Congratulations on getting audiobooks done. The hard bit is marketing these things, but the rewards can be epic. Can be. The problem is, there aren't any Bookbubs for audio. The closest is www.audiobookboom.com (used to be audiobookblast) This is the site run by our own Jeffrey Kafer, who posts here quite a bit. He's an ACX narrator.
So reviews are important for audio.
When the book goes live, ACX will send you 25 free codes to give to reviewers. If you're a UK author, the codes are for UK. If you're a US author, the codes are for USA store. There are no codes for the iTunes store. So about a week after the book goes live, the codes arrive. DO NOT WAIT. The moment it goes live, email support@acx.com using the same email address you use in your acx account and be nice. Say "My new book xyz has just gone live. I'm so excited. I have all kinds of promo scheduled. Can I have 25 codes for the UK store, and 25 codes of the US store please?"
The codes will arrive within a few hours, when used, you get full royalty. Don't worry. First, ask your mailing list for help. Offer a free audio book if they will send you an email with a valid email address. If they do, send them a code with ACX's instructions. (I used to gift the book rather than give codes, but Audible is cracking down -- Ask Amanda)
ALSO, those codes are used with audiobookboom.com. Get people interested. Audiobookboom sends you details, you can send the promo code to their emails. Facebook ads work well for me. DO them the way Mark Dawson tells you to do Kindle books. Series do best in audio as they do in kindle. Boxed sets are big on audio too, but DO NOT do one until your individual sales have slowed. Give it around 9 months. Then bundle, and it's like a new book. All the Facebook ads go on it, now.
Last of all is a brand new thing called Send This Book. It's US only, and accessed from within the US audible app. Call up your book, click the 3 dots top right, click Send This Book, and choose your own email address. You'll get an email and a link. Save that link, and use it with a boosted post on Facebook. The BIG WARNING here is that Audible say they honour the first 10 copies of a book (was 100). So you only get royalties for those. Any other copies sent out, are like a free promo. This is quite new. I did this the moment it went live and made a LOT of money, but Audible have gotten wise and changed the numbers of books allowed. I made over $8000 in a few days, before they changed it.
To get the special link, it's long winded process if you're in the UK like me. If you're in the US though: buy your own book at audible US store. download it via the audible app.
Play the book and pause.
Click the 3 dots at the top left.
Choose "share this book" enter a friend's email address and send.
Your friend will receive a special link. The first 10 (was 100) friends to claim a book, can claim it and Audible pay the writer a royalty, and a bounty if the friend later becomes an Audible member.
We are allowed to use text, email, social media, but NOT mailing lists.
For Audio reviews:
http://audiobookboom.com/
https://www.facebook.com/audiobookboom/?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/groups/freeaudiobookgiveways/?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/audiobookjungle
ACX questions
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,208923.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,212160.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,207665.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,208701.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,203324.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,207695.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,206773.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,205897.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,201918.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,205417.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,198098.0.html
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,223304.0.html <==ACX 6 weeks on
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,173413.0.html <==Joe Nobody's Non-US Author workaround
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,196018.0.html <==Good audition practice
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,195751.0.html <==Mikael Naramore narrator
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,189148.0.html <==Why you should try ACX, I mean really
Mark, do you create your own boxed sets?
Yes I use ACX. You need to bundle the entire series, OR the first 3/4 books. You can't do both. Audible allows only ONE audio boxed set per series, so choose wisely. Once done, it can't be undone.
Go to your ACX creation section. Got to each book you want in your boxset. Download each chapter and one of the samples. You won't need the intros or outros.
Find the boxed set on kindle in the create new audiobook tab. Claim it. Fill in the details and the DIY agreement.
The upload tab will be waiting for you.
Upload a new intro names 000 intro
Upload all the chapters of book one making sure they are numbered right Chapter 01, Chapter 02 etc
Upload a linking file to introduce book 2 it will be numbered Chapter 041 if the last chapter of book 1 was Chapter 40
Upload all the chapters of book 2 keeping the numbers sequential
Upload a linking file to intro book 3
Upload all the chapters of book 3 keeping the numbers sequential
Upload an outro file ending the boxed set, and asking people to subscribe to your newsletter.
Upload your sample
Upload your cover
Click done when you are SURE all the files are there and numbered correctly.
QC begins
NEW FILE SCRIPTS
Intro is like this:
"Merkiaari Wars books 1-3 written by Mark E. Cooper. Narrated by Mikael Narramore" {pause} "Book 1: Hard Duty" {pause}
Linking files
"Book 2: What Price Honour written by Mark E. Cooper. Narrated by Mikael Narramore" {pause}
"Book 3: Operation Oracle written by Mark E. Cooper. Narrated by Mikael Narramore" {pause}
Outro file:
"Thank you for listening to the Merkiaari Wars books 1-3 written by Mark E. Cooper. Narrated by Mikael Narramore"
Copyright Impulse Books UK. For more titles by Mark, please subscribe to his newsletter at
www.impulsebooks.co.uk"
NUMBERING:
Intro = 000
book 1 = 001 to 041
segue file intro book 2 = 042
book 2 043 to 080
segue file intro book 3 = 081
book 3 082 to 110
outro = 111