Linda Korn: 38 Years Shaping the Sound of Stories in Audiobooks

The Write Spxt is a weekly newsletter from a book marketer with a decade of experience at two Big Five publishers. It’s for writers seeking publishing tools, readers looking for great recs, and humans who love to journal, observe, and reflect.Linda Korn is a Senior Executive Producer at Penguin Random House Audio. Her work has won Grammys and Audie Awards, shaping the sound of the modern audiobook. But over her 38-year career, she has been more than a producer. She has been a collaborator, a coach, a creative partner, a musician. . . someone who sees the voice not just as a tool, but as an instrument of healing and connection.In our conversation, Linda takes us from reel-to-reel tapes stacked in hallways to today’s booming audiobook industry, reminding us that behind every story is not just a narrator, but a team committed to honoring the author’s voice. She speaks about the healing frequencies of sound, the delicate act of coaching authors through difficult material, and why learning to fall in love with your own voice might be one of the most powerful creative tools we have.In this chat, we dive into…* the early days of audiobooks and how the industry grew into what it is today* the healing power of the human voice and how sound affects our bodies* what it means to collaborate with authors, narrators, and stories in the studio* how to listen to yourself, love your voice, and discover its superpowersMedia mentioned while chatting with Linda:* Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones EXPLORE* America (The Book) by Jon Stewart and The Daily Show EXPLORE* Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens EXPLORE * Soundtrack by Jason Reynolds EXPLOREThanks for reading The Write Spxt! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.Ways You Can Support My Work* Visit my Stan Store and buy one of the workbooks or other resources I have available.* Subscribe to my newsletter.* Share this newsletter with someone you think would enjoy reading it.* Send an email to [email protected] if you believe your work is aligned with The Write Spxt for a feature.You can find me here, too:Instagram | Facebook Get full access to The Write Spxt at thewritespxt.substack.com/subscribe