When Your Book is “Mostly Dead” – Give it a Voice!
By Richard Rieman, AudioBookRevolution
As Billy Crystal’s character said in Princess Bride, “mostly dead is slightly alive.” You can breathe new life into your older books by producing an audiobook version.
Audiobook sales are up over 20% three years in a row, and Audible listening up is 38% in the past year. There is revolutionary growth in audiobooks.
Why a book released years ago should be re-launched as an audiobook:
- You can treat your audiobook launch as a completely new way to reach your audience
This is your new baby being born. Announce it with the same enthusiasm as any proud book launch parent. - Audiobook listeners are a new audience for your book
The explosive growth in listening on smartphones and in “connected cars” is steadily increasing the number of audiobook buyers, especially over subscription services from Audible and iTunes. - More money from existing content
Your manuscript will only need a few minor changes (refer to “listening” instead of “reading”) to create a new royalty payment income stream. - There are fewer books in audio in each genre
In each genre – especially Young Adult, Romance/Erotica, and Mystery/Suspense, there are far fewer audiobook titles, making it easier for fans to find your book. - New reviews call attention to all versions of your book
You can get reviews of your audiobook through services such as Audiobook Boom. - New promotional opportunities
You can createYouTube video trailers using audio excerpts from your book - Amazon’s Whispersync feature can help you sell Kindle eBook versions
Kindle and audiobook buyers often buy both versions at a discount so they can pick up where they left off in each version. - Hearing the words you wrote brought back to life can re-energize you to write again
Whether you voice your own book or find a great narrator, you can find yourself motivated to bring life to your next book.
Audiobooks are a wonderful form of storytelling. You have an opportunity to take the words off the pages and give them a new voice and a new life.
Richard Rieman of AudiobookRevolution.com is an audiobook self-publishing consultant, a top Audible narrator, and an in-studio producer of authors narrating their own titles. Richard is author of “The Author’s Guide to Audiobook Creation,” Gold Medal Winner of the 2016 Global eBook Award in Writing/Publishing and CIPA Silver EVVY Award..
You can learn more about Richard and his projects at his website Audiobook Revolution Productions. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and You Tube.
The views expressed herein are not those of Colorado Independent Publishers Association, its officers or directors. They are solely and completely those of the author. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association will not be held liable for any legal action resulting from information published in this newsletter, and the organization’s insurance will not cover any such action.