Despite their hectic schedules, more and more individuals are turning to audiobooks to satisfy their literary cravings. The production of audiobooks is an industry that is seeing phenomenal growth. You can generate income by capturing your voice while concurrently typing the text on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
So, have you ever wondered about how you can make money by narrating books? If yes, this review is very helpful because it will tell you about ACX, what it is and how you can start making cash by narrating books.
What is ACX?
ACX is a website developed specifically for authors of books and those who narrate audiobooks. It’s an abbreviation for “Audiobook Creation Exchange.” on this platform, authors of books may have their works recorded, and narrators can audition for different book titles.
ACX produces books for Audible, which is owned by Amazon. That undoubtedly improves people’s perception of the platform’s reliability.
Authors will post their works, and readers can narrow down the options based on criteria like price (variable or set), length, genre, target audience (age range, gender, language fluency, etc.), and more.
According to the author, ACX provides a wide selection of books from which to choose. The fact that you are not restricted to a small selection of books is fantastic.
How to start using ACX?
Getting started with ACX is very straightforward due to its easy-to-use user interface. If you want a narrator for your book, you must first sign up for ACX as an author. After that, you need to confirm your book’s audio rights. After that, you need to create your profile in which you need to describe your book in detail and post the request so narrators can see it and reach out to you. Once enough narrators reach out, you can audition them, and If you like someone’s voice is perfect for your audiobook, you can make a deal with them and get started.
If you are a narrator when signing up for ACX, you need to detail your acting and audiobook experience, upload your best samples, and select how you would like to get paid. After this, you can start auditioning for books you would like to narrate. You can record a 1-2min sample and submit it for the author to check, and If they like it, they will send you the offer. After finishing the deal, start recording.
How to make money by Narrating Books?
First, you must sign up for ACX as a narrator. ACX is one of the best platforms to generate income by narrating books. After successfully creating your account on ACX as a narrator, you can now start auditioning for books you would like to narrate.
You can record 1-2min sample audio and submit it for the author to check, and If they like it, they will send you the offer to work on their audiobook. You can then tell the author how much you will charge for narrating their audiobook. If you will charge a fixed amount or get paid hourly, you can settle this with the author when you both agree on a price; you can then select how you would like to get paid and start narrating.
How much can you earn by Narrating Books?
ACX narrators earn between $50 and $200 for every completed hour of work, including royalties. The authors or publisher decide the percentage of the audiobook’s retail value that goes to the narrator. The narrator usually receives 25%-40%; however, this range is flexible based on the conditions of the contract.
Here are some Pros and Cons of ACX
Pros
Larger Audience
Increased sales of audiobooks are good news for both authors and audiobook producers if they reach a wider audience. ACX helps authors and producers get their audiobooks in front of more listeners through its extensive distribution network. ACX audiobooks are sold on Amazon, iTunes, Audible, and their international counterparts. Readers throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Japan will have access to your work. When a new Audible subscriber listens to your audiobook, ACX will give you $75 as a reward for the privilege.
Cons
Payment Timeline
This is not a method to quickly amass wealth. If you’re just starting in the audiobook industry, you can waste a lot of time (and no pay) polishing your audition recording to conform to submission guidelines, just to find out that you weren’t chosen.
Authors and producers must wait for Audible and Amazon to approve their finished work before it can be made available for purchase. If no revisions are required, this should take roughly two weeks. The time it takes to withdraw funds from the platform once a producer has elected to be compensated via royalty payments might vary.
Scams
Scammers, as in any other online contact, attempt to defraud people by offering them substandard goods or services. According to some evaluations, books previously considered fake may suddenly be available. There is no “Look Inside” option, odd release dates, or many entries for the same work on the author’s page if there are no reviews or sales on Amazon. Several red flags indicate this ad is fraudulent, and the audiobook producers will not get any compensation if you audition for the role. If you want to save time and effort and avoid dealing with fraudsters, remember these warning signs the next time you go in for an audiobook audition.
Final Review of ACX
If you have a great voice and want to use it to earn money, then ACX is a great platform for you to use that voice to earn some bucks. It has a straightforward and simple-to-use interface; whether you are an author looking for narrators or a narrator looking for books to narrate, ACX UI and UX are easy to follow.
FAQs
When can I expect to get my share of the royalties and bounties?
The final week of each month after completing a billing cycle is when Audible transfers any profits for royalties and bounties. Every month, your profits must be larger than $10.00 before you are eligible to withdraw any of your balance.
What is the estimated timeline for my Audiobook?
Once an audiobook has been submitted and verified as conforming to ACX’s Audiobook Submission Requirements, you need to be patient for 10 business days for it to be evaluated and made available for purchase. Your Audiobook’s progress will be updated in your profile’s “Completed Projects” area. Any time there is an update to the status of your Audiobook, ACX support will send you an email.