One of my goals this year is to release my non-fiction books on writing in audiobook editions.
I created and released my Awakening Series through ACX, an Amazon-related company. I used the royalty-share option, which means all four books are exclusive to ACX for 7 years, and I split a 40% royalty for each book with the narrator/producer.
Now I feel less sure about committing to 7 years with my audiobooks distributed only through ACX.
Audiobooks are growing in popularity due in part to how many people now have devices like the Amazon Echo that will play audiobooks at home. Also, more vehicles now incorporate technology that will play books and other content.
These changes mean more potential income from audiobooks, so I see a greater possible downside to an exclusive deal.
Below is what I learned based on reviewing the websites of three companies:
A few things to keep in mind (a/k/a disclaimers):
- I’ve only worked through ACX before, and I have no direct experience with the other two.
- You should read the sites and information yourself, as I’m not perfect (though I wish I were!). Also, I’ve focused on what’s most relevant to me. You may have other interests or concerns.
- The narrator typically produces the audiobook. When I refer to “narrator” below, I mean a narrator/producer.
- When I refer to “author” below, I’m assuming you as the author hold the rights to your own book. Most of the information below technically refers to the “rights holder,” not the author.
Producing/Creating The Audiobook
Author’s Republic is a distributor, so it helps you distribute an audiobook that’s already produced.
But if you don’t already have a finished audiobook, and most of us don’t, its website offers a lot of information on how to produce an audiobook, as well as resources to find producers and narrators.
Author’s Republic’s website indicates it accepts audiobook submissions from authors and publishers in all countries.
Findaway Voices will help you produce your audiobook.
You can work with a narrator you suggest, if the narrator is willing, or Findaway Voices will help you find a narrator. Findaway Voices is also available to authors and publishers in all countries.
ACX provides an exchange through which you can find a narrator. The narrator produces and uploads the audio.
Note, however, that on one of its help pages, ACX indicates it is only “currently open to residents of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Ireland who have a mailing address, valid local Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), and banking details for” one of those countries.
Paying For Your Audiobook Production
There are three ways to pay a producer/narrator to create your audiobook:
- Paying the narrator up front
- Sharing royalties when the book sells, or
- A hybrid deal of the first two options
Because Author’s Republic is a distributor, the cost will depend upon what deal you work out with your narrator or producer.
If you pay up front rather than by sharing royalties, you typically pay a narrator per finished hour of the audiobook. 9,000 words of text usually comes out to one hour of finished audio. (For more on costs generally see The Cost To Create An Audiobook Edition Of Your Book.)
If you produce and narrate yourself, you obviously won’t need to pay a narrator, but you will need to pay for recording time and expertise if you don’t have your own studio and lack production skills.
When working through Findaway Voices, the author pays the narrator/producer up front per finished hour.
Findaway Voices says the range is typically $150-$400 per finished hour of audio.
Further, according to the site, “Findaway Voices charges a $49.00 fee to cover project management and ongoing administration.”
On ACX, you can pay your narrator through a royalty share, by paying up front per finished hour, or through a hybrid of the two.
ACX also offers narrators (not authors) a stipend–an additional payment above the royalty share–to produce certain books. Presumably these audiobooks are ones that ACX believes will sell well enough to earn back the stipend and then some.
How You Earn Money
The Author’s Republic website says the author receives 70% of what the “audiobook earns across over 30 channels, including all major distributors such as Audible, Audiobooks.com, and iTunes.”
My understanding of this term as to Audible, for instance, is you as the author would get 70% of whatever Audible would pay the author. So if on an Audible book created through ACX you’d get 25% of the retail price for a non-exclusive deal, you’d be getting 70% of that 25%.
Through Findaway Voices, the author keeps “80% of all royalties Findaway Voices receives, which varies by distribution partner, channel, and business model.”
Findaway Voices indicates royalties from its partners vary, but are usually within the range of 25% to 50% of the list prices.
Through ACX, if you (1) do a royalty-share deal with your narrator and (2) your audiobook is exclusively distributed through ACX, you’ll be paid 20% of the retail price (another 20% goes to the narrator).
If you (1) paid the producer up front and (2) your audiobook is exclusively distributed through ACX, you earn 40% of the retail sales price.
If you (1) paid the producer up front and (2) your deal is non-exclusive, meaning other companies can distribute your audiobook, you earn 25% of the retail sales price.
ACX also offers a $50 bounty (to be split with the narrator if you have a royalty-share deal) if yours is first audiobook an Audible Listener purchases.
Who Sets The Retail Price
For Author’s Republic and Findaway Voices the author sets the retail price (though there’s no guarantee all distributors will agree to sell the book if you set the price too low or too high).
Being able to set your own price can be an advantage because if you have control, you can run and promote sales or adjust your regular price based on the length of the book or how well it’s selling (or not).
On ACX, ACX sets the price, and that price may vary over time depending upon several factors, including whether the buyer already owns your ebook and whether the book is bought with an Audible credit.
Exclusivity
If your audiobook is exclusive, it means you can only distribute it through that company.
Author’s Republic: No exclusivity requirement.
Findaway Voices: No exclusivity requirement.
ACX: Your choice.
If you do an exclusive deal with ACX, right now you’ll earn 40% (split with the narrator if you do a royalty share deal).
If you choose a non-exclusive deal, you’ll earn 25% (but will need to pay your narrator up front).
If you have an exclusive deal, you agree that for 7 years your audiobook will only be distributed through Audible. (If non-exclusive, you still need to keep the book on Audible for 7 years, but you can distribute it through other companies.)
Distribution
Author’s Republic states it allows you to sell “your audiobook through over 30 major retailers, library providers and distributors, with new channels added monthly.”
According to its website, Findaway Voices has “the world’s largest distribution network — reaching customers in more than 170 countries.”
ACX distributes through Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
It’ll be fascinating to see how the audiobook world changes over the next few years. At the moment, I’m leaning toward using ACX again but choosing a non-exclusive deal. While that means paying a narrator up front and potentially earning less, I like the flexibility to try distributing through additional channels.
If you have experience with any of the audiobook companies, please share in the comments.
Until next Friday, when I’ll write about Using Discovery To Make Your Novel More Layered (And To Write It Faster)—
L.M. Lilly
P.S. Producer/narrator Shiromi Arserio (who narrated Books 2-4 in my Awakening Series) tells me Spoken Realms is another audiobook production option. I have not yet had a chance to research that company, but it’s another one you can check out, particularly if you live in a country where ACX is not an option.
Great comparison article, Lisa! Thanks for putting it together.
So glad you found it helpful! It took a while to pull together the info for myself, and I hoped by sharing I could save others a bit of time.