World-renowned erotic scribe M. Christian has just released his Skin Effect in audio book form. Published in ebook and paperback through Renaissance E Books/Sizzler Editions a year ago, “Chris” was approached by publisher Wordwooze to release the audio book version of his collection of Erotic SF short stories.

I managed to get a quick conversation with “Chris” to get his views on publishing erotica in audio book format.

This is your first venture into audio ebook, why now and who with?

It’s kind of been kismet, actually. About a year ago I really got into audiobooks, listening and enjoying but never really thinking about doing one of my own. Mostly because while I do readings now and again, and love teaching all kinds of classes, I’ve never really considered myself very ‘audio.’ Then I had this great opportunity, via the fantastic Wordwooze folks, to adapt my science fiction erotica collection, Skin Effect.

The experience has been delightful–and then some. Wordwooze did a great job producing the audiobook and Jazmin Kensington is a perfect reader/performer.  I’m more than a tad tickled by all this.

There are obvious differences between reading a book, as opposed to hearing it read. Can you pick out a few of the advantages or disadvantages one form has over another?

Generally I feel there are only slight differences beyond the obvious of course, you are being read to, the other you are reading to yourself and I do notice some jokes work better on the printed page then when read aloud. But one of the biggest things I noticed, and this is not just with my own work but books I’ve also listened to, is that there’s a certain ‘music’ to the language that only really comes out when it’s performed, especially by a skilled reader.

It really has changed the way I look at writing: when I work on stories and books now I hear them in both my own voice and Jazmin’s.  Kind of magical, in a way….

Do you see a future where all your titles will be published as an ebook?  Or are there just some things that don’t lend themselves to an audio book?

Oh, I have definitely caught the audiobook bug! Wordwooze is working on the audiobook adaption of my queer/scifi/horror/erotic novel Finger’s Breadth (the ebook is out with Renaissance E Books/Sizzler Editions right now) and a scifi erotic novella, Bionic Lover. I’m also putting together a special erotica collection for them.

As far as what works and what doesn’t, that’s tough to answer. Off the top of my head I think that certain visual writing tricks don’t translate easily to audio, but mostly it’s a pretty lovely transition from one medium to another.

On top of your writing you are also an editor, teacher and publisher, tell us about some of those hats you wear?

Well, I write for a bunch of sites on a regular/irregular basis, am working on a couple of new novels, and still enjoy being an editor and publisher for Renaissance E Books, and am the Publisher of Digital Parchment Services. We’ve been having a blast re-releasing classic scifi books from authors like Arthur Byron Cover, Ernest Hogan, and the estates of Jody Scott and William Rotsler.

In the San Francisco Bay Area I also teach erotica writing and a slew of kinky sex classes, as well as helping run some support groups. You can see what I’m up to on my site at www.mchristian.com.

Grab M. Christian’s audio book Skin Effect here and you can listen to a sample here.

And the first three people who write us will get a free copy of the audio book, care of Wordwooze.