[Joe_Nobody]

I just got off the phone with David, the person who manages our service for non-USA authors and audio books.

As in so many situations, it seems that a few bad apples are ruining it for the entire barrel.

According to ACX, a "much higher" percentage of our non-USA authors are attempting to commit fraud through Audible. This is causing the nice folks at ACX several serious issues, and they have asked us to stop signing up new accounts.

Existing accounts will NOT be impacted, and will continue to process as usual.

If you are one of the "bad apples," you will be hearing from ACX via your account.

This development is in no way a negative on ACX. They have supported our efforts above and beyond, and really worked with us in order to find a workable solution. One has to keep in mind that they have complex international tax and legal issues to deal with, and when nefarious individuals try to "game the system," it can have a huge impact on a large corporation.

So for those of you playing by the rules, this situation won't impact you at all. David and Elizabeth will continue to process your royalties as before. You shouldn't notice any changes.  We are simply not going to accept any NEW accounts.

 

[AltMe]

And just when I was about to revisit this whole thing.

If you are talking to ACX, why not tell them to stop buggering around and accept everyone in the world wherever they are?

Their situation is the same as Amazon, so why do they have a problem outside the US and UK? Doesn't make sense.

Edit: Why do they restrict like this? Its just so stupid. Is there a good reason?

 

[EC]

And just when I was about to revisit this whole thing.

If you are talking to ACX, why not tell them to stop buggering around and accept everyone in the world wherever they are?

Their situation is the same as Amazon, so why do they have a problem outside the US and UK? Doesn't make sense.

Edit: Why do they restrict like this? Its just so stupid. Is there a good reason?

Yes, complex international tax and legal issues.

@Joe Nobody - sorry to hear that, your ACX service has been a great boon to my income.

It's a pity that greedy, grasping clowns have wrecked it for authors not yet signed up.

 

[AltMe]

Yes, complex international tax and legal issues.

Why is audiobooks different to eBooks? Should be the same. Amazon solved books, what makes audio different?

 

[RinG]

Why is audiobooks different to eBooks? Should be the same. Amazon solved books, what makes audio different?

I suspect because of the royalty share option.

 

[Rick Gualtieri]

I just got off the phone with David, the person who manages our service for non-USA authors and audio books.

As in so many situations, it seems that a few bad apples are ruining it for the entire barrel.

According to ACX, a "much higher" percentage of our non-USA authors are attempting to commit fraud through Audible. This is causing the nice folks at ACX several serious issues, and they have asked us to stop signing up new accounts.

Ugh! Sorry to hear it, man. You're providing an awesome service to your fellow indies, so of course a few dirtbags have to take advantage of it and ruin it for the rest.

 

[AltMe]

I suspect because of the royalty share option.

Why is that complicated?

Any half decent analyst with a few programmers should be able to sort that in a week, with their hands tied behind their backs.

 

[NoLongerPosting]

Removed due to site owner's change of TOS.

 

[Lydniz]

Not trying to get an instruction manual here, but how do you commit fraud through Audible?

 

[Mark E. Cooper]

Not trying to get an instruction manual here, but how do you commit fraud through Audible?

Some kind of tax withholding thing I guess.

 

[Decon]

Some kind of tax withholding thing I guess.

There is that, or possibly cutting out the narrator with a 50/50 deal and not paying them

 

[NoLongerPosting]

Removed due to site owner's change to TOS.

 

[Yup]

Has anybody here worked with Author's Republic? And if you have, is their service as good as it sounds?

https://www.authorsrepublic.com/

Going over the fine print, I see they're an aggregator, like D2D for audiobooks, but they take 30% of your earnings in return for distributing your audiobook.

ETA: Since AR has no problem filing a tax form on behalf of non-US resident authors (just like Amazon, Kobo and Apple do), it shows that ACX could do the same if they really wanted to.

EETA: ebookit.com also works with non-US indies. You just fill out the tax form. They also have an option where you can list exclusively with audible, thus getting audible's 40% royalty instead of the 25% you get if you're non-exclusive.

I'd love for some audiobook experts to weigh in...

I've signed with Author's Republic and will let you know how it goes. They were my second choice, but apparently my call to Joe's company was about a day and a half too late. My book will be available at Amazon/Audible/iTunes, Audiobooks.com, Hoopla, Downpour, Overdrive, Findaway, Libro.FM, Audiobooks Now, Hummingbird Media, StoryTel, BookMate, and Audiomol. They give the author 70% of what is an average cut of 50% (according to them) of the price. So 35% on average of your listing price. Seven year contract, but you can bail after 6 months if you need/want to, so I'm quite happy with that. If ACX ever gets to other countries, I will just change my address and details, as I would have done with Joe and set up the transition with Author's Republic.

 

[anotherpage]

I've signed with Author's Republic and will let you know how it goes. They were my second choice, but apparently my call to Joe's company was about a day and a half too late. My book will be available at Amazon/Audible/iTunes, Audiobooks.com, Hoopla, Downpour, Overdrive, Findaway, Libro.FM, Audiobooks Now, Hummingbird Media, StoryTel, BookMate, and Audiomol. They give the author 70% of what is an average cut of 50% (according to them) of the price. So 35% on average of your listing price. Seven year contract, but you can bail after 6 months if you need/want to, so I'm quite happy with that. If ACX ever gets to other countries, I will just change my address and details, as I would have done with Joe and set up the transition with Author's Republic.

Okay, maybe you can help me to understand this regarding that. If its 70% and they keep 30%.

Does audible take 50%, give 50% over to authors republic, and out of that 50% you take 70% and authors republic takes 30%?

So if they use a credit, $10. Republic gets $5, then gives you $3.50 and they keep $1.50

Is that correct?

 

[anotherpage]

And just when I was about to revisit this whole thing.

If you are talking to ACX, why not tell them to stop buggering around and accept everyone in the world wherever they are?

Their situation is the same as Amazon, so why do they have a problem outside the US and UK? Doesn't make sense.

Edit: Why do they restrict like this? Its just so stupid. Is there a good reason?

Tim i've already had that conversation with them and they give the same pat answer, even to the point of acting unprofessional via email. I'm now looking at the alternative called Authors Republic.

 

[555aaa]

Companies that aren't withholding the foreign tax on treaty countries like Australia are committing tax fraud. The US company is the withholding agent, so for example Joe's company should be withholding 5% of the share of royalty that it passes through to an Australian client because that's the royalty tax treaty rate if I recall correctly. When my company distributes audio for a foreign rights holder, we are doing it under license, so we will withhold based on the treaty rate, and there is no way to foist this off on the foreign author since they are under no legal obligation to file US taxes. The obligation is on the pass-through agent which is the company holding the contact with ACX.

 

[Doglover]

There is that, or possibly cutting out the narrator with a 50/50 deal and not paying them

I have a 50/50 deal on my one audio book. I don't pay her; ACX does.

 

[Yup]

Okay, maybe you can help me to understand this regarding that. If its 70% and they keep 30%.

Does audible take 50%, give 50% over to authors republic, and out of that 50% you take 70% and authors republic takes 30%?

So if they use a credit, $10. Republic gets $5, then gives you $3.50 and they keep $1.50

Is that correct?

Yes. Correct. With Joe it was basically the same thing but with 90% instead of 70%. That being said, Author's Republic isn't just a vehicle for ACX, which I think was the unique deal with Joe.

 

[pdworkman]

Is there any other way for non-US indies to get an audiobook on Audible?

Incorporate a US company.

 

[555aaa]

Incorporate a US company.

You just need to work with a US producer / narrator who is willing to do the royalty split for you. I have done this as a producer for non-US authors. It's not like Joe's program; it's independent production. You still own the book rights and can always stop a misbehaving producer from profiting from your book as you can dispute their rights with ACX, but you have to trust them to be honest with you on the sales data (just like any publisher/author relationship).