Introduction
Today our study’s focus is on audiobooks and the huge
reader/listener market that is emerging, how to market to this group, and the
problems ahead for indie and middle-tier authors.
Audiobooks is simply someone reading text from a book and
recording it for playbook. This practice had been around since the 1930’s. The
target market then was helping the blind or sight impaired. The media was a
phonograph at first but that had a limited storage capacity. Then
multi-cassettes took over the audiobook arena. Cassettes and CDs were the only
media for years.
The turning point came in 1997 when
Audible.com started producing, marketing and
selling digital audiobooks on-line. Now this market has drastically changed
along with the target audience. (
Audible.com
was purchased in 2008 by Amazon, the large on-line marketing giant.)
This post is a summary of answers about audiobooks I have
collected from a group of outstanding, award-winning authors interviewed at the
HBS Author’s Spotlight. All these authors
have experience with audiobooks.
(To date we have conducted over 440 author interview and book showcase posts with
over 375,000 views.)
General question
One of the questions we ask authors during our interviews is
about audiobooks. Here is the general idea of the question asked.
Several of your
novels have been converted into audio books. What has been the impact on your
regular sales? Has the audio books gained a new audience for you? How important
has Audio Books been to your success? Do you recommend new authors going this
route to get more exposure? (Click
on author’s name to view their complete interview.)
This post was prompted by a recent interview I did with Rhys
Bowen, a bestselling author. Her enthusiasm for the new audiobook format made
me take a closer look at what my author interviews had been telling me for
several years how. Let me share with you what Rhys said.
Rhys Bowen
@RhysBowen is the New York Times bestselling writer of the Molly Murphy
Mysteries and A Royal Spyness Mystery series.
“My audiobook sales have literally changed my life. Audible
has adopted me as one of their top mystery authors and I sell incredible
numbers of audio books. My Royal Spyness titles are always on their bestseller
lists and this new medium has opened up my writing to a whole different type of
reader/listener. Many younger readers are [listening to audio books] on their
way to work, or the gym or walking the dog. It's been a brilliant partnership.”
Readers/Listeners
The target audience for audiobooks has shifted from the sight
impaired to a huge on-the-go, time bound audience. The group is getting younger
and more mobile with access to audiobooks anytime, anywhere. And, for the most
part, they are different from the eBook purchaser. Here is what some of the
author revealed about the listeners in their interviews.
Kristen Ashley @KristenAshley68 is the New
York Times bestselling author of many series including Magdalene, Fantasyland,
Colorado Mountain and the Dream Man Series.
“In the last year, this might have been the smartest thing
I’ve done. I’ve never listened to an audiobook (but have finally downloaded my
own and can’t wait to dig in!). Since that was outside my realm of experience,
I didn’t think of it. But there is a HUGE audio community out there and they’ve
embraced my work in that format.
As for regular sales, I have 45 books published and sales
aren’t skyrocketing but a number of titles have been available for years and
sales remain steady. Therefore, I can only assume there are a variety of
factors that are keeping that good mojo coming and I suspect audio is part of
that.
And a big fat yes! to it gaining a new audience. Quite a
number of folks comment on audiobooks on my social media sites and through
reader mail. So it’s had quite an impact.”
Alison Bruce @Alison_Bruce is the author of
the Cambridge series of Gary Goodhew crime novels.
“I don't actually know the impact on sales but I have had
emails from several readers who are only able to enjoy books through audio
versions and I've been delighted that the books have been available to
them. I would say to other authors that
any opportunity to make your work accessible to a wider market is a good thing.”
Author Catherine Bybee @catherinebybee is a New York
Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Romance Author.
“There are people who ONLY listen to audio, so yeah, I’ve
found new fans. Hey, I’m all over audio if that’s what makes people happy. If I
had a long commute, I’d listen. But my commute is from my kitchen to my office.
So I’m good!”
Amazon Bestselling
Author Diane Capri @DianeCapri is the
author of The Hunt for Reacher series.
“Many readers love audio books because they're so portable
these days. You can put them on your iPod or your phone or almost any device
and take them to the gym or out to do chores or on long commutes. People who
don't have the time to read any other way are especially thrilled with the
audio versions. Audiobooks are terrific for authors and for readers. I'm
grateful to have them available.”
Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig is the
author of the Myrtle Clover mysteries, the Memphis Barbeque mysteries (as Riley
Adams), and the Southern Quilting mysteries.
“I'm able to explore audio with one of my series--the
self-published Myrtle Clover series.
With the two Penguin series I, unfortunately, don't own the rights to
take that route. But I've been very
happy with my audio experiment for the Myrtle Clover series. I have an older
reader base and many readers have contacted me saying that audio is the only
way that they can enjoy my books with their failing eyesight. Additionally, I've picked up younger readers
this way--readers who commute or like to listen to audiobooks when they
exercise. I think this is a completely separate platform and may not tie into
my regular sales...unless readers decide to try out my other series based on
their enjoyment of that one. I don't
have any evidence of this potential crossover, unfortunately.”
Author Darcia Helle @DarciaHelle writes Suspense
Novels which includes the Michael Sykora series.
“The audiobook market is still very new to me, and it’s been
a fun experience. I’ve actually been surprised by how much I enjoyed hearing
someone else bring my characters to life. I think audiobook listeners are often
an entirely different group from e-book readers, which has been my main market
so far. I’m still working on ways to reach this new audience.”
Acclaimed crime
writer Libby Fischer Hellmann
@libbyhellmann is the author of the Georgia Davis and the Ellie Foreman
series.
“All of my books have been recorded and released on audio –
I made sure of that. Audio has definitely expanded my readership. I listen to a
lot of books on audio myself. It’s so easy to listen when you’re stuck in
traffic, or doing errands, or even cleaning the house. I love it.”
Author Pamela Fagan Hutchins @PamelotH is an
award-winning and bestselling romantic mystery/suspense and hilarious
nonfiction writer.
“I love the audiobooks! Yes, they reach a new audience, and
the sales from ebooks and audiobooks really seem to help each other. Not only
do I have audiobooks, but Saving Grace was read aloud in its entirety on NPR in
Arizona. I love that it reached people who would have never been able to read
it that way.”
Merry Jones @MerryDDJones is the bestselling
author of the Elle Harrison Thrillers, The Zoe Hayes Mysteries and the Harper Jennings Mystery series.
“I hope so. I love audio books myself, especially on long
car trips. And I think they're great for people who are visually impaired. I'm
not sure that audio books enhance regular sales; I'd be interested to find out.
My instincts say that audio book buyers are an independent market, but I have
nothing to back that up.”
International
Bestselling Author Tonya Kappes
@tonyakappes11 writes Small Town Southern Mysteries.
“I absolutely LOVE audio books. It has NOT hurt my regular
sales at all. In fact, it has opened up a whole new audience. Some readers have
bad eyes or can't read for long periods of time and the audio book works great
for them. I would tell every author to be on every platform. Why not?”
Author Julie Anne Lindsey @JulieALindsey is the bestselling author of the Honey Creek Books
and The Patience Price Mysteries.
“Murder by the Seaside is like the little book that could.
Carina Press picked it up as a digital book and requested two sequels. Carina
Press is a digital imprint of Harlequin, so I was thrilled. The book has since
gone on to audio and was selected for the Harlequin book clubs where it was
printed into their World Wide Mystery line and shipped to thousands of
Harlequin book clubbers. Murder in Real Time will follow suit next year. So far
the audio sales have been small, only a tiny portion of digital sales. For this
reason, I can’t say audio has necessarily found me a new audience.”
Author David VanDyke @DVanDykeAuthor is the
bestselling author of the Plague Wars and Stellar Conquest series.
“I'm not sure if the audiobooks have gained a new audience
but I have to presume they have had some effect. Some people "read"
almost exclusively on audiobooks, so to reach that segment you have to have the
audiobooks available. That's common sense. There is also a segment that wants
to use the Whispersynch function on Kindle (or the Kindle app) to listen as
they read, so some copies are being sold to people who also buy the ebook. This
is a win-win for both author and reader. Amazon gives a big discount to those
who buy both, and the author make a little more money.”
Author George Wier @BillTravisWrite is the author of
the The Bill Travis Mystery series.
“I'll say there's been an impact. The Last Call is my first
audiobook. It's just now out there and is gaining some serious recognition. The
numbers (sales) are jumping up in leaps and bounds. There is one untapped
market out there that I decided to focus on. Here's the big secret: When was
the last time you took a road trip from coast to coast? Okay, whether it was
twenty years ago or last week, the following question is likely going to have
the same answer: how many 18-wheel tractor-trailer rigs did you see on the
Interstate? That's the untapped market. Those men and women ply the highways
night and day. And guess what they listen to. That's right, audio books.
So, I introduced The Last Call into this new market two
weeks ago, and sales have jumped right up there. As far as more exposure, new
authors can do all the same old stuff that everyone else is doing (blogs,
ezines, etc.) and will see some measure of success. But you have to also learn
to think for yourself and find your market—or the BEST possible market—and get
those audio books out there, man. Let word-of-mouth go through them like
wildfire. That's starting to happen right now for me. My narrator, Frank Clem,
an excellent Hollywood actor and voice artist, is busily working on book two of
the Bill Travis series, Capitol Offense, and it should be out in about two to
three weeks. I'm hoping to get it out there in time to catch the crest of the
wave.”
Award winning
author and playwright Traci Tyne Hilton
@TraciTyneHilton is the author of the The Mitzy Neuhaus Mysteries and The Plain Jane Mysteries series.
“I don’t know that audio books have gained me many new
readers (listeners) but I like to have them out there for people who prefer to
listen.”
Marketing
The marketing of audiobooks has changed dramatically in the
last decade. Instead of being displayed on retailer’s bookshelves with
accompanying displays, they are primarily purchased on-line from several large
retailers. The marketing target is different, the distribution is different and
the market is smaller than the eBook market. So what marketing approach should
we take?
M. Louisa Locke @mlouisalocke is the Author of
Maids of Misfortune and Uneasy Spirits, bestselling Victorian San Francisco
Mystery Series.
“The audio book market is definitely expanding, and Amazon’s
ACX program lets an indie author find a narrator and put up an audio book for
free if they do a royalty split with the narrator, which is how I did Maids of Misfortune. The main obstacle
to sales seems to be that no one has figured out how to promote audio books the
way we can promote our ebooks. Audible does do discounts and promotions—but as
far as I can tell they are promoting traditionally published audio books (which
I assume the traditional publishers pay for). This means that most indie audio
books are invisible on the audible site itself. So, rather than the audio books
driving sales to my print or ebooks, it is the other way around. When I do a
promotion of the ebook edition of Maids
of Misfortune (free or discounted), my sales of my audio version go up as
well, since the audio version is linked on the Amazon site to the ebook. If ACX
and Audible developed some marketing tools for indies the way that KDP did with
Select, this could change things a good deal.”
Terry Odell @authorterryo is an author of
romance, mystery & romantic suspense novels. She is also a publishing
industry blogger and hosts the Booklover’s Bench, a website for readers.
“As I mentioned before, it's impossible to know what
triggers a book purchase, so I don't know if there's crossover between audio
and other formats. I think for the most part, there's a large portion of audio
book purchasers who don't buy the other formats. Overall, though, I think
opening any new market is a good thing. Cast a wide net.”
Occult Thriller
Author Lisa M. Lilly @lisamlilly is the
author of the The Awakening Series.
“I have reached some new readers, or listeners, I should
say, and so far they have liked the audio version, which makes me happy. I’m
planning to focus more on audio marketing when Book 2 is released. Doing this
also prompted me to start listening to audiobooks, with the result that
sometimes I’m immersed in “reading” three books—one fiction, one non-fiction,
and one audio, since I tend to listen to audio while I do things like clean.
Which definitely makes cleaning more fun.”
Narrator
One of the important steps to having a successful audiobook
is the narration. Who will read your book to the audience? I can visualize the
person setting in a recording booth reading one of my mystery novels. That
process hasn’t changed for decades. Is the selection of the narrator the key or
is the content of the novel? Here are the opinions of some bestselling authors
who have gone through this process.
Bestselling Author Chuck Barrett @Chuck_Barrett is the author of
the Award-Winning Jake Pendleton series.
“Audible approached me last year about turning my novels
into audiobooks, something I’d thought about but never took any steps in that
direction. Within a few weeks, we (Audible and myself) had reached an agreement
and signed a contract for all three Jake Pendleton novels. And to top it off,
the narrator Audible used was the incomparable Scott Brick. I have been
delighted and honored to have him narrate my books. Audible has been good at
promoting my audiobooks, including giving me promotional codes for giveaways.
It has helped my ebook and print book sales as well. I think new authors should
let their best judgment guide them on audiobooks. Before an investment is made
in audiobooks, I think a new author needs to see some success with print and
ebook sales first. When the time is right, do it.”
USA Today bestselling
Author Rebecca Forster @Rebecca_Forster is
the author of the Josie Bates Thriller - The Witness Series.
“Audio books were way out of my comfort zone, so I partnered
with a producer and a professional voiceover to create them. I only had two of
the Witness Series converted. That voiceover artist no longer reads novels and
it will be hard to find a new voice. Still, I'd like to continue with the
Witness Series. I think the audio audience is devoted to that medium so the
impact on book sales is minimal. I'm actually planning on doing the Bailey
Devlin trilogy in audio. The books are shorter and not as intricate in terms of
characterization as the Witness Series novels. I think a voiceover will have a
ton of fun with them.”
M.J. Rose @MJRose is the international
bestselling author of the Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers Novels
and Publishing Industry books.
“I don’t have any sense of how one has impacted the other
but I’m a huge audio book listener and it matters to me a lot that my books are
available in audio. I’m especially proud of the quality of the narration – my
dream narrator - Phil Gigante has done all of the books – some with the amazing
Natalie Ross.”
Author David VanDyke @DVanDykeAuthor is the
bestselling author of the Plague Wars and Stellar Conquest series.
“The advice I would give for anyone turning a book into an
audiobook is, choose someone who has done it before, preferably who has a
strong track record with ACX and can show you completed work. He or she should
be able to point to books that are out and which are rated well on Audible. I
haven't seen audiobooks make any discernible impact on ebook sales, but the
audiobooks themselves sell around 10% number of the raw copies (e.g., 10 ebook
sales means about 1 audiobook sale), not surprising because audiobooks several
times as expensive. However, the per-unit royalty is a bit higher, so it is
well worth it to make books into audiobooks in my opinion. For authors, any
time they can create another version of an existing work and provide it to the
customer is good. It's a lot easier to have a book converted into a new medium than
it is to write a new book.”
In 2011, as the new audiobook industry immerged, publishers
and retailers realized the potential marketplace but also the problems that
could accrue from a poor narration. Thus, the Audiobook Creation Exchange was
formed. The group is made up of professional narrators that authors, agents and
publishers can use to create quality audiobooks. This Amazon platform was
created to assist authors produce, publish and promote audiobooks. Some of the
authors that I have interviewed weight in on their experiences with ACX.
Elizabeth S. Craig @elizabethscraig is the
author of the Myrtle Clover mysteries, the Memphis Barbeque mysteries (as Riley
Adams), and the Southern Quilting mysteries.
“I do recommend this
route to new authors simply because it doesn't have to cost you a dime to open
up to a potential new market. Although in general I'm wary of royalty-share
options, I felt this was the way to go with audio (through ACX). My narrator and I split the royalties evenly,
so I paid nothing to her up front. The
income I make monthly from the audiobooks is pure profit since I invested
nothing.”
Niki Danforth @NikiDanforth is the author of
Stunner: A Ronnie Lake Mystery.
“I worked with a terrific narrator/producer whom I found
through ACX.com, and the Stunner audio book is now available on Audible, Amazon
and iTunes. The book just came out last month, and I'm happy with the early
results. What I especially like is that Stunner is part of the Audible
platform, which is growing rapidly in users -- a great opportunity to find new
listener-readers!”
Bestselling Author Jeff Gunhus @Jeffgunhus is the author of the
The Templar Chronicles, Allison McNeil Thrillers and The Career Series.
“Yes, I think in today’s market you need to offer your
audience whatever experience they want to have when consuming your story. ACX
is such an author-friendly platform that they are really revolutionizing the
audio book world. I don’t understand why an author wouldn’t be in audio. It
just makes sense on every level.”
Author Alan Orloff @alanorloff is an Agatha-nominated
mystery writer.
“The audiobook for FIRST TIME KILLER just came out a
few weeks ago, so it’s a little too early to judge its success. I had a
fantastic narrator (Bob Dunsworth) and I think it sounds great. So I’m hopeful.
I used ACX, which was pretty cool—it’s like a dating site for authors and
narrators.”
Creation Process
I thought I would touch on the creation of audiobooks
because a couple of my author interviews thought this was important to the
overall success of the rendition. First,
Audible.com
takes care of the whole process. Marketing, production, selection of the
narrator, etc. with a royalty split between the author and the narrator. Next,
other publishers are starting to tackle the conversion projects but are finding
out that it is costly and involved. For an indie author, I would let someone
else do the conversion for you. Here is what a couple of the authors had to
say.
Author Jami Gray @JamiGrayAuthor writes Science
Fiction & Fantasy, Romance, Suspense novels. Jami is the author of The Kyn
Kronicles series.
“Right now, SHADOW’S EDGE is my only book in Audible. My
publisher, Black Opal Books, is working diligently to expand that, but the
process is fairly involved. I haven’t noticed a correlation between having
SHADOW’S EDGE in audio and my print sales, but I would love to have all my
titles in audio. I know quite a few readers who prefer audio vs. book. I think
if I could expand my audio offerings, I could reach a larger audience.”
Joseph Lallo @jrlallo is a bestselling author
of the Science Fiction & Fantasy series: The Book of Deacon Trilogy.
“It is a little early to tell how the audio book is doing.
It has only been out for a month, and it hasn't exactly exploded out of the
gate, but I didn't expect it to. Jade is the oddball story in the Book of
Deacon series. Frequently readers desperate for me to finish my current book
don't even realize that Jade exists as a little additional morsel to the
series. The process of making the audio book, though, has been fascinating. I
was able to listen to auditions, and eventually make contact with a woman,
Fiona Dwyer, who I feel did a phenomenal job. Within days of its release, it
seemed to have put me on the radar for the audio book industry, because it led
to a pair of emails from a pair of individuals who... well, I don't want to
jinx it, but let's just say that I may be working on some new audio books
before too long.”
Author’s Point of View
Most authors like the idea of a new format for their works
with a possibility of gaining new readers. Several authors interviewed gave
their opinions.
Brett Battles @BrettBattles is the
award-winning, bestselling author of the
Jonathan Quinn, Logan Harper
Thriller and Project Eden Series.
“All but, I believe, two of my books are available in audio.
Audiobooks have been huge for me. I’ve gain a lot of readers through them, and
always get many people asking for audio release dates. They’re actually great
in another respect, too. For my different series, I will often listen to the
audio version of the last book I put out before writing the next one to freshen
my memory. Love doing that.”
Author Darcia Helle @DarciaHelle writes Suspense
Novels which includes the Michael Sykora series.
“Overall, I think it’s important for an author to have
his/her books available in as many formats as possible. Even if I only sell a
handful of audiobooks, those are readers I might not have otherwise reached.”
Bestselling Author L.J. Sellers @LJSellers is the author of the
Detective Jackson Mystery/Suspense Series. Also, she is an award-winning
journalist.
“I just received author copies of a several more books that
are now in audio. I honestly have no idea how well they sell. I’m sure it’s on
my royalty statements, but I’m not obsessed with numbers. What I do like is
making my stories available to as many readers in as many formats as possible.”
Sharon Skinner @sharonskinner56 is an
award-winning poet and author. She writes Children's Books and Fantasy.
“I think that having a variety of formats to offer is a
great way to increase sales. Right now, my only audio CDs are poetry and short
stories from previously published works. However, there are plans in the works
for audio books of both The Healer’s Legacy and The Nelig Stones, which is very
exciting. I can’t wait to hear my stories read by audio book readers.”
Special Attention
There were several special items authors talked about in
their interviews that I thought was worth including in this study. Amazon is
selling ebooks and their companion audiobook at a discount which is a win for
authors. Also they have introduced Whispersync for Voice which allows listeners
to switch seamlessly between the ebook to listening. Again, this is a big
advantage for the mobile reader. Some of the bestselling authors discussed this
in their interviews.
Award-Winning Author Jinx Schwartz @jinxschwartz is the author of
the Hetta Coffey series.
“I get a royalty check from Books in Motion, who recorded
the audio books, every six months. Not tearing up the world financially, but
there is definitely an audience out there. I actually love audio books when on
the road. The books cost me nothing to make, so my percentage of sales is
small, but hey, it all counts.”
Polly Iyer @PollyIyer is the author of the
Diana Racine Psychic Suspense series.
“Not sure. Collectively, they’ve sold well but not enough,
but that’s always the case with writers.
It’s a very time consuming process, and I’m not sure when or
if I’ll do the next one. When a book gets into the Whispersync program, anyone
who has bought the book can buy the audio for $1.99. So for about $6, you get
the book and the audio. Three of my four books are in the Whispersync program.
That’s a deal in this day and age.”
Pauline Baird Jones @paulinebjones is the
award-winning author of the The Lonesome Lawmen and the Project Enterprise
series.
“While audio listeners are sometimes a different type of
“reader,” having the books in audio definitely helps push the digital books.
Most of my books are Whispersynched, which means that if someone buys the
digital book, they can get a hugely discounted audio book. So some audio
listeners will buy the digital book to get the discounted price. And there are
readers who like to go back and forth, reading when they can, listening when
they are in their car, etc.”
Suspense Author Dale Mayer @DaleMayer is a writer of Romantic
Suspense, Thrillers and Paranormal Romance. Dale has written several series
including the Design series, By Death Series, Family Blood Ties, and Psychic
Visions series.
“I use the ACX system and I really love it. I have 32 titles live through it and they
sell well. I think audiobooks is a
quickly emerging market. More and more
readers are getting hooked on them. In
the coming months, Cool Gus is preparing a separate web site just to promote
our audiobooks.”
New York Times &
USA Today Bestseller Author Aleatha Romig
@AleathaRomig is the author of the Consequences Series.
“Currently all six of my Consequences series books are
available in audio. My new release Insidious has also been purchased by Audible
and will hopefully be available in the next few months. I LOVE the Audible. I
feel that the audible has opened my books to a new audience. The Audible and
especially the Whisper-sync audience is growing daily.”
Author David VanDyke @DVanDykeAuthor is the
bestselling author of the Plague Wars and Stellar Conquest series.
“I went through ACX to get my books done for audio. The
first book, The Eden Plague, was done by a great narrator who unfortunately was
not very familiar with ACX processes. He also had a growing career as an actor
and that obviously took priority to voicing audiobooks. Because of that we had
a rough time with the first book - technical issues related to the production,
timeliness, etc. I'm not saying to criticize the narrator - he did a great job
as you will hear - but for an author trying to please the fans by getting
audiobooks made, I needed a narrator who would complete competently, quickly
and accurately, and who was familiar with ACX procedures. I found that man in
Artie Sievers, and he's doing a great job for me now.”
Prolific author
of dark fantasy, David Niall Wilson
@David_N_Wilson writes Fantasy and Horror novels. We are highlighting his
novel: Nevermore, A Novel of Love, Loss & Edgar Allan Poe.
“There are wonderful programs like Audible's ACX system (we
use this for all Crossroad Press audiobooks) that are making it easier for
people to get books into audio, but like any other art form – and good audio IS
an art form – it takes work, commitment, and usually some money. If you choose a free narrator, willing to
work just for royalty share profits on a new, untested author's book, you are going
to get what you paid for. Experience and
sound quality are very important. It's
not a matter of reading – great narrators are voice actors – they don't lose
you as they switch from gender to gender, or character to character.
One thing that is in our favor now
is the new Whispersync for Voice system on Amazon. If you buy the eBook of Nevermore from
Amazon, you can get the audiobook for only $1.99 – all of that expense being a
big savings over the price of the audio on its own. If you use your Kindle to listen to the book,
you will actually be able to sync the eBook and Audiobook, picking up in one
where the other left off. Everything
changes. I should mention that I absolutely love the narration of Nevermore,
performed by Gigi Shane.”
Future Needs and Problems
Nothing is perfect especially when it starts off. The new
digital audiobook industry is no exception. There are needs and problems ahead
as the following authors discuss.
Alicia Dean @Alicia_Dean_ is the
award-winning, bestselling author of the Reapers of Boon Series, The Isle of
Fangs Series and The Northland Crime Chronicles.
“I can't say that the audio books have noticeably impacted
my sales, nor have I become aware of gaining a new audience. I have had a few
readers contact me to say they were pleased to find my stories available on
audio books.”
Author Tallulah Grace @TallulahSpeaks writes Romantic
Suspense Novels with a Paranormal Twist.
“The audiobook process was a major eye-opener for me. I
don’t regret doing it, but I’m not jumping in to do more, anytime soon. From a
sales standpoint, the audiobooks are negligible. As far as building an
audience, it’s like anything else; you get out of it what you put into it. I’ve
not had the time to promote the audiobooks as actively as I would like.”
Author Jenny Hilborne @JFHilborne is the author of the
Jackson Mysteries and Thrillers Series.
“It's difficult to measure the impact of anything on book
sales, including audio books. What works one month may not work the next. I do
get a number of requests for my books in audio, so I'd like to think it's
helped.”
“Yes, I do have audio books but that decision was in the
hands of my publisher. I received a very
nice email from the narrator of my two Amazon books, Page and Paris Noire. She thanked me for allowing her to play such
interesting characters--especially the African-American Chanteuse in 1944
Paris--Paris Noire.”
New York Times and
USA Today bestselling author and RITA® Finalist Caridad
Piñeiro. Caridad is the author of nearly forty published novels and
novellas.
“I have a few audio books out and readers seem to really
like them. I plan on having my indie
books done as audio as well. I would
recommend to new authors that they consider doing this as there are very viable
avenues for producing an audio book.”
Author Larissa Reinhart @RisWrites is a Humorous Cozy
Mystery writer and the author of the Cherry Tucker Mystery Series.
“Henery Press set up the audio book deal and the audio books
are new enough that I’m not sure how they impact my regular sales or if they
have a new audience. I hope so! I had a wonderful experience with the voice
actress, Erin Clark. If a new author can get an audio deal, I say go for it. I
think more mediums are always better for exposure.”
Prolific author
of dark fantasy, David Niall Wilson
@David_N_Wilson writes Fantasy and Horror novels. We are highlighting his
novel: Nevermore, A Novel of Love, Loss & Edgar Allan Poe.
“I love audiobooks. I
listen to them whenever I'm driving, and for years I had a 2 ½ hour commute
from North Carolina up to Virginia, so I've listened a lot. That said, audiobooks are not a marketing
aid. In fact, it's harder to get
listeners for a new audiobook by an unknown author than it is to get readers
for your print or eBook, because the market is smaller, and because it takes
longer to listen to an audiobook – it's a bigger commitment.
My advice would be to only tackle audio if you have some
money, and the time to be very careful.
There are wonderful narrators and sound engineers, such as my buddy
Jeffrey Kafer, who does all the audio mastering for our titles. Professional quality audio, mastered and
ready to go, is likely to cost $300 - $400 per finished hour. You can get it cheaper, and you can pay a lot
more if you have a particular voice you love.
It's a big commitment.”
Mystery Author Dave Zeltserman @DaveZeltserman is the
award-winning author of the Julius Katz mystery series.
“I don’t know—Serpent’s Tail arranged for two of them. The
one I did, Julius Katz and Archie, I don’t think has had much impact. I’ve sold
about 5,000 copies of the eBook, and only a tiny fraction of that in audio
sales.”
Takeaway Questions
Is there a reader vs. listener crossover or will authors
have to market to two different audiences?
What do I do when my narrator becomes my voice and they stop
reading books?
Do audiobooks have an impact on my book/eBook sales?
Will small publishers take on this additional project or
farm it out to
Audible.com? Will the same
small publisher market your audiobook?
Do audiobooks need a new marketing scheme?
Last. Does the success in selling audiobooks depend on the
author’s specific marketing of the audiobook OR the author’s name/brand, a great novel with 5-star reviews, the
book’s genre or the publisher’s marketing effort?
Follow me:
Check out the Jonathon Stone Mystery Novels:
