Today I’m starting a campaign for my audio book. It’s called the “Drive to 25” and it will run until November.
Producing an audio book requires an immense amount of work. To begin, I read each chapter before I record. That takes about 20-30 minutes unless I have corrections to make. Then it might take longer.
Next, I have to record each chapter. My chapters range between 2000 and 4000 words, and counting mistakes and re-reads, it takes me anywhere from 40-70 minutes to read a chapter into a microphone.
After that, I have to edit each chapter. I am very particular about the editing process because Audible has such high standards for audio books. Every time I breathe in, sign, smack my lips, or swallow, the microphone picks up that sound. I have to manually remove that sound from the raw file. It takes me anywhere from one to two hours per chapter, and sometimes more.
The last step is the mastering. It’s a for step process that essentially gets the file ready to play on any device. It isn’t hard, but it is time-consuming. Each chapter can take 15-20 minutes to do.
I estimate it took me 70-75 hours to produce my first audio book. I get $4 per copy sold, and so far, I’ve sold 18 copies. That’s $72 pre-taxes, or around $1 per hour of work. To be truthful, that’s not worth the effort. That’s 70+ hours that could have been spent writing or revising rather than recording and mastering.
That doesn’t mean I’m abandoning my audio book program, though. Several of the 18 souls who purchased my audio book have contacted and told me how much they loved it. I know it means a lot to them, and it would also mean a lot to anyone who listens to it.
I think audio books are fantastic. They've changed the way people consume literature, and anything that helps people consume more books is great with me. In fact, if you haven't tried an audio book before, check out these advantages it has:
- You can listen to it on your commute to work or school
- You can do your chores around the house while listening to a great story
- You get to hear the voice inflections and emphasis which add a whole new level of immersion
- All the pronunciations of names and terms are perfect, you don't have to wonder
- If you're visually impaired, you can still enjoy great books like everyone else
- Audio books are great listening just before bedtime, I'm even told I have a soothing voice
And that's just scratching the surface of why audio books are so popular. So what I want to do is to make recording my audio book to be worth my time. I want to get to 25 copies of my audio book sold by November. That’s what it would take for me to feel good about doing it. I just need to sell 7 more copies. This is what the Drive to 25 is all about.
And that’s where you come in. I have only a limited reach in social media and word of mouth. I need help. Your help! So if you could, please share this post and tell your friends and family about my audio book.
My audio book is available on Audible HERE or on iTunes HERE or on Amazon HERE.
If you do not have an Audible account, you can sign up for one HERE.
When November rolls around, I will be giving away one signed postermap of the setting for my book, Celandine Valley, to one random person who helps me promote the Drive to 25 campaign. It’s a sweet poster in full detail of all the sights and locals my characters visit. I have one myself, and I love it!
So let’s work together to reach this goal! As always, I’m appreciative of all the support and encouragement I get. You guys keep me strong!
Peace,
-Troy
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