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Audiobook Marketing Checklist

for a downloadable version of this list

  • If you haven’t already, listen to audiobooks in your genre and/or recruit a team member to be your guide

  • Join FB audiobook and narrator fan groups*

    •  interact with other fans

    • Note auto-buy, hot, and up-and-coming narrators

  • Decide whether your book should be narrated by

    • One male narrator

    • One female narrator

    • Two narrators in dual style

    • Two narrators in duet style (warning, doubles the cost)

    • a full-cast, radio drama style (only recommended for adaptations, also costly)

  • Use the Audiobook Decision Tree to decide whether to

    •  produce the audio yourself or 

    • work with an audiobook production company or 

    • try to sell your rights to an audiobook publisher

      • if successful, be prepared with your list of dream narrators and do your best to get narrator approval in your contract and then skip to the end of this list

  • Decide on distribution

    • ACX exclusive

    • Wide

    • ACX exclusive for 90 days then Wide (recommended if Audible reviews are important to you)

  • Decide on release strategy

    • Concurrent with the print release  (for new books or series)

    • 2 - 3 months after the print release

    • Series all at once or in quick succession (for backlist titles)​

  • Come up with a list of potential narrators

  • Either contact the narrators yourself or contact a production company to

    • Hire your dream narrator if their availability and rates line up with your schedule and budget

    • Work your way down the list until you find a narrator who does work within your budget and schedule

    • Compromise on one of the above

Once You’ve Hired Your Narrator(s)

  • Discuss marketing opportunities with narrators, such as:

    • Live appearances or readings - FB fan groups, IG lives, TikTok

    • Video snippets/blooper reels while recording

    • Interviews with influencers, on podcasts, etc.

    • Reposting and Commenting on Social Media

  • Provide the producer with marketing text for the narrator to record:

    • backmatter text that points to one easy-to-remember link (e.g. “followauthorname.com”)

    • a generic “other audiobooks by” introduction for a teaser chapter

    • your choice of text for the retail sample & 3 - 5 short teaser quotes

    • Book description

    • Bonus epilogue or Deleted Scenes to be used as newsletter magnet

    • a few options for bundle intros and closings

  • If exclusive with ACX, request preorder and release dates

  • Encourage subscribers and fans to follow you on Audible and/or Chirp

  • Do a Newsletter Feature about the audiobook

for the Full Marketing Checklist
contact us for a consult or
to book a promotion today.

*Facebook Fan Groups (check to see if your Narrator has their own)

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