While readers and writers have skeptically watched the fluctuating publishing industry in recent years, one literary market has surprised us a little bit of all: audiobooks.
Somewhere along the path of long commutes and ubiquitous smartphones, a market for audiobooks has popped: people who otherwise don't read much.
This explosive market makes it imperative for authors and publishers to get books in audio form and on the most popular platforms - Audible (Amazon) and iTunes.
Enter Amazon's Audiobook (ACX) Audiobook by Amazon, which connects audiobook narrators with the books to be narrated.
Like the other publishing services you'll find on Amazon - CreateSpace for on-demand books, CDs, and DVDs; and Kindle Direct Publishing for ebooks - ACX simplifies the process of producing an audiobook from start to finish.
If you are an actor or voice actor, you could earn money by working in this market.
Not sure where to start? Here is our guide.
How to start narrating audiobooks
Actor Kris Keppeler has been doing voice-over work for about 10 years. He now makes a full-time living from voice-overs, acting and writing.
About 70% of the voice-over work is audiobook narrative, something he's been doing for four years.
"I started with freelancing and the job offer" Kris explains. “I bid on a short audiobook and I got it, and it went well. When ACX came along, I started auditioning there… It takes a while to find out where my voice fits.”
Based on her experience, Kris shares some tips and caveats for anyone interested in making audiobooks.
Who should narrate audiobooks?
“Audiobooks are one of the easiest things to get into voiceover,” according to Kris.
“And my voice is perfectly suited to audiobook work. Actors are especially tuned for audiobook work, due to the nature of our training. "
This is because actors learn how to portray multiple characters, particularly for fictional fiction. Even for nonfiction, acting can help enliven the narrative and make a book interesting.
Learn the correct technique
Before starting her first gig with ACX, Kris submitted auditions to the platform for over a year.
Why does it take so long to play a concert?
Some of these, Kris says, are just learning how to narrate properly. "I had some coaching that finally got me to the point of doing a good job."
Author Joanna Penn has recorded audio versions of some of her books. If you can't afford the coaching, she offers some beginner tips at Creative Penn to help you get started.
Some tricks to consider:
- If you're new to logging, schedule sessions a few days apart to make sure you have enough energy.
- Try to avoid dairy products before recording. The same goes for foods like peanut butter or anything that clogs your mouth or throat (yeah!).
- Try to modulate your breathing so you don't hold your breath. This has a real effect on stamina.
Find your niche
Once she mastered audiobook reading techniques, Kris says, she had to find her niche.
He used trial and error. She took whatever storytelling job came her way, and listened to customer feedback. When an author liked his voice, he knew it was a good idea.
“With voiceover in general, there are so many different genres… Most people assume that you have certain specialties and some of them just don't fit.”
Once you know your voice and what genres suit it best, she says, jobs come in much quicker.
Only audition for concerts that fit your voice, and the success rate is much higher. You can also search for books by genre.
“I'm becoming a bit of a non-fiction major,” Kris says. "[When it comes to fiction], it's hard to learn how to do the different voices ... Fiction books are heavily based on characters, so you'll have to manage [those] unless you're hired to work with a group, but that's not that common. "
What you need to know before listening
Before you spend months auditioning to set up your first gig, we have a few tips to help you get started.
"You definitely need to work out," warns Kris. “If you listen to audiobooks regularly and enjoy them, this is a good place to start. But you have to have a real desire to do this kind of work, because it's a lot of work.”
How is narrating an audiobook different than just reading a book aloud?
"When you read a book, you're seeing and hearing things in your mind," explains Kris. “When you are narrating that book, what you are seeing and hearing in your mind then you have to vocalize. It is not easy!”
Because an audiobook listener relies entirely on your narrative, painting the right picture (and meeting the author's vision) is vital. It's a stark difference from other voice-over work, such as commercials, where images or video complement the narrative.
But "nonfiction has its own challenge," Kris points out. "Sometimes what you're reading is pretty dry, but you still have to make it interesting."
She says it doesn't matter if a book is interesting to her.
“At this point, whether or not it is, I'm telling it and finding the bits that are interesting to me and putting it in my own voice,” Kris says.
Even if you don't like the topic, you can still enjoy the process of making the book for readers.
The Challenges of Audiobook Storytelling
Audiobooks require hours and hours of editing, making them far more labor-intensive than a lot of other voice-over work.
“What I learned from editing the smaller works went a long way toward making the transition to audiobooks,” says Kris.
So you might consider starting small.
Search online for voice over jobs - you'll find promotional videos in under five minutes or corporate training videos that are 5-15 minutes long.
Even online course videos that require a few hours of voice over are much shorter than most audio books, which are close to 10-15 hours. Hone your skills on smaller jobs and work your way up to the longest projects.
How about haggling technical information to an audio editor? Kris says that for what you're paid, an audiobook isn't usually worth it.
Creative Penn also offers a some editing tips you may not have considered:
- Avoid page turning noises - read from a tablet, Kindle or other electronic device.
- Turn off the wifi connections of all devices and set the airplane mode to avoid static noise. (They may be there, even if you can't hear them).
- Each ACX file must be a single chapter of the book. It's easier to save them as separate files than to shrink them later.
- The ACX technical requirements mean you have to add a few seconds of stanza tone to the beginning and end of the file.
How Much Money Can You Make Reading Audiobooks?
ACX does not set or recommend tariffs for manufacturers to charge.
But he points out that many storytellers are members of the SAG-AFTRA union, which lists minimum rate restrictions.
These guaranteed rates vary by publisher/producer, and ACX says SAG-AFTRA members registering on the platform "can accept no less than $225 per hour worked" for a flat-rate project.
Author Roz Morris tells authors to expect to pay around $200 per finished hour for audiobook narration.
However, Kris says most freelance audiobook jobs will be paid in royalties. As you can imagine, this reduces an author's initial cost – as well as their risk of hiring you.
While ACX can be a good place to find the job, the pay is usually lower, especially when compared to freelance broker sites that aren't dedicated solely to audiobook storytelling.
When you record an audiobook with ACX, you'll have to choose between setting the rate per hour or splitting royalties 50/50 with the rights holder (usually the author or publisher of the book).
If you charge a flat fee, you will be paid upon completion of the book. Royalties are paid monthly based on the previous month's sales.
Mostly, Kris focuses on short books that she can complete quickly. And they're paid a flat rate of about $100 per hour of work, rather than royalties.
“I've done some royalties but only on ACX with short books,” Kris explains.
"I don't want to tie up my time, because you usually [do] very little on the royalty books ... I have four royalty books [on ACX] and about $20 worth of trickle every quarter. "
Whether or not a royalty deal pays off relies heavily on an author's platform, The Creative Penn points out. Look for an author before signing an agreement.
If you're looking for a quick job and aren't into long-term sales, you can work with an author regardless of audience. Set a flat rate and get paid when the job is done.
But if you want to develop a long-term relationship with an author and you've found someone with a sizable audience, you might be better off with the royalty offer.
In the long run, you could earn a lot more in sales royalties. Your working relationship with the author will also be strengthened, because you will be invested in the book's success.
Where to find audiobook work
As with any freelance job, booking a gig directly with the client in your network allows you the most autonomy in setting your rate.
Connecting with a client through a freelance broker like Upwork and Freelancer offers less upfront and usually lower rates than working with someone directly.
Bidding through an exchange site like ACX offers the lowest of both.
"I only go to ACX when I don't have other paying jobs," admits Kris.
ACX also makes it difficult to achieve one of the cornerstones of successful freelance work: repeat customers.
Kris says the platform isn't really set up to connect authors with long-term storytellers. Instead audition for each job. It eliminates a huge opportunity for storytellers to work with an author on a future series or books
Direct connection through a freelance broker provides this opportunity. Kris says that's how she found the author of this series of books on Wicca, who offered (and continues to offer) her work in progress.
What ACX è good, says Kris, it's building your portfolio.
If you're just starting out, the platform gives you an opportunity to hone your chops.
Practice your storytelling and editing skills through auditions and improve from author feedback. Once you do a few gigs, use those as samples to move customers elsewhere.
As audiobooks increase in popularity, Kris is seeing more audiobook work appear on Upwork. Freelancing, she says, tends to be better for voice-over concerts, but not audiobook narration.
Must-Haves Audiobook Narrator
Kris' top tip for anyone doing voice acting is invest in a good microphone and headphones.
At first, he says, "I lost my job because I didn't have a really great pair of headphones, and there was background noise that I wasn't hearing. If you submit something that isn't good enough, they will never hire you again. "
Eventually, he hired a professional to help improve his set-up. She says she wishes she had it done ahead of time instead of tinkering.
A good preamp or audiobook can also help clean up the sound and eliminate background noise. Kris cautions against buying one on the cheap -- it's a tool worth spending money on.
Finally, "You have to have a desire to learn the technical side of it," says Kris. "You can ruin an audiobook with bad edits."
How to get started
ACX offers comprehensive guides and FAQs for authors, storytellers, and publishers, so review them before you get started.
Here is an overview of how it works:
- Create a profile to describe your experience.
- Upload samples to your profile to showcase your various skills: accents, gender, style, etc.
- Determine whether you always want to be paid by hour worked or by royalty arrangements, or if you're open to both.
- Book Search authors/publishers have posted and recorded a few minutes of the manuscript for auditioning for the concert.
- When you're chosen by the author/editor, they'll send you an offer. To accept the job, accept the offer. This should all be done via ACX (not over the phone or email) to ensure the terms of the agreement are recorded.
- Record and edit a 15-minute sample for feedback before recording and editing the full project. They will also have the right to approve or request changes after submitting the completed design.
- You will be paid a flat fee upon project completion and approval, or monthly royalty payments based on book sales.
If you're just starting out in voice over work, try browsing Upwork for smaller projects you can use to find your voice, develop your technical skills, and grow your portfolio.
Or reach out to your network and get creative to find freelance gigs on your own.
Your Turn: Did You Make Money Telling Audiobooks? What tips can you add?
Dana Sitar (@danasitar) is a writer at The Penny Hoarder. She has written for the Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, Writer's Digest and more.
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