Over the past few years, it has become easier than ever to self-publish a novel thanks to services such as Amazon, CreateSpace, and Smashwords. That lower barrier of entry has not extended to audiobooks, however, where production can often be prohibitively expensive for new authors. Smashwords and audiobook producer and distributor Findaway Voices have teamed up to make it easier and more affordable for new authors to break into the growing audiobook market.
In an announcement, Smashwords CEO Mark Coker said the partnership between Smashwords and Findaway Voices would give authors greater control over the pricing and distribution of their audiobooks. Corker says this will make it more affordable for authors of smaller works to produce these publications.
Once authors have filled out a short questionnaire and provided Findaway Voices with their ebook, they’ll be given a curated list of voice actors to chose from. This list will include audio samples and rates, which tend to run between $150 to $400 per finished hour of work. Additionally, authors can request these voice actors to audition by having them submit sample readings of the author’s book.
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