In part one I explained all the reasons why turning Vague Pains into an Audiobook made no sense money-wise.   Here’s the other side of the story.

1. A new perspective on the book.  After years of getting to know my characters, I thought I knew them all pretty well, but a good narrator can make them surprise you.  That This was clear even from the first lines in Vague Pains, which is a passage from Henry’s journal.  In my head I had imagined Henry reading the lines back in an apathetic, numb state of mind.  Instead, in the audiobook version, the performance conveys a sense of fear.  It was just as true to the character as my version, and really opened my eyes.  It was thrilling to hear different nuances in the performance I hadn’t expected.  As an author it was a unique and special experience.
2. A broader audience.  I rarely read ebooks.  I love underlining and dog earing.  The digital equivalents just aren’t the same.  My book-consumption habits are probably about 50% physical and 50% audio.  Everyone has their own preferences, so having Vague Pains in as many formats as possible helps open it up to more people.
3. Ok…I admit it. I listen to Audiobooks so often that I just wanted one of my own.  Maybe it is a bit of a vanity project in that sense.  I have no idea if or when I will write another novel.  I want to make the most of it!