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Audiobooks are up about 20% year over the year across the publishing industry for the first eight months, according to the Association of American Publishers’ data reports from 1,200 publishers. In the same time period, print books rose just 1.5%.
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A year ago, in July 2017, aggregator Draft2Digital announced their partnership with FindawayVoices, an audiobook creation and distribution service which gives authors more freedom and control over their work. It’s easy to create and sell audiobooks to listeners in more than 170 countries, through the world’s largest audiobook distribution network.
To celebrate one year of partnership, D2D is giving the gift of one finished hour of audio for FREE! Choose any narrator at any rate, and mention the code ONEHOURFREE in the casting questionnaire, then enjoy a free narrator hour on us!
“We’ve had a blast working with FindawayVoices over the past year, and we know you will feel the same. And when you start your production from Draft2Digital, you won’t have to pay the $49 casting fee for your book – plus you get one free hour of narrating until August 18.”
Terms and Conditions:
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- Start an audiobook between July 18–Aug 18, 2018
- Sign contract before Oct. 31, 2018
- Audiobook must be minimum of 5 finished hours
- Applies to any project cast by FindawayVoices
- The project must be transferred from D2D, special code ONEHOURFREE must be mentioned in casting questionnaire
- Limit one per author
Upload your manuscript at Draft2Digital.com, and when you get to the Publishing step you’ll get a chance to transfer your book to FindawayVoices.
If you have any questions, please contact support@draft2digital.com
FindawayVoices is an innovator in the audiobook industry for more than 10 years and a global leader in digital content delivery across retail, library, and K–12 channels.
https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/weve-been-hearing-and-sharing-voices-for-a-whole-year/
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You Control the Cost
The length of your work and the narrator selected determine the cost for creating your audiobook. Narrators are quality checked and approved by our audio experts. Narrator rates are shared on a “per finished hour” (PFH) basis, and the general estimate is every 9,000 words of text equals one finished hour of audio. For example, if your book is 72,000 words, it would be approximately eight finished hours.
FindawayVoices works with you to make the right decisions when creating your audiobooks. They provide a list of suggested narrators at a range of PFH rates. This lets you choose the right voice at the right price. The range is typical $150 to $400 per finished hour. See a table on their website to better estimate your potential audiobook investment: https://findawayvoices.com/pricing/
FindawayVoices gives authors everything they need to create professionally narrated audiobooks, including:
- Full Control—With FindawayVoices, you set the price, own the rights, control marketing, choose your distributors, and never sign an exclusivity agreement.
- Global Distribution—You’ll gain access to a global platform that reaches consumers in more than 170 countries, through all major audiobook sellers across retail, library, and K12 channels (and yes, this includes Audible).
- Custom Narrator Casting—The experts at FindawayVoices review your book and create a tailored list of recommended narrators at a range of prices for your specific title. FindawayVoices will work with you at every step to ensure you choose the right voice at the right price for your book.
- Professional Production—All narrators are vetted for quality, and all audiobooks are quality-checked before publication, giving rights holders an extra level of assurance.
- Full Service and Support–As an author, who distributes via D2D you are used to high-level customer support, and you can expect the same with FindawayVoices. If you have any questions or need help, you can reach out to an expert.
- Already have an audiobook?—If you have already produced your audiobook, you can distribute through FindawayVoices without exclusivity, and at no cost.
You will be able to quickly and easily start the audiobook production process, right from your D2D publication page. Once you have converted your ebook, you can start creating your audiobook with FindawayVoices, with full support from their team. You can determine your production budget, select a narrator, and have your book produced and distributed to a large, robust audiobook network – which includes not only online retailers, but also libraries and independent bookstores.
As the author or publisher, you keep 80% of all royalties FindawayVoices receives, which vary by partner, channel, and business model. The royalties FindawayVoices receives from its partners are within the following ranges:
- A la carte: 40% to 50% of list price
- Subscription: 30% to 40% of list price
- Amazon Audible: 25% of the sales price (Audible’s standard, non-exclusive terms)
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Frequent Asked Questions
Who owns the rights to the finished audiobook?
You! Authors and publishers who work with FindawayVoices always own the rights to their works.
Do you require exclusivity?
Absolutely not! You will never be asked to sign an exclusivity agreement. We believe in opening the audiobook market for authors and publishers and work tirelessly to introduce audiobooks to new listeners through our products, partnerships, relationships, and innovations.
How does FindawayVoices compare to ACX?
Well, in several ways. With FindawayVoices, you’re never asked for exclusivity, you control the price for your book, and we give you control over marketing and promotions. Our team works with you to guide the process and ensure creating an audiobook is easier than it’s ever been!
I’m an international author, can I work with FindawayVoices?
Yes! FindawayVoices is available to authors and publishers in all countries and can recommend narrators to match unique accent and style demands.
I’m a publisher. Can I use FindawayVoices to distribute my catalog?
Yes! Contact FindawayVoices at support@findawayvoices.com to discuss how Voices in more detail.
What’s with the $49 fee?
D2D PUBLISHERS DO NOT HAVE TO PAY THE $49 ADMIN FEE!
This is a one-time administrative fee that covers project management during production, and ongoing administrative tasks such as consolidated royalty reporting, ISBN registration (if you don’t have your own ISBN), post-processing, final mastering, and other behind-the-scenes tasks carried out, for every audiobook produced. This fee applies to production only, and you will not have to pay the fee if you provide your own audiobook.
How does FindawayVoices compare to Author’s Republic?
FindawayVoices is similar to Author’s Republic in that they offer audiobook distribution, but are different in a few ways that set them apart:
- FindawayVoices is a single service where authors can both create and distribute their works. If you have created your own audiobook files, you can also choose distribution only.
- Regarding distribution: With FindawayVoices, you keep 80 percent of all royalties earned through the sale of your recordings. Author’s Republic, for example, offers only 70 percent.
- FindawayVoices will NEVER ask you for exclusivity. You are always free to distribute your titles anywhere else you like, and you always have complete control over where your titles are available within their network.
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EXCERPT FROM OUR UPCOMING BOOK ON SUCCESS WITH AUDIO-BOOKS:
Creating an AudioBook
How much does it cost to create an audiobook?
- The cost of narration is calculated on a “per-finished-hour” basis and will vary based on several factors, including the length of the book, narrator selected, and complexity. FindawayVoices will provide suggested narrators at a range of “per-finished-hour” rates to best meet your cost needs.
- Contact FindawayVoices at support@findawayvoices.com to learn more.
- The only other charge is a one-time fee of $49.00 to cover project management during production and ongoing administrative tasks such as consolidated royalty reporting. But:
- NOTE: D2D customers will not have to pay the $49 admin fee for their audiobook!
What does per-finished hour mean?
“Per Finished Hour” is the standard way payment is calculated in the audiobook industry. Narrators are compensated for each hour of finished recording, rather than by studio hour since this can vary. 9,000 words equal one finished hour. 72,000 manuscript words would be approximately eight finished hours of audio.
How do I choose a narrator?
First, contact Findaway at support@findawayvoices.com. To find the right narrator for your book, we’ll ask you a few simple questions to guide our suggestions (book subject/genre, emotional tone, protagonist profile) and then prepare a curated list of narrators for you to choose from. All narrator recommendations from Voices are tailored to your style preferences and material. We’ll include voices at a range of per-finished-hour rates to ensure you get the right voice at the right price. Every narrator in our talent pool has been vetted for professionalism and quality.
Can I hear a sample of my book performed by a narrator?
Of course! Before committing to a narrator, you can request a sample of that voice paired with your work. Simply share with us with a sample chapter (or the full manuscript) and we’ll coordinate with the narrator or narrators you choose to provide you with samples.
What is the approval process?
You review the first 15 minutes of your audiobook before committing to the full performance. Once the first section is approved, your narrator will continue recording the remainder of your work, providing completed chapters for your review, and adjusting to any feedback along the way. You will provide final approval for the audiobook before it is published.
How long will it take to create my audiobook?
Project timeframe varies based on each book’s length, but 6-8 weeks is typical from project start to your title is available for sale.
Do you offer royalty sharing as an option for compensating narrators?
Currently, FindawayVoices does not offer royalty sharing though we may consider it in the future.
Can I narrate my own audiobook?
Yes! You’ll follow almost the same process as if you were selecting a narrator, except you’ll be the one recording….and approving the work! FindawayVoices have narration guidelines to ensure a high-quality standard.
Can I recommend a narrator or use a narrator I already work with?
Absolutely! All of the narrators we work with are independent contractors. FindawayVoices can work with your current narrator(s) to ensure consistency within your catalog if that’s important to you. Just put us in touch!
Where will my audiobook be available for sale?
With Findaway Voices, your audiobook will be distributed through the world’s largest network of audiobook sellers, representing a variety of industry partners, sales channels, and business models. Their global distribution network includes top sellers from retail, public library, and K-12, and they are always expanding with the market.
Current partners include:
- Audible, Amazon, Apple
- Barnes and Noble NOOK
- Baker & Taylor
- Biblioteca
- EBSCO
- 3M/
- Follett
- Hoopla
- eStories (formerly eMusic)
- Playster
- 24symbols
- Downpour
- Audiobooks.com
- Hummingbird
- Libro.fm
- AudiobooksNow
- InstaRead
- Mackin
- Odilo
- Otto Radio
- Overdrive (for Libraries)
- Perma-Bound
- Rakuten Kobo
- TuneIn
- Scribd
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Who Sets the Price for my Audiobook?
You do! You set pricing, and they pay based on that list price for sales through most of our distribution partners. Also, you can update your price at any time and we’ll ensure all retailers.
80% Royalty for authors
As the author or publisher, you keep 80% of all royalties FindawayVoices receives, which vary by partner, channel, and business model. The royalties that FindawayVoices receives from its partners are within the following ranges:
- A la carte: 40% to 50% of list price
- Subscription: 30% to 40% of list price
- Audible: 25% of the sales price (Audible’s standard, non-exclusive terms)
How often are authors paid?
Every month, you will receive any royalties collected on your behalf. FindawayVoices will deposit royalties for you within 30 days of receipt from our partners. Some partners pay us within 30 days of the end of each month, and others pay quarterly.
Do I have to list my book with all retailers?
No! You decide which partners you want to work with. If you wish to remove an audiobook from one or all of our partners, simply alert them via email support@findawayvoices.com, and they will coordinate with the partner on your behalf.
When will my audiobook to be available for sale?
Each audiobook is approved separately by each of our distribution partners, who have their own processes and timing. In general, you can expect your audiobook to appear for sale about 2 – 3 weeks after you’ve published through Voices.
More questions and answers here: https://my.findawayvoices.com/help-and-resources
How to get started
You must transfer your book to FindawayVoices via Draft2Digital to get this deal. You will be able to export your book to Findaway Voices after the Publishing step of uploading and distributing your ebook, or by following these steps:
- Log in to Draft2Digital.com and click on My Books
- Choose the book you want and click the little orange microphone, the audiobook symbol
Read more:
Julia How explains in detail how she used FindawayVoices to produce audiobooks
https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/07/18/producing-audiobook-findaway-voices/
Comparison Amazon ACX vs FindawayVoices by author Julie Gilbert
https://juliecgilbertwriter.com/2017/10/30/company-comparison-acx-vs-findaway-voices/
Audiobooks: What Indie Publishers Need to Know
https://deborahjacobs.com/2018/04/03/audiobooks-audible-acx-amazon/
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