If you’re a self-published author, you need to do everything you can to get your book in front of readers. Audiobooks are the fastest growing faction in publishing, and for the past eight years, audiobook sales in the US has had huge increases year over year. The most popular audiobook genre is mysteries, thrillers, and suspense.
If you’re hiring a narrator or an audiobook production company, it might cost $1,000 to $5,000+ to produce an audiobook (approximately 10 hours). You can save money by narrating the book yourself and recording yourself at a library sound booth or at home. If you narrate the book yourself, you’ll only have to pay for the cost of the recording equipment and software, which can be about $500 total.
Let’s dive in to discuss the different options for creating an audiobook.
Option 1: Narrate Your Own Audiobook
If you narrate the book yourself, you’ll only have to pay for the cost of the recording equipment and software, which can be about $500 total. If you want to narrate your own audiobook to save money, check out the series of tutorials at Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX). They cover everything from equipment to recording to mastering (editing).
If you want to narrate your own audiobook, you’ll need a soundproof room, available at many local libraries. Don’t have access to a soundproof room? Try to find the quietest place to record, and do some practice recordings. Some things to consider: Is it raining? Are birds nesting, is snow melting?
When recording, have chapstick nearby and a glass of water. Turn off the furnace or AC, ceiling fans, or any other machinery. Record in a carpeted room if possible. Read from a tablet or other electronic device so you won’t have to edit out the sound of you turning pages. Schedule multiple recording sessions.
You can also rent a recording studio, typically $50 an hour, depending on your location.
Tools You’ll Need
Many local libraries will provide equipment for these types of projects.
- Microphone: $50-$100 (Audio-Technica AT2020 Cardioid Condenser Studio XLR Microphone, Blue Snowball, YETI)
- Recording software: $0-$300 (Audacity, GarageBand, Adobe Audition)
- Pop filter: $15 (Dragonpad or similar)
- Interface: $125 (Focusrite or similar)
- Microphone stand: $40 (TONOR or similar)
- Headphones: $70 (Audio-Technica or similar)
Option 2: Hire a Narrator
Audiobook consumers say that the quality of narration is super important. Voice actors or audiobook narrators have a better grasp on speaking speed, tone and inflection, and emphasis, so if it’s at all possible, consider hiring an audiobook narrator.
If you’re hiring a narrator or an audiobook production company, it might cost between $1,000 and $5,000 to produce an audiobook (approximately 10 hours).
ACX.com, owned by Amazon, has a database of narrators. Make sure you “interview” the potential narrators by having them read a few sample pages as an audition.
Audiobook narrators typically cost between $100 to $400 per finished hour. Since most audiobooks are about 10 hours long, this cost might come out to between $1,000 and $4,000.
Editing your Audiobook Recording
Whether narrating your audiobook yourself or hiring a narrator, you’ll still have to edit your audiobook yourself. Editing (also known as mastering) includes eliminating harsh noises that might be distracting to the reader (like hard “S” or “T” sounds), eliminating mouth or breath sounds, making sure that the volume is consistent throughout the entire book, and formatting each chapter into its own file with clear section headings.
Option 3: Hire a Production Agency
You can also hire a production agency, which will manage your audiobook production from beginning to end (including narration and editing). There are typically two ways to do this:
- Pay the producer an upfront fee (typically $100-$1,000 per finished hour)
- Split the author’s share of audiobook royalties 50/50 with the producer
Audiobook production agencies typically cost $400+ per finished hour. Since most audiobooks are about 10 hours long, this cost might come out to $4,000+.
Some audiobook production companies include Mosaic Audio or Deyan Audio. You can also try to find one-stop-audiobook-shops at Fiverr.
Next Steps: Publishing Your Audiobook
I recommend publishing on Audible (ACX, owned by Amazon), because they are so big and they provide a good service and product. Audiobooks uploaded to Audible are sold on Amazon and iTunes, the two biggest retailers of audiobooks. Learn more about selling your audiobook on ACX.
If you publish on Audible, you are not able to choose the price for your audiobook. Audiobook pricing ranges on a sliding scale from 3-5 hours ($10-$20) to 5-10 hours ($15-$25). If you exclusively publish your audiobook on Audible, you get 40% royalties. If you choose to publish non-exclusively with Audible, your royalties rates drop to 2%5. Other audiobook platforms including Kobo Writing Life, Findaway Voices, and Soundwise.
Audiobooks are not necessary to make it as a self-published author, but it’s still nice to have if you can swing it, and you’ll get your book in front of more readers. Some readers prefer only to listen to audiobooks. Don’t ignore this market!
Book editor Kristen Hamilton is the owner and sole employee of Kristen Corrects, Inc., where she provides manuscript editing services for traditionally and self-publishing authors. Several authors whose books she has edited have won awards and have topped Amazon’s best sellers lists.
Reading is Kristen’s passion, so when the workday is over, she can usually be found curled up with a good book alongside her four cats. She loves watching cat videos and scary movies, eating pizza, teaching herself French, and traveling, and she is likely planning her next vacation. She lives outside of Boise, ID.