Hey all, Robin here. Michael and I are fresh back from an extended vacation in Key West (more on that at some point in the future). But there have been some shuffling of audiobook titles recently, so I was taking a look at one of the fantasy bestsellers lists, and I was happy to see at least one book from each of Michael’s 4 series hitting the list, and that there are currently 8 titles in total!
Another surprise is that Age of Myth is currently part of Audible’s monthly deal sale so if you don’t already have that title in your library – pick it up while it’s discounted nearly 70%!!
Okay, so what do I mean about “shuffling of titles.” Well, what I’m referring to is that in the past, we have licensed the audiobooks through one of two sources:
- Recorded Books – the largest audiobook distributor
- Audible Studios – the publishing arm of Audible and an Amazon subsidiary
And recently, we added a new distribution strategy to our mix
- Self-publishing through Riyria Enterprises, LLC.
Unlike print and ebook rights (which are sold for the life of copyright (which means 70 years after Michael dies), audiobook contracts expire after a fixed term (usually 7 or 10 years). As such, these rights become “available” from time to time. This recently happened with two titles – which you may see in your audible library as “new releases” – even though they aren’t new – they have just changed hands.
- Age of War – previously licensed to Recorded Books is now released through Audible Studios
- The Death of Dulgath – previously licensed to Audible Studios is now released through Riyria Enterprises.
In the case of Age of War, Recorded Books wouldn’t sub-license the narration, but don’t fret, as Tim Gerard Reynolds re-recorded it. Nothing in the book has changed, but the new version may be slightly longer (or shorter) based on how fast or slow he did the reading the second time around.
For The Death of Dulgath, Audible Studios sold us the sub-license to the narration, so that recording is exactly as it has always been. That said, at some future date we plan on making a “10th anniversary version” of this audiobook, and we’ll offer a slightly enhanced version through a Kickstarter campaign including a new author’s note, an updated afterword by myself, and we’ll bundle some bonus material such as a few Royce and Hadrian short stories, and a “behind the scenes” making of the book that some might find interesting.
Michael and I want to thank you for your continued support of his writing. It’s great seeing books from all four series making the bestseller list. This is especially encouraging as it’s only people who have “read everything” who will truly appreciate The Cycle series (a post-Riyria Revelations set of books which he is writing now). The fact that all four series are selling well bodes well for a good number of people being eligible to read that when it comes out. More books coming soon!