What is an audiobook and how do you make one?

If you’re an author of a book, whether print or digital, there’s no doubt you want to expand your audience and sell as many copies of your book as possible. After all, you’ve put so much hard work into creating and publishing your book, so why shouldn’t you reap the impressive rewards that can come with it?

Here’s a word of advice: if you haven’t converted your book into an audiobook, you’re missing out on an entirely new and large audience who could be enjoying your work. You see, in today’s fast-moving digital lifestyle, some people want to listen to their books on-the-go, which is exactly what audiobooks were created for.

We know what you’re thinking though: isn’t creating an audiobook difficult and expensive? Thankfully, with the right plan in place, as well as help from freelance professionals, you can turn your existing book into a successful audiobook, all while sticking to a small budget. Keep reading, as our helpful guide will teach you everything you need to know about this process! 

Here are the most important steps to creating an audiobook:

Step 1. Understand what an audiobook is and how it works

An audiobook allows a person to listen to a recording of the text of the book, rather than read the text of the book.

While these have dramatically risen in popularity over the last few years alone, they’re not exactly new. Audiobooks, or “talking books," as they were often referred to in the past, emerged during the 1930s. Unlike the digital versions we enjoy today, however, they often came in the physical form of a cassette tape or vinyl record and were mostly used for educational purposes at schools or libraries.

These days, audiobooks are simply downloaded as digital audio files in formats such as MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), or AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). These can then be listened to from any electronic device that supports streaming audio, such as a phone, computer, or tablet.

Some of the most common websites and apps people use to find and purchase audiobooks include:

• Apple Books

• Audible.com

• Nook Audiobooks

• Google Play Books

• Kobo

Step 2. Know the benefits of turning your book into an audiobook

There are many benefits of turning your book into an audiobook, including both for you and for readers. Below, we’ve rounded up the top 5 advantages for each.

Audiobook benefits for the author

• Higher profit margin: Because the cost to produce an audiobook is relatively low, especially when compared to producing print books, you have the potential to earn a much higher profit margin from them.

• Reach a new and wider audience: There are those who love to pick up a book in their hands and feel its crisp pages, and those who prefer to engage with a story through listening, rather than reading. Keep in mind that not all book lovers love the process of reading. Audiences who lack time, are visually impaired or have dyslexia are a new audience just waiting to be tapped into.

• No need for stock storage: Forget seeking storage for hundreds, if not thousands, of copies of your book. Because audiobooks are digital files, there’s no need to store them in a warehouse or your own garage. In fact, your audiobook could simply be a single digital file sold over and over again.

• Stand out online: Despite being a popular format, audiobooks still make up a much smaller percentage of the entire book market than print books. This means that as an author, your book will be more easily discoverable via audiobook platforms than those stocking millions of print titles.

• Budget-friendly: We touched on this earlier, but producing an audiobook really can be a low-cost project that won’t break the budget. In fact, there are plenty of freelance professionals who can format, produce, or narrate your audiobook for you, ruling out the need for expensive production agencies.

Audiobook benefits for readers

• Improves time management: Being able to multi-task allows us to achieve more in our day, so readers can benefit from listening to an audiobook while driving to work, enjoying a lunch break, or doing their household chores. Additionally, following along with an audiobook can make mediocre tasks, such as vacuuming, ironing, and washing the dishes, more enjoyable.

• Builds literary skills: Younger readers who regularly listen to audiobooks have shown an increase in reading accuracy by up to 52%, improved comprehension by up to 76%, and an increase in reading speed, pronunciation, and expanded vocabulary.

• Makes learning easier: Listening is the first language skill humans acquire, so it comes as no surprise that 85% of what we learn, we learn by listening. Additionally, when print and audio are combined, it increases our ability to recall information by 40%.

• Inclusive of those with disabilities: As we mentioned earlier, not everyone is able to engage with a book by reading it. Providing the option to listen to a story opens your book up to those with disabilities, such as learning disabilities, vision impairment, and dyslexia, who find the task of reading extremely difficult or impossible.

• Can ease anxiety and depression: Engaging with a story through an audiobook is a potential way to disrupt the negative thinking patterns associated with anxiety or depression. According to Psychology Today, for “those of us prone to anxiety and depression . . . listening to someone else read aloud can help by replacing negative thoughts with something else.”

Step 3. Understand why audiobook sales are booming

Studies reveal that audiobook sales are growing by 25% year-over-year, with the number of global audiobook listeners currently exceeding half a billion. So, why are audiobook sales booming and what made them suddenly so popular?

According to research, the audiobook’s success can be linked primarily to digital media. A staggering 91.4% of 2018's $940 million in US audiobook revenue came entirely from digital formats (i.e. MP3s), as opposed to physical formats such as CDs.

As time goes on, our reliance on technologies that can play digital audio is increasing greatly. Whether it’s our smartphones, in-dash car entertainment systems or smart speakers such as Google Home or Amazon Echo, these devices are changing the way we perform basic tasks, such as reading.

Finally, we can attribute some of the audiobook’s rising popularity to podcasts. You see, it’s estimated that in 2020 alone, the global podcasting market will increase by a whopping 30% to surpass the US$1 billion mark.

For some, their exposure to, and love of podcasts may have spurred them on to embrace stories in their audiobook format, as it feels like a natural progression.

Step 4. Learn the main elements of a good audiobook

Although audiobooks are increasing in popularity, that doesn't mean any recording of a written text will be successful. Here's what makes an audiobook a good one.

A good audiobook has 5 main elements:

• Authentic gender voicing: This refers to the narrator being able to narrate both male and female voices in the story authentically, regardless of their own gender.

• Voice variation: Sometimes, a narrator might not change their voice significantly when narrating a character’s speech. This is acceptable, providing the narrator still has enough variation in their voice to allow the listener to distinguish between characters during dialogue.

• Authentic accents: If a story has characters with various accents in it, then it’s vital that the narrator accurately and authentically portrays these. After all, nothing can ruin a listener’s experience more than a poorly done accent, especially if the accent gives in to stereotypes.

• Seamless editing: Good audiobooks sound like the narrator recorded the entire story in one go, without any breaks, and without variation in pitch or volume. You don’t want there to be any irregularly long gaps between words, sentences, or chapters. Additionally, even the slightest amount of background noise can interrupt a listener’s experience.

• Narrator enjoyment: If a narrator doesn’t seem hooked on every detail of the story, then you cannot expect the reader to be either. Narrator enjoyment is evident in the way they commit fully to telling the story in the most passionate and heartfelt way. Their voice should echo the current mood of each scene, whether it’s romance, sorrow, or excitement, rather than having a monotonous, bored tone.

Step 5. Understand the different audiobook formats and what they mean

The most common audiobook formats belong in two main categories: lossless compressed audio formats and lossy compressed audio formats.

Lossless compressed audio formats are a method that reduces file size without any loss in quality between the original source file and the resulting file. The downside to this is that despite maintaining the original quality, the resulting file size can still remain quite large.

Lossy compressed audio formats, on the other hand, can greatly reduce the original file size, however, in doing this, you must sacrifice some of the original quality. Thankfully, in most cases, you won’t be able to tell the difference.

This makes lossy compressed audio formats a great way of sharing files that would otherwise take way too long to transfer, meaning that this method is the most popular out of the two.

Now, let’s take a look at the different audiobook formats belonging to each category, as well as what they mean.

Lossy compressed audio formats

• MP3: Has the ability to compress the size of an audio file while still maintaining near-perfect sound quality. This file type is popular as it remains compatible with nearly every device capable of reading audio files.

• AA and AAX: This is the format used for Audible audiobooks.

• M4A and M4B: Closely related to the MP3. Similarly, these files have the ability to greatly compress the size of an audio file, yet their quality is exceptional over other more common file types.

• AAC: Stands for Advanced Audio Coding. It is capable of very high-quality sound and is enhanced using advanced coding. These types of files can be opened through iTunes or similar third-party software.

• WMA: Stands for Windows Media Audio file. This is the Windows-based alternative to the more common and popular MP3 file type, however, it is inaccessible to those who don’t use a Windows operating system.

Lossless compressed audio formats

• FLAC: Stands for Free Lossless Audio Codec. Despite its file compression abilities, FLAC audio formats are not often used, as they require special downloads to function.

• ALAC: Stands for Apple Lossless Audio Codec. This file type was developed by Apple for lossless data compression of digital music.

When choosing which format to create your audiobook in, this will largely be determined by what file type your preferred audiobook platform requires, as well as the recording equipment and software you have at your disposal. 

When publishing across different audiobook platforms, you may even need to produce your audiobook in multiple file types.

Step 6. Prepare your audiobook transcript

Now that you’ve learned about the various audiobook formats, as well as the benefits and elements of a good audiobook, it’s time to take those first steps toward turning your own book into one.

We’ll discuss the production and narration process next, but first, there are four important steps you can take to turn your book manuscript into an audiobook transcript.

#1. Decide if you’re producing an abridged or unabridged audiobook

Firstly, here are two key terms you will need to know when creating an audiobook version of your book: abridged and unabridged.

An abridged audiobook simply has been shortened from its original book, but none of the major storylines, themes, or plot points should be sacrificed in this version.

Abridged audiobooks were more popular during the 1990s and 2000s, as producers believed that shorter audiobooks were more engaging, and therefore, more popular.

An unabridged audiobook, therefore, is one that represents the full work of the original, printed book. Listeners can enjoy the same experience as readers, as the sentences, paragraphs, and chapters are largely or entirely the same in the printed and audio versions. 

As audiobooks have grown in popularity over the recent years, so too have unabridged versions, as listeners are no longer opting for a shortened version of the text when they choose to listen to an audiobook.

#2. Read your book aloud

Reading something in your mind and out loud can have quite different effects. For example, some sentences may be too “wordy” and might not flow off the tongue easily.

If you’ll be creating an abridged audiobook, start by reading through your book’s manuscript out loud and note down any parts which simply don’t seem right when spoken. Then, edit each of these so you have a ‘script’ version of your book that’s perfectly suited for narration.

#3. Remove any visuals

It isn’t unusual for books, particularly eBooks, to have visuals throughout, such as photos, illustrations, maps, graphs, or charts. As these won’t be narrated, they will need to be removed from the text version of your audiobook.

#4. Look out for text unrelated to the story

Additionally, your original book may have included text such as captions, hyperlinks, a resources section, etc. which won’t translate well to an audiobook listening experience. Because of this, these must also be removed when preparing your audiobook script.

Step 7. Understand why the choice of narrator is important

There are many elements that go into the creation of your audiobook, but none are quite as important as your choice of narrator. Your narrator plays the key role in bringing your story to life, and therefore, has the ability to make or break your audiobook’s success.

Firstly, let’s look at how you can find and hire the perfect audiobook narrator for your story. During your narrator search, you should send each one a snippet of your audiobook script so that they can return a sample recording of it back to you. This is vital in many ways, as it not only allows you to hear how they would narrate your own work, but also helps you to see if they have any issues with pronunciation, reading speed, character voices, and more.

We recommend also keeping these traits in mind when selecting your narrator to determine if they are a good match for the job or not:

• The perfect balance in articulation. For example, not under-or over-articulating

• The ability to produce different, but authentic-sounding accents, when required

• Having intuitive pacing when reading. For example, knowing when to speed up, slow down, or pause for the right effect

• The ability to make each character’s voice sound distinctive

• Having consistent narration throughout the entire audiobook, despite recording over several days

To help you determine the perfect narrator for your audiobook during the hiring process, here are 5 questions you can ask potential candidates:

1. How many books have you narrated and do they have any common themes?

2. How do you familiarize yourself with the story before the recording stage?

3. Do you have a quality studio with professional equipment?

4. What is your availability and what does your narration timeline usually look like?

5. Do you expect to share the royalties, or do you prefer to work with a fixed fee for the project?

Understand if you should narrate your own book or not

If you’re thinking of narrating your own audiobook, then there are some things that you should consider first. In this section, we’re going to help you decide if you’re the right person for the job, or if hiring a professional audiobook producer may be a better option for you.

Firstly, when is it a good idea to narrate your own audiobook?

• The story is non-fictional and therefore doesn't require the level of acting that a fictional story would

• Your audiobook will tell a story about you or your own life

• In your manuscript, your story is written in first-person and contains little to no other character voices

When considering narrating your own audiobook, it's also important to determine if you possess the key narrator traits mentioned above, such as balance in articulation, intuitive pacing, and authentic-sounding accents. Furthermore:

• Have you had previous experience as a professional speaker or have you read out loud to audiences in the past?

• How does your voice hold up when speaking for long periods?

• Do you have the confidence to narrate in front of others or have a large audience listen to your voice?

Like all decisions, being your own narrator comes with pros and cons. These include:

The Pros

1. You retain creative control over every aspect of the production

2. You don't have to negotiate payment or royalties with a narrator

3. You may get to learn additional skills in narrating, recording, or editing

The Cons

1. You will need to purchase or rent additional recording or editing software and equipment that you don't already own, which can be costly

2. Recording an audiobook is a very time-consuming process

3. You will need to set up or hire appropriate studio space for sound-proof recording, as most homes aren't suitable for a professional recording environment

4. Having to listen to your recorded voice over and over again, if that's something you don't enjoy

Step 8. Record and produce your audiobook

Once the necessary preparations have been made to turn your book into an audiobook and you've decided on a narrator, it’s time to turn your mind to the production phase.

If you choose to go down the DIY audiobook recording route and be the narrator and producer of your own audiobook, you’ll be in charge of the following roles and responsibilities:

• Renting out studio space in advance, ensuring you have enough sessions booked to allow ample time to record the length of your audiobook.

• If recording from home, you will need to purchase, set up, and know how to use the required equipment, such as a microphone, pop filter, microphone stand, and headphones.

• Choosing an effective space in your home, or a friend’s / family member’s home, to record your audiobook. This space should be small, padded (i.e. with cushions or blankets), and completely without background noise.

• Obtaining and learning how to use audio editing software, such as Audacity or Adobe Audition. In these programs, you will edit your audio files to create the final, polished version which will serve as your audiobook.

For some, narrating and producing their audiobook by themselves may seem like the most affordable option, but once you factor in the costs of purchasing recording and editing equipment and software, as well as studio space rental, this may not be the case.

It's likely more effective to find and hire a professional audiobook narrator and/or producer who can handle many, if not all, of these aspects for you. Not only will this help you to save money in the long run, but it will also allow you to obtain the highest quality audio possible for your project.

You can hire a professional freelancer to produce your audiobook, with services costing no more than a few hundred dollars for lengthier pieces. They’ll not only format the audiobook files to industry requirements, but will also edit the recording to remove background noise to ensure it’s the highest quality, and more. 

Step 9. Decide where to publish your audiobook

Once your audiobook is nearing completion, you’ll want to decide which platforms to publish your audiobook on, so that it can be shared with the world.

Thankfully, there’s a wide range of audiobook websites, including both paid and free options. Let’s take a look at the most popular platforms belonging to each.

Paid or royalty-based

• Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX): Uploading your audiobook here also distributes it on Amazon, Audible, and the Apple audiobook store. It doesn’t cost you anything to upload your audiobook, and you will receive between 25%-40% of its retail sales.

• Kobo: Kobo also allows you to upload your audiobook file for free using a simple process, yet it takes a percentage of the sale price, depending on price structure. Authors keep 35% royalties for audiobooks priced $2.99 or lower and keep 45% royalties for audiobooks priced over $2.99.

• Google Play Books: Selling your audiobook on Google Play Books is simple. You just create an account, upload your content, set a price, then begin promoting it. This platform also receives a percentage of every sale, but you’ll earn up to 70% revenue split on books purchased in the US, Canada, and Australia.

• Author’s Republic: You can submit your finished audiobook to Author’s Republic, and if approved, you'll receive 70% of your retail sales across over 30 channels, including all major distributors such as Audible, Audiobooks.com, and iTunes.

• Findaway Voices: When uploading your audiobook to Findaway Voices, it can be sold through more than 40 audiobook retailers and library platforms, including Audible, Amazon, Kobo, and more. The site offers multiple business models and cost structures to suit a wide range of budgets.

Free audiobook promotion sites

• The Audiobookworm: Audiobook lover and blogger Jess offers reviews and promotions for audiobooks, especially in the genres of fantasy, science-fiction, and cozy mysteries. Her reviews are widely read by audiobook lovers from around the globe.

• AudioFile Magazine: As the premier audiobook magazine in the world, a review of your audiobook in AudioFile Magazine could do wonders for your sales. They simply ask that you email the editor a link to your title on Audible.com or a download link, and that you include the large, high-res audiobook cover art.

• Books2Read: This free service allows authors to create a single link for their audiobook, which fans can then use to locate the audiobook on their preferred platform, whether it be Amazon, Audible, Google Play Books, and more.

• Chirp: Chirp is the audiobook spin-off of BookBub, and it offers consumers a recommended selection of limited-time audiobook deals every day that they can purchase directly from the site. These deals are supplied by the audiobook authors, which they can either do from their BookBub account or through Findaway Voices, which we discussed in the section above.

Step 10. Market your audiobook effectively

Once your audiobook is available across multiple platforms, you’ll want to market it effectively to help increase its audience and sales.

Here are the 10 main steps to help you form a successful marketing strategy.

1. Spread the news across social media: If you’ve already written and started selling a book before, you may have built up quite the following across your social media channels. Let your fans know about the latest version of your work, as well as how they can get their own.

2. Let your following know via your website, blog, or email newsletter: Additionally, you should take advantage of the audience you may have built up through your own website, blog, or email newsletter. Use these platforms to share exciting news and provide links to where your readers can purchase the audiobook.

3. Include a link to the audiobook version when promoting your print version: There’s no doubt that you will continue to also promote your print book version from time to time. When you do, be sure to include a link to the audiobook version of it, just in case someone would prefer to purchase it in that format.

4. Offer a behind-the-scenes video to share with your following: This might take the form of a pre-recorded YouTube video or livestream via social media or a platform such as Zoom. Some ideas include answering questions from your fans, interviewing your audiobook narrator, or discussing the audiobook creation process with them. 

5. Upload a sample to SoundCloud: Did you know SoundCloud also lets listeners preview audiobooks? You can upload a snippet of your audiobook to this website, as well as a Buy link so listeners know where they can get access to the full story.

6. Submit your audiobook for reviews: We mentioned two popular audiobook review websites in the previous section, but reviews really do form an important part of your marketing plan. Research audiobook review websites or publications within your niche and send them a copy of your audiobook in the hopes of receiving a published review. Most will offer this as a free service too.

7. Consider paid advertising: Paid advertising is also highly effective when marketing your audiobook, as it allows you to reach your desired audience through targeted ads, such as those via Facebook or Instagram, for example. Additionally, you might consider paid advertising on some of the platforms your audiobook is listed for sale, such as Amazon.

8. Offer the audiobook for free or a discounted price in return for reviews: As an author, reviews are your lifeblood. They’re vital for helping your books to rank higher on platforms such as Amazon and can be just the encouragement a fellow reader or listener needs to make the purchase. The easiest way to encourage reviews is to offer some free or discounted versions of your audiobook in exchange for them.

9. Pitch for podcast interviews: Audiobooks and podcasts are a match made in heaven, so why not reach out to any podcasts related to audiobooks, your niche, or authorship in general, to see if they would like to interview you for their show? It’s a win-win for both parties.

10. Take advantage of competitions and awards: There are also plenty of competitions and awards for audiobooks, some of which are free to enter, while others may require a small entry fee. The most well-known include the Audie Awards (by the Audio Publishers Association), The Earphones Award, and The Odyssey Award. Being shortlisted in any of these is a great way to get your audiobook in front of many more eyes.

Step 11. Five common mistakes when marketing your audiobook

• Ignoring SEO: Keywords will play a large role in how potential readers will find your audiobook, as well as how high you rank on Google, so SEO is not to be ignored. If you need help with implementing SEO principles into your marketing, you can hire a freelance SEO professional to take care of it.

• Being lazy with CTAs (Call to Actions): Nothing will turn a potential reader off your audiobook quicker than saying “buy my book!” on social media. Instead, be creative with your CTAs, and prompt your audience to “get their copy here," “find out more," or “don’t miss out, grab yours today!”, while directing them to your audiobook sales page.

• Neglecting other platforms: Sure, you might have posted on Instagram about your audiobook, but have you put the word out about it on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and your blog? Keep in mind that you may have different audiences on your different platforms, and none of these should be neglected if you wish to market your audiobook efficiently.

• Failing to have a marketing plan: You should have a marketing plan in place which takes into account additional marketing on your platforms, such as different types of promotions about your audiobook, as well as the other marketing methods you’ll be pursuing. Marketing isn’t a one-time job, but something you must be actively doing every week if you want your audiobook to be a success.

• Not engaging with your audience: Avoid only showing up on your social media or blog, or on other people’s social media or blog, to sell your audiobook. Instead, engage with your audience and build rapport with them so they turn into your biggest fans. Ask for their advice or feedback on issues relating to your audiobook or future audiobooks, share the behind-the-scenes process with them, and show up on video every now and then to answer their questions

Step 12. Three useful tips on getting started with audiobooks

1. Determine what types of audiobooks perform best: Do some research to see which audiobooks are the best-sellers on each major audiobook platform, regardless of their category. Are there any patterns between these audiobooks? For example, do they have a similar theme, length, style of writing, or tone of the narrator?

2. Listen to popular audiobooks within your niche: This will allow you to familiarize yourself with the best-performing audiobooks in the category your own audiobook will belong to. These will be your direct competitors. Note down what they do well, or not so well, to give you greater clarity with your own audiobook.

3. Research which platform(s) will work best for you: We provided a huge list of paid and free audiobook platforms you can use earlier in this guide. Do some additional research on each one to determine if it is right for you. Each platform has varying pay structures, rules, and requirements, so note these down to see if it gets your individual tick of approval or not.

Ready to reap the rewards of a successful audiobook?

Over the past few years alone, we’ve seen the audiobook industry grow wildly in terms of popularity and sales. Don’t miss out on the huge potential for success that producing and selling an audiobook offers. Not only can an audiobook allow your work to reach an entirely new and larger audience, but it also opens up the possibility of dramatically increasing your earnings as an author.

If the fear of hard work, time, or the cost of producing an audiobook has put you off this task in the past, we hope this helpful guide has shown you that you can create a successful audiobook on a budget within no time. All it takes is a simple, step-by-step process, as well as the affordable assistance of freelance professionals who are working within the audiobook industry. 

From learning the main elements of a good audiobook and the different audiobook formats to understanding how to prep your audiobook, hire the perfect narrator for your job, and more; with this knowledge under your belt, you’re now ready to take on the audiobook world with full force. Best of luck!