In this post, I am going to share with you how to create, record, and publish an audiobook. But first I want to share with you why you should consider publishing an audiobook. First, audiobooks are bought and shared globally. Secondly, 45% of adults listen to audiobooks. Thirdly, it’s a multi-billion dollar industry. Audiobooks are well sought out and profitable. Creating an audiobook is well worth the time and money. If you have a great story, you will want to consider creating an audiobook. Just imagine a book that has roughly 9,000 words that can be listened to in an hour. No wonder audiobooks are sought after. You can listen to an audiobook when you are on your commute to work, an appointment, or when you are out running errands. It’s easier to find time to listen to a book than to read one. There’s a lot to consider when creating an audiobook. Let’s look at how to create an audiobook and take into consideration all the blessings of publishing an audiobook.
Narrator
You have your compelling story in hand. First, you need to decide on how you want your story presented. Are you going to do it yourself or hire a voice actor? If you have a book with more than one character, are you comfortable doing different characters?
Voice actors are skilled in doing multiple parts. You want someone who is skilled in tones, accents, and is engaging. Someone who can deliver your story in a way that your listener is on the edge of their seat. ACX, owned by Amazon, has a database of professional voice actors who you can hire to narrate your audiobook. You can choose someone from their database and invite them to audition for your audiobook. Through ACX, you can choose the voice actor that best fits the narrating of your story, decide on payment terms, and collaborate with them. When you are happy with the finished product, you can submit it to them. They will let you know if any changes need to be made.
Studio
This is a project that can get costly fast, so you will need to decide upfront how much you want to invest. In the making of an audiobook, you will need to consider the costs of the equipment, the narrator, and book promotion. Before purchasing equipment, talk with your narrator. Most narrators have their own recording studio. If you are doing it yourself, there are some things you need to consider. For starters, you need to consider the time it will take to create an audiobook. One hour of audio, approximately 9000 words, can take two to three hours to record. You will need a high-quality mic, noise-canceling headphones, and a physical or virtual recording studio.
You will also need high-quality recording software such as Riverside. Riverside offers a virtual recording studio. When it comes to editing, there are two promising platforms worth considering: Adobe Audition and Logic Pro X.
Final Touches
After your audiobook is ready to go you will need to choose cover art. The cover art specs are as follows: a JPG no larger than 5 MB, with a pixel resolution of 2400 x 2400. This is something you can do yourself in Canva. Go to custom design and put in your specs: 2400 x 2400 then create a new design. Just remember this is the first view potential listeners will get of your audiobook so make it stand out! We are now at the point of publishing your audiobook.
One way you can go about publishing your audiobook is using ACX. ACX will send your audiobook to resellers such as Audio or iTunes. Whether you choose ACX or someone else make sure you look at the fine print on their cut vs your profit. Make sure your audiobook meets their formatting requirements and look over the contract carefully before uploading your audiobook.
The last step is monetizing and promoting your audiobook. Your larger audiobook distributors will handle the sales, take their cut, and give you a percentage of the royalties. There are different ways you can go about promoting your audiobook. You could create or hire someone to create a trailer. You could promote it through email marketing, blog posts, or even podcasts. Another avenue to consider is paying social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, or even Linked In. If there is a magazine whose readership would have an interest in your audiobook you could advertise through them. The important thing to remember is the more avenues you use to deliver your story the wider your sphere of influence.
About the Author
Lizzy, pen name EO Writes, was first called to write for the public in 2012. For a season she wrote articles on homeschooling. In 2024, her calling as an Author came into the public’s view once again with her first book release, A Case of Mistaken Identity, the first of many! She is presently working on Getting Unstuck, A Guide to Self Publishing. You can check out her blog at: https://www.eowrites.com. She has been married for 27 years. When she is not writing, she and her husband enjoy traveling throughout the United States on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
“Never judge a book by its cover. What you find inside the pages might surprise you.”
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