When you are considering the option of self-publishing your audiobook, there are some tips to consider and ways to plan for success. This plan is essential because digital media is a competitive world. Before you contact audiobook publishers, it is critical that you stand out from the competition. The audiobook sales revenue in the U.S. in 2020 was as much as $1.3 billion, which continued upward from 2018. To better enable yourself to reap some of the sales, you want to ensure that your product is marketable.

Determine Your Audience

All audiobook publishers will tell you that you must understand your audience. Once you know, you are better able to appeal to them. If you are able to do this, it can make the sale of your book. If you cannot do this, it can break your book sales. Your audience is the driver of all aspects of your production, from the title to narration and marketing. You are able to understand the expectations of your audience, which can help drive your sales.

Know Your Budget

Audiobook publishers help you understand that a critical part of your book production is your budget. You must know how many words are in your book, as this will drive the cost of your narration and production. The number of words in the book will determine how long it will take to record the book. The narration, editing, and production are also factors. Audiobook publishers will let you know that the average length of an audiobook is 100,000 words. 100,000 words are equal to about 11 hours of audio. For every hour of finished audio, it takes two hours of recording.

Identify Your Niche

Audiobook publishers will help you determine your niche. This is a little more in-depth than just knowing your genre. There may be a sub-genre or niche in which you fit, which helps you be more successful. For example, if your genre is history, you could be more specific by knowing your niche is The American Revolution for eight to 12-year-olds or romance novels for young adults.

These are some of the tips that audiobook publishers think you should know before you consider publishing your audiobook. If you follow these tips, you can be well on your way to a successful audiobook.