How do I publish an audiobook?
- Narration options: hire a narrator, self-narrate, or royalty-share.
- Audio must meet production specs (audio quality, file structure).
- Distributors include ACX (Audible/Amazon) and Findaway Voices.
- ACX can be exclusive or non-exclusive; Findaway distributes wide.
- Quality narration and production are non-negotiable for audio.
Publish an audiobook by first choosing how it gets narrated — hire a professional narrator (paid per finished hour), narrate it yourself if you have the skills and gear, or use a royalty-share arrangement. Produce the files to professional spec, then distribute: ACX feeds Audible and Amazon (exclusive or non-exclusive), while Findaway Voices distributes wide to many audio retailers and libraries. Audio quality and narration carry the format.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Audiobooks are the fastest-growing format, and reaching audio listeners means going through a production and distribution path quite different from ebook or print. Understanding the narration choices (and their costs), the quality bar, and the distribution options — exclusive ACX versus wide Findaway — lets you decide deliberately rather than defaulting. For many authors, audio meaningfully expands both reach and income.
Chapter ii·What to include
- A narration choice: hire, self-narrate, or royalty-share.
- Production to professional audio spec.
- A distributor: ACX, Findaway Voices, or similar.
- An exclusive vs wide distribution decision.
- A budget or royalty-share arrangement for narration.
- A quality check before distribution.
Chapter iii·Example
An author hires a narrator through ACX on a royalty-share deal to avoid upfront cost, approves the production to spec, and chooses non-exclusive distribution so she can also go wide later. Her audiobook reaches Audible listeners and opens a new income stream she could not have tapped in print and ebook alone.
Chapter iv·Related questions
WriteLoom's Sell studio tracks your audio edition alongside print and ebook, so an audiobook is one more managed format, not a separate project.
See the Sell studio