Bring Your eBook to Life with an Audiobook

One exciting project for authors is transforming an eBook into an audiobook, making it accessible to an even broader audience. Audiobooks are growing in popularity, and creating one is easier than ever.

Options for Producing Your Audiobook

You can produce an audiobook in two main ways:

• Professional Studio: Hire expert narrators, voice actors, and studios to create a polished production.
• Self-Narration: Narrate the book yourself for a personal and authentic touch, especially for memoirs or non-fiction.

Amazon’s ACX for Audiobook Production

Many authors choose Amazon’s ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) for producing and distributing their audiobooks. ACX connects authors with narrators and producers, offering options like royalty-sharing with narrators or paying for production upfront. Once completed, ACX self-publishes the audiobook on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes, ensuring wide distribution much like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).

Tantor Media and Podium Audio

For authors seeking professional publishing, Tantor Media and Podium Audio are excellent options:

• Tantor Media: Tantor selects works that meet their standards. If accepted, they handle production, including narration and distribution. Typically, Tantor contacts designers for source files to create the audio-specific cover design.
• Podium Audio: Specializing in genres like science fiction, fantasy, and romance, Podium often approaches authors with strong sales records. Like Tantor, they request source files from designers to produce audio covers to platform specifications.

Designing Audiobook Covers

Unlike physical books, audiobooks require only a front cover, usually square in shape. This often means adapting existing designs by expanding the sides or repositioning text for better visibility in small formats.

Here are some sample covers I’ve designed for audio platforms, tailored to their specifications.

Click on the banner to go to the Audio Cover Portfolio: