Some people are just better listeners. Audiobooks have been giving lit fans another way of getting into an author’s work for years, but they still haven’t quite reached the popularity of an actual book. Much like the music video did for the pop song, writers and their publishing team are looking for effective ways to boost the popularity of their audio versions by adding in some bonuses, so that maybe even those who do like to read might want to buy the audiobook anyway.

As someone who certainly needs more sales promotion, out writer Augusten Burroughs (Running With Scissors) had four of his favorite musicians record tracks based on his new memoir, A Wolf at the Table.

He had rock legend Patti Smith, indie band Sea Wolf, Tegan Quin and piano pop ingénue Ingrid Michaelson record “response tracks” to the book about his father. Burroughs’ website claims the audio book itself is “a true work of art, created through inspiration, passion, and the uniting of two creative mediums.” The songs are streaming on his website, but you probably have to hear it all to get the idea. … continue reading