find a way to earn more on audio
If you’re thinking about self-publishing an audiobook, or having self-published an audiobook in the past, it’s important to know about Findaway Voices. While Amazon’s ACX is the most popular production and distribution option, it’s not your only one. You need to know about Findaway so you can make an educated decision.
Findaway Voices is similar to ACX. You can produce your audiobook through it, or you can just upload your audiobook files and use it as a distributor. Think of it as Draft2Digital for audiobooks. AND… just like D2D, you can pub the audiobook direct on Amazon/Audible (through ACX) and then pub to everyone else through Findaway Voices - who I’ll refer to as Findaway for the remainder of this post.
Let’s talk about the ways Findaway differs from ACX.
PRICING
Findaway: You can set your own pricing. Want to have a free novella that kicks off your series? Go for it! Want to hold a 99 cent sale on all of your audiobooks? Do it! Personally, I’ve set my audiobooks to $8.99 each to encourage sales.
ACX: You have no control over pricing or promotions.
SALES DATA
Findaway: You can clearly see how many sales you have on each retailer and how much you’ve made on each individual purchase. Groundbreaking stuff, right? It shouldn’t be, but it is.
ACX: You have a flat number of sales at the end of each month, but don’t know which retailer it is from, or how much you are earning from each sale.
DISTRIBUTION
Findaway: Findaway allows you to be on more than 40 websites and countless libraries.
ACX: Your only distribution is to Amazon / Audible and iTunes.
SELLING DIRECT TO READERS
Findaway: Soon, you’ll be able to sell your audiobooks direct to your readers and net 90% of the revenue. This program is still in beta but will unroll soon.
ACX: No direct sales ability to readers.
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Findaway allows distribution to over 40 retailers.
The only real negative to Findaway is that your Audible income will drop by 15%, since once you are non-exclusive to ACX, they drop your royalty from 40% to 25%. BUT… that royalty rate is jumping on every other outlet. For example, on each $7.99 Apple sales that I get through Findaway, I am making $4.67. On my last ACX royalty statement, I made $3.22 per sale - and I know ACX has my books priced way higher than $8.99.
I urge you to move one book over to Findaway Voices and see how things go. If you’re like me, you’ll be almost giddy with the power to price and market your audiobook.
“But wait!” you shout. “Aren’t I locked into a 7-year exclusivity contract with ACX?” Nope. As long as a year has passed, they will release you from this commitment. Just email them and ask them to switch the title from exclusive distribution to non-exclusive distribution.
If you have any questions on Findaway, please pop them into the comments section - I’m happy to help out as best I can. There isn’t a wrong way to self-publish your audiobooks, but I just want you to be aware that there is more than just one way.
To find out more about Findaway Voices, visit their website here.
