“Where can I find Free Audio and Audible books?”

If you Google or use Ahrefs to research and learn more about the audiobook market and audiobook distribution, this is what is most searched…

“Where can I find free audio and audible books?”

Crazy, huh?

Audiobooks, via self-publishing, are growing in popularity.

However, are you a self-published author thinking about recording an audiobook? And if so, do you realize all the time it takes and the costs associated?

My two nonfiction books are distributed on ACX which feeds to Audible/Amazon. ACX is the world’s largest producer and distributor of audiobooks, connecting authors with narrators and producers to make their books available on Audible, Apple Books, Amazon, and more.

But there are other platforms and options too.

I had recently heard about Libro.fm from working with independent bookstores.

At first, I was excited to hear about another platform option to host my two nonfiction audiobooks- Confidence Mastery for Couples and Life & Love Lessons. However, when I started to dig in and learn how to load it to the Libro.fm platform, which is through Authors Central, it was going to take a lot of work!

Time Management and Audiobook Distribution Networks

I was going to convert every file to their accepted format. And each chapter and section is a separate file that would need to be converted using Audacity— another platform. This could take hours to do especially considering both books. I don’t have time for this.

And…

I have no concept of how much money I would make for putting my audiobooks on these platforms. I do not have insight, at least at this point, to the royalty rates these distribution services give.

With ACX and Audible, self-published authors do not have any control over much they charge for your audiobooks.

Surprised?

Yes, most people have no concept about this channel of distribution. I didn’t know that I couldn’t set the price of my nonfiction audiobooks.

Do coaches know about the audiobook market?

I have worked with many nonfiction writing and indie book writing coaches along with courses and a plethora of YouTube videos and didn’t know we have control over the pricing. I learned this when I went to load it onto ACX and the associate helping load the books informed me.

Wow! what an eye-opening experience.

I have no control over the retail of my audiobooks! Geez.

Further, once you load your books to Authors Central, similar to Ingram Press, your content can show up in many places and on many platforms.

Subscription Models And Upfront Fees

I subscribe to Scribd, which is $9.99 a month with no additional content fees. You can read and listen to as many fiction and nonfiction books as you want.

I discovered, both of my eBooks are on Scribd and I didn’t put release them on the platform. So Ingram must feed content to Scribd. How am I getting paid? Honestly, I have no idea how my eBooks ended up on Scribd.

So with the same learning and thought process about Scribd and my eBooks, I decided to pass on loading my two audiobooks aka the audio files to Authors Central.

Will I change my mind someday about distributing my audiobooks? Maybe…we shall see!

But for now, my audiobooks are in Audible and I am using my time for other projects vs. trying to expand my footprint in the audiobook market.

Looking for more information on selling audiobooks, distribution, royalties, and audiobook platforms?

Crush It In Sales Podcast- Episodes 127 and 130.

Article on Medium.com:

https://medium.com/beyond-basic/top-lessons-i-learned-from-recording-my-audio-books-8f2050774488