Welcome to your July edition of Indie Author News!
We've got a streamlined version this month featuring some thoughts on audiobooks, a spotlight on author Ned Marcus, and an opportunity to join our free Experimental Book Marketing Group.
So, without further ado...
Featuring: Audiobooks
Audiobooks continue to be the fastest-growing segment of the publishing industry with 1 in 5 people listening to audiobooks in the US.
Audiobooks are currently, the 'big thing' for authors who publish wide. But if you've read some of the articles on our website written by guest authors, you'll realise audiobooks are not the wonder product they're made out to be. They can be time-consuming and expensive to create, especially if you decide to hire a local studio. And they have no guarantee of any return on that investment.
While there is no doubt audiobooks are popular, you may not have the time, resources, or popularity to justify the effort. So, here are a few thoughts to consider when thinking about creating an audiobook.
1. Consider using a service such as Amazon ACX or FindAwayVoices. These are partnered with Amazon and Draft2Digital (among others) respectively. They will allow you to find talented voice actors and will often allow royalty-sharing so there is no upfront cost to you.
2. Consider that 'the right voice' or 'the right accent' may not be as important as you think. Improvements in text-to-voice synthesis have been dramatic in the last few years and it's quite likely audiobooks will become as flexible as e-books soon. So, in a similar way to how the reader can select the font and font-size, and therefore affect the book layout, the audiobook listener may soon be able to select the voice they want to read them the book, or even the language, completely circumventing your original vision.
3. If you decide not to go ahead with creating an audiobook, but want your book to be ready for future developments (like that mentioned in 2.), then read your book aloud during the production stages. Ensure your e-book sounds good and is clear when read aloud and it will be ready for the future.
Ned Marcus is from NW England and has traveled extensively around Europe and Asia before settling in Taiwan. There, he practices martial arts, teaches at the local university, and runs a vibrant writing group.
Ned's stories feature strong themes of the magic and wonder of nature. His first series, Blue Prometheus, starts in the London riots of 2011 and quickly moves through dimensions to Uranus of a parallel solar system ruled by an interplanetary empire.
On July 30, Ned will be featured on the new Alternate Futures podcast. Why not give it a listen and, if you're a fantasy or science fiction fan, check out his books.
"A thought disturbed the darkling sea. From beyond our universe, it rippled through the millions upon millions of galaxies and on through the many planes of the universe that lay together so closely intertwined that few could distinguish between them."
Quantum Dot Press, our facilitated self-publishing imprint, is starting a free experimental book marketing group with the goal of members sharing progress and keeping each other accountable as they work toward 1000+ book sales while building a dedicated fanbase.
The group will be small, but with at least 10 members.
The group focus will be on consistent, effective, tried-and-true online strategies.
Members should be willing to commit to 2-3 hours per week to their promotional activity plus 1-2 hours for the weekly Zoom meeting.
