While some Ashevilleans have sought greater opportunity in Los Angeles, an audiobook publishing company recently made the opposite move. Spoken Word Inc relocated its headquarters from sunny California to Western North Carolina and has already received monetary support through Mountain BizWorks’ Advantage Opportunity Fund.
Founder Ben Matchar says he chose Asheville for its relaxed and funky feel. He’s currently operating from Mojo Coworking.
For more information on the company, visit spokenwordinc.com.
Here is the full release from the company:
An audiobook publishing startup has relocated to Asheville with a plan to innovate in the audiobook publishing space worldwide.
Spoken Word Inc moved its headquarters from Los Angeles to join the growing entrepreneurial community in Asheville and last week received funding from Mountain BizWorks’ Advantage Opportunity Fund. The startup, which employs four and contracts with dozens around the country, has developed a unique hybrid model for audio publishing that helps independent authors share their stories with greater audiences while maintaining creative and financial control of the process.
When asked why he chose Asheville, founder Ben Matchar said “I wanted a place with a relaxed and funky feel that fit with my desire for authenticity and personal growth. I really had my sights set on Asheville for a while.”
Matchar said that there is a lack of options for independent authors to publish audiobooks, and that existing services give little creative control to the authors, take large royalties, and lock authors into long contracts.
“We provide a novel, authorcentered approach.”
Patrick Doran, Director of Business Finance at Mountain BizWorks adds, “Spoken Word is focused on an important market need and is already receiving excellent customer response. We are really pleased to add them to the Advantage Opportunity Fund portfolio and welcome them to the Asheville and WNC startup community.”
For more information about the company, or to have an audiobook published, visit Spoken Word’s website at SpokenWordInc.com or find them on Twitter @SpokenWordInc.
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