The digital transformation of the book: Audiobook publishing in Turkey

The form of publishing and the book, which has continuously developed with the techniques and technologies that have emerged throughout history, has evolved towards digital publishing and digital book formats with digitalization. In Turkey, there is a lack of literature on digital publishing, particularly audiobook publishing, prompting the initiation of this thesis. The objectives include revealing the audiobook publishing processes and market in Turkey, understanding the current state of digital books, exploring the impact of audiobooks on the industry, and forecasting the future of audiobooks and printed books. Through in-depth interviews with stakeholders in audiobook platforms, publishing house and production and distribution, the research identifies that audiobooks have introduced new production processes distinct from traditional books. The audiobook publishing process involves actor collaboration, book selection, contracting, narration, audio editing, and distribution. The inclusion of new players such as audiobook platforms, producers, distributors, voice artists, sound engineers, and studio workers is highlighted. Audiobooks are recognized for their unique advantages compared to printed and digital formats. The study concludes that the publishing industry in Turkey is still transitioning to digitalization, and the heightened interest in audiobooks during the pandemic is expected to persist and grow with advancements in technology.