Monday, April 19, 2021

Tips for Audiobooks

Are you published, probably self-published?  Are you  considering whether to publish an audiobook?

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.



  1. 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.
    I 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.

    1. 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.