New Imprint, "AUDIBLE IndieFirst"

AUDIBLE IndieFirst, a new imprint developed by Audible and the Center for Independent Publishing (CIP) will publish fresh, original works from independent publishers and deliver them in digital audio before the print edition is available.

Audible and the CIP issued a call for manuscripts from the top tier of independent publishers, asking them to identify their best and most promising upcoming titles for consideration in the Audible IndieFirst program. From these submissions, Audible has selected a number of upcoming titles to publish in audio. To create a listening experience on par with the tremendous quality of these writers, Audible will pair each book with a superb narrator chosen specifically to bring that book to life in a unique and compelling manner. The goal is to introduce innovative writers on the verge of popular renown to the large world of book lovers and audiobook listeners.

As part of an exclusive pre-release program, Audible will publish the digital audiobook one month prior to its print release. The audiobooks will be available at both Audible.com and iTunes.

The inaugural IndieFirst selection is Joe Meno's Demons in the Spring. The print edition of Meno's short story collection, being published by New York-based Akashic Books in September, has been called a "stellar collection" in a starred Publishers Weekly review. Audible has selected Victor Bevine to narrate. The versatile Bevine has appeared on television in shows including C.S.I. and Dark Angel, and has narrated many audiobooks including Kurt Vonnegut's Mother Night and the recent blog-turned-book Stuff White People Like.

In the coming weeks, Audible will produce and publish titles that range across genres to showcase the breadth and talent of brilliant writers otherwise unavailable in audio. Upcoming titles include the first English translation of A Child of All Nations, by Irmgard Keun, from Overlook Press; the memoir Girl Boy Girl: How I Became J.T. LeRoy, by Savannah Knoop, from Seven Stories Press; and the literary espionage novel Stray Dog Winter, by David Francis, from MacAdam Cage. Narrators for these books have yet to be announced.