Be an Audiobook Author!

Looking to spread your message to audiences in a personal way? Don't have the time or money to spend on writing a traditional book? Try creating an audiobook instead to promote your work or share your message. Audiobooks are an emerging popular item in the marketplace, serving as effective promotion tools and product items for speakers, coaches, artists and others.

Here are some key differences between audiobooks and traditional book publishing which can make audiobooks more appealing:
Audiobooks are more personal and portable. You can listen in the car, on the run, at work, or at home as you are doing other things.

Audiobooks are more compact and take up much less space than books.

Authors have flexibility and control of content. You aren't limited to the format restrictions that books have, and you can get your message out without having a manuscript rejected.

Audiobooks can be fairly inexpensive to produce-and buy, if you're a customer.

As you begin writing your audiobook, keep these tips in mind:

Break it up into sections, just as you would if you were recording a music CD with different tracks. Each topic will make up a different track on your audiobook.

Write for listening. Make the content and your reading conversational; it is a "conversation of sorts."

When you reach the recording phase of your audiobook, consider having it done professionally. Though you can record on a computer using a microphone and voice production software capable of MP3 conversion, a studio setting brings you the best sound quality. There are many small studios these days that can do these projects inexpensively. You might try a few practice recording runs on your computer to get comfortable with the sound of your own voice if you're a recording novice, or to get the reading flow polished before you step into the studio.

As with print and other recorded materials, paying attention to copyright issues is critical. A good rule of thumb is, if you're using something that's not yours, get permission! Be particularly careful with the use of music. Be aware of mechanical licensing and royalty payments that may be required. The same applies to any artwork, photos, location shots you plan to use; if they aren't your own, get proper permissions or releases if necessary.

Production of the audiobook need not be expensive, either. Many CD duplication companies handle short runs at a reasonable cost. If you don't plan to mass produce your work, you could also "burn on demand" from your computer onto CDs and use a labeling system.

Once your audiobook is done and in hand, it's time to tell the world about it! Some ways to get your audiobook out there:

Online distributors such as CDBaby.com can give your product a web presence and a means to purchase it online as well as have it distributed digitally to outlets like ITunes.

Your web site should have a dedicated page for your audiobook.

You should consider having a product table at any public speaking or related events where you can feature your audiobook.

Send out your audiobook for publication reviews or feature stories.

As an audiobook author, you're a published author and recording artist rolled into one. It's a simple way to spread your message and gain credibility in a short turnaround time.