Joanna Penn - Audio For Authors: Audiobooks, Podcasting, And Voice Technologies

I remember lying in bed aged nine listening to my story tapes as the rain pattered down on the windows outside. I was cozy in my room under the blankets, but my imagination was far away in the Kingdom of Ruritania as the story of The Prisoner of Zenda played on. Until, of course, I had to turn the tape over!

I also loved Prokofievs Peter and the Wolf I can still hear the music but my local library had a tiny selection of tapes, so I had to listen to the same stories over and over again.

Books on tape were limited by the cost of production studios, audio equipment, sound engineers, narrators, physical production as well as the format itself, which meant that books were often abridged to fit into boxes. They had to be physically packaged, shipped, stored, and shelved, so the market was limited.

But now, those limitations are gone.

The cost of production and distribution has come down dramatically. Audio equipment is a lot cheaper than it once was, and you can record in a home studio or hire a professional narrator and producer for a reasonable rate.

Smartphones and streaming audio in cars and homes mean that the physical distribution of audiobooks is no longer necessary, and the rise of podcasts has led to more people consuming audio. Length is no longer a problem, and there are ever-expanding opportunities for global distribution. Libraries dont need to physically stock boxes of tapes anymore. They can have unlimited audio in their catalogs and even use pricing like the pay-per-checkout model, which is great for authors and also fantastic for readers, and those kids like me in the 80s who love listening to stories.

We are part of a renaissance in audio creativity and consumption, and its an exciting time to be in the market!

Im Joanna Penn, non-fiction author and award-nominated thriller writer under J.F.Penn, international speaker and award-winning creative entrepreneur. I started The Creative Penn Podcast in 2009. At the time of writing, it has been downloaded over four million times across 222 countries. I licensed my first audiobooks in 2013 and started recording my own non-fiction in 2015. In 2019, I started a second podcast, Books and Travel. Ive edited and produced my own audio and also worked with professional freelancers. Ive been a host and a guest on hundreds of shows, and as an avid reader, I listen to podcasts and audiobooks almost every day. Yes, Im an audio junkie, and in this book, Ill show you the possibilities ahead.

Part 1 discusses audiobooks and everything you need to write and adapt your writing for audio, work with professional narrators or self-narrate, license your rights or independently publish your audiobook, and tips for marketing.

Part 2 delves into the world of podcasting and why its such a great medium for authors, how to pitch and be a fantastic guest, as well as how to start your own show if thats your goal.

Part 3 covers voice technologies, including dictation and voice-led writing, voice assistants, smart speakers, optimizing for voice search, and a glimpse of a possible future where artificial intelligence enhances what is possible for audio creators and publishers.

Chapter notes, references and resources are included in the Appendices and on the download page at: TheCreativePenn.com/audiobookdownload

I hope you find this book useful on your journey into audio creativity.

Note: There are affiliate links within this book to products and services that I recommend and use personally. This means that I receive a small percentage of sales at no extra cost to you, and in some cases, you may receive a discount for using my links. I only recommend products and services that I believe are great for authors, so I hope you find them useful.

T he advent of mobile and streaming internet speeds alongside cheap technology for creation and consumption have exploded the potential for audio in the last decade, and it just keeps getting better. Here are some recent headlines:

• The Audio Publishers Association reports seven years of double-digit revenue growth for audiobooks in the USA.
• The Independent reports that audiobook sales are predicted to overtake ebook sales in the UK in 2020.
• Tom Webster, Senior Vice President at Edison Research noted, This is a watershed moment for podcasting a true milestone. With over half of Americans 12+ saying that they have listened to a podcast, the medium has firmly crossed into the mainstream.
• According to the Edison Infinite Dial Report, time spent listening to online audio reached a record high in 2019, with weekly online audio listeners reporting an average of nearly 17 hours of listening in the last week.

There is clearly a growing demand for audio in all kinds of formats, and as creators, we are well placed to take advantage of this shift in consumer behavior.

Audiobooks are the fastest-growing segment of the publishing market, and more opportunities arise every month for authors who want to get their books into the format. We can license our audiobook rights, work with professional narrators, or learn how to narrate our own work, distributing audiobooks through an ever-growing network of mobile applications to increase revenue.

We can start a podcast or appear as an interview guest on other peoples shows to reach readers directly and spread the word about our books. We can build trust and a more intimate relationship with listeners by using our voices, which are far more personal than words on a page.

Were moving inexorably toward a subscription-driven, human-driven, emotion-driven, ad-free, funnel-free, big brand loyalty-free world.

Mark W Schaefer, Marketing Rebellion

The written word is an increasingly crowded marketplace. There are more books published every day alongside many thousands of articles and many millions of social media updates.

At the same time, people are listening to more podcasts and audiobooks, making time for consumption in their busy lives while doing other things.

If your book is available in audio, you can potentially reach these readers with your words, and even your spoken voice if you self-narrate. The audiobook space is nowhere near as crowded as the market for ebooks or print, because the cost of entry is still much higher than converting text to a digital file.

An author who performs well is memorable whether that is live at an event or on a podcast interview about their book. But good performance takes practice, and many authors prefer to create alone, and stay away from book marketing. I understand that feeling, but if you want to reach readers and sell books, you need to step outside your comfort zone and meet people where they are.

If you build a connection with readers, you will sell more books, because voice fosters a relationship. Listeners feel like they know you, like you and trust you, and that is an authentic way to stand out in a noisy world.

This book is intended to push you out of your comfort zone, because the world is changing, and there are more ways to reach readers through audio than ever before. The time is now for embracing audio, so I hope you will join me on the journey.