The first few months of 2022 have been all about audiobooks for me. When I first published Wait for Me just over a year ago, I had a few enquiries as to whether it was available on audio. I’ll be honest, back then I was just delighted just to have finally published the book and hadn’t even thought abut this. More importantly, I didn’t have a clue where to start.
After I published Trident Edge in October I took a break from novel writing and did a little research on how to go about creating an audiobook. I was daunted and almost gave up a few times. It seemed so complicated and, lets face it, expensive.
However, I kept going and spoke to a few other authors about the different options for an independent author like me. This was how I learned about ACX, Amazon’s audio platform. I’m delighted to say that I discovered it was not only affordable but also accessible to a terrified technophobe on a budget.
It’s as simple as creating an account, selecting one of a few different options depending on your budget, choosing a narrator and uploading your book. I went for the Royalty Share option which allowed me to create an audiobook without spending any money at all. The narrator and I receive 20% of the royalties each and Amazon get the rest. I’ve outlined the process in more detail below.
The upshot of it all is that Wait for Me and Trident Edge are now both available in audiobook formats.
If you are not a member of Audible you can join and purchase the book via this link in the US
and this one in the UK
ACX Audiobook Process.
Go to ACX.com and create an account and a profile.
Add your book (this pops up automatically if your book is on Amazon).
You will have to upload a square version of your cover.
Submit a script for auditions and submit then sit back and wait.
When the auditions come in select the one you like and make them an offer.
You can communicate with the narrator about any character voices or pronunciations etc.
There is a 15 minute checkpoint for you to make sure you are happy with how it’s going.
Once the narrator has submitted the full recording you get a chance to request any changes before you accept and the book goes live.
jswritingservices.com 