The Fastest-Growing Format in Publishing: Audiobooks - WSJ

Publishers, spotting a juggernaut, are hiring high-profile actors, fattening production budgets and tiptoeing into original dramas. Some authors are writing specifically for audio. Stephen King last year released his short story, "Drunken Fireworks," as an audiobook four months before its print publication. Fred Armisen wrote and performed a 15-minute work based on Candace Devereaux, a character he plays on IF's "Portlandia." Illustration: Serge Bloch Producers and retailers also are trying to hook people like 34-year-old Tiara Walker. Last year, facing a mounting reading list, Ms. Walker popped on her headphones and sailed through more than 50 titles, from Claudia Rankine and Shonda Rhimes to Stephen King and Gillian Flynn. This year, she's already surpassed that tally.