Audiobook Production for Indie Authors: ACX, Narrators and Timelines

Audiobooks let people enjoy your book while they drive, exercise or do the dishes. They also reach readers who find long stretches of print hard, including many people with visual impairments or dyslexia. For an indie author, an audiobook is a new format and a new storefront for a book you have already written.

Producing one well takes planning. This guide covers how narrators are paid, how to estimate length, the technical specs your files must meet, how to choose a narrator and where you can sell the finished book.

The main platform: ACX

ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) is Amazon’s marketplace for audiobook rights holders and narrators. Books produced through ACX can be sold on Audible, Amazon and Apple Books. ACX lets you post your book, receive auditions from narrators and producers, make an offer and manage production.

ACX is not the only route. Other distributors, such as Findaway Voices by Spotify, distribute to many retailers and library platforms. You will choose between them when you decide on distribution, covered below.

How narrators get paid: two models

Pay per finished hour (PFH)

You pay the narrator or producer a fixed rate for each hour of the finished audiobook. You keep all of your royalties. This costs more upfront but often attracts more experienced narrators. Union narrators may work under SAG-AFTRA terms, which affects the rate.

Royalty share

The narrator works for no upfront fee and instead splits your royalties with you. ACX describes how royalty share deals work, including a fixed term. It costs nothing upfront, but you give up half of your royalty for that term, and narrators are choosier about which books they accept, because they only get paid if the book sells.

Some ACX titles also qualify for Royalty Share Plus, a hybrid with a smaller upfront fee plus a royalty split. Check ACX’s help pages for the current terms.

Your own royalty

What you earn depends on your distribution choice. ACX publishes its royalty rates for exclusive and non-exclusive distribution on its royalty help page. Exclusive distribution pays a higher rate but limits you to Audible, Amazon and Apple Books. Non-exclusive pays less but lets you also sell through other distributors.

Finished-hour math

Narrators price by the finished hour, so you need a length estimate. A common industry rule of thumb is about 9,300 words per finished hour, which ACX itself uses in its guidance for estimating length. To estimate:

1. Take your word count. Example: 75,000 words.
2. Divide by 9,300. 75,000 / 9,300 = about 8.1 finished hours.
3. Multiply by the narrator’s PFH rate to estimate the cost.

Actual length varies with genre, pacing and dialogue, so use the estimate for budgeting, not a fixed quote. Note that “finished hours” counts the final edited audio. Narrators spend several hours of recording, editing and mastering per finished hour, which is why the rates are what they are.

ACX audio specs

ACX checks every file against its audio submission requirements. At the time of writing, these include:

• Each file contains one chapter or section, with the section header read aloud.
• Room tone at the start and end of each file.
• Overall loudness (RMS) between -23 dB and -18 dB.
• Peak values no higher than -3 dB.
• A noise floor no louder than -60 dB RMS.
• Files delivered as 192 kbps or higher constant bit rate MP3 at 44.1 kHz.
• Consistent sound across all files, with no extra sounds or long silences.
• An opening and closing credit, plus a retail sample.

If a file fails, the book is sent back for fixes, which delays release. An experienced producer will meet these standards as part of the job, but you should still listen before you approve.

The audiobook also needs a square cover, at least 2400 x 2400 pixels per ACX’s cover rules. Your print cover will need to be adapted, not just cropped.

Choosing a narrator

The narrator becomes the voice of your book. Take your time.

1. Write a clear brief. Describe the genre, the point of view, the main characters’ ages and accents, and the tone you want.
2. Pick an audition script. Choose 2 to 3 pages that include narration, dialogue between different characters and an emotional moment. Avoid the first page, which is often the least representative.
3. Listen for the fit, not just the voice. Does the narrator understand the humor? Can listeners tell characters apart? Is the pacing natural?
4. Listen to finished samples of their past work, not just the audition, and check reviews on retail pages.
5. Agree on the details in writing: rate or royalty share, schedule, pronunciation list and how many correction rounds are included.

Prepare a pronunciation guide for names, places and unusual words. It saves hours of corrections.

Typical production steps

1. Finalize the text. Make every edit to your manuscript before recording. Changes after recording mean re-recording.
2. Post the book and review auditions.
3. Approve the first 15 minutes. On ACX the narrator uploads a first 15-minute sample so you can catch issues early.
4. Full recording, editing and mastering.
5. Your review. Listen to every chapter and send a marked list of corrections with timestamps.
6. Corrections and final approval.
7. Submission and quality check by the platform.
8. Release.

How long this takes depends on the length of the book, the narrator’s schedule and how quickly you review. Build in extra time for the platform’s quality review, and avoid promising a launch date to readers until the audiobook is approved.

Distribution options

• Exclusive through ACX: sold on Audible, Amazon and Apple Books, at ACX’s higher exclusive rate.
• Non-exclusive through ACX plus others: ACX for Audible and Amazon, plus a distributor such as Findaway Voices for other retailers and library platforms like OverDrive and Hoopla. Lower ACX rate, wider reach.
• Direct sales: some authors also sell audio files directly from their own website using a delivery service.

Your choice depends on where your readers listen. If many of your readers use libraries, wider distribution may matter more than the higher exclusive rate.

Marketing your audiobook

Treat the audiobook like a new release. Announce it to your email list, share a short clip on social media, add the audio edition to your author website and update your book’s description to mention the narrator. ACX provides promo codes for some titles, which you can give to reviewers and listeners. Follow each retailer’s review rules when you do.

Common questions

Can I narrate my own book? Yes, and many nonfiction authors do, because readers like hearing the author’s voice. You will need a quiet, treated space, a good microphone and editing skills, or a producer to edit and master your recordings to ACX’s specs.

Do I need the audio rights? Yes. If you self-published, you usually hold them. If you signed with a traditional publisher, check your contract, because audio rights are often included.

Should I use AI narration? Policies differ by platform and change often, and listeners may react differently to synthetic voices. Read the current rules of each retailer and distributor before choosing it.

Can I update the audiobook after release? Small fixes are possible, but re-recording costs time and money. Finalize the text before the narrator starts.

Ready to give your book a voice?

If you want professional help, our audiobook production team works with human narrators across genres and handles recording, post-production, upload-ready files and distribution assistance. Send us your manuscript for a personalized quote.

Written by the Books Publishing House team. Founded in 2017, Books Publishing House provides writing, editing, design, publishing and marketing services for authors. The rights to your book and 100% of your royalties stay with you.