How to Create and Self-Publish Your Audiobook

If you’re an author looking to expand your market, publishing audiobooks might be right for you. You already have the written material, so converting it to an audio format is the easy part. 

If you’re unsure how to start creating and selling your audiobook, keep reading, I’ll be breaking it down below

Why You Should Sell Your Audiobooks

The global audiobook market is valued at around 3 billion dollars and is constantly expanding. Audiobooks are considered the fastest-growing segment in publishing and they generate more income than ebooks. They offer authors another way to make money from their books. 

Is self-publishing right for you?

Self-publishing is not for everyone so it’s important to know if it’s right for you and your audiobook. 

You can learn more about self-publishing vs. traditional publishing in this article from Jony Studios.

Here are some traits that will help you be successful with self-publishing

• Your audiobook delivers content the audience wants to hear

• You have an understanding of your audience, budget, and marketing

• You are willing to put in the work to get your book published. 

Different genres of audiobooks do better than others. For example, mystery, thriller, and suspense audiobooks have the biggest audience, while sci-fi and fantasy have more engagement than any other genre. There is a clear market for shorter audiobooks, and non-fiction authors tend to have more success with online marketing than fiction authors do. 

Many factors could make your audiobook successful, so it is easy for anyone to publish an audiobook in any genre.

Self-publishing can also be costly depending on how you decide to record your audiobook. Narrating, editing, and publishing your audiobook can cost anywhere between $150.00 - $700.00 to purchase the equipment and it will require a laptop/computer that can handle recording software.

Here is a list of the basic equipment you’ll need to record your audiobook from home:

• Microphone 

• Audio interface

• Microphone stand

• Headphones

• Audacity or Garageband, free recording software

If you decide to work with a narrator and audio production company, it can cost $3000.00-$6000.00 for an average length audiobook which is about 10 hours. Renting a studio can cost $50 - $200 an hour and narrators can cost $100.00-$400.00 per finished hour. 

The most expensive but easiest option is to hire a production agency as they handle recording, editing, and narration for you. 

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Another option which is becoming very popular is to record your own audiobook at home using your voice but hire a professional recording studio to handle the editing, mixing, mastering for Audible standards, and walk you through the entire upload process, which will save you a lot of time, money, and hassle.

Learn more about our remote audiobook production services here and request a free estimate!

Creating your Audiobook

The first step in creating an audiobook is to write a script. Scripts are important because they will ensure the content you are recording will be comprehensible in an audio format. 

If you are recording an online article, make sure you leave the following out of your script.

• Hyperlinks

• Captions and footnotes as they can be written into the spoken text

• Visuals

• Call to action or ‘click here’ buttons

If you are hiring a narrator, do research and hold auditions to make sure you are finding one that suits your audiobook. 

You can find narrators using freelance websites like Fiverr.

If you decide to narrate the audiobook yourself, there are some things to consider.

1. Do you have an engaging voice?

2. Do you have voiceover skills to effectively tell your story?

3. If you listen back to the audio you have narrated, are you distracted by the way your voice sounds?

Keep in mind that a bad narration is a turn-off for many listeners. 

When you are recording at home make sure you do the following

• Turn off all equipment that makes noise. A mic will pick up any small sounds that a person might not think of

• Record in a carpeted room to avoid reverb and reflections

• Don't move while you’re recording

• Keep your voice at a consistent volume and don't hold your breath

• Read from an electronic device so the sound of turning pages is not picked up.

• Schedule multiple recording sessions and re-record if necessary.

When you edit your audiobook, eliminate any mouth sounds, harsh ‘s’ sounds and make each chapter its own file, if you need help with this we have you covered with our remote audiobook editing services.

The final package should include a sample audio track, engaging book description, and cover art/image. 

Audiobook Platforms

There are multiple different platforms you can choose to put your audiobook on. You can stick to one or upload it to a couple of different ones. 

ACX

ACX is owned by Amazon and is a full-service audiobook/distribution arm. Through ACX you can distribute to Amazon, iTunes, and Audible. 

There are a couple of different options if you chose to work with ACX.

1. Exclusive with ACX. You receive 40% of the royalties. If you worked with a narrator and don’t pay them upfront, they receive half of the royalties. This is a seven-year contract

2. Non-exclusive with ACX. You receive 25% of the royalties. You are unable to split the royalties with a narrator in a non-exclusive deal so they need to be paid upfront. This option allows you to work with other distribution platforms. 

If you choose to publish with ACX you will not have control over the price of your audiobook. Click here to view the pricing guidelines from ACX.

Findaway Voices

Findaway Voices allows you to choose where you sell your audiobooks as well as how you price them. They have a distribution market that reaches over 170 countries and they work with library, retail, and school markets. 

To learn more about ACX and Findaway voices, click here.

Soundwise

Soundwise allows authors to easily build an audience, Pro and Platinum plans that offer 100% of profits, and a place for listeners to leave comments. It is very easy to use and Authors have full control over their pricing strategy. 

Click here to learn more about Soundwise.

Marketing Your Audiobook

As a self-published author, you will have full control over your marketing strategies. This can seem like a lot, especially if you have no idea how to go about marketing your audiobooks.

Here are some marketing tips to help you when you first get started

• Pitch your audiobooks to booktubers, blogs, and book-related podcasts

• Be active on social media and audiobook related Facebook groups

• Submit for awards

• Share your audiobooks with journalists

Check out this video for some more tips on how to market your audiobook. 

Written By: Leah Gerber

Conclusion: Making your audiobook successful

You are now equipped to self-publish your own successful audiobook! 

Before you get started, here are some important things the remember:

• Self-publish if it’s right for you

• Create content that listeners want

• Choose platforms that will work for your needs

• Engage with your listeners through social media

Have you ever self-published an audiobook before? What was your experience like? Which platform did you find most helpful? Let us know in the comments below.

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If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer remote audiobook production and editing services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Listen to some of our audiobook samples here to get started.

Benefits And Tips For Recording An Audiobook For Your Novel

After ebooks, audiobooks are now the next big thing. Sales in audiobooks have increased drastically over the past few years.

Audiobooks are extremely easy to access and listen to. With audiobooks being the next big thing in publishing, writers often ask themselves: how do I turn my book into an audiobook?

The points below will help you guide through creating an audiobook. It contains tips and lists the benefits of creating an audiobook.

Benefits of Recording an Audiobook:

Build your subscriber list

Recording an audiobook has many benefits that can be monetary and non-monetary.

They are the perfect resource for you to use to build up your email subscriber list. By providing an audiobook on your website for consumers to download after providing their email, your email list will increase drastically.

EARN MORE MONEY

Audiobooks are another source of income for you from a single piece of work. 

With the increase in the audiobook market, turning your novel into an audiobook also captures a wider audience. It will help you garner the attention of the audiobook lovers.

And lastly, profits from audiobooks are higher since the cost of production and distribution is low.

IT NEVER SELLS OUT

Unlike printed books, audiobooks don’t have a specific quantity that can be released. They are more like ebooks in this distinction and always stay in stock.

There are many different platforms to sell, market and record your ebooks as well.

IT’S FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO LISTEN ON THE GO

For the people who are always on the run, audiobooks are a godsend.

It’s difficult for people who don’t have enough time in their days to sit down and enjoy a good book. That’s where having an audiobook version of a book comes in handy. Like mentioned before, these audiobooks will help capture this kind of audience.

IT’S FOR all types of readers

People tend to read a book at different paces. Some read them within a span of a few hours while others take years to finish a book. 

And although audiobooks cater to both types of readers, the high consumers love them more as it allows them to finish the book faster.

Another advantage of an audiobook is that it encourages slow readers to read more as it’s easier to finish a book when someone else is reading to you.

IT’S FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE TROUBLE READING/DON’T LIKE READING

Books are not enjoyed by everyone and that’s a fact. Reading a book can put them to sleep.

But, with audiobooks now available, these people have the option of someone reading the book to them. This opens up a wider audience for writers to capture.

Apart from people who don’t enjoy reading, some people cannot read due to disabilities. So for people who want to read but cannot due to blindness or dyslexia, audiobooks are a great solution.

NOT SO FIERCE COMPETITION

The audiobook market is fairly new. This reduces the amount of competition for you.

So what does that mean?: It’s easier to get your book noticed in an audiobook format.

Situations In Which You Shouldn’t Record An Audiobook:

AMOUNT OF DIALOGUES

If your book contains a lot of dialogues such as “he said” or “she said”, it could be off-putting to hear it again and again. Repetition of some dialogues or words could become annoying to listeners.

TYPE OF BOOK

Type of book means an instructional book or a novel. You should think to yourself if your book is more of a guide, cookbook or manual, and how it will sound to someone as an audiobook. An instructional book could be awkward as it lacks a flow necessary for an audiobook.

Recording Your Audiobook:

RECORDING it YOURSELF

Recording your audiobook yourself can be very cost-effective. It will also give you complete control over the final product, giving you a chance to make your vision come true as you see fit.

However, recording your own audiobook without any experience can make your final product seem unprofessional. You need time and equipment such as microphones, recording software, etc. to record your own audiobook as well. 

Check out Jony Studios blog Best Podcast Microphone to find the perfect professional microphone for you. Or checkout the Best External Microphones for Your iPhone to find a microphone you can attach to your smartphone!

Lastly, you will also need to learn how to record an audiobook. You will need to learn when to pause, how to use the software, etc.

If you are thinking about recording it yourself, you will be able to save a lot time and headaches by recording your audiobook with a reputable recording studio that has a wide range of experience. Also if you already have the recording they can help get the sound to a professional standard using mixing, mastering and other advanced audio techniques.

HIRING SOMEONE TO RECORD

By hiring someone else to record your audiobook, you won’t have to do the hard stuff yourself. Any professional you hire will know about creating an audiobook, have the time to create it and have the equipment and space to record it. All you’ll have to do is hire them.

But hiring a narrator can be expensive. Without knowing how much your audiobook will earn in sales, the cost of hiring someone could be scary.

If you do decide to hire someone to record your audiobook, you’ll be able to find someone on ACX. You can either pay the narrator upfront or share royalties that you earn from sales.

Recording Duration:

The time it takes to record an audiobook depends on your project. The length of your book, the narrator you employ/time you take to record your book yourself, duration of editing, all factor into the time it takes to complete your project.

ACX estimates that most narrators can read approximately 9,300 words per hour. A 65,000-word book may turn into seven hours of narration.

After you finish your recording and editing, it takes time to go over your final product as well.

Conclusion:

There are many benefits to recording an audiobook for your book. This blog gives you a few additional tips you might need to make your audiobook a success.

Did you find these benefits and tips helpful?

- By Neha Agarwala

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If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer audiobook production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Learn more here and listen to some of our audiobook samples.