Let's talk about audiobooks...

Listen up!

Hi everyone,

Hope you are surviving the heat!

Today I thought it would be useful to talk about audiobooks! Audio is now such a huge part of publishing - it’s a sector that is in growth, and with the addition of audio sales via Spotify and Storytel, it’s something that most publishers are more and more interested in and focused on. I’ve put together some questions that I think writers might like to know the answers to, but feel free to ask any additional ones in the comments.

Will my book have an audio edition?

Often, but not always. Most big publishers want to acquire audio rights as part of a deal - this is a deal-breaker for some publishing houses - and the majority of time on a traditional fiction list, you will have an audio edition too. However, occasionally this might not happen - audiobooks are expensive to create and sometimes the publisher may decide there is not the demand for it. Some digital-first publishers also prefer to focus more on the ebook format, and some work with external audiobook producers to create their audiobooks separately. If audio is important to you, definitely ask your potential publisher what their strategy would be for this when you get the offer. It’s always fine to ask questions like this!

Who will read the audiobook?

Most big publishing houses have an audio team, who will cast the book for you. Usually, we send authors a sample of a couple of different potential narrators for them to choose from. Prior to that, the editor will do an audio briefing form where we provide the audio team with information such as how many points of view are there, what background/gender the characters are, if any accents or other languages are needed, etc. There are some really brilliant book narrators who are known for doing certain genres, and then there are bigger names too, but those obviously cost more money. So sometimes we will get a celebrity name to read a book if it’s a big priority for us, but that can be tricky due to their time and the cost. For non-fiction titles, it’s more common for authors to read their own books, especially if they are celebrities themselves or have a platform (a podcast or similar). But for most general fiction, the best bet is for the book to be read by an experienced audio narrator.

Can I hear my audiobook being recorded?

Yes, sometimes! I’ve been with authors to visit the recording studios - some big publishers have these in-house but most have them externally, and sometimes you can ask to go in and hear an hour or so be recorded (you will get to meet the narrator then too). I did this for my second novel and it was really special! You may not always be able to but if you are particularly interested it is worth asking your editor if this is a possibility.

Can I listen to it afterwards?

Yes, your publisher should be able to either send you the files via email, or send you a code so that you can download the Audible or Spotify version for free.

How well do audiobooks sell?

As mentioned above, they are in growth at the moment. We tend to find that non-fiction and big brand fiction are the most popular - it is harder to get strong sales from debut fiction unless it has a really big campaign behind it, a big name narrator attached, or really strong promotion from the audiobook company. We pitch audiobooks for promotions in a similar way to ebooks, so your book might be chosen as Apple audiobook of the month for example, or it might be chosen for a two week promotion focusing on Crime and Thrillers, or it might be part of Audible’s 2for1 sale. Your editor should let you know when these promotions are secured. The average debut fiction book without a huge campaign behind it may sell fewer than 2k audiobooks, it really depends if something takes off/how well known an author becomes. You tend to see an upward sales trajectory if an author becomes more well known in print. Audio is a very exciting and interesting part of the industry I think, and publishers are often looking at new ways of engaging audio - whether than is audio-first publishing, audio-only, or something different.

Can audiobooks win awards?

Yes they can now! The British Audio Awards, otherwise known as the Speakies, are relatively new but there are now 18 categories. Publishers submit books that they think have a chance of winning, and they now run on an annual basis (like the British Book Awards). My brother is actually a judge for them, and you can find his wonderful Substack all about theatre here (particularly useful if you are attending the Edinburgh Fringe this year!)

I hope this was helpful! Have you listened to any great audiobooks recently? Tell us in the comments.

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