All You Need to Make Your Audio Books

Why to make an audio version of your book? Keep your audience in mind. There is a huge demographic in our modern society who only listen to audiobooks. Professionals who listen while commuting. Runners and other athletes who multitask during training. Artists who listen while they paint. People who take road trips! Many people just don’t have time to read a book.

Books on audio is a fast-growing trend in the publishing industry, which makes a compelling argument why you should go that extra distance as an author and take advantage of this burgeoning market.

In 2022 1.82 billion was generated through audio book sales in the United States. This was almost a 4% increase from the previous year. Over five years, sales increased by 50%. In 2023 there were around sixty-five million sales in the United States alone. It is encouraging to see that people who may not have time to sit down and read a book, are still interested in the stories we write and happy to engage on a different platform!

So, if you have published a book and want to make an audio version, how do you get started?

First, you need to decide if you want to make it yourself or not. Let's explore the options…

Audiobook Production Company: This is a hands-off experience. All technical aspects and quality control remains in the hands of industry professionals.  Check out platforms like Fiver and Upwork to find an audiobook producer. Audio engineers, editors, and producers can be found at a reasonable price there. They will record, mix, and master your audiobook.

For a production company to do this for you, plan on spending $2,500 and $3,750 for a five-hour book. That breaks down to about $500 to $750 per finished hour of audiobook content. If you are asking yourself now if you can recoup those costs? The answer is “yes!” Most likely you can do so with an audiobook better than with any other format. Of course, you need to write something engaging and interesting or useful.

Free Recording Studios: Check your public Libraries!

I first learned that some libraries have recording studios in Vancouver BC. When I researched if the same was true in the States, I was pleasantly surprised! Many of the Libraries do have sound studios and offer use of their equipment, you just need to sign up!

Here are some examples of what they offer and what the studios look like:

The PRS or Parker Recording Studio in the Denver library: https://303magazine.com/2022/12/prs-free-recording-studio/

In Florida: At Hillsborough County: https://hcplc.org/services/hive/recordingstudio

Spokane Public Library: https://www.spokanelibrary.org/recording-studio

Audiobooks Made Easy Course: By Derek Doepker $497

https://margotconor--derekdoepker.thrivecart.com/audiobooksmadeeasy/

I was ready to send this article in when I happened to watch a presentation by Derek Doepker during the Get Published Summit. In his Audiobooks Made Easy course, he gives detailed advice which convinced me he knew how to save us all a lot of money. His course is designed for people who are total technophobes. (like me!)

For less than it would cost to hire a narrator, you can learn how to make all your own audiobooks. Derek will remove any worries or concerns you might have with this simple step-by-step guide so you proceed with confidence.

Self-Made: Let's start from the beginning…

Source Material: Write something amazing. Prepare your book into a single consolidated document. It may be helpful to print your manuscript. Be sure to review and refine it, removing elements that would not translate well when narrated. This is an auditory experience. Do not include descriptions of visual illustrations. Remove any call-to-action sentences like Click Here in your front or back matter.

Recording: computer, software, high-quality microphone, noise-canceling headphones, and a studio space with an insulated environment. (more details on these below).

Narration: Making the product and narrating the story are two different things. Choosing to save money by setting up a space and getting equipment is only part of the process. You may choose to read it in your voice, or you might want to get someone to read it for you.

The person who reads should be enthusiastic and express the proper mood for your story. They should be able to read out loud in an engaging voice, switch between tones, use different accents, and represent unique character voices. This may seem obvious, although it isn’t always easy, they need to pause in the right places to give breadth to the story or to add dramatic effect. Some authors hire several voices to represent different characters. But, if you can do all of that yourself, then you will save a lot of money.

(That is why I included Derek's link above, he teaches people how to put it all together and do it right.)

A pro will cost you around $200 an hour. Some narrators are willing to split royalties with you instead of payment. So that is another option. Make sure to have every agreement in writing. And make a legal contact with your narrator so you don’t run into problems later.

Recording and Editing Software: Audio recording software is a user interface that records sounds, manipulates what you record, and mixes the audio input. It will also generate audio files. It acts as a digital workstation. (More on this below).

Cost considerations: Equipment, hiring a narrator (if you choose to), and promotion.

Time: Recording an hour of your story will take up to three hours to record. Especially when you’re first getting comfortable with the process. Plan to record in stages, so you can start fresh and fully attentive during each session.

If you hire a professional, they will most often record it on their own, and send it to you.

Computer:

You will need a computer that has enough RAM. At least 16 GB. The operating system needs to support your recording software and the plugins for editing and mastering your audio recordings.

Make sure it runs silent, no fan noise!

Microphone:

The differences between the two primary microphone types:

Dynamic and Condenser:

Dynamic: Dynamic microphones work through electromagnetic induction. A diaphragm, usually made of plastic or metal, is attached to a coil that surrounds a magnet. When sound waves hit the diaphragm, the coil moves within the magnetic field, generating an electrical signal that corresponds to the sound. They are durable and need no external power source. They are less sensitive to background noise too.

Condenser: A condenser microphone, also known as a capacitor microphone. It uses a capacitor to convert sound into electrical signals. It has two plates: one fixed and one movable. When sound waves hit the movable plate, it vibrates, causing the distance between the two plates to change. This change in distance generates an electrical signal, which is then amplified and converted into an audio signal. It is highly sensitive and will pick up things you would never notice. For audiobooks it is not the best choice, it will create a lot more post-production clean-up for you. It also requires external power, a phantom power audio interface or mixer.

Headphones:

You will need to use headphones when you edit and master your audiobook, it will cost you at least $100 for a good set. Get studio-quality closed-back headphones.

Programs for Recording and Post Production Editing:

Audacity:

https://www.audacityteam.org/

 This is a free, open-source program. It is free and a popular audio editing and recording app. I have recorded a few YouTube videos with this. It is really easy to use.

ProTools:  https://www.avid.com/pro-tools  A one-year subscription is $199, or you can subscribe monthly for $34.99.

Reaper:

https://www.reaper.fm/

  $60 for a discounted license, suitable for most Authors’ needs.

StudioOne: https://www.presonus.com/en-US/studio-one.html   A basic version costs $99.95, the pro version is $399.95.

Twisted Wave:

https://twistedwave.com/

 They will give you a 30-day demo version to try, then a license costs $99.90.

AI Voice Generation:

Speachelo:

https://speechelo.com/

The normal price is $97, but they often run sales for as low as $37.

This is software you buy, a one-time cost that you can use for all your projects. It will transform any text into a human-sounding voiceover. These voices have gotten very sophisticated, but they still don’t always get the inflections right. They have multiple English-speaking voices both male and female and also many other languages.

Revoicer:

https://revoicer.com/

Regular price is a one-time payment of $135, sometimes reduced to $67

This is also a software you download. It advertises to be the first AI generation voiceover to add emotion and it gives you eleven different options for the mood that you want the voices to display. They also can clone your voice, so you can use it to narrate your books. That is pretty impressive. To be honest I was shocked at the quality of this option when I listened to the sample voices on their website. With a 15-second sample of your voice, they can produce a clone in one minute and it is considered your intellectual property.

It does have fewer options for English speakers and only 12 foreign language options.

Cover Art: Cover art for audiobooks needs to meet specific formatting requirements. These include being a JPG file no larger than 5 MB, with a pixel resolution of 2400 x 2400.

It is very important to have your book covers professionally done. If you are on a tight budget try using a company like 100 Covers. Or look on Fiver for a designer.

Copyright:

There is a misconception that is popular among authors that as soon as you write something you own undisputable rights to your intellectual property. That was once the case. But we live in a litigious country, and recent court cases made that claim invalid. If someone else registers your written work with the U.S. Copyright Office and claims it is theirs, you will have to go to court to prove that isn’t the case, and unfortunately, it is not easy to prove.

It doesn’t take that long and it isn’t that costly to protect yourself by filing for a legal copyright.

Distribution: There are options, choosing the company that works best for you is a matter of deciding which platform will serve your interests best. See some of the options listed below.

You can also choose to sell your audiobook on your website and bypass a distribution company. But to do so you should have a sizeable platform with a lot of fans or followers.

Monetization: If you choose a large audiobook distributor, they will automatically monetize your work. In most cases, they will take their cut for that service and pay you a percentage of the royalties.

How to promote, market, and monetize your own bookstore on your website is a topic all in itself. There are many ways to go about it. Here are some basic suggestions:

Offer memberships, sell adverts, or solicit sponsorships, sell merchandise, make a paid online course, use third-party platforms in addition to your website, and offer affiliate links. All of these options work best if you have a fan base established.

Promotion:

The same is true about self-promotion. It is a big topic with a lot of options and I could write an article on that alone. If you plan to self-publish your books, you need to spend at least 50% of your time marketing them. There are some great marketing summits available for authors. Take the time to educate yourself on the options, it will make a big difference in your success.

Distribution Companies:

Findaway:

https://www.findawayvoices.com/

Findaway Voices by Spotify is one of the world's largest audiobook distributors. Accessing a global listening world through retail and library partners, from major brands to emerging startups. There are no upfront costs. You just open an account, upload your audiobook, and distribute it, all for free – and keep 100% of your royalties on Spotify and 80% everywhere else.

Many authors choose this due to the favorable royalty split. However, there was recently a controversy over the company changing its terms of service agreement. Which would allow them to resell your content. After a huge volume of complaints, they backpedaled and stated those new terms would be rewritten:

This correspondence was then sent to authors: “To be clear, we will not:

Use your content to create a new book, ebook, or audiobook without your permission

Provide access to your audiobook without paying you royalties

Use your content to create a new AI voice without your permission.

Always read the changes in the Terms of Service!

Authors Republic:

https://www.authorsrepublic.com/

With 50+ distribution channels.

A global network for new and well-known authors.

They are not owned by a retailer, so you are not limited to select channels. This independence, and their established global distribution network gives you the ability to earn more than would be possible under an exclusive agreement. There are no administration fees or sneaky percentage cuts.

Authors and publishers find the perfect audiobook narrator and deliver your title to platforms around the world. When using The Author’s Republic Studio, the amount you and your narrator agree to is the amount you pay.

You earn 70% of royalties earned by your audiobook across over 50 channels, including major distributors—such as Amazon, Audible, Apple, Audiobooks.com, Spotify, and Google—plus library channels, streaming services, and niche startups. You set your price. Your sales are displayed from all sources on a single dashboard and one monthly royalty check to PayPal or direct deposit.

This is one point of caution in their contract:

This Agreement shall commence on Effective Date and shall continue in full force and effect for a period of seven (7) years from first Distribution of the Audiobook (the “Initial Distribution Term”), unless terminated earlier pursuant to Section 5 of this Agreement. After the Initial Distribution Term, the Agreement will automatically renew from successive one-year terms (each, an “Renewal Term”), unless the Rights Holder or Author’s Republic provides sixty (60) days written notice of termination to the other party during a Renewal Term.

5A says the Rights Holder can end the agreement with 60 days' notice. Then why have the 7 year commitment clause at all?

Corsix:

https://corsix.com/

This is a site to start your own channel.

They have a Drag and Drop editor, (no knowledge of writing code is necessary). You can publish all content types, audiobooks, videos, blogs and podcasts. You can customize your brand domain by adding your logo, changing the colors and fonts.

You can create courses too. For example, if you’re publishing a how-to book, it can have a call to action at the end for an optional course, to diversify your income. You set your monthly or annual prices for your channel with an option to run campaigns. It has a built-in optimization to maximize your search engine presence. You can start for free, the basic package is $24 a month

PublishDrive:

https://publishdrive.com/

Turn Ebooks into Audiobooks with Apple books

PublishDrive is one of Apple Books' preferred providers. If you publish your ebooks with them you can easily convert them into audiobooks using Apple Digital Narration.

Their books are published in 400+ stores and 200k libraries. They have the widest worldwide distribution network. One-Click distribution to all stores. Built-in analytics and sales reports. Royalty management. Marketing and promotional tools. Bulk import.

Kobo Writing Life: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/p/writinglife

Kobo Writing Life leaves the author in charge. You own your rights, set your prices, and run your own promotions. They don’t require exclusivity, so you’re free to publish elsewhere, too.

Audible:

https://www.audible.com/

The Amazon owned audiobooks platform

If you plan to upload to Audible, they have very high standards. Your post-production needs to be perfect.

Distributing audiobooks to North America, Europe, Asia & Pacific Countries.

Audible's extensive user base provides authors and publishers with a platform to connect with a global audience, enhancing discoverability and boosting book sales.

The subscription model and à la carte purchases on Audible offer revenue streams that can complement traditional book sales.

ACX:

https://www.acx.com/

ACX, is the acronym for Amazon’s Audiobooks Creation Exchange. This is the hub for the creation of audio books that will appear on Audible, the Amazon owned audiobooks platform. Audiobooks uploaded to ACX will be sold on Audible, Amazon and Apple iTunes.

In order to get an audio book in the Audible store you need to first set up an ACX account and set up a new project. Before any audio can be uploaded you will need to link an existing book on the Amazon store, this will be the print/Kindle version of the book you will be submitting the audio version of.

Whispersync:

It is wise to enable this feature if you choose Amazon as a platform of distribution.

Whispersync Voice is a feature that allows you to seamlessly switch between listening to the audiobook and reading the eBook on Kindle with no action required on your part. It will automatically sync to where you were last reading or listening as you move from print to audio and back again. Whispersync will let you read part and then turn on the audio and it will pick up right where you stopped reading. Then after listening to some, if you go back to the ebook it will jump ahead to where you stopped listening.

Amazon Whispersync for voice is an excellent choice for audiobook listeners. It lets you buy audiobooks a lot cheaper than on Audible, and makes it possible to read the same title in both ebook and audiobook formats.

Whether you buy the ebook or borrow it through Kindle Unlimited, you will own the audiobook. It is automatically added to your Audible app. You also don’t need an Audible subscription to listen to Whispersync Audible books.

Whatever way you choose to create your audiobook, I hope this has been helpful information, and I wish you success! ~Margo

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