Rising Popularity of Audiobook Listening

It’s undeniable that audiobooks have experienced a meteoric rise in popularity. Statistics reveal a steady increase in audiobook listenership, making them a vital component of the publishing industry. Over the past few years, the success of platforms like Audible has made it clear that audiobooks are a worthwhile investment. This surge is not just a fleeting trend but a clear indication of changing consumer preferences, with more individuals turning to audiobooks for their literary indulgence. 

Accessibility and Convenience

Furthermore, audiobooks shine in their accessibility and convenience. They perfectly cater to today’s fast-moving lifestyles, allowing listeners to enjoy books while commuting, exercising, or performing daily tasks. This feature is especially beneficial for those with visual impairments or reading difficulties, as it provides an alternative way to access literature. By embracing audiobooks, you ensure that your work is accessible to a wider, more diverse audience.

Expanding Market Reach

Additionally, delving into this market can open doors to an entirely new audience. While some readers prefer traditional print or ebooks, others lean towards audio formats. Audio formats offer a more personal experience with the story and can offer unique opportunities to connect with readers. By offering your book as an audiobook, you have the ability to tap into this growing segment, increasing your work’s visibility and potential impact. It’s a strategic move to ensure your message resonates across different platforms and preferences.

Technological Advancements

Lastly, technological advancements have significantly lowered the barriers to entry in the audiobook market. Modern tools and platforms make the production and distribution of audiobooks more accessible than ever. 

Artificial Intelligence (AI): Advances in AI technology have made it possible to use synthetic voices for audiobook narration. These AI narrators are becoming increasingly sophisticated, offering a range of voices, accents, and inflections. This technology reduces production costs and time, making the production of audiobooks more accessible for authors and publishers.

Smartphone Apps and Integration: The proliferation of smartphones has led to a surge in specialized audiobook apps. These apps offer features like adjustable playback speed, sleep timers, and easy integration with car and home audio systems. Additionally, smartphone voice assistants can now seamlessly play audiobooks, making them more integrated into daily life.

Voice-Activated Smart Speakers: Devices like Amazon Echo and Google Home have made consuming audiobooks more convenient. Users can start, stop, and control their audiobooks with simple voice commands. This hands-free approach appeals to multitaskers who listen to audiobooks while engaging in other activities.

Embrace Audio Technology

In 2024, incorporating audiobooks into your publishing strategy is more than a wise decision; it’s a forward-thinking move to stay relevant and connected with your audience. This technology is not just about following a trend; it represents a dynamic shift in how content is consumed and appreciated.

As you forge ahead in your authorship or entrepreneurial journey, consider the power of audiobooks. They are an incredible tool for expanding your reach and ensuring your voice is heard in every corner of the digital world. Start exploring the audiobook landscape today and open up a world of unlimited possibilities for your brand and story.

FAQ

1: How does an audiobook benefit authors in terms of royalties and revenue?

Answer: Audiobooks can be a lucrative revenue stream for authors. They offer an additional product for fans to purchase, which can lead to increased overall earnings. Royalty rates for audiobooks vary depending on the platform and distribution method, but they often present a favorable percentage compared to traditional print publishing. Authors can also reach new audiences who prefer audio over text, potentially increasing sales.

2: Can audiobooks enhance the reader’s experience in ways that traditional books can’t?

Answer: Yes, audiobooks offer unique enhancements to the reading experience. The narration adds an extra layer of storytelling, with the narrator’s tone, pace, and emotion bringing the text to life in a different way. This can be particularly impactful in works where the voice and style of the narration are crucial to the story. Moreover, audiobooks can include additional sound effects and music, creating a more immersive experience for the listener.

3: Are there specific genres or types of books that are more successful as audiobooks?

Answer: While audiobooks can be successful across a wide range of genres, certain types tend to stand out. For example, genres like mystery, thriller, and fantasy often do well in audio format due to their immersive and narrative-driven nature. Self-help and motivational books also see success as audiobooks, as listeners can absorb the content in a format akin to a motivational speech. However, the success of an audiobook can also heavily depend on the quality of the narration and production.

1. Benefits of Audiobooks

Audiobooks have become an integral part of the literary experience, offering readers a dynamic and immersive way to engage with content. This means it’s more accessible to those who might not be able to engage with the content otherwise. Authors who have audiobook versions of their books can reach various new audiences. However, the process of creating an audiobook is long, and not all authors have access to the resources required to make an audiobook, This is why Amazon has introduced a new beta program for audiobooks.

2. Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing Beta Audiobook Program

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is taking a giant leap forward by introducing a revolutionary beta program for audiobook creation. This program leverages virtual voice narration and synthetic speech technology to convert eligible ebooks into high-quality audiobooks.

3. Program Details for Authors

Authors participating in the beta program will select one of their eligible ebooks on Kindle Direct Publishing to transform into an audiobook. With a user-friendly interface, authors can then sample various virtual voices, preview, and customize their audiobook, tailoring it to their unique vision. This process is all done through Amazon’s platform for users in the United States. As they improve the technology, Amazon plans to expand the program to other countries. 

4. The Process of Creating an Audiobook Through the Beta Program

Amazon has streamlined the process for authors. They can set a list price for their audiobook between $3.99 and $14.99 on the platform. This provides authors with control over their work’s value. Notably, authors will receive a 40% royalty, ensuring a fair compensation model.

5. How Much Can Authors Earn From the Program

This groundbreaking initiative by Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing offers a unique opportunity for cost savings. In the past, authors faced significant expenses when hiring professional narrators, voice talent, and engineers for audiobook production. However, thanks to the beta program’s use of AI technology, authors can now create captivating audiobooks at a fraction of the usual cost.

6. Quick Availability of Audiobooks on Audible

Following publication, audiobooks will be live within a mere 72 hours, making them swiftly available where Audible titles are sold. This quick availability will be incredibly valuable to authors looking to expand their audiences.

Amazon KDP assures that audiobooks created through the program will be included in the Audible Plus catalog. This makes them eligible for a share of the KDP Select Global Fund. Customers can easily identify audiobooks created by virtual voice, and as with any audiobook, they can enjoy listening to samples before making a purchase.

For authors eager to navigate the exciting terrain of self-publishing with Amazon and achieve Bestseller Status, Elite Online Publishing stands as the ultimate guide. Join now to gain invaluable insights and expert support throughout your publishing journey. Embrace the future of publishing with Amazon KDP’s Audiobook Beta Program, and let your words resonate with audiences in new and innovative ways.

Ownership is great and being online helps open you up to the other options out there. When self-publishing you may experience struggles with getting your books enough exposure. However, the costs and experience of putting the book together can bring about many revelations. Here are a few keys to success:

Focus and get it done –

One challenge of self-publishing is the lack of deadlines. You can become too relaxed in terms of demands on your own time. If you have no deadline pushing you, you can take as long as 10 years or more. You may have to create your own deadlines and it may mean being a hermit at home to write sometimes.

Relax and let it flow –

You will have writer’s block. This can cause your project to take longer. Don’t pressure yourself too much. Relax through it and go with the flow. Allow yourself some grace during the dry spells while remembering your objective and it will come to you.

Research and ask for help –

Research, Google and YouTube searches are your friends. Do your research. Join writing groups and ask questions. People are more willing to help than you realize. You may choose to pay someone for their service. Editors and others can make your book more polished. Others can help with publicity. There are companies out there like ours that can facilitate much of the busy work. We can take many of the hassles out of a challenging endeavor.  If you don’t love research, dealing with Facebook, waiting for uploads, formatting then you may want a partner in publishing.  That’s where a company like ours comes into play.  We can find and facilitate the services you need to succeed.

Thicken your skin –

If you’ve asked people to critique your work, do not be hurt when they say ‘this reads wrong’ or ‘I don’t understand this’ because that will sink any sort of mistakes that people will catch. One of our authors, Author Cory Jenkins, who just published the Amazon bestseller “I Love Myself So… A Guide to Creating a Life You Love,” said “You can read your own book as many times as you like and still miss so many mistakes. You know what you mean to say so your mind reads it that way.  Also, if you’re reading it just after writing it, then you read it as you meant to write it.  You need a gap in between writing and reading. When I came back and read my book after a few months, I found several mistakes that grammar check wouldn’t normally catch. None of which I had noticed because I knew what I meant to say. I also saw flaws in the organization that I had missed before. I was able to completely reorganize it and release the second edition.”

Make it a priority –

Outside pressures from work, friends, and family will come. The best way to view writing your book is as a second job. Give it as much importance as anything in life that you want to get done. You have nobody to police you, but you, so prioritize, to keep from getting frustrated.

However, you need a plan for finding these speaking gigs. We are going to explain where you can find them and what to do if you don’t have a ton of speaking experience or expertise in a particular niche.

Speaking doesn’t have to mean a two-hour workshop or TED Talk; they can be as simple as presentations at libraries, talks at fundraisers, and even webinars. You won’t always get paid, but coupled with selling copies of your book (which we’ve done), these types of engagements are a great opportunity to increase your visibility and to build a network of fans and contacts.

There are a number of strategies one can use to successfully get on the speaking radar and help promote a newly published book, beginning with your local community. These three strategies can help you land more speaking engagements.

1. Start locally.

Your local community offers wonderful opportunities for networking and speaking. Almost all of these networking communities are looking for speakers to engage their members.

Here are a few examples:

• Local Rotary, Kiwanis and Soroptimist clubs love to feature different stories and profiles about their communities. You don’t have to be a member or write a book about business. You don’t have to be a bestselling author or a member of the National Speaking Association. You’ll typically be given a twenty- to twenty-five-minute speaking slot where you can talk about the themes of your book or the writing process—always offer a few helpful tips or strategies.
• Your local chamber of commerce would also be a great option. They often have lunch and learn opportunities or may even need a keynote for one of their member luncheons. Get involved, get known and then get speaking!
• Informal business-type luncheons in your area can be identified through meetup.com, and chances are there will be quite a few of these. These are homegrown opportunities. Plan on attending a few. Get to know the members. Ask what topics might be of interest for future speaking engagements. Offer to do a talk on a subject of value. Fiction is always a harder sell than nonfiction, but if you can talk about how your book supports universal themes or lessons, you’ll have a better chance of engaging your audience.
• Bookstores and libraries are hungry for author talks and panels, but often there can be low turnout, which can be discouraging; in fact, bookstores and libraries are concerned about low turnout. Instead of immediately getting discouraged or intimidated due to a lack of a following, use your social media voice to drive “customers” to your venue. Set up a plan of attack ahead of time for promoting speaking events. Google

• • Post to Facebook
  • Get on a podcast to promote it
  • Create a press release and email it to the papers
  • Promote it to your growing email list and all local connections
  • Post to friends Facebook page, all groups you belong to and hopefully your own Facebook page
    • If you don’t have a Facebook page create one
    • Also, create an Amazon author page and post it there
      • Note: If you don’t have either of these we can help. Email us to get more information on these services at info@eliteonlinepublishing.com

2. Appeal to different audiences.

Another tried and true way to get more speaking gigs is to appeal to multiple audiences. Use themes as a starting point. If you’re a novelist or memoirist, pitch themes that have the strongest universal appeal.

Each chapter of your book may serve as a new topic that could appeal to a different niche market. Get creative. Create several different themes that would appeal to different markets.  Women’s organizations, Military organizations, service organizations, business organizations, etc.  Then pitch them locally.

Chances are, you’ve probably got multiple themes going on, whether you’ve written an ebook, a novel,  a nonfiction print book or even poetry. The more universal your themes are, the more effective you’ll be at engaging your (local) audience.

As Maya Angelou famously said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

3. Join Toastmasters.

Talking up our books and business at my local Toastmasters was like working out in the gym. In fact, it will tone your speaking and courage muscles to talk up the themes of your book once you decide to speak about it in the big world. The courage to speak is the courage to succeed!

Patricia Fry, the author of Talk Up Your Book, encourages speakers to look for opportunities to build this special kind of muscle. She says to “present your programs in safe zones (friendly territory), among family members, at your local Toastmasters club meeting, before your writer’s group, in front of your fellow business or civic club members. These are good opportunities for you to work the bus out of your presentations.”

One thing you learn in  Toastmasters is that it isn’t just an opportunity to practice speaking; it’s also a networking opportunity. You never know who can connect you to a particular group or organization.

You don’t need impressive speaking credentials to get a speaking slot. In fact, it’s easier than you think. And it all starts locally. By creating a memorable experience for your audience, you will up the chances to sell more books.

Speaking engagements are interactive, real and dynamic. Once people connect and engage with you, they have a reason to read what you have to say.

• Convince shoppers your book is good which increases conversion rates
• Increase your rankings in search results to improve discoverability
• Improve your ROI from advertising

Tips to find reviewers for your books:

Some Amazon shoppers allow their email address to be seen. Therefore, you have the ability to find people who like, and review books like yours and create a list of possible reviewers.

1. Check to see if any of those who reviewed your book have listed their email address.
2. Send an email in appreciation of their review of your book and ask if they’d like you to send them your next book for free.
3. Look through competitor’s reviews, and email them as well to see who would be interested in a copy of your upcoming books.

Amazon review rules for advance copies:

You CAN send someone an advanced copy of your book. You just can’t incentivize it for them.

Amazon made a statement saying they would no longer allow reviewers to post a review in exchange for a free or discounted product, even if they disclosed that they got it in exchange for a review. Many authors took this to mean books as well. However, in that same statement, Amazon said We will continue to allow the age-old practice of providing advance review copies of books.

This memo regarding changes to policies regarding customer reviews from Amazon came out in October 2016. However, these changes to review policies applied to all product categories other than books. So, let us dispel that notion and understand that we can send advanced review copies to reviewers. The following above words came straight from the bottom of that update memo.

Reviews are important on Amazon, so it’s tempting to ask friends and family for them to help your rankings. However, Amazon is picky when it comes to reviews accepted. If they suspect the review came from someone close to or paid by the author then the review can be removed.

Amazon Algorithms:

We are not privy to the exact algorithms used by Amazon to determine if your book reviews follow these rules, but there are theories. Two things that may affect this are if a reviewer is connected to you on Facebook or if the address of the reviewer is an address you have previously used as your own. But this is pure speculation we’ve heard.

Amazon uses advanced algorithms and we don’t know the exact logistics. However, when an appeal is filed, a human looks at the review and determines if it falls within the guidelines or not.

See Below for more information on rules regarding reviews, advance copies and more.

Highlights from the Customer Reviews Guidelines Frequently Asked Questions from Authors

Can I pay for someone to write a Customer Review for my book?
No. We don’t allow any form of compensation for a Customer Review other than a free copy of the book provided upfront. If you offer a free advanced copy, it must be clear that you welcome all feedback, both positive and negative. If we detect that a customer was paid to write a review, we’ll remove it. 

The only type of paid review that Amazon supports is an editorial review. An editorial review is a more formal evaluation of a book usually written by an editor or expert within a genre, but can also be written by family and friends. If you’ve received an editorial review of your book that you’d like to post to the Editorial Review section of your book’s detail page, please visit our Author Central Help Page. 

What do you mean by compensation?
Offering payment or any other incentive for a Customer Review is considered compensation. This includes giving someone money or a gift certificate to purchase your book. We consider incentives to be any type of reward that is given in return for a Customer Review, including but not limited to bonus content, entry to a contest or sweepstakes, discounts on future purchases, and other gifts.

Can I write a Customer Review of my own book?
No. You can’t write a review of your own book, but there are other ways to communicate with your readers on Amazon. Please visit our Author Central Help Page to learn how to benefit from the ‘Book Description,’ ‘Editorial Reviews,’ and ‘More About the Author’ sections of your book’s detail page. 

Are authors allowed to review other authors’ books?
Yes. Authors are welcome to submit Customer Reviews, unless the reviewing author has a personal relationship with the author of the book being reviewed, or was involved in the book’s creation process (i.e. as a co-author, editor, illustrator, etc.). If so, that author isn’t eligible to write a Customer Review for that book. Please review our Customer Review Guidelines for more information. 

Can I ask my family to write a Customer Review for my book?
We don’t allow individuals who share a household with the author or close friends to write Customer Reviews for that author’s book. Customer Reviews provide unbiased product feedback from fellow shoppers and aren’t to be used as a promotional tool. Please refer to our Help Page for more details. Your family and friends are welcome to share their enthusiasm for your book through our Customer Discussions feature. 

To find Customer Discussions, go to your book’s product detail page and scroll past Customer Reviews. Click on the ‘Start a Discussion’ button to provide your feedback. Anyone who visits Amazon.com can read a discussion. For more information, check out our Customer Discussion Guidelines. 

Is there anything I can do if I disagree with a Customer Review on my book?
Yes. If you believe the Customer Review violates the Customer Review Guidelines or doesn’t seem genuine you can report the review as inappropriate. Below each review you’ll find a question that asks, “Was this review helpful to you?” If you answer “no,” you can let us know why the review should be removed. We’ll examine the review and take action if necessary.

Ten years ago he got into a fight with his brother: Creation vs. Evolution. He had gone from Christian missionary to almost atheist in 4 years. He grew up a creationist; had become a card-carrying Darwinist. During that fight, he realized how little he knew and it terrified him. He applied his engineering expertise to evolution… and discovered the most amazing untold story in science.

Click Here to learn more about Perry Marshall

Click Here to get Three FREE Chapters of his book Evolution 2.0

Subscribe to the PODCAST NOW on Apple Podcast 

Listen Below or Watch the YouTube Video.

For access to all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts visit:

Elite.Libsyn.com  or  YouTube – Elite Expert Insider – Second Season

Self-Publishing Secrets –  How to Market a Book. Melanie Johnson and Jenn Foster talk about how to market your book. They talk about how often to post on Social Media and how to use your book to make more money in your business.

Subscribe to the PODCAST NOW on Apple Podcast 

Listen Below or Watch the YouTube Video.

For access to all of Elite Expert Insider podcasts visit:

Elite.Libsyn.com  or  YouTube – Elite Expert Insider – Second Season

A book can take a consulting or coaching business to the next level-

Several of our clients at Elite Online Publishing are coaches or consultants. Once you reach a certain level of success — enough to afford us — a book helps propel them to the next level. A book can take you from having a few clients to building an actual business.

Some think, “If I write a book talking about what I know, then why would people hire me to be a consultant?”

The book is how people find you. It can put you on the map and make people want to hire you. Most of what you teach people in the book they will end up paying you to help them apply in their lives and then you can share other things that aren’t in your book to keep them moving forward with you as their coach in life, business or both.

A book can lead to interviews which can allow clients to see you in totally different ways. Interviews about your book can position you as the expert in your field. When you put what you know in a book it can get you hired as some people want to know what you know before they hire you.

People who hire consultants and coaches are hiring them to teach on implementing their knowledge. They’re often not looking to learn the knowledge in the book. The book is how you show them why they should hire you.

A book can launch workshops and group teaching-

Many consultants and speakers also do group workshops or teaching. Businesses bring you in to teach your method to their employees. It’s relatively easy to get larger businesses to pay you to teach a one-day workshop to their employees on your topic. So few people take the time to read all the way through a book, they want a more personal approach to training.

Most employers know, if they pass out a book, their employees will only read part or any of it. If they get the author to speak and answer questions for a day, they know they employees will actually be taught the lessons.

The workshop and book reinforce each other. The book leads people to the workshop, and then you sell copies of your book to those who attend.

A book can launch and promote paid community/mastermind groups.

Many people who have created paid masterminds, had their clients find out about them and want to join their group because they’ve written books that show and share their knowledge.

Your book can explain exactly how to built and run a mastermind group or be a successful networker and connector. This, in turn, ends up driving clients to your group, which can be set up as a paid community and/or meet-up group.

Stay tuned for more ideas on generating money with a book aside from book sales.

Book’s are great attention getters and can be used as multi-purpose marketing tools. They possess unique abilities to create attention to generate sales, increase visibility, create word of mouth advertising or demonstrate knowledge to increase credibility.

Instant Your Credibility – Become and Authority

Books are an incredible step up from a simple business card.  People will throw away a business card, but not a book. It shows that you are a wealth of knowledge and valuable resource for your clients. With so many ways to get attention, how do you stand out?  Writing and publishing a book is one of the best ways to get attention. It separates you from the crowd since it’s under-utilized by entrepreneurs.

You can’t easily fake your way into writing a good book so you do risk being judged. You either know you’re business or you don’t. A book shows you can commit to project and follow through. It shows you get things done. things that are hard and prestigious and require a lot of skills.

Being judged can seem risky, but that’s why you get so much credit for a good book. A book requires a lot of work and shows that you’re willing to put yourself out there. It shows confidence in yourself and your knowledge. Not many people are willing to risk being judged. 

Our company can assist you in creating a book that leaves a great impression.  If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you can’t just throw something together, call it a book, and expect to benefit. You have to write a good book to gain credibility. To establish yourself as an authority on a subject, others must find your book interesting and valuable. 

Raise Your Visibility – Get Media Coverage –

Experts write books. Commentators write blog posts. When the media wants a comment on something they go to the experts, right?  Media coverage is much easier to come by with a book to your name. Having a new book is a requirement to speak in lecture halls or gain entry to television studios and boardrooms. It can also get you into special events or simply on people’s minds.  If you want visibility in your field and media coverage, being an expert is key. The pathway to unlock those doors is through writing a book. The Press Release of your new number one bestseller will turn heads and get you noticed.

Help People Find You –

Amazon is one of the top overall internet search engines. It ranks up there with Google and YouTube. It is the top search engine for products which is an even more relevant measure to an entrepreneur. A study back in 2015 showed the 44% of people start their search for a product on Amazon. Google, Bing, and others were only ranking at 34% together. You want to be on Amazon where people are looking for your product.  A book will get you there.

When people look for buying information, they turn to experts or authorities. This means they would literally be looking for you, that is if you wrote the book on that subject. Wouldn’t it be great to have people looking for you? A great book brings people to you and tells them exactly who you are. It even shows them how you can help them. It’s the best marketing tool you could ever use both build your brand and attract clients.

Get People Talking about you –

Word of mouth is still the best form of marketing. People are more likely to follow the advice or suggestion of a someone they know and trust.  A book enables word of mouth better than almost any other tool. This is because it puts your story into people’s minds which then comes out of their mouth in your words. When people talk about you, they’re literally just saying what you want them to say. A good book causes people to repeat your terms, phrases, and ideas to other people. If you can picture that conversation naturally happening between two people,  then you can simply write your book with the intention to create that conversation. You can literally create conversations about you and your business that sound as if you were there explaining your business. Help people talk about you in a way that leads clients, in need, to your door.

A properly written book can do all of this and so much more.

If you have questions feel free to reach out or leave a comment below.
We are here for you.