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HOW TO MAKE AN AUDIOBOOK
WITH E-AUDIO PRODUCTIONS
THE COMPLETE GUIDE
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
GENERAL
e-Audio Productions is a leading audiobook producer focused on creating and distributing high quality audiobooks. We provide authors and publishers a full service from creating a high quality sounding audiobook to getting the audiobook on the market on Amazon/Audible, Audiobooks.com, BooksIO, Spotify, Overdrive and many more retailers, libraries and apps. As a leading producer we have produced over 3000 titles for authors and publishers around the world, and we also have put together what we found to be a very effective distribution strategy carefully designed to kickstart the release of your audiobook and also help the other versions ebook and physical.
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QUALITY OF AUDIO PRODUCTION
We know that a good 75% of listeners use headphones, and on headphones, all the details like uncontrolled breaths, lip/mouth sounds, loud "esses", muddy or harsh and unbalanced audio are easily noticeable and can negatively affect the listening experience. With us, everyone focuses on what they do best. Our narrators will focus on recording a great performance and then in our studio, we go through the recordings word by word for detailed edits, loud breath control, li/mouth sounds reduction, noise reduction, add music to the opening and closing credits files, mix for an nice balanced overall sound and master the audio to meet the industry requirements so the audiobook doesn't get rejected by any platform.
AUDIOBOOK DISTRIBUTION
We not only are a producer but we also have our own distribution network which means rights holders receive higher royalties, and we pay out highest possible royalties from sales on the major retailers, we also have more distribution options so you can reach more audiences if you decide to go wide with distribution instead of exclusive to Amazon/Audible. . But I will put more information about distribution further below.
PRODUCTION OPTIONS
We have two popular production/pricing models.
1. Pay For Production In this case, you pay for the production in full, you keep the audiobook copyrights and the audiobook is yours to keep. You can choose to distribute with us or however you want.
2. Royalty Share 60%- 40% . In this case, you pay 60% of the price and we cover the remaining cost. We keep the copyright of the audiobook. We split the royalties the same way (60% to you and 40% to us). This is a nice option too because we will also be putting effort into spreading the word about the audiobook which also at the same time helps the other versions - the ebook and paperback for you. For your series, we are interested in a collaboration at 60% - 40%
3. Pay nothing, receive 25% of royalties This model is only for production of audiobooks of which we have approached the rights holders.
PRICING - HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Audiobook Productions are priced at a rate Per Final Hour of audio (PFH) and are between $260PFH - $390PFH depending on the narrator you select. On average, one hour of audio is 9,400 words. So, example, an audiobook of 60,000 words will come to about 60,000 / 9400 = about 6.3 hours of audio. This may be a little less or more depending on the plot and performance of the narrator.
For option 1. Pay For Production
The full price for the complete production on Pay For Production will be between $1638 and $2457 depending on the narrator you select. This includes Full High Quality Production (Casting, Recordings, Editing, Mixing, Mastering)
For option 2. Royalty Share 60%-40%
It is lower at 60% of the total (and we pay the remaining) which means the rate you will pay for this production is between $983 and $1475.
When we send you the auditions, you will also be able to see the rate for production with each narrator so you know ahead.
NARRATOR SELECTION
We produce free samples of your book with our so you can choose your narrator. This can be done in two ways as follows below:
1. You can browse and listen to our featured narrators on our website and select any that you would like and we will then produce the samples with them. To view our narrators page you can click here https://www.e-audioproductions.com/audiobook-narrators
2 We open an open audition call to all our over 500 narrators and those who meet the narrator description and are interested will record their audition, we will prepare them and give you several voices to choose from. No strings attached.
For the auditions, we will need you to send over a short part of the manuscript that you would like to have the narrators record. We will also need the type of voice you have in mind. (Gender, Tone, Accent etc)
PRODUCTION PROCESS
After you select your narrator, you will be able to connect with your narrator on our Author Portal where you can also meet our team and answer any questions they may have for pronunciations etc. Your narrator will be uploading chapter recordings in the portal for your review for any misreads etc. If you notice misreads or mistakes, the narrator will go back and make the corrections. When the recordings are approved by you we then move on to editing, mixing and mastering to make it all sound great, add backing music to the open and closing files and master the audio the industry requirements for audiobooks.
AUDIOBOOK DISTRIBUTION - ALL ABOUT IT
There are two popular ways to go regarding distribution:
OPTION 1. Amazon / Audible Exclusive. Audible, still remains the largest outlet holding about 35% of the market. In this case (exclusive), rights holders are not allowed to sell anywhere else. Not even on their own website. On exclusive, ACX, (Audible's backend platform) will payout 40% of the sales in A La Cart. They decide the price. If your audiobook is sold at $20 they payout $8. However, most sales on Audible/Amazon are made by Audible Members so not in A La Cart type. Members use their monthly subscription credits to get audiobooks and in these cases the payout is much less. On non exclusive with Amazon/Audible they payout 25% of the price in A La Cart sales. But the payout from subscription based sales remains the same.
OPTION 2. Going Wide. Going wide means being non-exclusive on Amazon/Audible and being able to reach a wider audience on another potential 40+ retailers and libraries. This way you reach a wider audience. Unfortunately just about no retailers (except ACX for Audible) and libraries don't accept audiobooks submitted by individual authors. So to get on those great platforms you need to go through an audiobook distributor. How distributors work: We submit the audiobook to 40+ retailers and libraries. When a sale is made, the retailer will keep their % of the sale price and payout the distributor the remaining amount. That amount is called Royalty. We pay out 85% of royalties for sales on major platforms like audiobooks.com, Overdrive etc and 72% from smaller outlets like Libro, Downpour, Chirp etc.
In the case that you choose to go with the 60%-40 then the royalties share goes to 60%-40% and the distribution fee is waived.
EXAMPLE: Let's say your audiobook is sold for $20 on audiobooks.com. They will pay out 45%, meaning $9, and you will receive 85% of that. So you will receive $9 x 85% = $7.65 On our 60%-40% royalty share model the you would receive 60% of royalties meaning $5.40
And here is where distribution with Audiobook Release by e-Audio Productions gets even better. More benefits with our distribution service.
We now have the technology and partners to deliver audiobooks in more ways therefore reaching more audience groups and paying out higher royalties of 70% of the LIST PRICE to the rights holders and we are the only distributor that does that. For example now we get the audiobooks delivered to podcast apps reaching the gigantic audience of podcast listeners. They can purchase the audiobook and listen directly on their favorite podcast app that they have on their phone. Spotify, Podcast Addict, Apple, Google Podcasts and more. In this case sales are always A La Cart and right shoulders receive 70% of the list price so the audiobook is sold at $20 the rights holder will receive $14 On royalty share model you would receive 60% of list price so $12.
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PROMOTION
Our Kickstart Publishing Kit
Our experience in audiobook production and distributions has led us to create an effective but yet affordable audiobook promotional kit that helps kickstart the publishing of your audiobook. The Kickstart Publishing Kit consists of an effective distribution strategy and media elements that create awareness about your new audiobook and also helps the other versions (ebook & physical)
Pricing
Promo Kit with Basic Distribution Strategy - $850
Promo Kit with Standard Distribution Strategy - $990
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1. Setup on ACX for publishing on Amazon/Audible and they will pay you out directly. Setup on a distributor for wide distirbution to 40+ outlets. We provice consultation and comparison so you can select the distributor.
2. Short 10 - 15 sec Promo Video Coming Soon Trailer with voice over, footage, music, sfx - Also helps the ebook and physical book
3. Initial landing page for social media sharing for interested audience to subscribe for a free promo code.
4. Full Release 60 to 90 sec Video Promo Trailer with voice over, footage, music, sfx See examples https://www.e-audioproductions.com/audiobook-trailers -
5. Landing Page for Social Sharing. Includes links to the audiobook on major sites, the video trailer, samples, summary, about the
author.See example:: https://www.e-audioproductions.com/of-demon-kind-audiobook
6. Social Media Sharing of the audiobook of organic promotion. - Also helps the ebook and physical book
7. Podcast Interview to help spread the word. - Also helps the ebook and physical book
8. Paid targeted Facebook ads ($30) (we send you the proof ) - Also helps the ebook and physical book
9. Promo on Joel books which have thousands of subscribers. - Also helps the ebook and physical book
10. Promo on Audiobook of the Month - Also helps the ebook and physical book
11. Audiobook Cover Adjustment To Requirements if needed
12. Submitting the audiobook for review on the Audiophile Magazine (with thousands of subscribers) - Subject to their approval.
13. Freepromocodes.com submission ($13) + Sharing of the Audible Free Promo Codes to listeners in exchange for reviews
14. Audiothicket promo $50 - Also helps the ebook and physical book
15. Release promotional audiogram with the audiobook sample, cover and graphics. Also helps the ebook and physical versions.
15. Distribution strategy handling. Choose Basic or Standard
a) Basic Distribution Strategy
Step1: Wide distribution at normal price for 60 days.
Step 2: After 60 days we reduce the price to $2.99 and submit the promo to Audiothicket (that has thousands of subscribers) - cost $25 included in the Kit - and keep it like that for 40 days. Audiothicket subscribers and outlets subscribers will receive this promo offer. This will create awareness about the audiobook.
Step 3: After 40 days we set the price back to normal.
b) Standard Distribution Strategy
Step 1. Submit the audiobook as exclusive on ACX for you. This will have an exclusive period of 90 days. During the 90 days we will take advantage of the Audible promo codes which are only available on exclusive and the 40% payout on exclusive. This will allow you to send our free codes to your people and audience who then can put reviews on Audible. This will help the other versions of the book too because each version helps each other
Step 2. After 90 days exclusively we will change to Wide Distribution and reach more audiences on various sites.
Step 3. 40 days after we go Wide, we will submit a promo on Audiothicket (cost $25 included in the Kit) with a limited time price drop below $4. Recommended is $2.99 Audiothicket will send the promo out to their thousands of subscribers. That will help create awareness and reach.
Step 4: After the promo period ends we move back to the normal price.