Please welcome back
SMFS member Judy Penz Sheluk back today. Her topic in this guest post is short stories and audiobooks.
Producing an
audiobook: It is worth it for short stories? by Judy Penz Sheluk
Last year, I took the plunge and decided to release both my
mystery novels in audiobook format using ACX as the publishing platform.
SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC was published in July 2017, followed by THE HANGED MAN’S
NOOSE in November 2017. While I’m not quite ready to buy a new car, my
investment was simply one of time: I’d already written the books, I owned the
audiobook rights, and I opted for a royalty share with the narrator/publisher
(the lovely thing about that is ACX takes care of the payment side of things
for both sides AND they pay monthly).
While full-length novels seemed to make sense for
audiobooks, I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be worth investing the time
into LIVE FREE OR TRI, my self-published collection of three short mystery
stories, originally released in January 2016 on Amazon. After all, what did I
have to lose beyond a few hours of my time?
Following the ACX protocol (you can read all about it on my
blog, links below, or go directly to ACX.com), I put a callout for narrators.
Fortunately for me, Kate Tyler submitted a great audition, and, after checking
her other audiobooks, I contracted her for the work. She didn’t disappoint (you
can hear a sample on Audible.com), but at just under one hour of listening
time, versus the 6 to 8 hours of my previous books, would the book actually
sell?
The short answer is
yes; in fact, in a month LIVE FREE OR TRI has already outsold THE HANGED
MAN’S NOOSE, and is rapidly closing in on SKELETONS IN THE ATTIC. It seems
folks actually want short and mysterious, and some are even willing to review
it, with almost all 5/5/5-star ratings (audiobooks are rated 1-5 on Story,
Narration, and Overall) on Audible, as well as a handful of ratings on
Goodreads.
Will I get rich selling audiobooks, short, long or otherwise?
Unlikely. But I’m getting my stories into the hands (or ears) of new readers
and listeners, all without any monetary out-of-pocket expense. That, to me, is
a definite win. If you own the audiobook rights to your story, I urge you to
try it. After all, what have you got to lose?
Producing an audiobook, Part I
Producing an audiobook, Part II
Audible Page
Judy
Penz Sheluk ©2018
An Amazon international bestselling author, Judy Penz Sheluk
is the author of two mystery series: The Glass Dolphin Mysteries (THE HANGED
MAN’S NOOSE and A HOLE IN ONE) and The Marketville Mysteries (SKELETONS IN THE
ATTIC). Her short crime fiction appears is included in several collections,
including LIVE FREE OR TRI.
Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller
Writers, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where
she currently serves on the Board of Directors as the Regional Representative
for Toronto/Southern Ontario.
Find Judy on her website/blog at
http://www.judypenzsheluk.com, where
she interviews and showcases the works of other authors and blogs about the
writing life.
