• Readers, Listen Up: Amazon Is Shaking up the Audiobook Market

    Audible’s pursuit of more audiobook publishing rights could squeeze traditional book publishers in the fastest-growing segment of the market

    When Olympic snowboarder Shaun White’s memoir lands later this year, readers will have to wait. That is because his book will be released as an audiobook a month before the hardcover and e-book editions.

    The force behind this unorthodox rollout is Audible, Amazon.com Inc.’s audiobook subscription service. Audible paid for the lion’s share of the memoir to gain rights to the audio version, which will be published by its in-house studio. Audible said it would be the first time one of its audiobooks precedes a print book in coordination...

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