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"What are the different options for publishing an audiobook in today's market?"
Audiobook sales have been booming in the US and UK since 2015, with sales growth rates of 20-30% annually.
ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) is a popular platform for publishing and distributing audiobooks, owned by Amazon and allowing authors to publish and distribute on Amazon, Audible, and iTunes.
Authors have two royalty options on ACX: exclusive distribution, where they receive 40% of the retail sales, or non-exclusive distribution, where they receive a lower royalty rate.
Findaway Voices is another option for publishing and distributing audiobooks, allowing authors to choose where to sell their audiobooks and at what price.
Lantern Audio (formerly ListenUp Audiobooks) offers non-exclusive distribution services and pays 75% of the royalties received from retailers and libraries.
Authors' Republic is a distributor of audiobooks that also provides production services for authors.
Soundwise is a software-as-a-service solution for audiobook distribution, aiming to allow creators to securely host and deliver their audiobooks.
When producing an audiobook, authors can either DIY the production or hire a narrator and editor to handle the process.
Hiring a production agency can be the most costly option, but allows authors to outsource the entire process.
The average cost of hiring a narrator is between $100 and $400 per finished hour, and for a standard 10-hour audiobook, the cost can range from $1,000 to $4,000.
ACX requires authors to prepare their audiobook to meet Audible's requirements, including formatting, editing, and quality standards.
Authors need to find the right narrator to bring their audiobook to life, and finding the right narrator can be a critical part of the process.
Audiobook publishing is not just about producing and distributing the audiobook, but also promoting and marketing the author's work to reach a wider audience.
In 2015, audiobook sales started to boom in the US and UK, with sales growth rates of 20-30% annually.
In 2015, novelist John Scalzi noted that the audiobook release of his new novel outperformed both the ebook and hardcover formats two to one.
Indie author Joanna Penn noted that audiobooks represented 5% of total book sales in 2015.
Authors can choose to publish their audiobooks through Audible, which offers a "break-even" point where authors can make a profit based on the number of listens.
Some popular audiobook publishing platforms include ACX, Findaway Voices, and Soundwise, each with its unique features and royalty structures.
Acquiring a professional audiobook narrator is crucial for producing a high-quality audiobook, and hiring a narrator can be a significant investment for authors.
With the rise of audiobooks, authors now have more options than ever before to produce and distribute their audiobooks, and to reach a wider audience through various platforms.
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