Elevate Your Sales with an Audiobook

Audiobooks have exploded in the last decade. Readers are shifting to audiobooks because of their accessibility. Even those who have trouble focusing can enjoy a book when it’s being read to them.

Audiobooks are also an amazing way to increase book sales!

The sad thing is, too many self-published authors are afraid of producing an audiobook. Yes, it is a financial commitment, but in many ways, it’s easier to make your money back from an audiobook than from print. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to turn your book into an audio production.

Step 1: Choose Your Production Method

There are three methods you can consider for producing your audiobook:

   •   Virtual voice

   •   Human narration

   •   Self-narration

You can produce an audiobook for free—yep, free. However, the quality is significantly lower compared to human narration. ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) offers an AI-generated narration option that is currently free.

This is a good cost-saving measure for authors but doesn’t provide the best experience for readers. Books that use terms and language outside of Standard English often sound terrible with AI-generated voices.

Authors (currently) don’t have the option to choose multiple narrators (voices) for their books. The AI also struggles to convey emotion, meaning, or tone when reading.

You’d be trading low costs and speed for meaning and quality. You can still make money from your audiobook, but you may risk alienating readers who value quality, inflection, and tone.

The next option is a human-narrated book.

You’ll need to interview narrators and work out contracts and payment. This is a more expensive option—but it also offers the highest quality audiobooks.

ACX gives you the option to hire narration straight through their platform. You can also hire your own narrator(s) through Fiverr, Upwork, or LinkedIn. I actually recommend hiring narrators yourself so you can have more control over cost and quality.

Subscribe to this blog to learn more about booking narrators. Make sure you attend the next session of Authors Booking Contracts to learn the ins and outs of finding and hiring narrators.

The last option is to narrate your book yourself. This can be hit or miss.

Narrators are trained voice actors. They’ve learned how to read fluently with tone and impact. They have a database of voices they can use to bring characters to life. You, on the other hand, may not have that training.

We live in a self-made, DIY culture—but there’s a time to delegate. That said, many authors do choose this route. Mary Pope Osborne narrates the Magic Tree House. Brian Jacques narrated the Redwall series with a full cast. Many non-fiction authors read their own titles as well.

If you go with this option, you’ll need to invest in recording equipment, soundproofing, and likely an editor who is familiar with ACX standards. If you live near a recording studio, I recommend connecting with a producer to learn more about recording. This route still involves a financial investment, and you’ll also be investing personal time to produce your audiobook.

Step 2: Prepare Your Manuscript

No matter which production method you choose, you’ll need to prepare your manuscript for recording.

This is especially important if you’re going to use Virtual Voice! The AI system will read exactly what is submitted. You’ll want to remove images, graphics, and text features like email or text message formats—the AI has trouble reading these elements.

Remove the copyright page—your contract will protect your title. Add an opening and closing section (about 30–50 words) to introduce and conclude your book. If your book has parts, make sure each part starts on its own page—for both AI and human narrators.

Your narrator may require you to highlight dialogue, assigning each character a different color. Some narrators will do this themselves, but it’s best to ask. This helps ensure smoother reading.

Narrators may also request a character profile—a guide that states each character’s gender, accent, region of birth, personality, or other details to help develop their voice.

Step 3: Collect Your Audio Files

If you’re recording yourself, pay close attention to this.

Each chapter and section of your book must be a separate file. Do not record one long audio track. Having separate files also makes it easier to include multiple narrators.

Your opening and closing tracks are also separate files, which makes it easier to incorporate a commercial or custom music track.

Label each track clearly so you know what’s what. Store them on a flash drive, external hard drive, or a dedicated folder on your computer for easy uploading.

If you’re working with a narrator, consider using a shared Google Drive folder to make sharing, editing, and uploading files more efficient.

You’ll also need a sample file about five minutes long. You can choose which section to use, though most authors pull from the first five minutes of their book.

Step 4: Upload Your Audiobook

Your ACX account will automatically connect with your existing Amazon KDP account. Your book must already be in the Amazon KDP database.

You’ll need to select your book title when starting your project. If you don’t see your book title, upload it to Amazon KDP or contact their customer support.

After entering your book’s metadata, you’ll upload the individual audio files. Each file must be accepted before you can publish.

Step 5: Market Your Book

Announce and market your audiobook just as you would your print or e-book. As a bonus, you can place ads that appear on Audible, iTunes, and Apple Books. Check out our other blog posts to learn more strategies for marketing your book.

An audiobook can generate revenue in your sleep. You’ll often earn more per sale than you would from a print or e-book, depending on how you set up your distribution. People are eagerly searching for their next listen—so let them listen to yours.