Some audiobooks are outselling hardcovers

During a challenging year for publishers, audiobooks are a relative bright spot. (Image: Unsplash)

Sun, 04 Jan 2026

By Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg Author S.A. Cosby’s southern crime novel King of Ashes was a critical hit and a New York Times bestseller earlier in 2025.But more of Cosby’s fans have listened to the story than read it. The audiobook, narrated by actor Adam Lazarre-White, has outsold the hardcover edition, according to its publisher, Macmillan Audio.Cosby has had the same narrator for multiple novels, giving listeners a sense of consistency. He said in an interview that getting the audiobook via Audible – at a price point lowe...

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