Ways How To Sell Audiobooks Online will be described in this article. Would you like to discover how to sell audiobooks online? We have your back. There is currently a huge increase in audiobooks. Although physical book sales may be declining, audiobook sales are increasing. By producing your own audiobook and selling it on your website or through online stores like Amazon, you may profit from the rising popularity of audiobooks.
How To Sell Audiobooks Online The Beginner’s Guide
This article has a thorough beginner’s tutorial that will take you step by step through the whole process of selling audiobooks online, from market research to recording the audio to putting it up for sale and beyond.
Additionally, we’ll give you access to several effective web marketing tactics that you may utilize to quickly increase your audiobook’s sales.
Ready? Let’s get going!
Why sell audiobooks online?
One of the best digital goods you can offer online is audiobooks. This is why:
low market saturation. Because of the saturation of the print and ebook markets, indie authors have a difficult time competing. However, there is still a sizable untapped market for audiobooks, making them a fantastic option for debut authors looking to establish a reputation for themselves.
length of the market. Over the past several years, audiobooks have become more and more popular, and it’s probable that this trend will stay for a very long time. And there will probably always be a big market for audiobooks, unlike other product categories that may come and go.
high potential for income. The beautiful thing about selling audiobooks is that there are virtually no limits to how much money can be made from them. Many authors of audiobooks are pleased with a meager passive income. You never know, though. You may make millions of dollars if you manage to create a bestseller that really takes off.
No production expenses. In contrast to actual goods, once you’ve produced an audiobook, you may sell it as many times as you desire without incurring additional production costs. Additionally, you don’t have to keep any physical stock, which lowers your costs.
How to create your audiobook
Making an audiobook is the first step towards selling it. You can skip this part if you’ve already recorded your audiobook. If not, however, keep reading and we’ll show you how.
Research the market
Make sure you have a sound business plan in place before spending time and money on the audiobook recording process. And comprehensive market research is the foundation of all successful plans. This is another way of How To Sell Audiobooks Online.
That could entail looking through the top-selling audiobooks on Audible or researching your rivals to learn how they are approaching marketing campaigns.
During the research phase, you should think about issues like:
- What categories of audiobooks are most popular?
- What categories of audiobooks are least crowded?
- Is there room for me to earn sales in this market?
- How can I set my audiobook apart from the rest?
- Whom do I want to read this?
- What do readers of the genre I’m aiming for anticipate from an audiobook? (For instance, what tone or style of storytelling do they favor?)
- What aspects do audiobook listeners take into account when choosing a book? (for instance, a summary, cover art, etc.)?
- Where do people usually purchase audiobooks? such as Google Play, iTunes, and Amazon
- How much should my audiobook cost? (And what do my rivals charge for their goods?)
- How ought I to promote my audiobook?
After conducting your study, you need to have a solid notion of the type of audiobook you want to market and the strategy you’ll use to increase sales.
Choose a book (or write Your own)
The book you want to turn into an audiobook must be chosen next.
Here, you have two choices:
You could author your own book.
Use a book written by someone else in its place.
The latter method can work if you’re not much of a writer or you simply don’t want to spend months producing a book from scratch—but there are some things to be aware of.
You can’t simply convert any book into an audiobook and start selling it, to start with.
You must acquire the audio rights to the work, which typically entails contracting with the publisher or author and arranging some form of royalties agreement.
Joining ACX or a comparable site as a Narrator is one method to do this. Next, look for books you want to have read aloud to you, and submit a few recorded minutes of the manuscript for an audition.
Join ACX as a narrator.
You can negotiate a deal if the author or publisher sends you an offer and is interested in working with you. For instance, in exchange for the creation of an audiobook, you can receive 50% of the royalties.
A PLR ebook (Private Label Rights) can also be bought via an online retailer like the PLR shop. Although you should always read the fine print before you buy to be sure, PLR ebook licenses often include resale rights that allow you to convert the book into an audiobook and sell it through your own store.
Get an ebook with Private Label Rights.
Only for books that are already in the public domain do you not need to secure audio rights. A book’s copyright expires when it reaches the public domain, allowing anybody to freely creatively remake it for any purpose, including creating an audiobook.
Public domain books as of the time of writing include any book released before 1927 (although you should definitely do your own investigation to be sure). It’s also important to note that every year, a large number of books become part of the public domain, which means that fresh chances are continually emerging. This is another way of How To Sell Audiobooks Online.
The Great Gatsby, for instance, becomes part of the public domain in 2021. Additionally, there are numerous audio narrations of it available online.
Keep in mind that some genres are more suited to audiobooks than others if you decide to compose your own book.
Cookbooks or DIY books can’t truly be converted into audiobooks, for instance. We advise staying with well-liked categories like crime, science fiction, YA novels, etc.
Writing your own book has another benefit in that you may sell ebooks online in addition to audiobooks, expanding your target audience.
See our list of the top ebook selling platforms if you choose to take this path.
Please keep in mind that I’m not a lawyer. Even if we have already covered several copyright-related topics, you should still conduct your own research. I am unable to offer legal counsel. Consult a attorney if you have any questions.
Record your audiobook
- After deciding on a book, you may begin creating your audiobook.
- Once more, you have two choices:
- Create the audiobook by recording it yourself.
- Employ a qualified narrator
- Both approaches have advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll discuss next.
Hiring a professional narrator
When it comes to audiobooks, the narration’s caliber is crucial.
The audience is drawn in by your narrator’s voice, and as a result, they get totally absorbed in the narrative. It gives your characters life, establishes a sense of place, and arouses feelings.
Therefore, picking the appropriate voice for your novel is crucial. A professional narrator will typically perform this task more skillfully than you could.
The best option is to use ACX if you decide to hire a professional narrator for the job. You can register as a Rights Holder and invite producers to audition as long as you have the audio rights to your book.
Then, when you locate a narrator you want to collaborate with, discuss a deal with them.
Each project will have a different cost associated with narration and production. If you choose to pay a flat charge, budget between $200 and $400 for each completed hour. Depending on how long the book is, that should come to somewhere between $1,000 and $3,000.
Alternately, if you don’t want to make so much of an initial investment, you can decide to give your narrator a royalty share. The money is divided between audiobook publishers (narrators) and rights holders via royalty share agreements.
There are other places to look for a narrator besides ACX. Additionally, you can discover narrators on freelance job sites like Upwork or Fiverr as well as voice actor directories like Bodalgo and Voiceovers.com. But keep in mind that the applicants on these platforms range widely in quality.
Recording it yourself
You won’t have to pay royalties to anyone else or divide them with them if you record your audiobook yourself. Additionally, you have complete creative flexibility when it comes to tempo, articulation, and other aspects of the narrative.
The end product might not sound as fantastic as it would if you hired a pro, which is one of the drawbacks.
As you’ll need to buy some professional recording equipment (your iPhone mic won’t do), there are also some significant initial fees involved.
The Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 combo comes highly recommended. Everything you require is included, and it is fairly priced. This includes an audio interface, a high-quality condenser microphone, a pop filter, a set of reputable headphones, a mic stand, wires, and other accessories.
Scarlett 2i2 Studio Package from Focusrite
Once you have everything you need, look for a peaceful location to record. Undoubtedly, the best setting would be a professional recording studio. To reduce echo and annoying background noise when recording at home, attempt to locate a room with decent acoustics.
Before you start, it’s a good picture to study up on basic audio narrating best practices. In order to help with characterization and developing the tone, you’ll need to consider things like tempo and use your voice creatively.
Additionally, you must control your breathing, place your lips properly (six to twelve inches from the microphone), and perform a sound check before each performance.
Try not to record everything in a single take. Divide it into digestible chunks and record it gradually. During the editing stage, you’ll put everything together and tidy it up.
Keep in mind that your audiobook must adhere to a number of very strict requirements in order to be included on ACX or Audible. Before attempting to create an audiobook on your own, make sure you are familiar with these. This is another way of How To Sell Audiobooks Online.
Edit your audiobook.
The next step is to edit your recordings.
You’ll need a DAW (digital audio workstation) or audio editing software for this. A few possibilities to consider are Reaper, Audacity, and Ableton Live.
Open your recordings in the software after you have it to clean them up. There are many steps involved in editing, but some of them include taking out breathing noises, background noise, and mic pops; leveling out the volume; adding vocal filters and EQ; adding credits; and so on.
After that, save it in the proper format. You must make a separate file for each chapter if you intend to sell your audiobooks via Audible/ACX.
You ought to be almost ready to start selling at this stage. The last step is to get your cover art ready, create a description, and prepare any additional materials you’ll need to market your audiobook for sale.
How to sell audiobooks on your website
Owning a website is the greatest way to sell audiobooks online.
That’s because you get to retain all of your income when you sell through your own online audiobook store.
In contrast, the audiobook distributors typically take a sizable chunk of your sales revenue in royalties or other fees when you sell through a third-party marketplace like Audible or iTunes.
Having your own online store also allows you more control over the sales process. You are free to establish your own prices, use your own sales funnels, and create the website and product pages you desire. Additionally, you have the choice to later monetize your website in additional ways.
Furthermore, starting your own online store is simple. This is the procedure.
Step 1: Sign up for Sellfy
You (and other producers who sell digital goods like audiobooks) can use the e-commerce site Sellfy.
Homepage for Sellfy
It is very cost-effective, has no transaction fees, and is very simple to use. Additionally, it offers some cool features like built-in print-on-demand fulfillment and limitless storage and bandwidth. This is another way of How To Sell Audiobooks Online.
Visit Sellfy.com and select a plan to sign up. When you’re ready, you can upgrade to a premium plan (we suggest the Starter plan) after completing the 14-day free trial.
After that, log in and follow the setup process. When you select to build a new Sellfy storefront, your dashboard will open.
Step 2: Upload your audiobook
Go to the Products part of your dashboard, click Digital product > Add new product, and then upload your audiobook.
Add a new product to Sellfy
Once you’ve added your synopsis and cover art, select a pricing (we’d suggest between $10 and $25, but it depends on the length of your book and your business plan), then click Save product.
Your audiobook’s own product page in your store is now active. However, before you can begin accepting payments, you must link a payment processor (such as PayPal or Stripe). You may do this from the Store settings area.
Additionally, we advise adding a custom domain name. Any registrar, such as GoDaddy, allows you to buy domain names. You can choose the domain name you want to use, although if you’re the author, we’d advise sticking with the name of your book or series.
Step 3: Customize your storefront
By selecting a theme from Sellfy’s theme collection, you can alter how your store appears. Once more, you may accomplish this via the Store settings tab.
Setting up a store on Sellfy
Alternately, you can launch the Store Customizer and start from beginning to build your own special design.
You might want to alter some other variables in addition to the style, such as the embed choices and email integration.
When everything is configured the way you want it, you can begin promoting your website and generating revenue. Soon, we’ll go through various methods you can employ to increase traffic.
How to sell audiobooks on marketplaces
The main issue with selling audiobooks on your own website is that it can be difficult to generate sales if you don’t already have a clientele or audience to market to.
Because of this, the majority of audiobook publishers decide to also sell their books on well-known online marketplaces and stores. By doing so, you can increase your consumer base and diversify your sources of income.
Audible, Amazon, and iTunes are the three most significant online book stores. These platforms account for the vast bulk of audiobook sales when taken as a whole.
ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) is the simplest way to list your audiobooks on various platforms.
In essence, this is a distribution service that publishes your work for you on all the top audiobook markets and then pays you royalties on your monthly sales. In return, they take a sizable portion of your sales proceeds.
Whether you grant exclusive or non-exclusive distribution rights will affect the amount of royalties you receive from ACX.
If you give exclusive distribution rights, you won’t be able to sell your audiobook anywhere else (including on your own website), but you will still receive 40% of the royalties from sales on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
You will only receive 25% of the proceeds from sales on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes if you offer non-exclusive distribution rights, but you can still distribute your work elsewhere.
Distribution that is not exclusive is advised. In this manner, you can still contact customers through well-known marketplaces while selling on your own website and keeping 100% of the income generated through that channel. The best of both worlds are present.
Marketing your audiobooks
You shouldn’t expect to generate money by simply placing your audiobook up for sale. To increase sales, it’s crucial to focus on its promotion. You can employ the following marketing techniques:
marketing using influencers. Give away free audiobooks to well-known opinion leaders in your industry, such as bloggers and YouTube book reviewers. If you’re fortunate, they may pay attention and suggest it to their audience, which may aid in boosting your sales.
Time-limited promotions. To create one-time deals and discount codes, use Sellfy’s discount tool. To increase your fan base, you could even offer the first book in a series of audiobooks for free. Once you’ve captured listeners’ interest, you may charge for the subsequent volumes. This is another way of How To Sell Audiobooks Online.
Post videos on YouTube. Your audiobook’s first few chapters should be uploaded to YouTube with a great image and search engine optimization. Once users are interested, provide a CTA and a link to your online store in the description so they may click it and buy the complete edition.
Email promotion. With the help of Sellfy’s robust built-in email marketing capabilities, you can gather leads and nurture them over the course of automated email campaigns. This could aid in increasing the number of website visitors who become paying clients. But keep in mind that specific email marketing software will provide more features.
paid advertisements. You may want to think about launching a paid advertising campaign using Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc. if you’re willing to put money into your success. You typically pay per click when running paid ad campaigns, so it’s critical to maximize your return on investment (ROI) by converting-optimizing your website and audiobook listings.
Final thoughts
This completes our overview of how to sell audiobooks online for beginners. You should now be equipped with all the knowledge necessary to start your online business.
Keep in mind that the caliber of the narration and the story will have the biggest impact on how successful your audiobook is. The rest will be simple if you concentrate on producing a fantastic product that people will want to listen to.
After reading this, you can always try selling other digital products instead, such as PDFs or other audio files, if you feel like selling audiobooks is a little too much labor.