Audiobook Marketing Checklist

Before you Hire your Narrator(s)

• If you haven’t already, listen to audiobooks in your genre and/or recruit a team member to be your guide

• Join FB audiobook and narrator fan groups

• Interact with other fans

• Note auto-buy, hot, and up-and-coming narrators

• Decide whether to

• a. produce the audio yourself or
  b. work with an audiobook production company or c. try to sell your rights to an audiobook publisher

• i. if successful, be prepared with your list of dream narrators and do your best to get narrator approval in your contract and then skip to the end of this list

• If 3a, contact SAG-AFTRA to set up an OPO agreement
  a. Estimate how many books you can publish in 18 months
  b. Ask for minimum rate for your titles’ narration style (see below)

• Decide on distribution

• ACX exclusive

• Wide

• ACX exclusive for 90 days then Wide (my recommendation)

• Decide on release strategy

• Concurrent with the print release (for new books or series)

• 2 - 3 months after the print release

• Series all at once or in quick succession (for backlist titles)

• Decide on narration style, i.e. whether your book should be narrated by

• One male narrator

• One female narrator

• c. Two narrators in dual style

• Two narrators in duet style

• Multiple narrators

• Create your budget based on #7

• Come up with a list of potential narrators

• 10. Either contact the narrators yourself or contact a production company to

• a. Hire your dream narrator if their availability and rates line up with your schedule and budget

• b. Work your way down the list until you find a narrator who does work within your budget and schedule

• c. Compromise on one of the above