5 Tips to Self-Publish an Audiobook Like a Pro Audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment of self-publishing. If you are considering publishing your book as an audiobook, here are 5 tips to help you self-publish your work like a pro. 1. Read your book (or at least several chapters) out loud. While reading it, record yourself with the best audio recording hardware/software you can access immediately. This doesn’t mean investing thousands of dollars in equipment (at least, not yet); instead, it means utilizing the resources you currently have at your disposal to create a quality benchmark. Once you have recorded yourself reading extensively from your book, step away from the recording for at least 24 hours. Then return to it later and listen to it from beginning to end. Close your eyes. Put yourself in the shoes (and ears) of someone else. Imagine your book as an audiobook that someone has purchased. Does the idea excite you? Then, direct that enthusiasm toward the following 4 tips. 2. It is time to ask yourself some important questions and prepare to answer them honestly. a) Is your current equipment satisfactory for recording an audiobook that meets your personal quality standards? b) Is your voice/presentation professional enough to represent your book to the public? c) Do you possess the know-how to take a recording from your computer or phone and distribute it worldwide for people to buy and listen to?
3. Now, it is time to address each of your answers objectively. a) If you have determined that your current equipment is satisfactory, great! If not (and let’s be honest, it probably isn’t), the next consideration is budgetary. You will need to upgrade your equipment and/ or software, or you will need to outsource the technical component of your audiobook production. Either way, it’s good to arrive upon this realization early in the process; publishing a high-quality audiobook isn’t “free.” Even if you are doing it yourself, there is a cost involved. b) If you have determined that your reading was of high enough quality to represent your work to the public professionally, that’s fantastic! And in many cases, that may be true; an author understands the nuances of the work better than anyone else, and it may be difficult to “direct” a professional voice actor to strike the proper tone correctly and consistently. On the other hand, strong writing is rarely hurt by a professional voice actor and is often improved immeasurably by one. So while your voice may be adequate, in all likelihood, a professional narrator will be even better. This is particularly true for fiction. c) If you have determined that you possess the know-how to share your audiobook with the world, that’s wonderful! In this day and age of “influencers” and “content creators,” sharing your art with the world has never been easier. After all, Amazon and Apple have a global reach, and any enterprising individual with enough moxie can use their platforms to distribute their audiobook(s) worldwide. On the other hand, the learning curve involved is most assuredly not flat; in fact, it is downright steep for a neophyte. As a result, many writers outsource the distribution, sales tracking, and tax considerations to an audiobook publisher so they can spend their time doing something they’re better at (and find more enjoyable)—writing! 4. Consider publishing multiple formats. If you have already published a hardcopy (paperback/hardback) edition of your book, congratulations—you realize the cart doesn’t come before the horse. On the other hand, if your first format is an audiobook, consider adding another format first or simultaneously—either a hardcopy format or an eBook . . . ideally, both. 5. Understand audiobook marketing. Marketing an audiobook shares many of the same tactics as marketing any other format, but audiobooks also introduce a host of exclusive opportunities. a) YouTube is perhaps the most obvious example. Authors have been promoting their paperback/ hardback books on YouTube for years via book video trailers. And this tactic works simply fine. But imagine taking that same video and replacing the audio with a perfectly tuned selection from your audiobook. It’s a whole new video with just a few edits. In fact, multiple videos practically create themselves. Simply select a 30-second to a 1-minute section of your
narrator’s performance from your audiobook that shines particularly brightly and then edit in some public domain pictures or video clips to bring visual imagery to your words, and your words to the world. b) Over one billion people use TikTok, the wildly popular app that features short-form videos. Join the party with short selections from your audiobook synced with public-domain images or videos. Use the #booktok hashtag to join the active, growing community. c) SoundCloud is well-known in musician circles but is also a hotspot for indie authors. Create an account and upload a sample of your audiobook and cover as an accompanying image. The rest of the upload form allows you to mention the book’s title, your name, and the voice actor’s name and list where your audiobook is available for sale. Do you wish to open up a whole new world of publishing and marketing opportunities to reach a new market of readers/listeners? If so, it’s time to turn your manuscript into a professionally published audiobook!
MEET YOUR PUBLISHING CONSULTANT It's like having a book shephe publishing advocate, and professional advisor in your c Confused about how to self-publish? Whether you are a new author, a seasoned pro or just thinking about self-publishing, there are so many details to consider once you begin the publishing journey. After the months (or years) of blood, sweat and tears you have poured into your manuscript, it's time to put your story into the capable hands of the #1-rated self-publishing company.* With help from an Outskirts Press Publishing Consultant, you will never need to sweat the details. Many authors find themselves overwhelmed with all the "little finishing touches" that add up to a huge workload just to get their book in tip-top shape for publication: creating a beautiful cover; crafting cover copy that is both compelling to prospective buyers and search engines; polishing the manuscript until it is flawless; formatting a beautiful paperback, hardcover book and a fully functional ebook, etc . ... Where do you even start? Outskirts Press has the answer: Start with a Publishing Consultant! What can your Publishing Consultant do for you? • Answer questions that are specific to you and your book • Create a custom publishing quote based on your goals • Assist you with publishing expertise throughout the publishing process • Offer personal guidance on what services are right for you and your book Publish Your Passion™ at Outskirts Press.