Paul Minigello was named the winner of the APA's third annual Audiobook Month Poster contest. Minigello, an art director at Pocket Books, has entered the contest every year since its inception. His vibrant yellow, blue and green design will be used as the logo for the upcoming June Is Audiobook Month campaign. He wins $1,000 for his winning entry.
The January contest ushered in the busiest six months in the history of the Audio Publishers Association, which has a full slate of programs and events planned for the first half of 2001. In February, the association held its second audiobook job market (see accompanying article). On April 4—6, the APA launches a new event, the Audiobook Buyers Convention, in Las Vegas. Audio buyers for retail bookstores, audio-only stores, wholesalers, distributors, truck stops and other retailers will suggest ways that publishers can assist buyers in promoting, merchandising and selling audiobooks. Via presentations and individual meetings, publishers and buyers will have the opportunity to build stronger relationships to increase audiobooks sales. April will also see the announcement of the finalists for the Audie Awards.
On May 31, the association will host APAC, the annual Audio Publishers Association conference, at the Chicago Hilton Downtown, with more than 250 publishers, retailers and industry suppliers in attendance. The sixth annual Audie Awards ceremony will be held June 1 at the Chicago Art Institute. On June 2, for the first time, the APA will hold an audiobook tea at BEA. Authors Bill O'Reilly, Jacquelyn Mitchard, Robert Crais and James Patterson will talk about their upcoming books and audiobooks, and their experiences in listening to and narrating audiobooks. BEA will also include retail panels on audiobooks.
BEA will mark the start of the fourth annual June Is Audiobook Month promotion, a national publicity campaign. Bookstores around the country will create individual displays highlighting audiobooks, and the APA will provide sampler cassettes, posters and postcards to the stores.
