How to Record & Publish Your Audiobook in 4 Easy Steps – A Guide for 2023

Writing books is a challenging task; formatting, editing, publishing, and marketing a book is a difficult, time-taking, and hectic process. Even if you successfully pass through all of these stages, there is no way of knowing for sure that your book is going to be desirable and marketable enough in order to make sales. Such a level of skill cannot be acquired by book writing beginners; hence people know better than to leave the expertise to professional book writers.

Just present your ideas to the specialists at book writing companies (such as Gnome Book Writing Company) who are known to produce award-winning books by turning your messy ideas into literary masterpieces!
 

What is an Audiobook?

Audiobook writing is not too different from writing a usual book. An audiobook is a recording of a book or other written material that is read aloud by a narrator or voice actor.

Audiobooks are popular with:

• People who prefer to listen to books instead of reading them.
• People who have visual impairments.
• People who are too busy to sit down and read a book.

Audiobooks can be paid attention to on different gadgets. They are often available in digital format, and in a wide range of genres. They can be purchased online, borrowed from libraries, or downloaded from subscription services such as Audible, Scribd, or Libro.fm.
 

Why Should I Publish an Audiobook?

If you want to be a best-selling author and want to make massive sales of your book, then you should publish your book in every possible format; that is print book, e-book, and audiobook. In this way, your book would have a higher reach and it would appeal to a wider audience. Audiobook production is a way for you to gain more popularity by making more sales.
 

How do I Record an Audiobook?

Audiobook recording is a long but exciting procedure. With the right state of mind and a hardworking attitude, you can easily record and publish an audiobook.

Here is how to create and publish an audiobook in 4 steps:

Step 1: Finalize the Manuscript

If your book has already been published, preparing for the audiobook production stage is straightforward. Your manuscript should have already undergone thorough book editing, copyediting, and proofreading. However, if you are yet to publish your book in other formats, you should refrain from recording your audiobook until the manuscript is finalized and ready for printing.

It is crucial that your audiobook corresponds with the paperback version of your book, word for word. This is because some readers prefer to read along while listening to audiobooks. Inconsistencies between the two formats may result in audiobook distributors such as Amazon ACX rejecting your audio files. Hence, we recommend ensuring that your manuscript is print-ready before starting the audiobook production process, regardless of whether you will be narrating it yourself or engaging a professional narrator.

Step 2: Narrate Your Audiobook

Narrate Your Audiobook by Yourself

If you’re planning to narrate your own audiobook, here are some tips to help you get started:

Familiarize Yourself with the Material

Read through the entire book and become familiar with the story, characters, and any challenging pronunciations or terms.

Set Up a Recording Space

Find a quiet room with minimal background noise and good acoustics. Avoid spaces that can create echoes and distortions. Use a microphone and suitable recording software to capture your voice. (Discussed later in detail.)

Practice Reading Out Loud

Before recording, practice reading a few chapters out loud to get comfortable with the process. Pay attention to your pacing, tone, and clarity.

Record in Small Sections

It’s best to record in small sections of a few pages at a time, rather than trying to record the entire book in one go.

Edit and Finalize Your Recording

Use audio editing software to remove any mistakes or background noise, adjust the volume levels, and add any necessary sound effects or music.
 

Setting Up a Studio at Home for Recording Your Audiobook

Here are some steps to help you set up your own home studio:

Find a Quiet Space & Soundproof it

This could be a spare room, a closet, or any other enclosed space. You can use acoustic foam, blankets, or soundproof curtains to absorb noise and prevent echoes.

Get the Required Devices

A condenser microphone is often used for audiobook recordings, as it’s highly sensitive and can capture your voice in detail. However, do your research and choose one that suits your needs.

A preamp is a device that amplifies the signal from your microphone, while an audio interface is a device that connects your microphone to your computer. Both are essential for producing high-quality audio recordings, but you might as well learn some microphone and dialogue recording techniques online.

Choose Recording Software

Recording software is essential for capturing, editing, and processing audio files. There are many different options available, including Audacity, Adobe Audition, and GarageBand.

Set Up Your Recording Environment

Position your microphone in the center of the room, and use a pop filter to reduce any pops or plosives in your recordings. Make sure to adjust your microphone levels and settings to achieve the best sound quality.

Hire an Audiobook Narrator

Audiobook narration is a time-consuming process that requires patience, practice, and attention to detail. If you’re not confident in your abilities, it may be worth considering hiring a professional narrator (who has expertise in voice acting) to bring your book to life and ensure that your audiobook is of high quality and meets the standards of the audiobook industry.

Read More: How To Hire A Ghostwriter
 

Here are some steps on how to hire an audiobook narrator:

Determine Your Budget

Audiobook narrators can charge anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars; hence, determine how much you’re willing to spend.

Research & Contact Audiobook Narrators

Search online for audiobook narrators (such as freelancing sites), listen to samples of their work on their websites, and look for positive reviews and a track record of delivering high-quality work. Reach out to potential narrators and discuss your project. Provide a summary of your book and ask about their availability, rates, and recording process.

Request Auditions

Ask your top candidates to provide a short audition recording of a few pages from your book to give you an idea of their reading style and tone.

Choose a Narrator & Sign the Contract

Choose the narrator who is the best fit for your project. Consider their reading style, tone, pacing, and ability to bring your characters to life. Then, sign a contract that outlines the terms of your agreement. Be sure to discuss payment, deadlines, and any other important details.

Step 3: Edit Your Audiobook

Audiobook Editing is an important step in producing a high-quality product.

Here are some reasons why and how to edit an audiobook recording:

Remove Mistakes

Audiobook recordings may have mistakes or errors, such as mispronunciations, coughs, or noises. Editing allows you to remove these mistakes and create a seamless listening experience for your audience.

Adjust Volume Levels

Audiobook recordings may have varying levels of volume, which can be jarring or distracting to the listener. Editing allows you to adjust the volume levels and create a consistent listening experience.

Enhance Sound Quality

Audiobook recordings may have background noise or other issues that can affect sound quality. Editing allows you to enhance sound quality, remove background noise, and improve the overall listening experience.

Hire an Audiobook Editor

All of this may seem easy peasy; but again, it’s better to hire a professional audiobook editor who has expertise in sound engineering and voiceover technology. You can do it the same way as mentioned for hiring an audiobook narrator earlier in this article.

Read More: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing and Publishing a Poetry Book

Step 4: Publish Your Audiobook (Through Amazon – ACX)

After the audio files for your audiobook have been completed and edited to your satisfaction, it’s time to make your story available to readers through the publishing book process.

If you’re planning on publishing your audiobook on Amazon’s Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) platform (which we recommend), it’s important to note that you’ll need to have the paperback or e-book versions of your book (or both) already available on Amazon before publishing your audiobook.

You’ll upload your audio files chapter by chapter on ACX and submit them for review. The review process includes a thorough quality check that can take up to one month, so it’s important to keep this timeline in mind.

Once your files have been approved, your audiobook will be available for purchase on Amazon alongside other versions of your book.

Read More: How To Self-Publish Your Own Book
 

Conclusion

To increase book sales and reach a wider audience, authors consider publishing their books in multiple formats, including print, e-book, and audiobook. Audiobooks are a great way to gain popularity and increase sales. However, writing, formatting, editing, publishing, and marketing a book can be a difficult and time-consuming process, and it requires a high level of skill. For this reason, you should consult professional book writing companies, such as Gnome Book Writing, to turn your ideas into award-winning literary masterpieces.