As the popularity of this medium continues to rise, now's the best time to start making Audiobooks.
Once you've written your book’s manuscript, you'll want to think about getting it published. There are so many different ways to do this, but have you thought about making it an audiobook?
Audiobooks are an increasingly popular way for people to consume information and narrative fiction, on the go. They allow readers to enjoy your work in a new way and opportunities to consume a book when readers usually wouldn’t be able to. Audiobooks have continued to generate more and more sales in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has even played its part in boosting this marketplace. So, take advantage of this and increase your sales by preparing your book to be sold as an audio version.
How do you do this? It's not as hard as it may seem. Here's how to make an audiobook and take advantage of this growing market.
Find your voice: Work with Voquent and find the ideal narrator for your audiobook
Should You Make an Audiobook?
This is the first question many writers will ask themselves, and you'll be surprised at how many people think their work wouldn't translate into audio. In most cases, you can absolutely sell that book in an audio format.
There are some types of books that may not create the best audiobooks. Mainly, this list includes work that heavily features images, such as cookbooks and travel guides. Overall, your book only has written words, the audiobook version is simply a new way to consume that same content.
Providing options can increase sales. Customers can buy the physical book outright or listen to it through a subscription model such as Audible. Either way, you'll then be making more sales than through traditional book sales alone.
When it comes to ‘how to make an audiobook?’, the answer is narration.
Narrating Your Book
When planning the project, one of the first things you'll want to think about is – who will narrate it? You can either tell the story yourself or hire a narrator.
If you're writing a more personal book, such as a memoir, or any non-fiction, then you could well record the audiobook with your own voice. If you specialise in a niche topic discussed in the book, it will lend a more personal touch and a strong sense of authority. Suppose you are writing fiction or you are not confident in your voice representing the work. In that case, you’ll typically want to hire an experienced and professional narrator to handle the reading for you.
The quality of a professional audiobook narration is crucial. Your manuscript may be exceptionally well-written, but if the narration is difficult to understand or if it sounds boring, listeners won’t enjoy your quality writing.
Narrating Your Own Audiobook
Many writers narrate their own books, but you'll need to make some preparations before you get started.
Get the right equipment:
First, the sound needs to be high-quality, as it's a paid product. That means if you don't have any essential recording equipment, you'll need to get some or hire a studio in which to record. Otherwise, you’ll risk having detrimental sound quality – an audiobook killer.
Get the manuscript ready:
The manuscript will be read during recording, so prepare it in advance. Use a large, double-spaced font, and print it out ahead of time. You can also put the pages in a document holder, so they don't make much noise when you turn them. Alternatively, you can also use an iPad or tablet to reduce this sound further.
Get recording:
Once you have the equipment you need, you can begin the recording process. It is essential first to determine which platform your audiobook will be sold on. This way you can record it correctly. Different platforms will require different file types and they will put your recording through a quality control test to determine if it sounds good enough. We advise that you research the platforms first and put in the time to get up to speed with the whole process. This will limit potential problems down the line, and this includes editing.
Hiring A Narrator
Many writers out there will be happier having someone else handle the narration for them. Leaving it up to the experts will almost always create a better product. You’ll need to take some critical steps to get the results you want.
Prepare your manuscript:
If you have sourced the talent yourself, send a sample of the writing to your potential narrators so they can audition. This will give you options. Auditions should only be a small excerpt from the book. Go through the work, and edit out anything that isn't plain text. Only the material that the narrator needs should remain.
Narration services:
Professional quality makes a professional product. The good news is that narration services allow you to find the right narrator or specialist to lend their voice to your book. This will save a lot of time and energy trying to cast the narrator yourself. Voquent has voice talent that works with any genre, medium, and topic. So, you can always find the right talent, whatever your project may be. The best part? You can listen to voice Demos on our extensive audio library and choose the best voice for your project based on the vocal attributes you need.
Agree on a rate:
Once you find a narrator or narration service, you'll need to agree on a rate. Some narrators and services will have you pay fixed rates, while others give the narrator a cut of royalties. A full buyout is another option for your narrator. Decide on what would be best for you and that you don't go over budget when casting.
Discover Voquent's rates here.
Once the book is narrated, it's ready to be edited and sold. This step requires a lot of editing know-how, from reducing the background noise to removing any embarrassing blunders, and professional narration services can lend a hand here too.
We hope this blog has explained how to make an audiobook when it comes to narration. You can reach a much wider audience when you make an audiobook, especially when you record your work in multiple languages. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today and take the world by storm.
Listen to Audiobook Narrators
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