Heading into BookExpo, an indie author and his literary agent trumpeted a new first: a six-figure advance for an audiobook-only deal for a self-published series.
The author is Brian D. Anderson, and the series is The Godling Chronicles. Audible offered him a record advance for the license to produce audiobooks for books seven and eight in the series. But this isn’t the first success Anderson has had in audio, and it’s not his first advance and deal with Audible. Anderson also signed with Audible for his Dragonvein series, which was a top five finalist in 2015 for Fantasy Book of the Year at Audible.com. Audible was encouraged to work with Anderson due to his strong existing track record of book sales.
When we asked if the advance was the primary motivator to work directly with Audible, Anderson says, “The advances are great motivators. But it’s really the people and the responsive way they deal with the authors that makes me happy to be with them. I can’t say enough about their level of professionalism and understanding.”
In the past, we’re reported on the mixed results that self-publishing authors have had with audiobooks. Some do well; others don’t. We asked Anderson for his advice about the investment: How do you know when the time is right? He says, “Writers who are still trying to break into the market might find it difficult to afford. And production value is important. Quality narration can run into the thousands of dollars. And if you go cheap, your sales, not to mention reviews, will suffer. I would say wait until you have a solid ebook foundation before attempting to self-publish an audiobook. Otherwise, you will need to query the few audio publishers who accept unsolicited submissions. Marketing is problematic at this point for self-published audiobooks. Much like indie ebooks from a few years ago, the marketing tools are in their infancy. This will change, I’m sure. But for now, you just have to search the web for audiobook bloggers willing to give you a review.”
Bottom line: As Anderson indicates, traditional publishers and audiobook publishers retain dominance in the digital audio market. Based on anecdotal evidence from indie authors, if Audible comes knocking, it’s worthwhile to answer and let them take the reins of your audiobook editions—not to mention they remain by far the largest platform for audiobooks in the United States.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
