From Print to Audio: Options for Indie Authors
Although the creation of a professionally produced audiobook is a costly endeavor, having an audiobook version to complement your ebook and physical copy might be well worth the investment.
An audiobook version not only provides greater accessibility and increases your visibility, it also allows readers who may not have time to devote to physically reading, to enjoy your book during their commute, walking the dog, and doing housework.
Especially if your books are on Kindle Unlimited, readers will often purchase the audio version at a fraction of the cost. Immersive reading, in which readers simultaneously read the ebook and listen to the audiobook, is taking the bookish community by storm.
Plus, Amazon’s Whispersync for Voice allows readers to pick up where they left off on their Kindle and/or Audible.
If you’re considering adding an audiobook version to your repertoire, this post provides information to help you determine if now might be the time.
Audiobook Production for Indie Authors
Option 1: Use an Independent Audiobook Studio
As indie authorship grows, so do independent audiobook studios like Audio Publisher’s Association and ListenUp IndiePub.
With these studios, you’re often able to choose a narrator and provide direction without being directly involved in the actual production. However, most studios do not ofter distribution, so that aspect will still be your responsibility.
Option 2: Use Audible Content Exchange
With Audible Content Exchange (ACX), narrators and producers vie for the opportunity to produce your audiobook through Royalty Share. Via this exclusive distribution deal, Audible takes 40% of the royalties. However, some narrators are willing to split the remaining royalties 50/50 with you.
If you don’t have a large following, it’s less likely the well known narrators and producers will audition for the chance to work on a title through Royalty Share. Thus, there may be a tradeoff in experience and quality.
Also through ACX, you can Pay for Production via a negotiated hourly rate. While this is still an investment, and you’re responsible for managing the entire process, it’s still a viable option for audiobook production.
Option 3: DIY
This option is a true tradeoff of time vs. money vs. control in that you will have to handle everything yourself.
This means you’ll:
hire a professional voice actor who usually charges a fee per recorded hour
hire a sound editor
cover their recording and production costs
and possibly hire a publicist to get the word out
When you’re weighing your options and crunching numbers, consider that at 80,000 word book will likely be recorded at approximately 9,000 words/hour, resulting in a 9-hour audiobook.
Since the ratio of studio to completed audio is about 2:1, this is roughly 18 hours of studio time.
While the cost of studio time usually includes the fee for an audio engineer whose job is to get a clean recording, you’ll still need to hire an audiobook editor to help ensure a professional production. In the example of a 9-hour audiobook, it can take 18-24 hours to edit.
How to Publish Your Audiobook
Step 1: Select a narrator by considering what kind of experience you want for your listeners and how the narrator can deliver this.
Step 2: Prepare to record by reading your book aloud in order to make decisions regarding how each character will sound (i.e., pronunciation and accents).
Step 3: Whether it’s in a home studio or a professional one, count on each recording session to take 4-6 hours.
Step 4: An audiobook editor will handle post-production during which they will clean up any errors, mix, master, and format your book.
Step 5: Distribute your audiobook by uploading the MP3 files to a publishing platform like Amazon. While Amazon offers greater royalties when distributing exclusively through them, this means that you’re not able to publish through other platforms like Libby, Findaway, Hoopla, etc. Even though it’s more work to publish on more platforms, it means your book will reach more listeners.
How to Market Your Audiobook
Just like marketing your indie book, marketing your indie audiobook is similar.
If you’re publishing your audiobook via Audible, please note that they often provide authors with a set number of free downloads. You can give these promo codes as giveaways and increase the exposure of your new audio.
You can also post Audible’s 45-second clip of your book on your social media and include it in emails or your in newsletter to drum up excitement.
Since your audiobook is YOURS, consider including bonus content in the form of a personalized intro, an interview, or a sneak peek (or listen) of your next book.
Ask your narrator to share it on their socials and/or include an interview with them.
While the production of an audiobook is costly, it can be well worth the investment! It allows you to increase your author platform, connect with more readers and help support more ways for people to enjoy your gift to the world!
If you’re overwhelmed by the mere THOUGHT of looking into producing your own audiobook, this could be a perfect job for an author personal assistant (PA)!
Not sure what you need? Let’s chat and plot next steps together!
Your supportive side character,
Lisa