This afternoon I chatted with Simon Maddox, one of the developers behind the new mobile audiobook download service, GoSpoken. The business (which boasts everybody’s favourite double-hard-bastard, Andy McNab, as a partner) went live in April and I am absolutely delighted.
For a long time, I’ve been exceedingly annoyed with publishers when they’ve been advertising the latest and greatest books. There is LITTLE value, as far as I am concerned, telling me that there’s a book available (via a poster, for example), without giving me the ability to download the first chapter (audio or text, I don’t care) right-away. It really WINDS me up walking past a poster of a book that I really want. Once or twice I’ve actually stood next to the poster whilst I ordered the book on my phone via Amazon.
But that’s no good. Not in the digital age. What I want is the ability to get the book — there and then — on my phone.
I might choose to buy a physical copy later. But, when I’m standing at Liverpool Street Station about to get on a highly boring train journey, I’d like to be able to buy something there and then, to fill my void and give me a bit of entertainment.
Enter GoSpoken. This is EXACTLY what they do, and I am smitten with the concept.
You can buy a range of abridged and unabridged audiobooks from their site — directly, via Payforit, to your handset in audio format. It’s not yet DRM free — it’s in OMA DRM format that should work with most handsets (basically, you can’t forward the file).
Books are downloaded to your handset in £1 chunks. So, if a book costs £5, you’ll be able to buy it in five £1 chunks. So you don’t have to commit to the whole expense unless you wish to. Me? I’d probably buy as I listen as I know I can get the next section over-the-air whenever I want.
Kudos to Random House who are the first publisher to go live with the service. There are reportedly a whole host of other publishers about to sign.
You can browse and order at www.gospoken.mobi or if you see a poster, you can use the call-to-action (e.g. Texting a shortcode) to get straight into listening to the first (free – usually) chapter.
Here’s an example of the Tess Gerritsen book poster:
See the call-to-action text below? Smart!
I’m going to try out the service shortly and have a go!