How to create and sell audiobooks: Audiobooks are on the rise, and if you’re a writer not exploring this opportunity, you’re missing out on an audience who could be relishing your story.
Authors are making great money from audiobooks.
Audiobook sales revenue in the United States amounted to 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2020.
In fact, consumption has been on an upward trend since 2018.
If you want to tap into the billion-dollar economy of audiobooks, this article will help you get started.
Are People Really into Audiobooks?
The demand for audiobooks coincides with the popularity of podcasts.
More than half of Americans listen to podcasts monthly.
Those are the ripe audience for your audiobooks.
The market for audiobooks is strong and doesn’t look like it’s slowing any time soon.
From 2019 to 2022, audiobook consumers increased from 14% to 22%.
People enjoy audiobooks because they can listen to them while doing other things like working out or cooking.
In a world where people value multitasking so much, audiobooks are fast becoming the ideal learning companions.
Additionally, audiobooks make content available to visually impaired readers.
Not having an audiobook version of your book might limit your success as an author.
Arguably, self-publishing an audiobook now is as easy as self-publishing a written book.
So you don’t have to wait around for some big publishing company to find you.
With the steps outlined in the next section, you’ll be able to get your audiobooks selling out in no time.
How to Create Audiobooks
To create audiobooks, you need the right equipment, some technical know-how, and a budget for working with an audiobook narrator.
Below are some steps in creating an audiobook.
Step 1 – Ready your Manuscript for Recording
You need to have finished writing a book before you set your sights on recording.
Trying to narrate and record as you write would be much stressful.
A finished and well-edited manuscript will make the recording phase easier and ensure fewer mistakes in the outcome.
Once you are sure the book is completely written, you’ll need to edit it for audio optimization.
To do that you must prepare scripts that remove anything that won’t make sense in the audio version.
Read it out loud many times to be sure it all sounds good in audio form.
While reading, spot areas you have difficulty with and use simpler words or shorter sentences.
Whatever makes it read easier.
Don’t forget that your audio must sound natural to be enjoyable, so rewrite wordy sentences to sound as natural as possible.
Step 2 – Choose a Narrator
The next step is recording the book.
But before you can do that, you have to decide who will record the book.
You have choices when deciding who will record your audiobook.
We outline and explain them below.
You can hire someone to record it for you: employing a narrator will increase the creation cost.
But if that’s what it takes to find the perfect voice for your book, so be it.
Fictional writing sounds better with professional voice actors. So hire a professional narrator for your books.
Request for a sample chapter for you to listen to be sure the person is the right one for your book.
You can hire a narrator via the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX).
There is also an abundance of voice-over artists you can find on freelancer platforms.
Record the book yourself: You can narrate your book in a studio or at home if you have the needed equipment.
The equipment includes a microphone, a computer, and recording and editing software.
Audacity is a good software for PC and Android users to try out but Apple products have Garageband pre-installed.
Recording studios are made to be soundproof but your house may not be.
So you’ll need soundproofing foam or a small, quiet space to record.
Non-fiction, like self-help, autobiography, or business can be easily self-narrated.
You don’t need fancy accents or voice acting to drive your message.
Narrating a book yourself will help you develop an ear for writing that sounds good.
Step 3 – Edit
When you are done with the recording, you take the files to a professional audio editor.
If you have solid audio editing skills, then you can save money and do it yourself.
The purpose of editing is to find and fix audio errors like background noises, inaudible statements, unclear words, and so on.
Editing can also mean joining parts and pieces of recorded files to form a whole.
That’s great if your book is large and you had to record it in parts.
Editing takes away unflattering pauses, snorts or involuntary noises you made during recording.
The level of editing goes a long way to determine the quality of the audiobook.
Step 4 Publish and Sell
Publishing audiobooks is as easy as regular books.
You can self-publish or go through a publisher.
Of course, the option you choose will affect how you sell.
Self-publishing and distribution
Publishing by yourself may or may not be easy, it depends on the resources available to you.
You can host your audiobook file on a server like Audiobookshelf and Booksonic.
Some of these servers are free to use and others may require payment.
You can also embed the link to the file on your website if you have one.
You’ll need to set up a payment and access system on your website or eCommerce store.
ACX
Another way to publish and sell is to go through the Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX).
The ACX is a part of Audible and Audible is a subsidiary of Amazon.
This is the most popular method of audiobook publication.
It works just like Kindle Direct Publishing, so it’s still essentially self-publishing.
ACX has a wide distribution network and if you want your audiobook to go far, they are possibly your best bet.
They’ll help you place your book on iTunes, Amazon and Audible.
They let you keep all the rights on your audiobook and concern themselves only with the distribution.
You’ll need an ACX account to upload your file to the platform.
If you have an Amazon account, you automatically have an ACX account.
Note that there is an approval period during which your audiobook is accessed before it goes on for sale.
You will get 20% to 40% of royalties from ACX depending on whether you work with a producer.
Other platforms like ACX include Audiobooks.com, OverDrive and Downpour.
Tips for Creating the Best Selling Audiobook
Humans learn better visually so you are going to have to do some extra work if your audiobook is going to be easy to digest.
Here are a few tips to help you create a top-notch audiobook.
Organize your Narration
In written books, words are organized with space, headings, lines and punctuation marks.
You don’t have all that in an audiobook, all you have are pauses.
If you make good use of that, you’ll give your listeners a thrill.
Aside from regular pauses that represent commas and full stops, use pauses infused with musical sounds to indicate chapters and such.
If you feel music is not appropriate, simply use longer pauses and subtle tone changes.
Use a Microphone
Your iPad, PC or smartphone may have a nice internal recorder mic but it is always better to use an external microphone.
It can help to reduce background noise by boosting your voice.
You can get a USB mic that plugs directly into your computer starting at around $50.
A studio mic is more sophisticated and you can find a good one for around $200.
Soundproof your Recording Space
This only applies if you are recording in your house or any other space apart from a studio.
The quietest place you find may still have some ambient noises.
If it’s an open space with nothing but walls, your voice would echo and ruin the recording.
You can use foam, blankets or any padded material to dampen the sound.
You can create a small covered cubicle or pad the doors and windows.
Some people use foam wrapped tightly around the microphone.
How to Create and sell Audiobooks: FAQS
Do you have to be an author to create and sell audiobooks?
The short answer is no.
You don’t have to be an author yourself before creating an audiobook.
You can obtain permission to translate someone else’s work into an audiobook.
Can you Make an Audiobook of Someone Else’s Written Content?
Yes, you can, with permission.
Unless of course, the original owner has made it so that audio versions are not a copyright infringement.
To be on the safe side, you should always ask for permission.
How Much Does it cost to Make an Audiobook?
The cost of your audiobook is almost entirely up to you.
Whatever tools and persons you employ in the production of your audiobook add up to the cost.
According to Findaway Voices, a book of 50,000 words costs between $1,000 and $2,000.
You can reduce cost if you record it yourself.
How to Create and sell Audiobooks – A Conclusion
Narrating and publishing an audiobook is a tremendous means to serve readers in different ways and even earn more money from writing.
All you need is a reasonable budget for the right equipment, a zeal to practice, and patience to get your audiobook straight.
Get this right, and you’ll accomplish your first audiobook sale in no time.
Should you have anymore questions on how to create and sell audiobooks, please let us know.