Audiobook Marketing Checklist

Before you Hire your Narrator(s)

  • 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

Before You Upload to a Distributor

  • Create a Marketing Folder including:

    • Square Cover Image

    • Audio-specific promo images (see examples)

      • Audio cover in 3D smartphone with headphones​

      • Currently Listening, Now in Audio, Listen Now, Narrator reveal graphics

    • Narrator Headshot, Bio, & Social Media Links

    • Bloopers or other in-studio video 

    • Teaser Clips (15 & 30 second, 1 & 5 minute)

    • Videos marrying audio clips with promo images (square and vertical, see examples)

    • Author interview highlighting the audiobook

    • The book’s universal buy link​

    • Extended audiobook samples/videos uploaded Soundcloud and/or YouTube and use them to embed audio on your website

  • Upload the finished audiobook files to Bookfunnel (or other service) to facilitate distribution of ALC’s

  • Add audio editions of the book to Goodreads (don’t add Narrator names or Cover until book is live if you’re doing a Narrator Reveal)

  • Schedule Promo Tour to begin at preorder (or when audio is live)

    • Narrator Reveal/Meet the Narrators

    • Sample Reveal/Audio Sneak Peek/Extended Audio Sample

    • Author/Narrator interviews

    • Release Day or Now in Audio

    • Currently Listening

    • Review Posts

  • Distribute Marketing folder to Reviewers and Influencers along with ALCs and links to review locations (Bookbub, Goodreads, Amazon, Kobo, etc.)

  • Share Your Tools with Narrator(s)

  • Schedule Social media posts

  • Do audio giveaways in Facebook fan groups/in your newsletter/through your social media

  • Sign up to do Facebook lives & takeovers with above

When the Audiobook (or preorder) Goes Live

  • Update the book’s universal link with audiobook buy link(s)

  • Put buy link at the top of your Linktree or other link in bio

  • Like Goodreads and Bookbub reviews

  • Add audio links to Facebook ads

  • If wide, advertise on Bookbub

  • If ACX exclusive, give Audible codes to top reviewers to repost

  • Give away other codes in Facebook groups, to current fans, and/or on Story Origin

  • Interact with social media posts

  • Do a Newsletter Feature about the audio release and give away copies

  • Do interviews with narrators in your newsletter, on IG live or FB live

  • Feature audiobooks in Amazon A+ Content materials

Suggested Hashtags

(in addition to bookish, genre-, author-, narrator-specific)

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#nowinaudio #newaudiobook #newlisten #audiobookrelease #audionowlive

#loveaudiobooks #listeningisreading #audiobooklover #audiobook #narrator

#narrators #listener #humanvoice #amlistening #mustlisten

#currentlylistening  #currentlisten #narratormotivated #audiobookaddict 

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IG only

#audiobookstagram #audiobooksofinstagram

TikTok only

#audiobooktok @audiobooktokker

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Additional Resources:

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

Contests & Awards

If you have questions about the information above, feel free to contact me. If you find any of my resources useful, but are not ready to become a client, you can support me by clicking below to: