Audio Partners piques international interest

Journal Staff WriterA Shakespeare collection published by an Auburn-based company is getting the ears of lovers of the Bard nationwide.The crown jewel in Audio Partners Publishing Corporation?s list of titles is the recently released ?The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare,? which the company describes as the first time all of William Shakespeare?s plays are available on CD in a single set, produced by a single creative team.?It took three and a half years to get the plays recorded and it cost over $4 million,? Linda Olsen, president and publisher, said recently. The 98-CD set has a playing time of just under 102 hours. Among the 400 actors in the audio cast are Joseph Fiennes, Sir John Gielgud, Samuel West, Timothy West and Eileen Atkins.?It was all produced for the ear,? she said. ?It was all done for people to hear in their cars or in their homes.?The production?s goal was to do the plays word for word with no changes and no abridging, as published in the Complete Pelican Shakespeare. ?It?s all there,? Olsen said.The response to the landmark undertaking has been very positive.?It has been a good seller,? Olsen said. CEO Grady Hesters, Olsen?s business partner and spouse, lined up the contract with Arkangel Productions, which involved meetings in England to develop confidence on both sides. Once the contract was signed, it was up to Olsen to get the printed materials developed, including the labels, packaging, liner notes and marketing.?Every scene for every play has a track mark,? she said. ?It makes it much easier if you are studying it.?The first order for the Shakespeare set turned out to be from someone in Granite Bay.?We were so excited that we delivered it to her in person,? Olsen said.The set is being offered in the Royal Shakespeare Company?s 2004 catalog. In addition, it will have a role in the National Endowment for the Arts? ?Shakespeare in American Communities? program that will bring performances of the bard?s work to 100 communities around the nation.In the accompanying materials package being sent to 12,000 high schools, the National Endowment for the Arts is recommending ?The Complete Arkangel Shakespeare? set as appropriate for supplementary teaching materials in the classroom.Audio Partners, which has been in Auburn since 1988, has 300 different titles in publication. The audio books are sold in bookstores all over the country and are available in libraries and schools.The titles range from front-list best sellers such as Queen Noor?s ?Leap of Faith,? which was published in June, to the soon-to-be-published ?The Statement? by Brian Moore ? a subtle mystery in the style of Graham Greene, being released at the same time as the movie, which stars Michael Caine.Arriving on shelves at the end of September is ?The Kennedys? by Thomas Maier.?It?s already being reviewed as one of the really big books in the fall,? Olsen said.Another upcoming title is Barry Glassner?s ?The Culture of Fear,? the book that was used as the basis for Michael Moore?s movie ?Bowling for Columbine.? In fact, Moore is providing an introduction for the audio book, with release expected in November.As part of the job, Olsen and Hesters are in constant contact with a lot of book agents and publishers.?We can?t even bring out 10 percent of what is offered,? Olsen said recently. ?As small, independent publishers, we need to keep an eye on publishing trends and what will have a long (shelf) life.?The company publishes about 40 new titles a year.?Of those, about eight to 10 will be considered front list, coming out with the new print book just being published in simultaneous release,? Olsen said.Audio Partners concentrates on classics and certain niche markets. For example, the company has an exclusive contact with the Agatha Christie estate to bring out all the mystery author?s unabridged mysteries. So far the company has produced about 35 of the books in audio format, with another 60 to go, she said.The company also has a partnership with BBC Audio Books America.?They publish for the library market, and we publish for the retail market,? Olsen said.In addition to the High Street offices that house Audio Partners Publishing Corporation, the company operates a separate company, Audio Editions, that offers mail order sales through its catalog. The two enterprises employ a total of 40 employees.Audio Partners has won eight Audie awards ? the publishing industry?s recognition of audio book excellence ? the most recent in 2002, in the category of audio book adapted from another medium, for ?The Zebra Striped Hearse? by Ross Macdonald.Susan Beck, manager of Sharon?s books on Elm Avenue, said she likes the fact that Audio Partners deals with unabridged works.?I prefer unabridged audios,? she said. ?We have contacted them for customers who are requesting a particular title and they are very friendly when dealing with the public.?For more information, visit www.audiopartners.com.