Crafting an Amazon ACX Audiobook

Audiobooks are one of the popular forms of reading today. You can listen to your favorite book anywhere and from any device. So as a self-published or indie author, why not enter one more option for readers to get your book? As I anxiously await the audiobook for my debut novel, Not Like Everyone Else, I’m going to tell you about my experience crafting an ACX audiobook.

What is ACX?

ACX is an Amazon platform that brings together authors or right holders and producers to create audiobooks.

How does it work?

Being that I’m an author, I will discuss it from the author standpoint. After your book is complete, you will want to create a profile on the ACX website. Then follow the steps below to create your audiobook.

Do I need to produce my own audiobook?

Nope! You don’t need any special equipment or producing experience to have an audiobook made. You will hire someone to produce the audiobook for you.

Do I lose the rights to my work?

No, but at the time I’m writing this post (April 2020) you aren’t allowed to create any other audio content for the work you wish to submit to ACX for 7 years. Here is the ACX Book Posting Agreement.

Steps to Producing an Audiobook:

Step 1: Determine how you want to market your book and timeline

After you’ve set up your ACX account, you’ll want to determine the book you want to be made into an audiobook. Then you will fill out a form that will let potential producers know what you’re looking for. This includes:

Voice age
Voice Style
Gender
Language
Accent
Genre

You’ll also want to think about your timeline during this step. Do you want your audiobook to be completed in 3 weeks? A month? 2 months? Try and be realistic with your timeframe as these projects can take a long time depending on the length of your manuscript.

Step 2: Set a Budget

There are several payment options for ACX producers. You can do a royalty share or you can pay the producer and you’ll receive all of the royalties. This is based on your own personal preference and your current budget.

Be aware that depending on the option you chose will determine the producers that you’ll be able to work with. Producers have their own options as well.

Step 3: Find a Producer/Narrator

Once you submit the form from the previous step, you’ll find that people (narrators) can audition for your project. Now you can wait for auditions to come in, or you can go through the collection of samples ACX has to offer.

If you decide to go through the collection, reach out to the producer you think is a perfect fit to narrate your story with a message to see if they are available for your project. If you send them an offer first, they may not see it before the end of your timeline.

Step 4: Send notes to Producer

Once you and a producer have come to an agreement, you’ll want to send them notes about your book. Be as specific as you can so that the producer knows how you envision your audiobook. Include information about your character’s personality and important details that will affect the tone of the book.

Step 5: Listen to 15 minute sample and notate

When you create your contract with your narrator, you will set a timeframe for the completion of the audiobook and the first 15 minutes of the audiobook. This 15 minute sample allows you and the narrator to make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to the production of the audiobook. Make any notes to your narrator on aspects that aren’t working for you in the sample.

Step 6: Create audiobook cover

You’re most likely going to have a lot of time between the 15 minute sample and the final audiobook product. Take this time to hire or create your own audiobook cover. ACX has some pretty strict guidelines. Including a 2000 x 2000 image with RGB coloring and appropriate text.

If you already have a cover for a physical or ebook copy, make sure your audiobook cover is similar so readers will know it’s your book. I used Photoshop to craft my own audiobook covers based on the design my cover designer used.

Step 7: Listen to completed audiobook and notate

Now this step is going to take some time. Depending on the length of your manuscript and how fast or slow your narrator speaks, you could have over a ten hour audiobook. Though this is not unusual, make sure you take your time and listen to the audiobook in its entirety. This will be the last time you can have your narrator make changes before submitting it for review.

Step 8: Make any final adjustments

If you have any problems with the audiobook, let the narrator know and they can fix it before you accept the audiobook as the final product.

Step 9: Click submit and wait

You loved your audiobook?! Well that’s great news! Finalize all details and click submit for review. Now you wait for ACX to review the audiobook for quality which can last up to 30 days.

Though at the time of this post, I have been waiting over 50 days for Not Like Everyone Else to be approved. But special circumstances may be the reason for the hold up. My other audiobook for The Stranger I Knew only took around 15 days to be approved.

Step 10: Promote!

You’ll get an email once your audiobook has been approved. Take this time to promote your new release!

Now, I’ve been through this process twice and both experiences have been different. I enjoyed working with both of my narrators but their processes are different. Remember that if you’re working with many different narrators.

You can find my audiobook for The Stranger I Knew and Not Like Everyone Else (coming soon) on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.

What I think is great about the ACX audiobook process, is that it’s easy to use and navigate. You have many options available to you. If you’re a self-published author and want to create an audiobook of your work, I suggest trying out ACX.