Chronicle Books is partnering with Hachette Audio to create audiobooks that, for the first time, will be marketed under the Chronicle Books brand. The company’s Chronicle Audio division, which will focus on the release of adult nonfiction digital audiobooks, will be headed by Mark Tauber, who is also managing director of Chronicle’s new Chronicle Prism imprint.
The first four books in the unit will be released this spring: Feck Perfuction by James Victore, The Secret Art of Being a Parent by Bridget Watson Payne, Open Water by Mikael Rosén, and The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht.
Chronicle said it expects to quickly ramp up its output to release 10 to 15 audio titles per season, all of which will be released simultaneously with the print edition. Under the partnership agreement, Hachette will handle production, sales, and distribution, while Chronicle will handle marketing. The two companies will collaborate on the selection of narrators for the different books. The deal with HBG further expands the partnership between Chronicle and HBG, which has been Chronicle’s U.S. distributor since 2008.
“As we begin to publish the audio versions of these books that our team works so hard to shape, edit, make, and market, we are very pleased to be extending and building on our existing partnership with Hachette, which has successfully distributed our physical books for many years,” Tauber said in a statement.
