Available in the U.S. and UK for some months, in 2017, ACX finally opened their production facilities to Canadian authors. If you’re not familiar with ACX, it’s a marketplace where authors, literary agents, publishers, and other Rights Holders can connect with narrators, engineers, recording studios, and other Producers capable of producing a finished audiobook.

Before the Rights Holder can start the process, they will have to set up an account (including banking information) and a Title Profile which confirms that you do hold the audio rights to the book.

The Rights Holder—in my case, I own the audiobook rights to all of my books—has three options. Note that royalty rates vary on whether the Rights Holder signs an “Exclusive” contract with ACX (meaning the audiobook will be available only on Audible, Amazon and iTunes) or a non-exclusive contract. Complete details can be found on ACX, but here’s a quick summary:

1. Hire a narrator/producer to produce the book, pay them a mutually agreed upon fee, and thereafter receive full royalties from Audible on a monthly basis. This option is only available for non-exclusive contracts. Royalty rate: 75% ACX/25% Rights Holder.
2. Narrate and produce the book yourself, and thereafter receive full  royalties from Audible on a monthly basis. Royalty Rate: 75% ACX/25% Rights Holder for non-exclusive contract; 60% ACX/40% Rights Holder for an exclusive contract.
3. Hire a narrator/producer to produce the book on a royalty share basis. In this case, Audible/ACX will take care of paying the narrator’s royalties on a monthly basis. This option is only available for exclusive contracts. Royalty Rate: 60% ACX/20% Rights Holder/20% Narrator.

I opted for option 3, royalty share on an exclusive contract. For each book, I sent out an Audition Request with a selection of specific requirements (Gender of narrator, any accent required, narration style etc.) You also need to include a 2-3 page PDF from the book and not just the first 3 pages — in fact, it’s a good idea to select different sections from the book to hear how the narrator handles the voice of different characters.

Narrated by Suzanne T. Fortin

Once an audition was submitted, I  listened to each audition (roughly 10 minutes) with an ear to finding someone who would be believable to the story. (ACX recommends going with your gut feeling: Is there the right level of emotion and expression? Does the narrator sound the right age for the part? Finally, would a customer enjoy hearing the voice?)

When someone’s audition “clicked” with me, I checked out their other titles on Audible. Since each Audible title is rated by listeners on a 1-5 scale (Story, Performance, Overall), I was most interested in the Performance Rating, and comments that were directed at the narration.

Making an offer is easy, since ACX supplies the contract, although the timelines are set by the Rights Holder and Producer. The contract includes when the first 15 minutes is due (generally 10 days) and when the final product is due (varies by project). After the contract is accepted, the Rights Holder will upload a PDF of the manuscript, and the Producer will start working on the first 15 minutes.

Narrated by Claira Jordyn

The first 15 minutes gives both Rights Holder and Producer a chance to fine tune anything that isn’t working before diving into the complete manuscript. If your book has odd/regional pronunciations, it’s a good idea to supply a list of these to the narrator (for example, Penz Sheluk rhymes with Mercedes Benz  and Tom Sellick).

Once the first 15 minutes are approved by the Rights Holder, the Producer will begin the project, and when complete, upload the audio files, each chapter a separate file. At that point, the Rights Holder will listen to each chapter, and make notes of any corrections required. The Producer is only required to do 2 revisions, so it’s important to catch everything early on.

Hitting the “Approved” button is exciting, but that’s not the end of the journey. At that point ACX undertakes a quality control check. This can take up to 10-14 days. If you’re exclusive, ACX will take care of sending the book to Audible, Amazon and iTunes. Note that the retailer will set the pricing; the Rights Holder has no control over this aspect of the production. Prices are typically set by length.

Narrated by Kate Tyler

If you’ve never purchased an audiobook from Audible, there’s great news! You can download any audiobook FREE with a 30-day trial (and you can cancel without penalty if you decide Audible isn’t for you). Here’s a link to their Help Page. If you purchased the Kindle version of any audiobook, you’re eligible to purchase the audiobook at a greatly reduced rate.

In Part II of this series, I’ll be posting interviews with my three Producers/Narrators to find out what they take into account before signing on the dotted line for a royalty deal. In Part III, I’ll discuss marketing strategies. Stay tuned!

FIND MY AUDIOBOOKS ON AUDIBLE AMAZON and iTUNES

PS: Great news! I have 3 free Audible codes left for LIVE FREE OR TRI. If you’re interested, and are willing post an honest review on Audible, Amazon and Goodreads, please leave a comment saying “I’m interested” or CONTACT ME. First come, first served! 

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