would remain, as it has been, a forum for the open discussion of issues associated with all aspects of spoken word audio — plays, poetry, short stories as well as audiobooks —and will be open to anyone with an interest in the field,” said Johnson.

Discussions will be devoted to new trends, or problems, in format, packaging, the selections of titles and technologies, as well as reader views on specific titles, authors or narrators.

“Our decision to take on this additional feature grew out of our desire to find new ways of communicating with our clients and the men and women of the industry” Johnson said. “But the content will be strictly non-commercial. It will not be used to self promote or sell the products or services of any company including our own. We want this to be a place where friends of Audiobooks can come and talk about their experiences in publishing, purchasing or renting good books for listening,” Johnson continued to say.

Subscribers to the current list will be automatically transferred to the new one and each will receive a welcoming message from the moderator. New instructions will be included for anyone who wishes to unsubscribe or to post messages to the list. It will be possible to receive postings in digest form once each day, to keep your address private if you wish or to receive a list of other subscribers. New members can sign up by sending an e-mail message, from the address to which you want your mail sent, to: audiobooks-subscribe@list.audiodiversions.com leaving the subject and message blocks blank. You will receive a confirmation message from the list manager by return mail.