Audiobook Boom Provides Big Opportunities for Publishers

And while that may seem like fairly standard business advice on the face of it, it's worth bearing in mind that in every quickly growing industry, fly-by-night operators are bound to be lurking. "I think it's really interesting to see how your contact treats you," Zackman says. "Do they treat you with respect and kindness, and like they're interested in producing something the way you want it produced?"

One method of testing a potential new partner, according to Zackman, is to request specific samples from certain narrators, or even to ask narrators to audition. It's more often the authors who'll request an audition than the publishers, she says. "But we do it all the time. An author will say, 'I want a really specific sound—send me five auditions.' And I think there's nothing wrong with asking for what you want."