Three very good reasons why I use Audible

I would like to say that there is really no complication about it; that audio books are great and a perfect way to read a book. 

This is true BUT it took quite a bit of soul searching to finally decide that listening to a book instead of reading it is not cheating. I wrangled with the guilt of someone else doing the reading for me – that was until I realised that it was such a wonderful way to fit in all the reading that I hadn’t been able to do for years.

Reason 1: Long drives get boring

For those not living in Australia – driving from Hobart to Broome takes 74-hour straight – assuming no hiccups!  That’s half as much again as the drive from LA to New York!  There is little mobile phone coverage in the middle of Australia and only small patches of radio waves.  So if you want entertainment to keep you sane and the children occupied on these so-called holidays you will need to stock up on audio entertainment before you go. With Audible I can download my books while I still have internet coverage and Bluetooth to the car speakers.

Audible is still useful for the shorter-haul, but still 2 hour, work trips with no fellow passengers.  It is wonderful to steal back that time by enjoying a ‘read’ that I will never have the time for once I reach my destination.

Reason 2: They are friends with benefits.

A subscription to Audible costs about $15 per month (it varies around the world) and this gets you 1 credit to redeem on any book you like. While this might sound like about the same amount you would pay for a paper version of the same book (and you are rightly thinking they are making a killing because they don’t have to actually print and post the book) you also get access to a very extensive range of free or discounted products.

The 30 day Free Trial

Everyone can access a free 30 trial. You can download one free book in this time and even if you ultimately decide to cancel the book is yours to keep and listen to forever. I started my Audible journey with Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

I originally cancelled after the first 30 days as I knew I was hitting a busy patch at work and wasn’t sure that I wanted to commit to a monthly subscription just then. When I cancelled they came back with a counter offer of half price membership for the next 3 months which I accepted. I have been hooked ever since.

Free Monthly Book

Every month current members, in addition to their credit book, are able to download the chosen monthly book for free. I always take the free offer and have been very impressed with them. These are great books (not nice-priced). Most recently I have listened to The Trauma Cleaner and The Widow.

Audible Original Podcasts

Audible Originals are free podcasts with individual episodes that members can download for free. They range from 20 minutes to several hours and cover everything from true crime, self-help and counselling, to humour and comedy. I find that these shorter podcasts are great for when time is limited and I don’t want to get caught up in a longer book. Some of the ones I have enjoyed include Bear Grylls’ Survival Stories, Calm World: Introduction to Meditation, Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel and Stephen Fry’s Victorian Secrets.

Daily Deals

If you have used up your monthly credit but are still looking for a bit of ear candy then these treats will set you back about $4-$6 each or one credit. If you do have a credit in the bank just make sure that you don’t use it by mistake. It is better to keep it for a more expensive book. The audible daily deals are often less well known books but I have really enjoyed the ones I have chosen to date.

Reason 3: Satisfaction guaranteed

If you don’t like a book, or the narrator, you simply return it for a refund, no questions asked. I have done it once and it was seamless. You can’t ‘return’ the free downloads – which can be annoying as they will remain in your library – even if you don’t want them too. You have to log into your Amazon account and delete the purchase from behind the scenes.

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