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Los audiolibros también marcan una fuerte tendencia en Leipzig. LEIPZIG, ALEMANIA. En cuanto a Feria del Libro en Alemania suena cada año con más fuerza el nombre de Leipzig. Sin complejos ante Frankfurt, Leipzig se ha convertido en el segundo encuentro librero más importante de Alemania. Cada primavera el lector es el rey en Leipzig.
http://www.eldiariony.com/noticias/detail.aspx?section=17&desc=LOCALES&id=1829119 Preparado para el gran salto Nueva York/edlp — La desgracia de uno es la alegría del otro. Este bien podría ser el adagio popular que más se ajusta al momento político que vive el vicegobernador David A. Paterson. Si Eliot Spitzer renuncia —presionado por quienes condenan su vínculo a una red de prostitución—, Nueva York tendría como nuevo gobernador, por primera vez en la historia, a un afroamericano que ha sido calificado como un líder de las minorías y un político de carácter unificador. Nacido en Brooklyn el 20 de mayo de 1954, Paterson tiene a cuestas un camino forjado en la política neoyorquina. Su ceguera casi total —producto de una infección a los tres meses de edad— nunca significó un impedimento en sus funciones de senador estatal que ejerció durante 20 años (1985-2005). Incluso se desempeñó como líder de la minoría en la Lesgislatura. Contrario a lo que muchos pensarían, Paterson estudió con chicos que no eran discapacitados en una escuela pública de Long Island. A pesar de que calificaba para usar un perro como guía nunca lo quiso. Tampoco aprendió el sistema Braille. Para educarse utilizó audiolibros, según reseñaron varios medios aglosajones. Sus maestros lo han descrito como un alumno “brillante y excepcional”. En 1977 obtuvo una licenciatura en Historia en la Universidad de Columbia. Cinco años más tarde se graduó en la Escuela de Leyes Hofstra. En el 2006 acaparó la atención de la prensa al aceptar postularse como el segundo de Spitzer. Al ser consultado en aquella época sobre las razones por las cuales había aceptado una propuesta para una función considerada de bajo perfil, Paterson respondió: “Creo que él me podría dar un rol”. Tal parece que el hijo de Portia y Basil Paterson, el primer afroamericano que ocupó el cargo de secretario del Estado, no se equivocó puesto que Spitzer le ha abierto las puertas para dar el gran salto.
Como vicegobernador ha concentrado su labor en la reducción de la violencia doméstica, energía alternativa y desarrollo de las minorías. Paterson, de 53 años, vive en Harlem y está casado con Michelle Paige Paterson con quien tiene dos hijos: Ashley y Alex. *
Publicatuslibros.com cumple cuatro años en la Red editando su primer audiolibro *
Primero fueron los los blogs, la autopublicación, los audiolibros o el kindle; ahora una empresa española promociona libros con vídeos de sus autores por lo que ha sido bautizada como el You Tube literario. Conoceralautor es el nombre de esta web, en la que sesenta autores, entre ellos, Lorenzo Silva, Espido Freire, Fernando Marías o Rafael Reig, hablan de sus últimos trabajos o de sus obras de referencia. *Integración de personas con dificultades visuales HOY distribuye mañana un audiolibro con relatos de Oscar Wilde http://www.hoy.es/prensa/20070505/sociedad/distribuye-manana-audiolibro-relatos_20070505.html Es una acción conjunta con la Consejería de Cultura para incentivar la lectura y trata de incorporar a los libros a quienes no tienen tiempo o posibilidades de leer M. BARRADO TIMÓN/BADAJOZ 'El ruiseñor y la rosa y otros relatos', del autor irlandés Oscar Wilde, es un audiolibro que mañana podrá ser adquirido en los kioscos de la región por un euro, junto con el Diario HOY. Se trata de uno de los volúmenes de la Biblioteca Menor que ha venido ofreciendo el diario en colaboración con la Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Extremadura dentro del Plan de Fomento de la Lectura. La explosión de los audiolibros Si hay que creer los estudios, la gente lee poco. Según la Federación de Gremios de Editores de España, los lectores frecuentes del país aumentan, pero son minoría, un 41% de la población. Por otra parte, en EEUU se ha producido un descenso en el número de lectores en los últimos años. Sin embargo, cada vez hay más reproductores de audio portátiles, algunos incluso son considerados piezas de diseño, como el iPod de Apple. Atando cabos, no es de extrañar que otras formas de lectura, como los audiolibros, estén resurgiendo. Los libros leídos y grabados son tan antiguos como el gramófono, pero en estos últimos años la oferta de títulos ha aumentado gracias al comercio electrónico, las iniciativas sin ánimo de lucro, los programas de síntesis de voz y las redes P2P. Audiolibros de pago La mayoría de las grandes tiendas en Internet, como Amazon.com o Barnes & Noble, dispone de audiolibros en CD e incluso en casete. En otras librerías virtuales, como BlackStone, se pueden encontrar títulos tanto en soporte físico como en MP3. En muchos casos el precio por título ronda los 20 euros. Existen, no obstante, sitios dedicados a la venta de audiolibros en formato digital que permiten descargas por un precio menor. Por ejemplo, en Audible se pueden encontrar libros por menos de diez dólares. Los títulos de Audible están en un formato MP3 especial, protegido para evitar su copia, que se puede escuchar con su propio programa de reproducción o por medio de la aplicación iTunes de Apple. Grabaciones de aficionados Un nuevo fenómeno está haciendo más popular, si cabe, el formato de los audiolibros: las grabaciones de aficionados. Mientras que descargar un libro leído por un actor profesional puede llegar a costar 50 euros, los audiolibros que crean los aficionados son gratuitos. LibriVox es un sitio web dedicado a la difusión de audiolibros gratuitos. En su catálogo se pueden encontrar títulos que ya están en el dominio público y que son grabados por voluntarios. De este modo pueden grabarse títulos que no resultan rentables a las editoriales. Los audiolibros de LibriVox pueden descargarse como podcast, para actualizarlos, y copiarlos a un reproductor MP3. Por el momento, LibriVox cuenta con 15 obras completas, más de 100 obras en proceso y más de 200 lectores voluntarios. Los audiolibros se pueden descargar enteros o por capítulos, y cada uno de ellos tiene un enlace al proyecto Gutenberg, donde se encuentran los textos de más de 17.000 obras literarias en el dominio público. Además, la página permite sindicar, sus contenidos de modo que el lector puede estar al tanto de los nuevos títulos que vayan apareciendo y programar su descarga. El único 'pero' es que la mayoría de títulos están locutados en inglés. Libros que caducan Por su parte, hay empresas que están ofreciendo libros gratuitos como reclamo publicitario. Es el caso de BMW, que en colaboración con la editorial Random House, ha puesto a disposición del público audiolibros de 45 minutos, pensados para escuchar en el coche mientras se conduce al trabajo. Otra iniciativa de la biblioteca pública de Hamilton,ofrece más de 500 títulos de forma gratuita a través de su página web. Los audiolibros se pueden descargar en el formato Windows Media y están protegidos para que caduquen a las dos semanas. Hay otra opción, al alcance de cualquiera, para generar audiolibros: la síntesis de voz. Por medio de un sencillo programa, es posible convertir un texto cualquiera en un archivo de audio con voz artificial. Muchos audiolibros en español están leídos por Rosa, la voz española por defecto en el sistema de síntesis de voz de Windows. Por desgracia, la oferta de audiolibros españoles en formato digital es muy reducida. Es en las redes P2P donde pueden encontrarse cada vez más libros en formato electrónico, incluyendo también los audiolibros, y en español. ------------------ La revolución virtual tiene su próxima víctima: la literatura http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/04/26/conexiones/t-01406903.htm -------------------- Rafael Pombo en audiolibros A las fábulas creadas por Rafael Pombo no le pasan los años, y prueba de ello fue el pabellón dedicado a esta figura en la Feria Internacional del Libro de Bogotá, el más visitado del certamen. Allí se realizó el lanzamiento de la colección "Las historias del abuelo", empezando por la obra de Pombo en interesantes audiolibros que muy buenos resultados ha generado como el primer paso de los niños hacia la lectura. El primero, con el cual se inaugura la colección es "El gato bandido", una de las principales fábulas de Rafael Pombo, de quien se prepara una extensa selección de audiolibros de su obra. ----------------------- Adiós a la letra impresa en papel.- Despídete de los libros y compra el mayor número posible para dejárselos en herencia a tus descendientes, que de aquí a diez años los que se publiquen en papel serán tan pocos que las ferias "del libro" tendrán cabida en una charcutería. Así lo asegura Klaus Müller, recién llegado de la Feria del libro de Frankfort, una de las más importantes del mundo. "Mira, me dice, este año, en esa feria sólo algo más de la mitad de lo expuesto eran libros en el sentido tradicional de la palabra. Así que la Feria cada vez tiene más colorido y vistosidad y menos "material" voluminoso. ¿Y qué es lo que reemplaza a los clásicos libros?, pregunto. Cada año, dice, hay más cosas nuevas: audiolibros, CD-ROMS, bibliotecas virtuales, enciclopedias multimedia y juegos culturales por ordenador. Todo este material, aunque sea costosísimo y de una capacidad increíble, ocupa muy poco espacio y una tienda "virtual" ocupa cien veces menos que una tradicional. También, sigue, en el mundo virtual la voz, las imágenes y los sonidos van sustituyendo paulatinamente al texto escrito, con el fin de hacer la lectura más atractiva y menos costosa. Y todo ello se presenta para todas las edades, desde los niños hasta la literatura especializada. ¿Crees que llegará tan fácil el fin de los libros tradicionales? Creo que costará, dice Klaus, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que todo lo digitalizado tiene unos precios a veces prohibitivos, pero hay que tener en cuenta que pronto bajarán sus precios y la ventaja que tienen el poco espacio que ocupan, y al precio que está la vivienda... Como me ve escéptivo me pregunta: ¿tu le ves futuro a los mapas de carreteras? Y él mismo se contesta: Pues yo ninguno, que con el GPS sobran todos por comocidad y por espacio. El argumento no me parece válido ni de peso, pero como me lo dice un alemán y ellos saben más que nosotros de esas cosas, me callo. Link: http://audiobookcafe.com/FtrLst.cfm?FtrCatCod=1&Code=575 Interview with Dennis Kao and Linda Ross By Jonathan Lowe - November 30, 2003 Jonathan Lowe talked to Time Warner Audiobooks production supervisors Dennis Kao and Linda Ross about what it's like to oversee the making of an audiobook. JONATHAN LOWE: Welcome to both of you. Now tell me, when Warner Books hands you two a print manuscript to produce as an audiobook, what do you do first? Walk us through the procedure. DENNIS KAO: I like to take the manuscript home, away from ringing phones, then lie on my couch and read. The book will usually tell me how it should be produced ... what the tone should be, whose point of view is it told from, what type of music should be used, who should we cast, etc. Then I write down my ideas and discuss them with my boss, Maja {Thomas}, who will have her own ideas. As does Linda. LINDA ROSS: When the manuscript comes in, the first thing I do is send it off to an abridger, and I get a word count to determine if we've assigned an appropriate length for the format. I then get a feel for the style and tone of the book, which dictates the mood of the production. As I'm reading, I'm taking note of musical ideas and other creative production ideas, like should we have more than one voice, and will we want sound effects? It's also often a technical process, with copyright issues, and how a certain idea will translate to audio. My brain is working on many levels, but there are usually a couple of nights that I'll go through a few cups of tea, and be up into the wee hours of the morning in the quiet of my bedroom, just enjoying the book as a consumer might.
LOWE: How do you go about choosing a reader? What are the criteria for matching reader to book?
KAO: Choosing a reader for a project isn't a cut and dried process. If it's a non-celeb actor, we'll usually have them audition with copy from the book, but for a celeb actor, we generally can't get them to audition. We try to get samples of their previous voiceover work, and if none are available, we look at their resumes, rent their movies or watch their reels. Experience in theater tends to be a good indicator that they can do this type of work. There is always a little bit of uncertainty, however. I'll often be on pins and needles during the first day of a celeb recording, waiting for that first update from the director. Eighty-five percent of the time it will go great, 10 percent of the time it'll be "not bad," and four percent of the time you'll get the "it'll edit together." Once or twice a year we'll have to let the actor go after the first day and re-cast.
LOWE: I'd love to be a fly on the wall when that happens.
ROSS: Agents are now pretty informed on what it takes to be good at this. I often rely on their honesty with me as to an actor's abilities and range, but it's a small community, and so we know who has read before, and we do our research. Generally, matching reader to book is fun. Our whole team puts in suggestions for celebrities at our staff meetings, and we all keep up on movies and TV and theatre to track anyone who we think will be 'castable' for a book. The tone of the writing lets us know what 'type' to go for. Cary Elwes for Patterson's "Jester" was a perfect fit. So was Dennis Boutsikaris for Anita Shreves' "All He Ever Wanted." It's more than 'does this person have a good voice.' The readers have to tell the story like it’s their own, and has to disappear and let the story become the star.
LOWE: Which may be hard to do for some. What about series? And can you give some examples where readers prefer only certain authors, or celebrities agree to read a certain book because they loved it so much?
KAO: Celeb actors definitely like books written by authors they like or respect. Timing is also important. If you're lucky, you can get actors between TV shows and movies and theater runs. This was the case with Christina Ricci and Don Cheadle. But celeb or no celeb, we'll only continue a series with an actor if we feel they're the right actor. We went through a few people before we decided Len Cariou was the perfect Harry Bosch in Michael Connelly's "Lost Light."
ROSS: I think that John Travolta read a book on flying because of his interest in that. When I was a freelancer, I recorded Elizabeth Montgomery, before she passed away, reading an A.N. Roquelaire book, which was a pseudonym Anne Rice was using. Montgomery was a big fan and wanted to do it. Derek Jacobi is reading for us now in England. With the series, we'll only continue with a reader in a series if we like the results. Sometimes authors fall for our narrators too, and that leads us to continue casting them. For example, we love Ron McLarty and so does David Baldacci. But we don't limit him to one series.
LOWE: McLarty is great, especially with mystery/suspense. Working with narrators like that must make your job a kick. But, considering all these factors, how smoothly does the machine operate?
KAO: It's really a lot of fun, but sometimes it can be tough. I have to read almost every night, and since projects are often due at the end of the month, you can find yourself pretty busy certain times. But there are so few jobs where you learn so much about so many topics, and my colleagues are all very creative and we feed off one another. Plus, at the end of the day you have the product sitting on your desk and you can say, "I made that." I have a friend who is a securities analyst and making good money but is going back to architectural school for this very reason. There is a certain satisfaction in producing something tangible.
ROSS: You know, our whole team at Time Warner is always agreeing how lucky we all are. We recently hired a new assistant, Maria, who seems to be figuring this out too. But certainly it is hard work to get the finished product. We're also consistently juggling five to 10 productions at a time that are all in various stages, and tracking down talent, studios, agents, authors, and lots of people to get the best production done in a short amount of time. I always joke that I should be the most well adjusted person on the planet for all the self-help books I've produced. But there have been times where I've sauntered in to the office with red eyes and wrinkled clothes because I slept at the studio finishing a mix so that we meet our deadline. It's a very tangible thing at the end of the day, it's true, and we're proud of that.
LOWE: Speaking of tangibility, James Patterson is a huge fan of audiobooks, and wants the medium to grow and evolve. What new technologies are on the horizon at Time Warner Audiobooks? What do you see happening soon in terms of effects, formats, et cetera?
KAO: Well, this is an interesting topic. The industry is certainly not mature, but our business is really providing content, not developing technology. Who can say what technology people will be using in 10 years? I wouldn't put money down that the CD will still be around. It can only hold 80 minutes of audio, after all. That said, technology will certainly give our consumers a lot of options and convenience. I can imagine a day not too far away when you can download the next Patterson book onto your PDA/phone as you're headed into work on the train, listen to the first side, then pause the program to find out a little more about the author or the actors, maybe listen to the book with the music and effects turned off, hear an author interview, then email the book to your mom or dad in their car across the country. That said, technology will never change the fact that you need a good story and good performances that will stimulate your imagination and move you emotionally. A good audiobook makes you forget you're listening to an audiobook. Harry Potter probably could have been recorded on a Walkman at the intersection of Wilshire and the 405, and still have been a great listen.
ROSS: I can envision people ordering audiobooks through their television they way they do movies, and having a whole load of imagery and/or animation and music that will play along with the story. I see the same on computer or DVD. The audiobooks biz employs a very innovative bunch, with so many far-reaching and ambitious folks that generally just love story-telling and love books. So, as there are lots of ways to tell a story, there are an increasing number of ways to receive the contents of a book, too.
LOWE: You do abridged and unabridged versions of audiobooks. What has been your experience with authors about abridgments? Do they generally approve the edits without much fuss, or do some take a hands-on approach?
KAO: I've never had a problem actually. Some authors are more hands-on then others. Generally they'll give me a few scenes to put back into abridgments, or tell me that certain options should be taken out only as a last resort. No one has ever asked me not to abridge their book. Maybe they've already had that conversation with their editors or agents or Maja, I don't know.
ROSS: Most authors end up pretty pleased with what can be a shocking experience for any writer, especially a first-time author. Authors are prepared for their work to be abridged, and some do take a more hands-on approach, where others leave it entirely up to us. Occasionally they want us to work in their favorite scene that may have been cut, or they might want a little more of one thing or another. I can't ever remember a time where I've had to scrap an abridgment and start over, but I've heard stories. And I've certainly had to put out a few fires. There are a few tough authors out there, but most roll with the punches and appreciate the challenge and skill it takes to keep their main story intact while sometimes cutting as much of half of it out!
LOWE: How did you two come to work at this job? What is your background?
KAO: I was working at Warner Brothers features, but wasn't having so much fun. There's a reason why they call it development hell. So I took some time off and was considering moving to Taipei to become a reporter for an English newspaper, but on the way back from surfing one day I stopped off at the Santa Monica library, saw an ad from Time Warner Audiobooks in the paper, wrote Maja a letter, and the rest is history. And I'm glad I didn't relocate because I met my fiancée a few months later.
ROSS: I've been in this business since 1987. I was a struggling musician, songwriter/wannabe rock star, and I was working for a jingle company -- but I wasn't writing the music. I graduated Newhouse at Syracuse with a degree in advertising and English. As a writer and a creative person I love making things, I like to get my hands dirty. I found out that's production. I came out to California to continue songwriting pursuits and ended up with a successful freelance career as an audiobook producer. I had my own recording studio for a short period, and when I asked Maja Thomas, who I'd worked freelance for on many productions, if Time Warner wanted to buy my studio, she answered "No, but would you like a full-time job producing for us?" It was a great birthday present for me, and a great decision. I later told Maja, if I'm not gonna be a rock star, this is the next best thing, and a lot more stable!
LOWE: Any personal favorite audiobooks that you've listened to, or are most proud of?
KAO: There are a lot. "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" is a classic business book. If I ever have some money, I'll know what to do with it. Ron Clark's "The Essential 55" is a must for parents. Courtesy is not, unfortunately, a quality which is cultivated in children so much these days! Carl Reiner's "Tell Me A Scary Story" is a real treat. Our Patterson books, directed by Kevin Thomsen, are always good thrillers. We recently did books with Christina Ricci ("Gossip Girl"), Don Cheadle ("Fear Itself"), and Steve Martin ("Pleasure of my Company"), which I all really enjoyed.
ROSS: "Raptor Red" was a dinosaur story that I largely underscored with music and effects. I did this with many “Star Trek” productions too, for Simon & Schuster, and it can be so much work, but so much fun and very rewarding. My most exciting production of late at Time Warner was probably working with Steve Martin. I'm not one to be star struck, but I'd look up at the studio glass and realize "that's Steve Martin in there, and I'm about to ask him to 'please take that again!'" And the biggest kick was, he would.
LOWE: Women readers are going to want me to ask you about romance author Nicholas Sparks. What do you know about him, and how did a former “Dukes of Hazzard” star come to narrate his novels for you?
KAO: Nicholas Sparks is one of the nicest people on earth. It's refreshing to meet successful, powerful people that don't seem to know it. I don't remember how Tom Wopat was cast. You'll have to ask Linda about that one.
ROSS: I'll tell you, I went to Scott Linder of Buchwald to give me some ideas when I was casting "The Wedding" and he said, "What about Tom Wopat?” I'd heard Tom before read more action-oriented material, and though I love his voice, I thought Scott was half kidding. Well he was not, and he said, "Trust me", and I did, and he was right. The old Duke of Hazzard himself, Tom Wopat, was a sure match for "The Wedding." Way beyond his "Dukes" days, Tom Wopat is a Tony award-nominated performer, and he has got some incredible chops. I have both Scott Linder and John Wager, the director/producer to thank for a great program! That's one where I got to sit back and relax.
LOWE: For a change, I suspect. That's great. So what's next on the agenda at Time Warner Audiobooks? Anything exciting we should look for?
KAO: Our fall/winter list is terrific - we've got books from Michael Moore, Mitch Albom, Walter Mosley, James Patterson, John Le Carré, Steve Martin among others. And I can't wait to see what Maja puts onto our 2004 schedule.
ROSS: “Rich Dad,” our FISH! Series, the Grace Kelly bio, the John F Kennedy title, Madeline Albright. The list goes on. Of course, you'll see more of Patterson, and need I remind you of David Sedaris, who is making more of a hit with every audio. Look out for him.
LOWE: I'll look out for you, too! Nice to talk to people behind the scenes, who quietly do much of the work. Thanks for taking a moment out of your busy schedules to talk.
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Extremedios 2008 |
