How It Works

Authors

ACX Puts You in the Director's Chair.

You decide how your audiobook is produced, who narrates it, and whether you sell exclusively through ACX, or through ACX and other distribution channels.

Not only will every audiobook you make on ACX be available to the world at Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes, but also if you grant Audible exclusive distribution rights, then you'll earn royalties of 40%.

So, how do you get started?

First find your book on ACX and claim it, then create a Title Profile for your book. Afterwards, one of the following three things will happen:

  1. Narrators, audiobook studios, and other Producers will find your book on ACX and proactively audition to record your book.
    OR
  2. You'll search ACX's database to find the perfect Producer to record your book.
    OR
  3. An Audio Publisher searching ACX will message you about buying the audio rights directly from you.

In addition to the royalties on sales (up to 40%, depending on whether you grant Audible exclusive distribution rights and if you enter into a Royalty Share Deal with a Producer), we'll give you a special Bounty Payment. Every time your audiobook is the first purchase by an AudibleListener™ member at Audible.com, then ACX will pay you an extra $50. That's in addition to your base royalty!

Learn more about the Special Bounty Payment.

Here's how ACX works for authors:

Step 1. Confirm

Confirm you have audio rights for your book by checking your print book contract. If you have the audio rights, then for purposes of ACX, you are a Rights Holder.

Step 2. Create a Profile

Create a Title Profile on ACX. Describe your book and the type of narrator best suited for it. You'll also post a short (one or two page) excerpt from your book. This will serve as the Audition Script so you can hear potential narrators. (Or, if you want to narrate it yourself, go here instead. The Title Profile is basically an ad for your book on ACX, to get Producers—which includes narrators—excited about producing your book as an audiobook.

Step 3. Find a Producer

Post your book so Producers (narrators and studio professional) and audiobook publishers can contact you. Or do your own casting call—listen to sample narrations already posted by actors and then invite a handful to audition for your book.

Step 4. Review Auditions

Review auditions from interested Producers.

Step 5. Make a Deal

There are two ways to make a deal:

A) You can make an Offer to a Producer to produce your audiobook by sending the Producer a Production Offer Page. If the Producer accepts the Offer, you have a deal on ACX.

OR

B) You may receive an offer from an audiobook publisher to buy the audio rights for your book directly from you. If you decide to work with an audiobook publisher outside of ACX, you must remove the book from ACX by deleting the Title Profile. See the Book Posting Agreement for complete terms

Step 6. Check-In

The audiobook production process begins. This will last about 3–8 weeks. The Producer will let you know, through ACX, when the first fifteen minutes of your audiobook is complete. Take this opportunity to listen to the narrator's performance, the quality of the recording and editing, and offer guidance.

Step 7. Approve the Final Product

If you aren't satisfied the first time you listen to your completed audiobook, you can ask the Publisher to make up to two rounds of corrections, or edits. When you're happy (after your first listen, or following the first or second round of edits), the Producer is paid. (Unless the Producer has agreed to forego payment for a Royalty Share deal.) If—despite the checkpoints along the way—you are still unhappy with the final project after two editorial rounds, you can cancel the production. However, please note, that a “kill fee” may apply. See the ACX Audiobook Production Standard Terms.

Step 8. Distribute

ACX distributes your audiobook through Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. If you grant us exclusive distribution rights, we alone will oversee distribution of your audiobook. If you choose to grant non-exclusive distribution rights, then you can distribute the audiobook through additional channels, however, any outlets outside of ACX will have to be arranged by the author independent of ACX. (Note: the royalty you earn is higher if you agree to distribute it only through ACX.)

Step 9. Promote

Promote the availability of your audiobook to your fans. Feel free to use our great marketing advice and tools in the Promote Yourself section.

Step 10. Earn royalties

US authors will receive a monthly royalty statement and payment from Audible via check or direct deposit, and UK authors will receive payments monthly by direct deposit to the account of your choice.

For more information, please read our FAQ. If you don't find the answers you need there, email us with your questions.

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