Okay, I have not published an audiobook. I’ve
considered it but I’m not convinced that I want to spend the money yet. I have
done some research and thought I’d share a few tips on what I've discovered on publishing your audiobook either by yourself or with a publisher.
1. Complete your manuscript, and put
it through your editor, beta readers, and proofreader. Just like you do before
you publish.
2. Print put the chapters to use for
the narrator when reading the book.
3. Do you want to narrate it? Do you produce
it yourself? If you choose to have some else narrate it you will need to hire a
narrator. My understanding the cost varies with the narrator. An experienced narrator
could be about $1500 for an eight-hour book. For a non-union narrator, it could
be $150-$200 an hour. I have also seen
posts where the narrator could receive part of the profits of the book.
Research your options.
4. If you want to produce it yourself
you will have to purchase or have the appropriate equipment. Recommended is a
a USB microphone costing from $150 US; a swivel mount studio microphone boom
arm costing from $100 US; a shock guard for above the microphone to prevent
picking up vibrations about $40 US; a pop filter to prevent popping sounds on
some words or letters like P or B; maybe $25 US and audiobook editing software. There are
several options and they are free.
You’ll also need a quiet room, a
computer, headphones and maybe background music for the beginning and end.
You should also hire an audio engineer. That could be around $300.
5. The alternative would be to hire an
audiobook producer. One example could be ACX. Check the cost relative to doing
yourself.
6. Proof your audiobook
7. If you produce your own book send
files to the professional audio editor about
$200
8. Upload your audiobook,
possibly to ACX.
Or you could audition for a narrator at ACX to narrate your book for you. There are two ways to "pay" - one is an upfront cost and the other is shared royalties. There is a 3rd option but it is sort of a mixture of the two.
ReplyDeleteI set up a page. I put up an audition script. Got 7 responses. Selected one. Confirmed he was fine with shared royalties. He is. He's been doing narrations for 5 years. He expects to finish the project he is working on by the end of the month and then he'll start mine. We both understand the "risk". I may have no audio book sales - so he makes nothing. Or I may have hundreds and we split the profits.
Thanks Daryl. I appreciate your input. I haven't gone to the next step so sharing your information from that next step is really helpful for me and others. Good luck and hoping you get hundreds to split.
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