For indie authors, audiobooks are a smart sector to branch into, but you need to know the lay of the land. Here’s everything Reedsy can help with as you learn about audiobooks and the skills you’ll need to publish your own.
1. Understanding Why Audiobooks Are So Valuable
In 1932, The American Association of the Blind audio recorded its first books to entertain the visually impaired. By 2020, according to Reedsy’s guide on the audiobook industry, this format outsold ebooks, making a whopping $1.2 billion.
Understanding why you should care about audiobooks means you can make decisions mindfully, rather than simply follow a trend.
Once you feel comfortable in your knowledge of this format, you can record audiobooks, promote them, and grow your readership.
2. Producing an Audiobook
Many authors hire professional audiobook narrators—someone who has attended drama school is far more likely to engage a listener than an amateur narrator, so if an author’s budget allows for it, recruiting a professional is a smart investment.
Reedsy’s tutorial on making an audiobook contains all the information you’ll need to know if you hope to hire a narrator on a platform like ACX or Findaway Voices.
3. Sharpening Your Recording Skills
If you like a challenge, perhaps learning to record your own audiobook from scratch will be right for you.
It’s not exactly easy to produce a high-quality audiobook, you need to begin by familiarizing yourself with the industry’s standards. Next steps will include investing in high-quality recording equipment, like a microphone, sound insulating materials, and recording software.
If you need more concrete tips, look no further than Reedsy’s guide on recording your own audiobook.
4. Distributing Your Audiobook Far and Wide
While working on your audiobook, you also need to think about how to sell it. Are you just going to put it on your website, or use retailers, too? How do you even get audiobooks onto the likes of Audible and Apple Books?
Fortunately, you’ll find all the answers you need on Reedsy’s audiobook distribution guide. Make a note of key factors that determine the best strategy for you, including outreach, royalties, and limitations.
5. Marketing Your Audiobook So It Reaches the Right People
Indie authors publishing their audiobooks face one more challenge: marketing. You need strategy and charisma to succeed, both of which can trip you up. With the right support, however, you can overcome any obstacle.
That’s why you should read Reedsy’s audiobook marketing tips before even recording anything. At the very least, you can learn early on what routes and tools will generate and maintain the most buzz about your project.
The goal is to keep attracting the right audience with a marketing strategy you can sustain long after your audiobook’s launch. So, the more you understand the marketing process, the better.
Explore All Audiobook Opportunities
When it comes to producing and promoting an audiobook, Reedsy is an endless source of information, perfect for indie authors in need of the occasional leg up.
But it’s only one of many reliable book-related platforms you should know about. To build on the knowledge they provide, get to know exactly what the internet offers readers and listeners alike by taking a look at websites offering free audiobooks.
