Biz: Audiobooks

If you narrate audiobooks, you might want to see if you agree with comments about what’s good and bad about the audiobook industry – and learn what other narrators are experiencing – in a report to be posted on Wednesday (September 9) by VoiceOverXtra. And you can review previous reports – including what narrators earn – here …

In the VoiceOverXtra Audiobook Narrators Business Survey 2015, we asked participants whether they narrate for major publishers – and if so, how did they obtain that status? Now you can read and learn from highlights of their responses and the actual comments from survey participants on their successful paths to the majors …

Respondents to the VoiceOverXtra Audiobook Narrators Business Survey – 2015 made these comments to Question 14: How satisfied are you with the earnings you make narrating audiobooks, vs. the time you put into them?

VoiceOverXtra’s Audiobook Narrators Business Survey 2015 – conducted earlier this year – found more than half of the respondents to be dissatisfied with earnings vs. the amount of time they put into narrating and editing the books. However, another 40% are “somewhat satisfied” or at least “neutral” about it, and the remaining 3% are quite happy with what they’re taking to the bank. What’s behind all this? Read analysis and scores of comments …

CAN you be an audiobook narrator? SHOULD you be? And if so, how do you define success? Veteran narrator Tom Dheere takes those questions to the recent Audio Publishers Conference (APAC) in New York and shares with us the valuable insights he received from multi award-winning narrators Johnny Heller and Tavia Gilbert, and the Audio Publishers Association’s executive director, Michele Cobb …

We hope you’ve been following and gaining insights in the recent reports from VoiceOverXtra’s Audiobook Narrators Business Survey 2015. Links to those reports are here, and concluding next week are reports featuring the comments from 300 participants on: satisfaction with income vs. time spent on narrating/editing; their current situation and thoughts about the audiobook industry; and how to get work with the major publishers. Meanwhile, we’re off to New York to attend APAC – the annual conference of the Audio Publisher’s Association (APA) on May 27 – and the Audie Awards® Gala on May 28, also presented by the APA. Look for VoiceOverXtra features on both events …

Most audiobooks today are recorded in the narrators’ home (or personal) studio. And this trend, coupled with the proliferation of more and more titles and today’s compensation methods have a direct bearing on a narrator’s potential income. Why? Veteran narrator – voice talent/coach Jim Conlan’s analysis of responses and comments in our “Audiobook Narrators Business Survey 2015” continues …

Who doesn’t want to know what their audiobook narration colleagues are earning? We’ll tell – albeit anonymously – in Report #2 of VoiceOverXtra’s “Audiobook Narrators Business Survey 2015.” Also in today’s report, you’ll learn the variety of compensation methods that narrators employ, and note the overwhelming popularity of home studios for recording audiobooks, and the frequent use of outsourcing the editing …

Sales of audiobooks are soaring year after year – but how are audiobook NARRATORS faring in this ever-evolving industry? Find out in this series of three reports from VoiceOverXtra’s “Audiobook Narrators Business Survey 2015” – in which 300 participants reveal what and how they narrate, how they obtain work, how they are paid, WHAT they are paid, and more … plus analyses and hundreds of comments. Report #1 …

Data and hundreds of comments from audiobook narrators in Report #1 of VoiceOverXtra’s “Audiobook Narrators Business Survey 2015” are analyzed by veteran voice actor/coach/narrator James (Jim) Conlan …