How to turn your novel into an audiobook

I'd like to make my novel into an audiobook. What do I do?

You've finally done it. After countless late nights, dozens of revisions, and narrow-eyed scrutiny from those you trust, your opus is now in print. Congratulations! You may be getting some positive traction already. Now you'd like to take advantage of  the blossoming audiobook market. But where do you start? How do you make an audiobook? How much does it cost? How do you get it sold at Audible? How do audiobooks show up at the iTunes Music Store? What other ways are there to market my audiobook? 

Where do I start?

Hire an Award-Winning Audiobook Narrator and Producer – Hire B.J. Harrison

There are many reasons that B.J. Harrison is the perfect choice in audiobook narration talent. Here are a few:

·       Solid background in Classic Literature – brings out every ounce of drama without being over the top

·       Reputation for precision in pronunciation

·       “(He’s) a perfect fit for Fantasy and Science Fiction” – M. Charzuk, Executive at Audible.com

·       Makes non-fiction pieces more digestible for the audio format

·       Solid fan base through his website and podcast, reaching 20,000 weekly listeners

·       Solid reputation on Audible.com, Amazon.com and the iTunes Music Store (B.J. Harrison has been one of their top 5 audio publishers)

·       Can create a full range of character voices, including accents from around the world

·       Hundreds of audiobooks to his credit

·       No nonsense - no hidden fees or charges. He’s the best value for your money 

How do you create an Audiobook?

Hey, this doesn't just happen. It takes a lot of work to sound this good. 

Read the book -It's a very good place to start.

Map out the character voices - Using MindMapping software, I map out the character voices. This way I can keep the voices strait when I'm recording them. Also, this way the work of character voice creation is done, and I don't need to do it on the fly while recording.

Get pronunciation from Author – I usually need some clarification of character names, or fictional proper nouns.

Record the book - Following the character map and pronunciation guide, the recording of the book is produced in the studio.

Edit the book - All of the false starts and missteps are edited out of the recording.

Proof the book - The text is checked against the recording, and any variations are noted down. Any edits that made their way past the first editing pass are noted down.

Patch the book - Using the notes from the Proofer, all of the anomalies are recorded anew, and patched in the proper places

Mix the final audio - The final audio is then mixed. This is a highly technical process of equalizing the audio, dealing with the room tone, amplification, etc. I work with a consultant from Sweetwater Studios. He is very experienced, and excels at optimizing the audio to meet professional industry standards.

Final Proofing - The entire audiobook is then listened to again, to check for any anomalies in the final mixing, and to triple check for any editing glitches.

Delivery - The audiobook is exported as mp3 files, created at 4100Khz, and 192kbps (CD quality). These files can then be sold through The Classic Tales Distribution Network, or wherever you choose!

How much does it cost?

It takes 8-11 hours to create 1 hour of finished audiobook!

I have totally adjusted my rates. Please give me a call at 800-621-4889 for an estimate. 

Now that I have my professional audiobook, what do I do now?

Now is the time to make some money on your investment. Here are some options for you:

   Sell it through The Classic Tales Website at  www.thebestaudiobooks.com

Net sales are split 70/30 - with YOU receiving 70% of the net sales through the website. This is the HIGHEST royalty from ANY retail venue, digital or otherwise. This way you can take advantage of all of the residual marketing efforts already underway to sell The Classic Tales Audiobooks.

 Sell it through the Audible network

The basic royalty percentage for all digital audiobook products sold through Audible.com, the iTunes Music Store and Amazon.com is 15% of all net sales go to the owner of the audiobook. This is industry wide. Titles that are available EXCLUSIVELY through Audible get 20% royalty on net sales. All audiobooks sold through the iTunes Music Store go through Audible.com. The iTunes Music Store can change the suggested price of the title arbitrarily. However, Audible compensates by paying the difference between the iTunes price, and their price. If you select this option, you will receive 12%, and The Classic Tales will receive 3%. This is just to take care of our overhead. Checks are mailed quarterly, 60 days after the end of the calendar quarter. 

Promote it through The Classic Tales Social Network (These rates/options are ONLY for Audiobooks commissioned through www.thebestaudiobooks.com)

•   Facebook entry - We'll create a Facebook entry through The Classic Tales Facebook Page, promoting your book! Cost - $7

•   Twitter Tweet - We'll tweet your book, notifying our Twitter followers of your success! Cost - $5

•   Blog entry - We'll create a fantastic Blog entry showcasing your audiobook at The Classic Tales Blogsite. Cost - $35

•   Coming Soon! We'll create a file of your first couple of chapters, and offer it as a free video at our YouTube Channel! Cost $35

•   We can pitch your product through an ad at the beginning of an episode of The Classic Tales Podcast! Cost $35

Create a Cover for your Audiobook

If you like, we can create artwork for your audiobook. 95% of all the artwork you see on my website is designed and created in house (by B.J. Harrison).

•   Initial Cover Image - starting at $200 - It really depends on what you want. The starting price reflects the amount of work entailed in creating the majority of the cover artwork found on the website. If you want a physical painting, or have something else in mind, we can talk about that.

•   Redesign of Cover Artwork for iPad - $40

•   Redesign of Cover Artwork for iPhone - $40

•   Hire your favorite Graphic Designer to create your artwork!

Promote it yourself!

•   Tell your Facebook contacts

•   Promote it through LinkedIn -you are now a published author! Have associates endorse you!

•   Host events where you can drive traffic to your audiobook

•   Have a placard with a QR barcode handy for anyone with a smartphone!

•   Put a QR code to your book on the back of your business card!

•   Take out ads in local papers, and show off your accomplishment!

•   Buy some GoogleAdWords to send traffic to your audiobook.

•   Send out a press release! Tell the world about the next big thing - YOU!