If turning your catalog into audiobooks is on your "someday" list, you could be missing out on big money and a lot of new fans. Audiobooks aren't just a nice addition to your professional bookshelf, they're a book marketing strategy that will allow you a way to break into an entirely new market with potentially thousands of new readers who'll start following your work. Here are six of the best reasons why you should start creating audiobooks now.
The Size of the Industry
The audiobook industry is growing, and sales are now well over $1 billion a year. The ability to download books has exploded audiobooks in the same way the ebooks have increased the traditional book industry.
The Type of Fans
Most audiobook buyers are dedicated reading fans, known as book mavens. They read at least one book a week and have hundreds of volumes in their ebook reader or to-be-read lists. Audiobooks are perfect for these book mavens, because this technology gives them the opportunity to read where they couldn't before: while commuting, in the gym or while doing crafts or cooking at home. These additional hours of book please equal additional dollars in authors' pockets.
The Ricochet Effect
Audiobook buyers tend to buy paper copies of the same book to have on their shelf, to underline and to share with friends. Those particular fans who like to reread books especially like to do so with paper books or ebooks.
The Reach to Non-Readers
Believe it or not, there are actually people who brag about the fact that they never read books. They'll watch television or movies, so they're not opposed to fiction, but they swear they hate to read. The funny thing is, these non-readers will often spend hours each day listening to audiobooks. This is an entirely new customer base filled with millions of people who might otherwise never have heard of your books. Can you afford to pass up that big of an audience, when they're waiting to hear great new stories?
The Increased Visibility
There are millions of books on Amazon, and comparable numbers on Nook, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers. Audible, on the other hand, only has a few hundred thousand audiobooks available. For those customers looking for a new romance novel or science fiction story, where are they more likely to find your work? Put your books where the new customers can find them and you can find yourself with fans going through your entire back catalog.
The Simplicity
Once you've written and published your book, it takes very little additional work to turn it into an audiobook. You'll need to have your cover artist turn your book cover into an audiobook cover, and you'll have to find a narrator to record your book. Most book covers can be converted in less than an hour, and ACX, the author's funnel into Audible, has streamlined the process for narration into a simple production. Most of the work is done behind the scenes; all you really need to do is approve it once you like what you see and hear. We have agreat service called 1-Hour Audio if you are on a tighter budget!
Keep the Faith and May the Force be with You!