Last Updated on August 19, 2020 by Jordan Alexo

Let’s rock the boat, fill our bank with bags of money…. because today you are about to discover how you can publish your first audiobook in ACX. This market is increasing more and more every single year, as more people are devouring audiobooks like slices of pizza. Gosh, who doesn’t love pizza? Therefore, there has never been a better time for you to embark on the audiobook craze and make a fortune!

But first things first, let’s quickly reply to a few significant concerns. I don’t want any excuse from stopping you from joining ACX.

How To Make a Book Into an Audiobook In ACX [VIDEO GUIDE]

 

Do I Need To Narrate My Books For ACX?

No, nope! Of course, you may choose to narrate your audios, and it’s not a bad idea, especially if you have a voice similar to Sean Connery. However, in my case and perhaps yours, despite the fact some women find my voice sexy, I don’t consider it the most pleasant one for listeners. Besides, I rather spend my time doing something more profitable for my online businesses. The great thing about ACX is you can easily find someone else to narrate your books. You can either choose to pay them upfront or share the royalties of each sale.

Can You Make Money On ACX?

Duh… of course! Why would I waste my time writing this fantastic guide otherwise? Audios are an extremely profitable source of income. In most cases, not always, I suggest you publish your books in all three formats, including e-book, paperback, and audiobook. Allowing you to maximize the profitability of each published book as some customers prefer to read, while others to listen to an audiobook. This way, you squeeze every single penny from each book.

However, I must admit not all books are going to make bank as audiobooks, such as:

• Cookbooks: Nobody enjoys listening to recipe books. Although, I often still publish them as audios. For some reason, I always get one or two sales once in a blue moon or so.
• Coloring books for kids: I’m talking about the paperback books kids enjoy spending their time painting with crayons. As you may imagine, these books only sell well as paperbacks.
• Fitness books: Not always, but some fitness books aren’t as profitable as audiobooks.

What Are The Most Profitable Niches For Audiobooks In ACX?

If you want to read my complete lay down about the most insane money-making niches in Amazon, then keep reading here. Anyway, for audiobooks, any niche you could imagine people listening to them. But there are a few winners among them, such as:

• Self-Help
• Business & Investing
• Relationship
• Novels (although, I don’t talk about fiction books they often sell well as audios)
• Spirituality

What Is ACX?

ACX is a website that belongs to Amazon. This platform allows you to publish your books as audiobooks. By choosing their exclusivity agreement, your audiobooks later are promoted in Itunes, Amazon, and Audible. Customers can then purchase them inside these online stores.

Here’s the same book appearing inside of Audible.com

You can either narrate your books or search for a narrator in ACX. My voice isn’t the best one for this, so I prefer to hire someone. Later, I will explain more in detail how you can find a narrator.

Why Should You Publish Audiobooks?

I guess there hasn’t ever been a better opportunity than now to take advantage of ACX. More and more people are spending their time home due to the worldwide crisis. Thus, they have more free time to listen to audiobooks and read books. As a result, overall book sales have increased. Of course, not all niches are selling well, for instance, diet books. But other types of genres like spirituality, make money online, etc. are more profitable than ever.

Also, listening to audios is more convenient compared to sitting down and reading a book. In my case, nowadays I barely read books. I still enjoy it once and a while to read a paperback. But listening to audiobooks is more convenient as I can do while I go to the gym or for a walk. It’s a better way to use my time.

How To Get an ACX Account?

If you already have an Amazon account, then you can use the same one to register in ACX.

The main problem with their registration is if you reside outside one of these countries: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland. In case you live somewhere else, then it’s a pain in the butt to have an ACX account. In the past, there were a few tricks to get away from this, like obtaining a P.O. box U.S. address and bank account number from Payoneer. However, ACX has already caught up with this trick.

Thus, they won’t either accept your billing information or provide the main features to promote your audiobooks easily. I don’t understand their requirements, but it is what it is! Fortunately, there are a few solutions, which I am about to explain.

 

1 – the Authors Republic or Findaway Voices

You can use these alternative websites to narrate and promote your audiobooks. Although you can make a decent amount of money with them, you shouldn’t expect the same as you would make otherwise with ACX. After all, Amazon is one of the biggest online stores in the world.

However, if you don’t want to spend your time understanding complicated bureaucracies and money forming an LLC, then try this first option. It’s always better for you to have audiobooks than nothing at all, at least you make more money online. At this point, I don’t have any guides talking more precisely about how to use these platforms. But once I do, I will link them here.

2 – Form USA LLC

You can choose to form an LLC (Limited Liability Company) in other countries mentioned by ACX. Although I highly suggest making one in the USA. In individual states, such as Delaware and Wyoming, it’s cheaper and easier for you to form an LLC compared to countries in Europe.

I’m not going much in detail about this topic because it’s complicated. Although, I suggest you form a US LLC sooner or later as a way to separate and protect your assets from your online businesses. Another thing to remember is you can have both a personal and business account in Amazon. So you may create a personal account initially, and once you are ready, make a business account using your LLC details.

How To Publish Your First Audiobook in ACX?

Enter your ACX account. Beforehand, you should have already published your Kindle book on Amazon. Otherwise, you won’t have a book available for narration. In case you are wondering about the publishing process, and all the rest, then read this guide here.

Just click on the assert title to add a new one.

Search for your book title or its author name.

I’m going to use, “Yoga For Beginners” as an example, none of these books are mine. Once you find your book listed, then click on, “This is my book.” A window pops up, and you may choose from two options. If you are the one who is going to narrate your book, then select, “I already have audio files for this book, and I want to sell it.” Of course, you must already have the audiobook recorded.

Afterward, you simply need to upload all your audio files into ACX and fill the rest of the required information. I guess this may not be your case, then pick the first option. You are going to seek someone to narrate your book.

Next, read and accept the ACX agreement by selecting the checkbox and clicking on the button.

On the first page, “Title Details,” you want to read the description and see if everything looks good. Also, for the print copyright owner and audio copyright owner, enter your author name and add the present year.

Select my book is nonfiction. Of course, if it’s fiction, then choose that option. The publishing process for both is the same one. The best category for my book is Religion and Spiritually since this is a Yoga book. You should pick the right one for yours.  Furthermore, if you already have someone to narrate your book, then select, “No, I already have selected my narrator…” Otherwise, choose the first option, later you will receive auditions from narrators interested in producing your book.

In terms of describing the ideal narrator’s voice, pick the following options.

What gender should you choose? If a guy wrote your book, then it doesn’t make sense to have a woman narrating it. Otherwise, you may run the risk of having people wondering if the author is transgender or something. Hint, hint… I choose the gender for my author’s name based on my audience. For instance, in the spirituality niche, I expect the majority of the listeners to be women. Therefore, I prefer to have a female author as it’s easier to build a relation.

The same for language, all my books are for the English speaking countries. However, you may have a translated book; therefore, you should choose the appropriate language. I also don’t like to have an accent, just clean American General making it easier for everyone to understand my audiobook. Although, sometimes you may request this, and later, you receive British accent narrators. Unfortunately, I must refuse their work since I know Americans may struggle to comprehend their English.

For voice age, often I go for an adult, but you may go for something else and “Enthusiastic/ Excited” because I don’t want to bore people. Often nonfiction books may be very technical and monotonous. Therefore, it’s essential to have someone who knows how to bring some excitement to your content.

Talking about this, I recently purchased Robert Kiyosaki audiobook, and although the content is excellent. The chosen narrator kills the book with his monotonous voice.

However, if you prefer to scare people to death, then choose “frightened/ terrified.” Making a vulgar cookbook sound like a horror fiction book. Just kidding!

As additional comments, I like to mention how profitable is my niche. Nothing special! For some reason, when you talk about this soon, you have everyone and their mom wanting to narrate your book.

The audition script should be 2 to 3 pages from a section of your book. Later, the narrators will read this script, and based on that, choose the best voice.

The “chapter names” page is something they recently added to the publishing process. You may add the table of content of your book here. I prefer to leave this section blank after all my narrators need to work! However, if you have a particular way you want your book narrated, then you may customize it on this page.

Add the number of words for your book. The longer your book is, the more money you will make selling them in the Amazon stores. I must remind you, they define the price. Also, put the “world” for the audiobook territory rights.

You should go for exclusive distribution through Amazon stores. This way, you make a 40% royalty. Only select non-exclusive, if you have intentions in promoting in alternative platforms, such as the ones I mentioned before. In this case, you receive a 25% royalty for each audiobook sale. However, it usually isn’t worth it because you make much more money only by promoting your audiobooks in Amazon.

Also, don’t be scammy about this like going exclusive, then later on promoting your audiobook in other platforms. Sooner or later, they will catch you and spank you to oblivion.

Now between pay for product or royalty share, which one should you pick? Well, this depends on the niche and your budget.

1) Why Select Pay For Production?

For most profits possible, you should choose this option. Meaning you pay your narrator upfront for the production of your audiobook. However, there are two cases where this possibility may not be beneficial. The first one is if you are in a tight budget, then you should go for royalty share until you can pay upfront; The other reason maybe because of the selected niche. See, not all niches are profitable in audiobooks, such as cookbooks, crayon books for kids, etc. Often these books mostly sell well as paperbacks.

2) Why Select Royalty Share?

Well, basically, for all the reasons I mentioned before. Using this option, you will only make a 20% royalty. I only suggest royalty share if you don’t have money to pay your narrator upfront, or the book topic isn’t profitable in audio. Otherwise, always go for pay for productions, this way you make twice as much money per each sale. I also go for $50 to $100 PHF to cut some initial expenses. Once done, just save and continue…

How To Post A Job In ACX?

Nothing special here, simply read all the details to see if everything looks alright and post your job. After a few hours, you will start receiving auditions.

You may also use the search option to invite narrators to your job. Sometimes this is a better way to find an appropriate person for your audiobook. Use the filter options and then listen to several narrators, once you find someone you enjoy then send them a message. For example:

“Hi Mr. Max Brown, I have an audiobook about Yoga For Beginners. I enjoyed listening to your sample, and I am willing to pay $100 PHF. Are you interested? Best, Jordan Alexo”

 

 

Last Thoughts…

That is all you need to know about how to publish your first audiobook in ACX, easy stuff! If you got any questions or tips and trick you’d like to share with all the rest, then make sure to leave it right below. Also, don’t forget to subscribe below to get your free Kindle guide.