3 Tips to Consider Before Formatting Your Audiobook

We’re back to the topic of formatting in today’s blog post. It’s such a fun time in the writing and publishing journey because that means you’re one step closer to getting your book out there. But you’re not done yet. There is still some planning to do when it comes to your book. Today I’m going to help you with audiobook formatting.

Last month we discussed the 5 Tips to Consider Before Formatting Your eBook or Physical Book. You’ll at least need to format some type of e-file before setting forth on the audiobook creation journey. So go ahead and go back to that post as a refresher.

Ready to continue? Alright, so we are following page 12 of the Book Marketing Plan available in the Bound to Writing Shop and on Amazon. If you’ve followed along this journey or if you’re just starting out, THANK YOU! I appreciate you coming every month to learn about a new book marketing aspect.

Now let’s dive deep into the questions you need to be asking yourself about your future audiobook.

What is an Audiobook?

An audiobook is a book that your readers listen to through some type of app. In recent years audiobooks have grown in popularity which is probably why you’re here considering formatting an audiobook.

Who Will Produce My Audiobook?

Just as we discussed in the eBook and Paperback post, you can create an audiobook on your own. If you have the right tools, skills, and equipment you can create an audiobook all by yourself. However, many people decide to hire an audiobook narrator for their book.

As much as I can format my own books, audiobooks are not my specialty. That is why I ended up hiring the narrators that narrated the audiobooks for Not Like Everyone Else, The Stranger I Knew, and Speaking the Truth of Family.

Things to Consider:

If you’re looking to hire a narrator for your audiobook there are a few things to consider before selecting someone.

Voice Age
Voice Style
Gender
Accent
Language
Genre

You want your readers to believe that your main character is telling the story.

Let me use The Stranger I Knew as an example:

Voice Age – 14-16
Voice Style – Girlish / Entitled
Gender – Female
Accent – American
Language – English
Genre – Mystery

These were the parameters I set for my audiobook narrator that I felt fit my main character the best.

By looking at each of these factors, you’ll be able to look for a narrator that fits the bill. It isn’t an easy journey. It took me several narrators to get the perfect one for The Stranger I Knew, but in the end I believe the audiobook came out exactly as I imagined.

Where Can I Get My Audiobook Produced?

Just like publishers, there are a lot of audiobook producers out there. I personally have only worked with ACX which is operated by Audible and sells on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

A simple search online of independent audiobook publishers can yield many results. Find a few that you feel meet your needs and do more research about their company and process. Continue this process until you find the one that checks all of your needs in creating an audiobook.

What Should My Budget Be?

The cost to produce an audiobook can be costly. Many can cost you between $1000-$2000 USD. There are other ways to produce an audiobook, but choosing a cheaper option limits the narrators available.

Now, I did a royalty share option for my audiobooks. This means that my narrators only get paid when the audiobook sells and they get a portion of those sales. This method is what worked best for me and my budget.

Ultimately, it’s up to you to find the best method for your budget.

I hope that with this information you’re more confident in creating an audiobook. It definitely takes a lot of thought, but the work before settling with a publisher is worth it in the end.

Feel like you’re ready to get ahead with your marketing plan? Go ahead and pick up the Book Marketing Plan from the Bound to Writing Shop or on Amazon. You’ll find an easy to follow layout available with all of the information covered in this series of posts including this one. Check it out!

Next month we’re going to be discussing Book Research. Don’t know what that means? Come back next month when I explain it in detail.