June is Audiobook Month by Tena Stetler

 

Did you know June is Audiobook Month. I bet you did if you are an audiobook addict like me. I listen to audio books while cleaning house (a chore I hate), while running errands around town, and during road trips. Such fun.  I’ve enjoyed audio books since they were actually on cassette tapes, then CDs and rented them from the local library or used bookstore.

But did you know a lot of blood, sweat and tears go into those audiobooks?

I learned that first hand when I became an author and wanted to take the plunge into having my books made into audiobooks.

First, you have to obtain the audio rights, if you are traditionally published and your publisher doesn’t do audiobooks.

Then through auditions, you must find a narrator that fits with your plan, voice style, character, and budget, which after trial and error I found at audible. There are other companies, but for me, audible made the process fairly easy. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of work involved from the author’s end and narrator’s end.  

After production has begun, you will listen to a sample segment to make sure you and your narrator understand each other and discuss any special names, words or unusual pronunciation. Then you’ll listen to each chapter for any errors, send corrections, and do it all over again.  

COST is a substantial reason books are not made into audio. Some narrators will take a royalty share, which is the best out of pocket expense, but in some cases you get what you pay for. The other is royalty plus share, which means you still give a percentage of your royalty to the narrator but you also give them a stipend. This can, depending on the experience of the narrator, range from $150.00 Per Production Hour to well over $800.00 PPH and up. My first few audio books were narrated by people accepting only royalty share. Then I found Nikki Zakocs, she’s royalty plus but worth every penny. She’s narrated several of my newer books. She’s a professional and dream to work with! She doesn’t do Irish accents, but referred me to someone who did, when I needed it.

Now I bet you know more than you ever wanted to know about audiobooks and I just scratched the surface. Like writing books, producing audiobooks is a craft all unto it’s own. So next time you kick back, relax, and enjoy your favorite audiobook, know a lot of effort has been put into your listening enjoyment. It doesn't happen by magic! LOL  You can find my audiobooks at amazon. and other online retailers.

Samples of a couple of my recent audio books are below: 

Hidden Gypsy Magic - Gwen a wildlife rehabilitor, and Brock a veterinarian, discover the consequences of awakening hidden gypsy magic.   

A Witch's Quandary - A Broken Engagement leads to the discovery of stolen magic and malice with a little blackmail mixed in. Can they weather the storm? 

Chocolate Raspberry Magic - Fund-raising, Ice cream social, furry and feathered babies, romance, mystery, and magic what more could you ask for in a paranormal romance/mystery? A fun summer time listen whether at the beach or camping!