An Author’s Guide To Audiobooks: Why & How
Introduction
From time to time I’m asked about audiobooks: Should you have one? What does it involve? How much will it cost? So I’ll (hopefully) answer your questions about it in this article. The figures used here are largely US-focussed as that is what is more available, but proportionately, the figures available for the UK show similar trends apply here, too.
About audiobooks
As of the last publishing industry report released earlier this year and covering April 2017 to April 2018, audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment in the digital publishing industry. The format has overtaken ebooks as the latest trend — ebook sales declined by approximately 6% since audio went on the rise. Paperback sales rose as they continue to do year on year, with a steep increase in paperback publishing and sales demand since self-publishing and print on demand became widely available.
The United States continues to be the biggest market for the audio format and in 2017; there were over $2.5 billion dollars in sales, which is a slight increase from the $2.1 billion generated in 2016. The Audiobook Publishers Association states that, “26% of the US population has listened to an audiobook in the last 12 months”, and that there was roughly a 30% increase in the number of audiobooks published in 2018 than 2017.
So there’s clearly a huge demand for audiobooks, with the most consumers being under 35 (approximately 20% — the publishing industry seems to be trying to hook them on audio while they’re young and still establishing preferences with the idea that once they believe audio is best, they’ll stick with it), and the next audio-loving group being over 65s making up around 19% of listeners).
It’s interesting that paperback sales are still increasing and are not showing any signs of slowing down. I remember when ebooks had their day; everyone was saying it’d be the death of the local book shop and no-one would buy real books anymore and it’d be such a travesty…but the figures show that didn’t happen. Ebooks had their moment, and are now stepping aside as audio makes a debut. Which suggests that as far as trends go, audio may also start to wind down over the next 18–24 months. But that’s not to say it isn’t worth capturing those listeners in the meantime. Paperbacks, it seems, are loved by all and remain the true staple of our literary diet.
Benefits of audio to the author
Given the stats and the permanency and impact of paperback books, it would make sense to view ebooks and audio as an as-well-as rather than instead-of. They are formats that support the core paperback product.
So why then, as an author, would you consider creating an audio version of your paperback book? The answer lies with your audience and the type of profile you’re looking to build for yourself; who is your book for and what was it designed to achieve? If you’re targeting an older audience who potentially have difficulty with vision or grip, then audio may well be sensible (those with difficulty hearing can stick with traditional!).
If you’re targeting busy professionals, perhaps those who travel frequently, they might appreciate the ease and convenience of audio. If you are targeting a lot of people — for example, if your goal is for your book to reach a national or international audience of tens- or hundreds or thousands, or more — then providing your work in multiple formats to reach the most amount of readers makes sense. If you’re trying to reach people you know regularly consume other audio formats, like podcasts and radio, then you know those people are primed to appreciate audio and may be looking for more content that fits those preferences.
Whether or not audio is worth it really is an individual choice and depends on a few different variables such as the ones outlined above. Part of the consideration as well is, of course, return on investment. You know with your paperback book that you’ll see a financial return on the investment of creating it after x number of new referrals, new clients, repeat business, x number of new speaking opportunities, that new product, service or business launched, or indeed any other measurable result, like reviews, new leads etc. Maybe the return for you will come from knowing you’ve made an impact. If so, how will you measure that? How will you know when an impact has been made? Make sure that whatever the outcome you’re looking for, you know the metrics.
What does it involve: DIY
When it comes to how you do it and what it’ll cost, you have options. You can actually do it yourself free of any charge. Many people prefer to listen to a book in the author’s voice. At the same time, it’ll pay to be honest with yourself. Do you have the kind of voice that people want to listen to for 5+ hours? If not, they’ll switch off, so you’ll want to find someone else to do it!
Doing it yourself is fairly simple, if not time-consuming. You record yourself on one of the many recording apps on your phone or if you have access to a recording studio, even better, edit it using something like Adobe Audition or Google “best free audio editing software” and lots come up. There’s Final Cut Pro if you’re feeling flush and know what you’re doing (or has a mate that does!). And then simply upload the completed audio file to Audible, or any other audiobook platform.
By the way, Audible dominate the audiobook space with over 40% market share (according to a 2018 Wall Street Journal article), then Apple iTunes, audiobooks.com, audiobookstore.com and physical shops. This will have no doubt have changed since January 2018, especially as Google Play is now entering the market (you can upload your ebook, audio is on its way). But it’s easy to believe that Audible still dominates, publishing 10,000 titles a year.
Audible use 9,400 words per hour as an estimate for professional narrators. So applying this to your book of 50,000 words, it’ll be approximately 5.5 hours as a finished audiobook. Professional audiobook sites recommend allocating about twice the length of the total recording time when planning for it, to account for the editing, retakes and voice breaks. So again, using a 50,000-word book as an example, you’ll want to set aside approximately 11–12 hours. More, if, like me, you have very little technical competence!
What does it involve: Professional
Getting your audiobook done professionally is a different ballgame. Professionals will make it seamless. You can often select the voice based on your preferences and audience’s preferences, it’ll be recorded in a professional suite, and the same company will edit and perfect it for you, delivering a polished file ready for you to upload and share. A 50,000-word book, in this case, might take closer to 30–40 hours of production.
There are a small number of very credible UK-based companies out there who specialise in professional audio and production. I’m speaking with a couple at the moment. Audible owns ACX, which is a marketplace where authors, literary agents, publishers, and other Rights Holders can connect with narrators, engineers, recording studios, and other Producers capable of producing a finished audiobook, enabling more audiobooks can be made.
In my experience, Amazon platforms and their associated services are relatively expensive. I have no experience working with their associated services like voice over, but their online self-publishing platforms are great, due to ease of use and the quality of the end product. Amazon’s self-publishing platforms (KDP, Audible and Kindle) produce high-quality end products and make the publishing process as smooth as possible.
So what does professional audiobook production cost?
Well, some companies I’ve found who provide the editing and polishing as well as the voice-over are allocating 3–4 times the amount of time it’d take to read the book to include all the production work. So a 5.5-hour read would be charged for approx. 22 hours of work. The rates vary but typically go upwards from £200 per hour.
Others charge per 1,000 words for the voice-over itself, anywhere from £35 to £120, and the production is done separately. You can choose the gender, type of voice and accent. Either way, you’re looking at £3,000 — £6,000 as a gauge.
You can, as a sort of in-between option, check out Fiverr, People Per Hour, Upwork and other similar online job boards. Individuals will bid for your job. These platforms can be amazing, but they are hit and miss. You’re trusting someone can (and will) do what they say they can and will do. When I’m growing the writing and design team, I check out these sites as one place to find great people.
Every now and again you can find a real gem but it takes an awful lot of time and you have to wade through a lot of BS, unfortunately. It’s actually my least favourite way of finding people. And I’m sure it works both ways — I imagine freelancers on there get tired of scope-creep and low pay. I’d like to see these platforms introduce more measures for screening users before I could honestly recommend using them. At least with audio, you could ask for a video call to make sure you know what you’re getting.
The wildcard
Podcasts are increasingly popular. In fact, right now they’re huge. In June 2019, there were 750,000 shows and over 30 million episodes out there! To capitalise on the popularity of the audio market without the expense of time and money of audiobook production, why not turn your book into a podcast, covering a key concept, principle or chapter topic each time.
Summary
An audiobook can be a fantastic option to reach a wider audience or a specific audio-loving group of people. In those cases, having an audiobook as an addition to your paperback book is a warm and inclusive way of reaching a wider audience. And it’s never been easier to do than it is now. But be discerning with trends. Is this format suited to your target audience? Not just now, but in two years or so when it’s not ‘the thing to do’ anymore. If not, don’t worry about it — focus on something else that complements your book. A podcast or an ebook/chapter download for example.
I’m sure you all agree that bringing out multiple books is critical for anyone with long-term expert positioning plans, and certainly for anyone focussed on international or global impact, releasing your last book in audio can reignite the promotion, prepping your audience for the next book to come. At the end of the day, keeping people interested, engaged, and wanting more with books is about fresh marketing activities, and consistent, ongoing output.
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This will mean different things for different authors — if you have questions around how you can reinvigorate your author marketing campaign and maximise the options out there, get in touch. I’d love to stay in touch, too!
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