Ever wish you could figure out how to record and publish your book as an audiobook? Me too!
Here are some helpful tips that I came across in my searches that I hope you find valuable.
SUMMARY
· Warning: The Audiobook Road can be
thorny with "producers" who want to talk a gullible author into spending a fortune on producing a product that may have little return on the
investment. Sound quality may not be great, even if the producer is well known.
·
The good news? Audiobooks are cheap to make.
·
The other news? Audiobooks are fun, but tedious
work.
·
HOW TO MAKE AN AUDIOBOOK RECORDING: You'll need a super quiet room (carpeted floor, padded walls are
preferred); a USB mic that plugs directly into computer or tablet; Download
Audacity (free, easy to use digital audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac,
etc.). There is a lot of tech stuff to know in terms of which volume levels are
acceptable; how far away from the mic your mouth should be; marking pauses in
your manuscript before you read, etc. Also keeping the files organized, etc.
· VIDEO: HERE'S A SUPER HELPFUL STEP BY STEP DEMO BY ROB DIRCKS: HOW TO
RECORD YOUR AUDIOBOOK:
·
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ACX: Several services offer Audiobook Creation
and Distribution Platforms. ACX (Amazon) is the most prominent. If you register
your published-on-Amazon book with them in order to find an Audiobook producer, be forewarned those
producers do not come cheap--although some offer authors a "Royalty
Share" option (less or no money up front). Audiobook quality varies; so make sure you get what you are paying for. The producers publish and distribute your audiobook on Amazon's AUDIBLE.
·
CD BABY and AUTHOR'S REPUBLIC: Lee Stephen, author of Dawn of Destiny went a different route
entirely: producing an audiobook that is more like a radio play (5 years in the
making), and offers it on CD Baby under "Spoken Word" in their Music
Category. He states that success depends on how well you publicize your audiobook via
social media and your fan base. But CD Baby passes on 91% profit to the
author/producer. Plus, he says you can get them easily on the phone (unlike
Amazon). It is worth noting that since posting this on Jane Friedman's Blog, Lee has signed the audiobook with Author's Republic, and is happier with their distribution deal.
Author Lee Stephen on the Power of PR:
"You might wonder about the "wide" exposure that comes with having an audiobook on Audible. To that, I would say that our fan bases are our exposure—the incredibly amazing people who follow us on Twitter, who like us on Facebook, who join our mailing lists, and who hound us for our next release dates. And they don’t care if you point them to Audible, CD Baby, or a shed in your backyard. If they follow you, if you’re fair to them, and if you reward them with quality material, they’ll make the purchase."
"You might wonder about the "wide" exposure that comes with having an audiobook on Audible. To that, I would say that our fan bases are our exposure—the incredibly amazing people who follow us on Twitter, who like us on Facebook, who join our mailing lists, and who hound us for our next release dates. And they don’t care if you point them to Audible, CD Baby, or a shed in your backyard. If they follow you, if you’re fair to them, and if you reward them with quality material, they’ll make the purchase."
NEED MORE INFO? CHECK OUT THESE LINKS!
ACX (Amazon Platform):
ACX Production Advice and Helpful Hints:
AUDACITY (Free, easy to use digital audio editor and
recorder download for Windows, Mac, etc.):
JANE FRIEDMAN'S BLOG (RE ACX ALTERNATIVE)
GUEST BLOGGER, LEE STEPHEN, ON JANE FRIEDMAN'S BLOG:
Author Lee Stephen on the Power of PR:
"You might wonder about the "wide" exposure that comes with having something on Audible. To that, I would say that our fan bases are our exposure—the incredibly amazing people who follow us on Twitter, who like us on Facebook, who join our mailing lists, and who hound us for our next release dates. And they don’t care if you point them to Audible, CD Baby, or a shed in your backyard. If they follow you, if you’re fair to them, and if you reward them with quality material, they’ll make the purchase."
LISTEN UP AUDIO BOOKS SERVICE:
I include this not as a recommendation, but because it gives
an idea of the expense involved.
"ListenUp is a full-service audiobook solution. We give every author
and small publisher the same service we give to our big clients. That means a
dedicated casting director, choice of narrators, professional studio recording
with a trained engineer, a full edit and final mastering according to Audible
standards. Authors have the option to use us for distribution or do it
themselves. And we’re creating new marketing solutions.And with us, you can call up and talk to us about what you want. There are a lot of different ways to go about creating and distributing audio and we’re open to exploring all of them.
Our standard rate is $450 per finished hour of audio. That’s for a book with one narrator. To estimate how much a book will cost, figure a narrator reads about 10,000 words an hour. So a 70,000 word book will be approximately 7 hours long, or $3,150."
Authors Republic is an audiobook publisher/distributor that
evaluates your ALREADY COMPLETED AUDIOBOOK to see if it is right for its 30
major retailer buyers. If AR accepts it, you get 70 percent of the sales
proceeds. Monthly payments. Sales records displayed for you to track easily.
NY BOOK EDITORS WEBSITE (Helpful Info for Beginners):
About Me
Marlan Warren is a publicist, as well as a published
novelist and produced playwright. Her PR services can be found on Midwest Book
Review's "Trusted Publicist" and Linked In's "Top
Publicists" lists.
