Is It Worth Having An Audiobook? And How Do I Go About It?
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There’s no competition between which form is better: Audiobook or a physical book, they are just different forms of media. When writing a book, you can choose any format you think would work best with your content. To consider whether it's worth having an audiobook, see the following list of pros to help you decide whether an audio version of your book is something you wish to pursue.
PRO 1: Accessibility
Audiobooks allow those unable to read a book visually to listen to the story instead. Visual impairments, blindness, or dyslexia can all make the task of reading a book difficult or impossible. Globally, an estimated 49.1 million are affected by blindness (ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract, 2020), leaving out quite a segment of potential readers. One of the upsides of modern technology is that it can be used to make many experiences accessible to many people; this also applies to literature. An audible version of your book could help more people experience your writing.
PRO 2: Multi-tasking
Some people also prefer the multitasking ability that an audiobook offers. Listening to an audiobook keeps your audience entertained while working, studying, exercising, or doing chores around the house. With an audiobook, a lack of time could be an eliminated hurdle in your reader’s ability to experience your writing.
PRO 3: Profit
There can be a financial advantage to selling your book on various platforms. When you upload your book onto Audible, you get two options to distribute your book: the “exclusive” option, which means your audiobook will be sold through Amazon, Audible, and iTunes, or the “non-exclusive” option, which means your audiobook will be sold through Amazon, Audible, and iTunes, as well as any other platform you may choose. Audiobooks published and distributed exclusively earn a 40% royalty, while audiobooks distributed non-exclusively through ACX earn a 25% royalty.
PRO 4: Creative liberty
Be it through narration, sound effects, music, or other choices, an audiobook can create an immersive experience for your reader. Creating an audiobook allows you to add elements to your story. Audiobooks can utilize music, sound effects, narrators, and other audio elements to cooperate with the reader’s imagination and improve the overall experience.
For example, in the audio adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s fantasy comic book, The Sandman, Gaiman makes several choices to improve the reader's visualization of the story. The first such element is background music and sounds that play simultaneously with the story’s narration. He also has himself narrate the story, while an additional cast of narrators speaks the lines of different characters.
In the article How to record + publish an audiobook you can learn how to record your own audiobook and how to edit it to your preference. The article also shows what options you have if you would like Audible or ACX to publish the audiobook for you with narrators.
PRO 5: Chance to receive feedback and improve for the future
The more platforms you expose your writing to, the bigger an audience your writing gets, the more chances there are for people to review your work. Whether the reviews are positive or negative, you can still benefit. A positive review can improve your image as a storyteller and writer. A negative review is a chance for the writer to improve their skills. Either way, comments and reviews raise clout and popularity of the work.
