You can register for an ACX account as an author or publisher and upload your book for free. You can then choose to narrate the book yourself or look for one on the ACX marketplace. You can decide on the price and distribution choices once the audiobook has been created. A 40% royalty on sales or a 50/50 royalty split with the narrator are the two royalty options offered by ACX. Furthermore, you have the option of exclusive or non-exclusive distribution. The former offers larger royalties in exchange for exclusivity on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes.
However, narrators can register for an ACX profile and submit an audition for any of the platform’s audiobook projects. If they are chosen by the writer or publisher, they will be able to decide on the conditions and compensation, which is typically a combination of a flat fee and/or sales royalties.
The number of audiobooks that are sold varies widely depending on the genre, audience, and marketing. However, a study by Written Word Media found that each title sells an average of about 2,500 audiobooks annually. Although this figure is far smaller than the average number of print or ebook books sold, it’s crucial to remember that the market for audiobooks is expanding and saw a 37.1% growth in income from 2017 to 2018. Where Do People Typically Purchase Audiobooks?
The majority of audiobook customers (71.5%), according to the same Written Word Media survey, buy their audiobooks through Audible, followed by iTunes (9.8%) and Amazon (8.1%). This makes sense given that Audible is the top seller of audiobooks and provides a subscription service through which customers may access a wide variety of audiobooks for a set monthly charge.
If an author has a loyal fanbase or a book that works well in the audio format, audiobooks can be a lucrative addition to their income. However, it’s crucial to take into account both the possible return on investment and the production costs, which can range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the length and complexity of the book. Authors may need to spend money on expert narration and editing services because producing an audiobook takes a different set of abilities and tools than writing does.
To sum up, ACX offers a reliable platform for writers, publishers, and narrators to produce and distribute audiobooks on major online stores. Creating a top-notch audiobook and reaching the correct audience with it are crucial to succeeding with ACX. The average number of audiobooks sold per title may be lower than for other forms, but due to the growing popularity of audiobooks and the possibility of royalties, many authors find it to be a good investment.