Have you published any audiobooks yet? If not, why? What's holding you back? I want to help you out and get you on the right path, so let me know your candid thoughts. For more details about audiobook publishing via ACX, watch this: th-cam.com/video/3zZRO1BRL3k/w-d-xo.html
Great video! I had a few questions: 1.) I want to narrate my own audiobook and skip hiring a narrator. Can I do that? 2.) What is the time frame between submitting content to the site and it going officially public?
@@andybrophy3182 yes, you can narrate your own. And it varies on how fast it goes public. Usually it hits a couple marketplaces in the first few days. It probably takes closer to a month for the audiobook to distribute to different sites.
Great video! I published my first audiobook with Findaway the end of November this year, with the Voices option to get all the benefits. I narrated the book myself so none of the narrator information applies to me, but everything else does. Findaway has been great and the library distribution was the fastest income earner for me. I'm glad you covered the fact that you need to search for your audiobook to see when it's live at the different places because I thought maybe I was missing something or doing something wrong when I couldn't find the links automatically. It would be great if they added notification for when the audiobook is live at each place. I'm still waiting for my audiobook to go live on Amazon / Audible - and I need to keep checking to see if it's up. I'm happy to be with Findaway and love the freedom they give compared to other places, especially since some other places require things like a seven-year commitment. I'm looking forward to doing more with audiobooks and Findaway!
@@DaleLRoberts Great idea. I sent the request. I also found this page which gives information about how to find your audiobooks and it also says they are working on this issue. Here's the link: support.findawayvoices.com/portal/kb/articles/how-can-i-find-my-book-available-for-sale
Findaway Voices just announced they've added nine new distribution channels. They now distribute to 43 places world wide. I just LOVE that they get into libraries. People who don't speak English as their first language are hungry for English audio books. I've interviewed Will Dages head of Findaway recently asking him questions how authors work with Findaway Voices. I don't think it's appropriate to post a link here but if you search for my name and hit the blog tag you should be able to find it. I just published the blog two days ago. Keep up the great work Dale. Blair Seibert
Great video. I've been with Findaway since Feb and you pretty well nailed it. I had a full series recorded and distributed. Very satisfied with my narrator. And this was my first time publishing audiobooks so I have nothing else to compare it to. A couple of things: 1. You mentioned that there's no notification of the audiobooks becoming available in various stores. That's exactly right. They don't even seem to followup to check and see that they do appear in the store. And since they don't have links to the audiobooks in the stores, you have to manually search them all. I went out and searched for my audiobooks in the various stores and found some that never made it (I have Voices Plus). I had to do this work and notify Findaway so it could be fixed. 2. Customer Service response times range from acceptable to nothing but crickets. When you're trying to get something done because of a publishing schedule it's frustrating to not hear back from your inquiry. This happened several times where I waited a couple of days, then re-sent the inquiry. Waited until it had been a week from the first inquiry and re-sent again. I've waited up to a couple of weeks. I mentioned that I'd was waiting one time to a friend who had a line to the owner. The response I got was to email the customer service email address. You know, the one that wasn't answering my emails. Not helpful. I have two email addresses for them and no phone numbers. The last time I ran into the "no response" issue, I emailed both addresses and very clearly detailed how unhappy I was at the unprofessional service. None of my other emails were stern, but I'd had enough. It did get a response, though. 3. A really great thing was being selected for a Chirp deal. It's like a Bookbub for audiobooks. While the results weren't as large as a Bookbub, I think it'll get better as they keep building their list. Will I use Findaway again? It depends. I expect to publish another series next year and I'll make the determination of where I publish at that time. But if I keep getting ghosted by Findaway Customer Service, I'll probably look elsewhere.
Hey M.A., did you get the Chirp deal because you signed up for Voices Plus? On the explanation page for Voices Plus, the mention bonus promos but they don't give any specifics. Wondering if Chirp deals were one of the perks.
@DaleRoberts Hi, Great video, thanks! I have a quick Q for you: I am based here in the U.A.E. and my audio book is ready to be published. My audience is global so people all around the world are currently purchasing my Ebook, paperback and hard cover versions. Now that my audiobook is ready to be marketed, I see many people have mentioned that they have been acquired a while back, so I am not sure what's the latest. -> Am I right to assume that the best way for me is to go ACX non-exclusive AND deselect Apple there, and do the rest through Findaway Voices? Thanks in advance!
Yes, Findaway Voices is now owned by Spotify, but little has changed about the platform. You can't deselect Apple by way of ACX, but when Apple sees you're distributing through Findaway Voices too, Apple will default to Findaway Voices.
Fantastic video. So much info, I'll re-watch it. As an Aussie, I can't use ACX. I've heard negative feedback about Findaway, so this really opened my eyes. Thank you.
It's exciting! I want to do them back to back, but sadly, I can't do too many at one time, because people won't watch them. I have to be strategic about my video launches and mindful of the subscribers.
Hi Dale, I have a question. I have a book that has been narrated by a friend, who is a professional voice actor and has worked with ACX. She has already narrated a book for me (and my partner), and she has some technical skill, but wants to have a pro voice engineer look at the final mixing and requirements. Now, you said that one problem with Findaway Voices Share is that there is "no negotiation." Now, we have already paid my friend some money (a few hundred) in recognition of how much work she's put in, and we have a final amount that we want her to get paid (and then we'll probably do just Findaway Voices share so they will take care of the accounting, but there's some chance we'll also directly upload to ACX and avoid that extra 20% being taken out)> She is not yet connected to Findaway Voices (I'm pretty sure). So, in terms of getting her the final amount we wanted her to get upfront, in addition to her 20% royalties, it seems to me that we can agree with her on exactly the amount she needs per finished hour, knowing we'll be paying 50% of that, and that will get everyone to where they need to me. That is, the amount she tells them serves as a variable, an "X," that we can adjust to make things between us the way we want them financially. Am I correct in this? Do you see any problem with any of this? Thanks so much in advance.
Jordan, I'm not entirely sure what you're asking. If you're looking to do a royalty split, then it gets dicey. On ACX, for royalty split, you must be exclusive. For Findaway Voices, you can negotiate the royalty split. You just can't negotiate the base cost.
Thanks, Dale, and sorry if I was unclear. Since my producer/narrator has finished the book, and since we have a private relationship between us already, it seems to me that in order to get charged the right amount that works for everyone, all we have to do is to adjust the variable of what her hourly rate is. That is, if she tells find a way that she charges 400 it doesn’t work for me economically, but if she tells them 300, everything comes close to penciling out. So, is there any reason we can’t just adjust her finished hourly so that it works out for everyone? Does that make sense?
Hey Dale, I'm a new fan - currently in the Audiobook academy with the Mikkelson twins - its not great. Like listening to squeeky teenage boys, so glad I found you. I have reco'd your channel to my mastermind.
Hi Dale. Excellent video. Thank you! I couldn't locate this on the findaway voices website but can you source your own narrator, get the book narrated and then push the distribution out through Findaway...or do they take control of everything? I was just thinking that if I could get the book narrated separately say for $100 p/completed hour it might be more affordable for me? I'm from Australia so can't go direct with ACX. Thank you, Romney
Author's Republic uses Findaway Voices for distribution. In fact, the only unique avenues AR has are just 2. The rest is Findaway's avenues. So, hands down, Findaway Voices for the win. It just wouldn't make any sense to aggregate through one platform that aggregates in another. You essentially add a middle man between your middle man. Interesting, right?
Self-Publishing with Dale did you say that it can take a month for sales to start showing? I know it is early but it would be nice to see the numbers start to rise.
RWG Publishing correct. Depending largely on the avenue. I found it took about 30 days after the close of a month for Amazon/Audible to show in my FV dashboard.
You'll love library distribution! I know I do and it's treated thousands of authors well who distribute through Findaway Voices. I'm not sure what's going on at ACX, but they've been ruffling quite a few feathers in the indie author community lately. You aren't the only one to say something.
Authors Republic uses Findaway Voices for distribution. I cover it all here on my second channel: Self-Publishing an Audiobook: Author's Republic th-cam.com/video/K0WrTh8vaTk/w-d-xo.html
My book is live but i view sales report, there is only bibliotheca sell. What is the medium time when the audio is live on all platform and begun to make sell ?
The sales reports are delayed by 30 days. What happens is the sales happen on the individual sites, then those sites send them to FV after the month closes. Bibliotheca is more real time. Amazon is slooooooooooooow. I had the same question and reached out to FV and found out that not all platforms show real-time sales.
Bibliotheca gives me a little extra cash. I’m anxious to see how well this grows. Also, they were just sold to another company. Rakuten has them and then sold the company. As you may know, Rakuten owns Kobo - who has distribution through Walmart.
@@DaleLRoberts thank you dale. I wait the report of december, because is very strange that i have sell only in bibliotheca in 0.99 cent for every audio sell...
Nice! Let me know how it goes! I'm seeing pretty good results, but like I said in the video, it's nothing Earth shattering. But, it's certainly proof of concept.
Hi Dale, thanks for all the info. Findaway Voices sounds great, but what are your thoughts on Audiobooks Unleashed compared to Findaway? Thanks again for the extremely helpful content.
The two function entirely different to my knowledge. Findaway Voices is for distribution whereas Audiobooks Unleashed is simply a platform that connects authors to readers and vice versa. In fact, you might be able to use your audiobook codes from FV on AU. It’s a way for authors to get more book reviews.
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks Dale, book reviews would be nice right about now. Sales have been low and I launched at the start of the pandemic. Thanks for clearing that up. I thought AU might have been distribution because my narrator suggested it instead of ACX. distribution.audiobooksunleashed.com/?fbclid=IwAR1rzJqz9I4EpANxJMoAYMC0rlmeEP7qSnVAcHsIT1fe2y6CSir_gf06ifw Now, this seems like a little sketchy. Thanks for looking out for us newbie authors.
Okay, I stand corrected. It looks like Audiobooks Unleashed Distribution is now an option. I’ll do more digging and report it on the channel as soon as I know something.
Hi Dale - question to make sure I'm understanding everything correctly. If I have my (paperback and ebook) published on KDP and Barnes&Noble Press, will using Findaway Voices allow me to distribute on Audible/Amazon and Nook/Barnes&Noble? (More specifically, will I be able to link my audiobook made on Findaway Voices with my pre-existing titles published via KDP and Barnes&Noble? Thanks for your videos, they're extremely helpful.
As a non-US resident, I welcomed the services of FV. My audiobook has been available on all the advertised platforms in time as they promised and the process had been quite simple. The big downside, however, is that you can't give away codes for Audible. If you want to give your audiobook to someone, they have to get the Authors Direct app. It makes it rather hard to get reviews that way.
I can see where that would be an issue. I hope you'll consider reaching out to FV to give them this feedback. Hopefully, it's something they'll fix in the future.
Hi Tomas. How are you? Are you a resident of a country the US has a treaty with? When signing up, they require you put a tax identification if you do have a treaty. Unfortunately I am not apart of country that the US has a treaty with. SO I am leaving that option blank. Only problem is that there will be a 30 percent withholding rate.
Quick question since I'm from Honduras I can't publish my audiobook through ACX so I'm planning to do it with Findaway voice the thing is I have my paperback book with amazon, here is the question can I use the same cover of the book that I'm using on Amazon for my audiobook in Findaway voices? Please help me out
Apologies if I’ve missed it somewhere, or if I just haven’t yet found the particular video that addresses this. I do hate to be the guy who plays ten questions when you’re already working as hard as you are to produce so many videos, but is it possible to publish an ebook, and possibly hard copies through KDP, and take the audiobook rights straight to Findaway Voices directly, or would it be necessary to first release an audiobook version through APX? Once again, I apologize if I’ve merely overlooked information you’ve already stated, but in my attempts to make publication as soon as possible, I felt this to be one of my more prudent concerns, hence my desire to address it straightaway. As always, thank you for the massively helpful information you and your videos have been providing me with.
Hey, questions and comments are always appreciated. No apologies necessary. Yes, you can publish to KDP and go directly to Findaway Voices. You don’t need to have ACX for distribution. If you go straight to Findaway Voices, then select the Voices Plus plan so you get all the benefits.
Very helpful. I am following threads. So two questions. I am all about distribution and want to narrate myself. I have a meditation cd and did this for that. Can I narrate my own on Find away voices? I don't care so much about royalties. . I really just want to reach folks who'd like to work with me... Love the option too of getting into libraries. And if Find away Voices won't let you narrate your own, what publisher is small simple in house and set up for that. Conversely , are there any like that, that offer wider distribution that would work for the meditation genre... Thanks so much!
@@DaleLRoberts dose findawayvoices void the ACX bounty program or can the author login to dashboard area and find and use ACX bounty link for personal promotion. Thanks for your help and time
If you have your book distribution through ACX and Findaway Voices, then you can still use the bounty program. You just lose out on the free promo codes on ACX. That’s okay, because you get giveaway codes on FV.
So, you triple your price on libraries? I figure because of that single purchase, in their hands, will be used several times, say on a device. So, say if they had six devices and bought "title of the audiobook" for each. It's already in their system but now they could charge the reader two dollars an hour or something like that? Or am I wrong?
Yes, you're partially right. Except libraries don't charge their readers. It's free. Typically the funds come from city grants and library budgets. The thought is to charge more since the title will be passed through many readers hands.
vball 847 yes. They only have 2 additional avenues beyond FV. And it’s all or nothing. So, you either publish directly to FV or use AR. So, you’ll have a middleman before you hit your middleman of FV. I passed on AR.
@self-publishing with Dale Can I sell my audiobook on Amazon if I use Findaway? If not, is there some other alternative for me to get my audiobook into Amazon where I already have my ebook. I can not go directly using ACX dure to my nationality.
No, in fact DON’T do it. Earlier this year, non-US residents who opened accounts had their accounts frozen earlier this year. They were caught working the system. ACX has tax rules they have to abide by, so they cannot be paying out to regions they don’t have a system in place. Go with Findaway Voices. Save yourself the heartache.
Hey Dale, iTunes royalties question... If go non-exclusive with both ACX and Findaway, what happens with my iTunes/Apple sales? Since both ACX and Findaway distribute to iTunes, will I be getting 80% of 45% (Findaway) or 25% of 25% (ACX)?
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks for the swift response! I emailed both companies and couldn't get anything concrete. That's good news that the FV Apple deal overrules ACX's.
Yeah, I can confirm for a fact the head of FV told me this info. It might even be in his interview on my channel. th-cam.com/video/7lypQWgP2Co/w-d-xo.html
Writer Brandon McNulty Great minds think alike. I was concerned about that and just minutes before we shot that, I’d ask him about Apple distribution and my concern about duplicate publishing.
Findaway accepted my title and claimed they had submitted to various distributors including OverDrive, which was my main target so I could market to libraries. On Dec 7, 2020, I inquired why I could not find it on OverDrive's site, although my ebook was there. Findaway admitted on Dec 16 they had glitches submitting to OverDrive and it would be sent soon. Long story short, on February 10, 2021 they again admitted to title had still not been submitted to OverDrive, it was being done, and it would likely be another 3 weeks before it would appear on Overdrive. That will make it likely FOUR MONTHS before it will likely become available on OverDrive. And a lost holiday marketing. I'm also pretty sure nothing would ever have been done had I not inquired. Not pleased!
Dale, i saw many of your videos about alternative platforms where to publish in but you never mention about how much DEMAND there is on these alternative platforms (as for example findaway voices) comparing to the huge clients demand who is stick in AUDIBLE or Amazon Kdp..because if demand is still low (comparing to audible and amazon) is not worth it jumping into such alternative platforms. Would be nice to hear your opinion about it and please dont tell me that " well it depends""...:=) Thanks a lot
It depends ;) Just kidding. It's really too soon to tell right now for me. Since the division of Findaway Voices (under the Findaway company) is just over 2 years old, I don't know that I have enough ACTUAL data. I have only anecdotal evidence in that a handful of authors have claimed to get WAY better results on Findaway Voices than they do on ACX. Host of Author Level Up, Michael La Ronn, even stated he'd made FAR more on FV than he did in the longer period of being on ACX (you'll have to ask him specifics). So, my final verdict: I'm optimistic, and am focusing on the long game.
Indeed! Many self-publishers outside of those 4 regions tried to work around the ACX system and ended up getting caught. Scores of accounts were frozen. So, now they have an option that'll work for them.
Hii bro, I need one help so if u know please guide me 1.As i formated some formula based books to publish in kindle version but there are some errors. 2.So i decided to make it JPEG format by converting it and then i inserted as one by one image to each page. 3.The issuse was in preview section in kindle its not fitting to the kindle reader size its getting aligh to left and seems smaller in size. SO ANYONE KNOWN ABOUT IT PLEASE GUIDE TO GET FROM THAT ISSUSE...
You can use the Kindle Kids Book Creator. That'll lock the PDF in place and you'd upload the .mobi file. See here: th-cam.com/video/BU0XtzC_RQU/w-d-xo.html
It is my understanding that Spotify have bought the company. Perhaps there will be ramifications which have yet to occur. I was going to go with this company but not at present in 2022.
If you can use acx then use acx. Any experienced publisher who is actually making money would agree. If you have a book on acx that isnt selling, then you should try getting it out of the exclusive contract and publish it om findaway. Royalty share is a terrible option. Now if you do a royalty share and still have to pay the narrator then you’re getting robbed. You can find amazing narrators on acx who charges 50-100 PFH. You’re gonna put all that work into a book and then share your royalties??? Lol. The only time to consider you should consider a royalty share (without paying the narrator so regular royalty share) is if you know your book isn’t gonna sell well for some reason and you’re not planning to spend much on marketing on it. This video is obviously sponsored…
Also isn’t it 80% of profits. You make it sound like they’re paying 80% of the total sale price while acx pays 40%. That’s not even close to the truth.
This video is approaching "old". Yes, it's sponsored by Thinkific...not really a platform I support any longer either. Things change. Get out of the archives! TH-cam is really great at suggesting content if you don't like the video you landed on.
... and pay $99.00 for the author website??? Really? You don`t even mention it. No one does. A person at the email named Taylor told me that I WOULD BE PAYING THE NARRATOR. THEY PAY IT The narrator doesn`t need to chance the author for that.
Because you don't need it. That's why I don't mention it. It's inessential and only necessary if you want to have a storefront. And, of course you pay your narrators. No good voiceover talent will work for free. Not sure why you thought narration was free.
Have you published any audiobooks yet? If not, why? What's holding you back?
I want to help you out and get you on the right path, so let me know your candid thoughts.
For more details about audiobook publishing via ACX, watch this:
th-cam.com/video/3zZRO1BRL3k/w-d-xo.html
I need someone to talk with .. I have a unique situation..
Great video! I had a few questions: 1.) I want to narrate my own audiobook and skip hiring a narrator. Can I do that? 2.) What is the time frame between submitting content to the site and it going officially public?
@@andybrophy3182 yes, you can narrate your own. And it varies on how fast it goes public. Usually it hits a couple marketplaces in the first few days. It probably takes closer to a month for the audiobook to distribute to different sites.
Great video! I published my first audiobook with Findaway the end of November this year, with the Voices option to get all the benefits. I narrated the book myself so none of the narrator information applies to me, but everything else does. Findaway has been great and the library distribution was the fastest income earner for me. I'm glad you covered the fact that you need to search for your audiobook to see when it's live at the different places because I thought maybe I was missing something or doing something wrong when I couldn't find the links automatically. It would be great if they added notification for when the audiobook is live at each place. I'm still waiting for my audiobook to go live on Amazon / Audible - and I need to keep checking to see if it's up. I'm happy to be with Findaway and love the freedom they give compared to other places, especially since some other places require things like a seven-year commitment. I'm looking forward to doing more with audiobooks and Findaway!
Drop Findaway Voices a message and request the option for links. I’m hoping they roll that out sooner than later.
@@DaleLRoberts Great idea. I sent the request. I also found this page which gives information about how to find your audiobooks and it also says they are working on this issue. Here's the link: support.findawayvoices.com/portal/kb/articles/how-can-i-find-my-book-available-for-sale
Findaway Voices just announced they've added nine new distribution channels. They now distribute to 43 places world wide. I just LOVE that they get into libraries. People who don't speak English as their first language are hungry for English audio books. I've interviewed Will Dages head of Findaway recently asking him questions how authors work with Findaway Voices. I don't think it's appropriate to post a link here but if you search for my name and hit the blog tag you should be able to find it. I just published the blog two days ago. Keep up the great work Dale. Blair Seibert
Hey, thanks, Blair. And, is that crazy?! I was just at their head quarters at the beginning of September. They added 9 avenues since then. Haha 🤣
Great video. I've been with Findaway since Feb and you pretty well nailed it. I had a full series recorded and distributed. Very satisfied with my narrator. And this was my first time publishing audiobooks so I have nothing else to compare it to.
A couple of things:
1. You mentioned that there's no notification of the audiobooks becoming available in various stores. That's exactly right. They don't even seem to followup to check and see that they do appear in the store. And since they don't have links to the audiobooks in the stores, you have to manually search them all. I went out and searched for my audiobooks in the various stores and found some that never made it (I have Voices Plus). I had to do this work and notify Findaway so it could be fixed.
2. Customer Service response times range from acceptable to nothing but crickets. When you're trying to get something done because of a publishing schedule it's frustrating to not hear back from your inquiry. This happened several times where I waited a couple of days, then re-sent the inquiry. Waited until it had been a week from the first inquiry and re-sent again. I've waited up to a couple of weeks. I mentioned that I'd was waiting one time to a friend who had a line to the owner. The response I got was to email the customer service email address. You know, the one that wasn't answering my emails. Not helpful.
I have two email addresses for them and no phone numbers. The last time I ran into the "no response" issue, I emailed both addresses and very clearly detailed how unhappy I was at the unprofessional service. None of my other emails were stern, but I'd had enough. It did get a response, though.
3. A really great thing was being selected for a Chirp deal. It's like a Bookbub for audiobooks. While the results weren't as large as a Bookbub, I think it'll get better as they keep building their list.
Will I use Findaway again? It depends. I expect to publish another series next year and I'll make the determination of where I publish at that time. But if I keep getting ghosted by Findaway Customer Service, I'll probably look elsewhere.
Thanks so much for the candid insights. I know the Findaway Voices team will read these comments. They need to be aware of it. 😀👍👏
Hey M.A., did you get the Chirp deal because you signed up for Voices Plus? On the explanation page for Voices Plus, the mention bonus promos but they don't give any specifics. Wondering if Chirp deals were one of the perks.
@DaleRoberts Hi, Great video, thanks! I have a quick Q for you: I am based here in the U.A.E. and my audio book is ready to be published. My audience is global so people all around the world are currently purchasing my Ebook, paperback and hard cover versions. Now that my audiobook is ready to be marketed, I see many people have mentioned that they have been acquired a while back, so I am not sure what's the latest.
-> Am I right to assume that the best way for me is to go ACX non-exclusive AND deselect Apple there, and do the rest through Findaway Voices? Thanks in advance!
Yes, Findaway Voices is now owned by Spotify, but little has changed about the platform. You can't deselect Apple by way of ACX, but when Apple sees you're distributing through Findaway Voices too, Apple will default to Findaway Voices.
Thanks, much appreciated!@@DaleLRoberts
So the question is go full find a way or acx, deselect apple. Non exclusive and then the rest with find a way.
Correct.
@@DaleLRoberts makes sense. Acx and then the rest with find a way. Thank you 😊
Would be brilliant to see an update on Findaway
Here's a more recent piece about Findaway Voices: th-cam.com/users/livesQ-V59u5KdA
Fantastic video. So much info, I'll re-watch it. As an Aussie, I can't use ACX. I've heard negative feedback about Findaway, so this really opened my eyes. Thank you.
Thanks, Michelle. I'm glad you found it helpful. Best of luck with your audiobooks!
Cool, I've been waiting for this series to start! Every time you talk about it, it gets better.
Haha yeah, it took me forever. Part two rolls out on Wednesday. The next parts come out next week. There’s a total of ten videos.
@@DaleLRoberts Cool, I'll be watching!
It's exciting! I want to do them back to back, but sadly, I can't do too many at one time, because people won't watch them. I have to be strategic about my video launches and mindful of the subscribers.
Hi Dale, I have a question. I have a book that has been narrated by a friend, who is a professional voice actor and has worked with ACX. She has already narrated a book for me (and my partner), and she has some technical skill, but wants to have a pro voice engineer look at the final mixing and requirements.
Now, you said that one problem with Findaway Voices Share is that there is "no negotiation." Now, we have already paid my friend some money (a few hundred) in recognition of how much work she's put in, and we have a final amount that we want her to get paid (and then we'll probably do just Findaway Voices share so they will take care of the accounting, but there's some chance we'll also directly upload to ACX and avoid that extra 20% being taken out)>
She is not yet connected to Findaway Voices (I'm pretty sure). So, in terms of getting her the final amount we wanted her to get upfront, in addition to her 20% royalties, it seems to me that we can agree with her on exactly the amount she needs per finished hour, knowing we'll be paying 50% of that, and that will get everyone to where they need to me. That is, the amount she tells them serves as a variable, an "X," that we can adjust to make things between us the way we want them financially.
Am I correct in this? Do you see any problem with any of this?
Thanks so much in advance.
Jordan, I'm not entirely sure what you're asking. If you're looking to do a royalty split, then it gets dicey.
On ACX, for royalty split, you must be exclusive.
For Findaway Voices, you can negotiate the royalty split. You just can't negotiate the base cost.
Thanks, Dale, and sorry if I was unclear. Since my producer/narrator has finished the book, and since we have a private relationship between us already, it seems to me that in order to get charged the right amount that works for everyone, all we have to do is to adjust the variable of what her hourly rate is. That is, if she tells find a way that she charges 400 it doesn’t work for me economically, but if she tells them 300, everything comes close to penciling out. So, is there any reason we can’t just adjust her finished hourly so that it works out for everyone?
Does that make sense?
@@Idysseus reach out to Findaway. They’ll give you a better answer.
Thanks for all your informative videos! You are very free and frank in pointing out the pros and cons. That's great, God Bless you!
Sure thing! Stay tuned for more. Thanks for your kind words!
Dale! DOPE info! Yeah!
Hey, thanks, Howard!
Hey Dale, I'm a new fan - currently in the Audiobook academy with the Mikkelson twins - its not great. Like listening to squeeky teenage boys, so glad I found you. I have reco'd your channel to my mastermind.
Welcome! Happy to have you. Thanks for the shout out to your mastermind. I look forward to seeing you around.
Hey Dale, starting with this playlist. Suunds like a great deal!
Excellent. I hope you find it helpful, David. Let me know if you have questions.
Hi Dale. Excellent video. Thank you! I couldn't locate this on the findaway voices website but can you source your own narrator, get the book narrated and then push the distribution out through Findaway...or do they take control of everything? I was just thinking that if I could get the book narrated separately say for $100 p/completed hour it might be more affordable for me? I'm from Australia so can't go direct with ACX. Thank you, Romney
You can. It’s what I did.
What do you think is better Findaway voices or Authors Republic?
Author's Republic uses Findaway Voices for distribution. In fact, the only unique avenues AR has are just 2. The rest is Findaway's avenues. So, hands down, Findaway Voices for the win. It just wouldn't make any sense to aggregate through one platform that aggregates in another. You essentially add a middle man between your middle man. Interesting, right?
@@DaleLRoberts ok that makes sense thanks!
😎🔥💪thanks for watching and commenting.
We just added over 100 books in the last 10 days. It seems like a great platform.
Wow! Congrats.
Self-Publishing with Dale did you say that it can take a month for sales to start showing? I know it is early but it would be nice to see the numbers start to rise.
RWG Publishing correct. Depending largely on the avenue. I found it took about 30 days after the close of a month for Amazon/Audible to show in my FV dashboard.
Thanks for the detailed video.
Hey, I appreciate you watching and commenting.
This is _gold_
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thank you for your video. After eight audiobooks dealing with ACX administration and being exclusive,I am ready to try something new.
You'll love library distribution! I know I do and it's treated thousands of authors well who distribute through Findaway Voices. I'm not sure what's going on at ACX, but they've been ruffling quite a few feathers in the indie author community lately. You aren't the only one to say something.
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks for saying so. As an indie author, it's very easy to feel all alone when you are sending emails back and forth with ACX.
Alma Nilsson I can confidently say you’ll be happy with FV. They have a great team. I’m due to go visit them again once this lockdown lifts.
Hola y los subtitulos en español?
Subtitles in Spanish? Not currently. I will keep this in mind, though.
What's the difference between findaway and authors republic?
Authors Republic uses Findaway Voices for distribution. I cover it all here on my second channel:
Self-Publishing an Audiobook: Author's Republic th-cam.com/video/K0WrTh8vaTk/w-d-xo.html
My book is live but i view sales report, there is only bibliotheca sell. What is the medium time when the audio is live on all platform and begun to make sell ?
The sales reports are delayed by 30 days. What happens is the sales happen on the individual sites, then those sites send them to FV after the month closes. Bibliotheca is more real time. Amazon is slooooooooooooow. I had the same question and reached out to FV and found out that not all platforms show real-time sales.
@@DaleLRoberts because i have only one dollar in bibliotheca every sell
Bibliotheca gives me a little extra cash. I’m anxious to see how well this grows. Also, they were just sold to another company. Rakuten has them and then sold the company. As you may know, Rakuten owns Kobo - who has distribution through Walmart.
@@DaleLRoberts thank you dale. I wait the report of december, because is very strange that i have sell only in bibliotheca in 0.99 cent for every audio sell...
Hi Dale,
Are you going to make videos on Author's Republic as well?
Eventually. Fun fact: Authors Republic uses Findaway Voices for distribution.
Excellent video Dale
Thanks so much, Amith! Always appreciate your support and kind words.
Thanks for the video Dale.
Hey, I appreciate you watching and commenting.
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks for the kick in the ass. I just uploaded my first book to FindawayVoices this morning.
Nice! Let me know how it goes! I'm seeing pretty good results, but like I said in the video, it's nothing Earth shattering. But, it's certainly proof of concept.
Hi Dale, thanks for all the info. Findaway Voices sounds great, but what are your thoughts on Audiobooks Unleashed compared to Findaway? Thanks again for the extremely helpful content.
The two function entirely different to my knowledge. Findaway Voices is for distribution whereas Audiobooks Unleashed is simply a platform that connects authors to readers and vice versa. In fact, you might be able to use your audiobook codes from FV on AU. It’s a way for authors to get more book reviews.
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks Dale, book reviews would be nice right about now. Sales have been low and I launched at the start of the pandemic. Thanks for clearing that up. I thought AU might have been distribution because my narrator suggested it instead of ACX. distribution.audiobooksunleashed.com/?fbclid=IwAR1rzJqz9I4EpANxJMoAYMC0rlmeEP7qSnVAcHsIT1fe2y6CSir_gf06ifw
Now, this seems like a little sketchy. Thanks for looking out for us newbie authors.
Okay, I stand corrected. It looks like Audiobooks Unleashed Distribution is now an option. I’ll do more digging and report it on the channel as soon as I know something.
Hi Dale - question to make sure I'm understanding everything correctly. If I have my (paperback and ebook) published on KDP and Barnes&Noble Press, will using Findaway Voices allow me to distribute on Audible/Amazon and Nook/Barnes&Noble? (More specifically, will I be able to link my audiobook made on Findaway Voices with my pre-existing titles published via KDP and Barnes&Noble? Thanks for your videos, they're extremely helpful.
Yes. Now, I’m not certain about a shared product page on B&N. But you’ll get distribution there.
As a non-US resident, I welcomed the services of FV. My audiobook has been available on all the advertised platforms in time as they promised and the process had been quite simple. The big downside, however, is that you can't give away codes for Audible. If you want to give your audiobook to someone, they have to get the Authors Direct app. It makes it rather hard to get reviews that way.
I can see where that would be an issue. I hope you'll consider reaching out to FV to give them this feedback. Hopefully, it's something they'll fix in the future.
Hi Tomas. How are you? Are you a resident of a country the US has a treaty with? When signing up, they require you put a tax identification if you do have a treaty. Unfortunately I am not apart of country that the US has a treaty with. SO I am leaving that option blank. Only problem is that there will be a 30 percent withholding rate.
Hi Dale, what do you think of Spoken Realms as a distributor?
Never heard of them. Proceed with caution.
Quick question since I'm from Honduras I can't publish my audiobook through ACX so I'm planning to do it with Findaway voice the thing is I have my paperback book with amazon, here is the question can I use the same cover of the book that I'm using on Amazon for my audiobook in Findaway voices? Please help me out
You sure can! 👍👏😀
@@DaleLRoberts thanks for your videos they're always very helpful! I rate them ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
Thanks a million. I appreciate you watching and commenting.
Apologies if I’ve missed it somewhere, or if I just haven’t yet found the particular video that addresses this. I do hate to be the guy who plays ten questions when you’re already working as hard as you are to produce so many videos, but is it possible to publish an ebook, and possibly hard copies through KDP, and take the audiobook rights straight to Findaway Voices directly, or would it be necessary to first release an audiobook version through APX? Once again, I apologize if I’ve merely overlooked information you’ve already stated, but in my attempts to make publication as soon as possible, I felt this to be one of my more prudent concerns, hence my desire to address it straightaway. As always, thank you for the massively helpful information you and your videos have been providing me with.
Hey, questions and comments are always appreciated. No apologies necessary.
Yes, you can publish to KDP and go directly to Findaway Voices. You don’t need to have ACX for distribution. If you go straight to Findaway Voices, then select the Voices Plus plan so you get all the benefits.
Self-Publishing with Dale That’s very reassuring. From the sounds of it Findaway sounds like the better audiobook option by far. Thank you.
@@DaleLRoberts thank you so much for answering this. I have been trying to find this out for weeks
Very helpful. I am following threads. So two questions. I am all about distribution and want to narrate myself. I have a meditation cd and did this for that. Can I narrate my own on Find away voices? I don't care so much about royalties. . I really just want to reach folks who'd like to work with me... Love the option too of getting into libraries. And if Find away Voices won't let you narrate your own, what publisher is small simple in house and set up for that. Conversely , are there any like that, that offer wider distribution that would work for the meditation genre... Thanks so much!
Yes, you can narrate your own.
Hi Dale, Does Findaway Voices has any program like Bounty as in ACX?
No.
@@DaleLRoberts dose findawayvoices void the ACX bounty program or can the author login to dashboard area and find and use ACX bounty link for personal promotion.
Thanks for your help and time
If you have your book distribution through ACX and Findaway Voices, then you can still use the bounty program. You just lose out on the free promo codes on ACX. That’s okay, because you get giveaway codes on FV.
@@DaleLRoberts Thank you very much for your help and time ;)
So, you triple your price on libraries? I figure because of that single purchase, in their hands, will be used several times, say on a device. So, say if they had six devices and bought "title of the audiobook" for each. It's already in their system but now they could charge the reader two dollars an hour or something like that? Or am I wrong?
Yes, you're partially right. Except libraries don't charge their readers. It's free. Typically the funds come from city grants and library budgets. The thought is to charge more since the title will be passed through many readers hands.
@@DaleLRoberts yay I didn't know that. You've mentioned it before in another video but I didn't let it register with me until now. Thank you, boss!
Hi Dale is it true that Author's Republic publish through Findaway Voices?
@Kevin Maguire
vball 847 yes. They only have 2 additional avenues beyond FV. And it’s all or nothing. So, you either publish directly to FV or use AR. So, you’ll have a middleman before you hit your middleman of FV. I passed on AR.
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks for your thoughts !
@self-publishing with Dale Can I sell my audiobook on Amazon if I use Findaway? If not, is there some other alternative for me to get my audiobook into Amazon where I already have my ebook. I can not go directly using ACX dure to my nationality.
Yes, Findaway Voices distributes to Amazon.
Hello Dear
Do you have A solution to apply in acx for non us residents?
No, in fact DON’T do it. Earlier this year, non-US residents who opened accounts had their accounts frozen earlier this year. They were caught working the system. ACX has tax rules they have to abide by, so they cannot be paying out to regions they don’t have a system in place. Go with Findaway Voices. Save yourself the heartache.
@@DaleLRoberts THANKS
BUT IF I HAVE AN ADDRESS FROM RESHIP.COM + PAYONEER ACCOUNT AND ITIN, COULDN'T I STILL OPEN AN ACCOUNT IN ACX?
It's Amazon. They'll find out.
@@DaleLRoberts
Appreciate taking your time for response
THANKS A lot.
It's my pleasure.
Am I able to upload my own narration to Findaway Voices?
You sure can and I even do that.
Hey Dale, iTunes royalties question... If go non-exclusive with both ACX and Findaway, what happens with my iTunes/Apple sales? Since both ACX and Findaway distribute to iTunes, will I be getting 80% of 45% (Findaway) or 25% of 25% (ACX)?
Apple automatically distributes by way of FV. I confirmed this with head of Findaway Voices, Will Dages.
@@DaleLRoberts Thanks for the swift response! I emailed both companies and couldn't get anything concrete. That's good news that the FV Apple deal overrules ACX's.
Yeah, I can confirm for a fact the head of FV told me this info. It might even be in his interview on my channel. th-cam.com/video/7lypQWgP2Co/w-d-xo.html
@@DaleLRoberts Yep right at the end of the interview he explains it. This put my mind at ease--thanks!
Writer Brandon McNulty Great minds think alike. I was concerned about that and just minutes before we shot that, I’d ask him about Apple distribution and my concern about duplicate publishing.
Findaway accepted my title and claimed they had submitted to various distributors including OverDrive, which was my main target so I could market to libraries. On Dec 7, 2020, I inquired why I could not find it on OverDrive's site, although my ebook was there. Findaway admitted on Dec 16 they had glitches submitting to OverDrive and it would be sent soon. Long story short, on February 10, 2021 they again admitted to title had still not been submitted to OverDrive, it was being done, and it would likely be another 3 weeks before it would appear on Overdrive. That will make it likely FOUR MONTHS before it will likely become available on OverDrive. And a lost holiday marketing. I'm also pretty sure nothing would ever have been done had I not inquired. Not pleased!
These are important insights, Kathleen. Thanks for sharing.
Dale, i saw many of your videos about alternative platforms where to publish in but you never mention about how much DEMAND there is on these alternative platforms (as for example findaway voices) comparing to the huge clients demand who is stick in AUDIBLE or Amazon Kdp..because if demand is still low (comparing to audible and amazon) is not worth it jumping into such alternative platforms.
Would be nice to hear your opinion about it and please dont tell me that " well it depends""...:=) Thanks a lot
It depends ;) Just kidding. It's really too soon to tell right now for me. Since the division of Findaway Voices (under the Findaway company) is just over 2 years old, I don't know that I have enough ACTUAL data. I have only anecdotal evidence in that a handful of authors have claimed to get WAY better results on Findaway Voices than they do on ACX. Host of Author Level Up, Michael La Ronn, even stated he'd made FAR more on FV than he did in the longer period of being on ACX (you'll have to ask him specifics).
So, my final verdict: I'm optimistic, and am focusing on the long game.
@@DaleLRoberts thanks for updating me:)
It’s my pleasure. 😀👍👏thanks for watching and commenting, it really helps out a lot here on TH-cam.
Sounds like a great option for authors outside of the United States, UK, Canada and Ireland.
Indeed! Many self-publishers outside of those 4 regions tried to work around the ACX system and ended up getting caught. Scores of accounts were frozen. So, now they have an option that'll work for them.
Hii bro, I need one help so if u know please guide me
1.As i formated some formula based books to publish in kindle version but there are some errors.
2.So i decided to make it JPEG format by converting it and then i inserted as one by one image to each page.
3.The issuse was in preview section in kindle its not fitting to the kindle reader size its getting aligh to left and seems smaller in size.
SO ANYONE KNOWN ABOUT IT PLEASE GUIDE TO GET FROM THAT ISSUSE...
Try to format it as a pdf instead
Yes but its for only print version but how can it possible for kindle edition ?
@@naveenkumars3985 kdp should be able to read the pdf format and translate it.
For e book version it does not support only for printing pdf is supportted
You can use the Kindle Kids Book Creator. That'll lock the PDF in place and you'd upload the .mobi file. See here: th-cam.com/video/BU0XtzC_RQU/w-d-xo.html
It is my understanding that Spotify have bought the company. Perhaps there will be ramifications which have yet to occur. I was going to go with this company but not at present in 2022.
This is true. It's good to be cautious.
I put my book on findaway voices and I got -1 sales. So I lost 0.03 cents. I'm not sure how that even works.
Contact support. That doesn't sound right.
In 2025 is this still the best option?
I wouldn't call it the best, but it's still worth considering. Look into Author's Republic as well.
If you can use acx then use acx. Any experienced publisher who is actually making money would agree.
If you have a book on acx that isnt selling, then you should try getting it out of the exclusive contract and publish it om findaway.
Royalty share is a terrible option. Now if you do a royalty share and still have to pay the narrator then you’re getting robbed. You can find amazing narrators on acx who charges 50-100 PFH.
You’re gonna put all that work into a book and then share your royalties??? Lol.
The only time to consider you should consider a royalty share (without paying the narrator so regular royalty share) is if you know your book isn’t gonna sell well for some reason and you’re not planning to spend much on marketing on it.
This video is obviously sponsored…
Also isn’t it 80% of profits. You make it sound like they’re paying 80% of the total sale price while acx pays 40%. That’s not even close to the truth.
This video is approaching "old". Yes, it's sponsored by Thinkific...not really a platform I support any longer either. Things change. Get out of the archives! TH-cam is really great at suggesting content if you don't like the video you landed on.
... and pay $99.00 for the author website???
Really? You don`t even mention it. No one does.
A person at the email named Taylor told me that I WOULD BE PAYING THE NARRATOR. THEY PAY IT
The narrator doesn`t need to chance the author for that.
Because you don't need it. That's why I don't mention it. It's inessential and only necessary if you want to have a storefront.
And, of course you pay your narrators. No good voiceover talent will work for free. Not sure why you thought narration was free.