the story (subscription required) with the headline, “First audio-only novel tells new story for authors.” The Independent has picked up the same
theme heralding the comedy sci-fi thriller by Brian Luff as “the world’s first audio-only novel.”

Scott Sigler must be shaking his head in bemusement.

In the early days of podcasting, Sigler released an episodic audio novel called Earthcore.” At the time—over a year ago, if memory serves—Sigler noted that Earthcore was “the world’s first podcast novel.” Podcasts are audio, which also made Earthcore the world’s first audio novel, far ahead of Audible’s release of “Sex on Legs.”

In fact, “Sex” doesn’t even get to be the second audio-only novel…or even the 40th. Podiobooks—a service for distributing episodic podcast novels—has 47 such works available for free download, including 7th Son: Book One—Descent” by J.C. Hutchins. I heard Hutchins interviewed on Podcast 411, where he proclaimed Podiobooks the ideal venue for wannabe authors who can’t get their books published. It’s also, he said, a great way to build an audience for a work which, if it gets big enough, could attract the attention of a dead-tree publisher.

That’s what happened to Sigler, whose Earthcore is now available in hardcover from a small sci-fi publisher. In the meantime, Sigler has completed a second podcast novel (Ancestors) and is in the middle of a third (Infection).

The growing popularity of episodic podcast novels reveals a few things worth noting. First, there’s a growing thirst for new kinds of audio content to stick in your ears. Second, new media may begin disintermediating mainstream publishers the same way podsafe music could disrupt the mainstream music industry. Third, the notion of episodic audio fiction does not need to conform to the old-style radio programs with scripts and actors. Just reading a novel into the microphone can be enough (as the numbers of subscribers to some of these works attest). Fourth, word-of-mouth can spread a meme about a good podcast novel as well as a concerted advertising effort by a publisher can generate interest in a book.

And fifth, Audible has a helluva nerve touting “Sex on Legs” as the first-ever audio novel. Not even close.

Technorati Tags: Scott Sigler, podcast novels