The XXI century has brought the possibility for many people around the world to own their own online businesses. Digital products are more and more popular every year. They are much easier to produce than a physical product and provide a minimum margin of risk.
You can sell your own audiobooks on your website by promoting them on your website’s sales page. You can either lead your customers to a platform that will carry out the transaction, install an e-commerce plugin or create a PayPal/Stripe BUY button on your website. This alternative will enable you to get the whole price of each sale.
In this article I will present the pros and cons of selling your audiobooks on your webpage vs the main distribution platforms, and hacks to get more sales:
- Create An Effective Sales Landing Page On Your Website
- Hacks To Get Good Conversions Through Your Sales Pages
- How Much Distribution Platforms Charge To Sell Your Audiobooks
- How Much Would You Make With Distribution Platforms
- How Much Would You Make With Your Own Webpage
- How Much Does It Cost To Sell Your Audiobook on Your Website
- Annual Website Maintenance
- Organic Social Media Posts
- Paid Social Media Ads
- Use Google Analytics To Know The Profile of Your Visitors and Buyers
The key to selling an audiobook or any other audio products on your own website (audio courses, podcast episodes) is to set up a balanced combination of organic and paid social media campaigns in order to drive new visitors to your website’s sales page.
For your current audience (clients) email marketing is the best strategy to continue making steady sales.
Create An Effective Sales Page On Your Website
A sales page is a specific webpage that shows all the characteristics of your product or service, what kind of problems it can solve, how other alternatives are more expensive and not as effective as your product, evidence, and testimonials that demonstrate yours solves the problem efficiently.
Pro: On many occasions, a sales page also provides a pack of extra features (software, PDF documents, video courses, audio courses, etc) that will provide even better results, when the visitor decides to purchase the product directly from any of the buy buttons on the page.
After the visitor has clicked on any of the buy buttons, it’s also common to see from one to 5 other offers. The first one is called One Time Offer (OTO) and the other ones are called Upsells and Downsells.
Upsell means that the specific additional product has a higher price than the first product offered. Downsell means that it’s cheaper than the previous product announced.
When a visitor finds more than one product offered on the sales page, it’s called a Sales Funnel. It’s a marketing strategy that looks forward to getting conversions (sales made through the sales page).
Hacks To Get Good Conversions Through Your Sales Pages
Hack No. 1: Designing a sales page with a funnel to promote your audio products can help your listeners consider buying other titles you have created. If they have already purchased an audiobook from you, the chances are that the next time they find a sales page, they can buy one of the One Time Offers!
Hack No. 2: Offer no more than three audiobooks or audio products the first time you offer a sales funnel.
Hack No. 3: Set the price of the first product according to the prices on Audible or Audiobooks.com for the same type, genre, and length.
Hack No. 4: Make the second audio product a Downsell, and the final product an Upsell. usually, these prices are going to be fair, according to the length. I’ve seen this price range on ACX.
| Audio Product | Length | Price |
| Main offer | 6 – 10 hours | $15 – $25 |
| Downsell | 1 – 3 hours 3 – 5 hours | $7 – $10 $10 – $20 |
| Upsell | 10 – 20 hours 20+ hours | $20 – $30 $25 – $35 |
Hack No. 5: Make “Early Bird” offers. It makes the loyalty bond get stronger between you and your current audience.
Hack No. 6: ALWAYS Include audio samples of each of the audio products in the sales funnel. Sometimes including a short video clip of how much emotion you print to your recordings, perceived in your facial expressions, can boost the sales of that particular title.
How Much Audiobook Platforms and Retailers Charge To Sell Your Audiobooks
On average, the platform and retailer take 60% of the sale price, leaving 40% to the author: Findaway Voices states that 50% of the sale price is for the retailer, and 50% for royalties; Findaway Voices receives 20% of the royalties after each sale. ACX takes 60% of the sale price, giving the author the remaining 40%.
Let’s take a look at some examples based on the ACX services:
| AudiobookPrice and Length | Audio Retailer Percentage | Author’s Royalties | Audiobook Platform Percentage |
| $10* (1 – 3 hours) *Audible decides the price | Audible, iTunes, Amazon60% = $6 | 40% = $4 | ACX: Only one fee for retailer and distribution |
| $19* (10 – 20 hours) *Audible decides the price | Audible, iTunes, Amazon60% = $11.4 | 40% = $7.6 | ACX: Only one fee for retailer and distribution |
| $25* (20+ hours) *Audible decides the price | Audible, iTunes, Amazon 60% = $15 | 40% = $10 | ACX: Only one fee for retailer and distribution |
| $10 (1 – 3 hours) The author decides the price | 50% = $5Audible, Amazon, iTunes, Google Books, Rakuten Kobo, Nook, Bibliotheca, Storytel, Scribd, Chirp, Anyplay, Overdrive, Hoopla, Walmart, Beek, Baker & Taylor. Bajalibros.com, Audiobooksnow, Odilo, Bidi, Authors Direct, Downpour, Ebsco, Publishing, Follet, Cliq, 3Leaf Group, Mlol, Audiobooks MZ, Libro.fm, Perma-bound, Ubook, Bookmate, 24symbols, Audiobooks.com, Hummingbird, Leamos, Wheelers, Estories, Bokus Play, Instaread, Axiell. | 50% = $5 After platform fee = $4 | Findaway Voices 20% of Royalties = $1 |
| $19 (10 – 20 hours) The author decides the price | 50% = $9.5Audible, Amazon, iTunes, Google Books, Rakuten Kobo, Nook, Bibliotheca, Storytel, Scribd, Chirp, Anyplay, Overdrive, Hoopla, Walmart, Beek, Baker & Taylor. Bajalibros.com, Audiobooksnow, Odilo, Bidi, Authors Direct, Downpour, Ebsco, Publishing, Follet, Cliq, 3Leaf Group, Mlol, Audiobooks MZ, Libro.fm, Perma-bound, Ubook, Bookmate, 24symbols, Audiobooks.com, Hummingbird, Leamos, Wheelers, Estories, Bokus Play, Instaread, Axiell. | 50% = $9.5 After platform fee = $7,6 | Findaway Voices 20% of Royalties = $1,9 |
| $25 (20+ hours) The author decides the price | 50% = $12.5Audible, Amazon, iTunes, Google Books, Rakuten Kobo, Nook, Bibliotheca, Storytel, Scribd, Chirp, Anyplay, Overdrive, Hoopla, Walmart, Beek, Baker & Taylor. Bajalibros.com, Audiobooksnow, Odilo, Bidi, Authors Direct, Downpour, Ebsco, Publishing, Follet, Cliq, 3Leaf Group, Mlol, Audiobooks MZ, Libro.fm, Perma-bound, Ubook, Bookmate, 24symbols, Audiobooks.com, Hummingbird, Leamos, Wheelers, Estories, Bokus Play, Instaread, Axiell. | 50% = 12.5 After platform fee = $10 | Findaway Voices 20% of Royalties = $2.5 |
Let’s take a look at some examples based on Findaway Voices
| Audiobook Price and Length | Audio Retailer Percentage: 50% | Author’s Royalties: 50% | Audiobook Platform Percentage from Royalties: 20% |
| $10 (1 – 3 hours) The author decides the price | $5Audible, Amazon, iTunes, Google Books, Rakuten Kobo, Nook, Bibliotheca, Storytel, Scribd, Chirp, Anyplay, Overdrive, Hoopla, Walmart, Beek, Baker & Taylor. Bajalibros.com, Audiobooksnow, Odilo, Bidi, Authors Direct, Downpour, Ebsco, Publishing, Follet, Cliq, 3Leaf Group, Mlol, Audiobooks MZ, Libro.fm, Perma-bound, Ubook, Bookmate, 24symbols, Audiobooks.com, Hummingbird, Leamos, Wheelers, Estories, Bokus Play, Instaread, Axiell. | $4 | $1 |
| $19 (10 – 20 hours) The author decides the price | $9.5Audible, Amazon, iTunes, Google Books, Rakuten Kobo, Nook, Bibliotheca, Storytel, Scribd, Chirp, Anyplay, Overdrive, Hoopla, Walmart, Beek, Baker & Taylor. Bajalibros.com, Audiobooksnow, Odilo, Bidi, Authors Direct, Downpour, Ebsco, Publishing, Follet, Cliq, 3Leaf Group, Mlol, Audiobooks MZ, Libro.fm, Perma-bound, Ubook, Bookmate, 24symbols, Audiobooks.com, Hummingbird, Leamos, Wheelers, Estories, Bokus Play, Instaread, Axiell. | $7,6 | $1.9 |
| $25 (20+ hours) The author decides the price | $12.5Audible, Amazon, iTunes, Google Books, Rakuten Kobo, Nook, Bibliotheca, Storytel, Scribd, Chirp, Anyplay, Overdrive, Hoopla, Walmart, Beek, Baker & Taylor. Bajalibros.com, Audiobooksnow, Odilo, Bidi, Authors Direct, Downpour, Ebsco, Publishing, Follet, Cliq, 3Leaf Group, Mlol, Audiobooks MZ, Libro.fm, Perma-bound, Ubook, Bookmate, 24symbols, Audiobooks.com, Hummingbird, Leamos, Wheelers, Estories, Bokus Play, Instaread, Axiell. | $10 | $2.5 |
Pro: Your audiobook can be accessed by millions of people all over the world, rather than the few dozens or hundred thousand that find your website or return to it.
Although the royalties are much lower than selling your audiobook on your own webpage, the potential of having more sales is significantly higher.
What Do Audiobook Retailers Do: The main audiobook retailers offer audiobook titles, podcasts, audio magazines, and radio drama productions to millions of listeners.
| Retailer |
| Amazon |
| iTunes |
| Google Books |
| Rakuten Kobo |
| Audible |
| Nook |
| Bibliotheca |
| Storytel |
| Scribd |
| Chirp |
| Anyplay |
| Overdrive |
| Hoopla |
| Walmart |
| Beek |
| Baker & Taylor |
| Bajalibros.com |
| Audiobooksnow |
| Odilo |
| Bidi |
| Authors Direct |
| Downpour |
| Ebsco Publishing |
| Follet |
| Cliq |
| 3Leaf Group |
| Mlol |
| Audiobooks MZ |
| Libro.fm |
| Perma-bound |
| Ubook |
| Bookmate |
| 24symbols |
| Audiobooks.com |
| Hummingbird |
| Leamos |
| Wheelers |
| Estories |
| Bokus Play |
| Instaread |
| Axiell |
What Do Distribution Audiobook Platforms Do: The largest audiobook distribution platforms offer several options for authors.
- Acting as a distributor to retailers and library partners to make professional-quality audiobooks (already produced by the author) available for sale through audiobook retailers.
- Helping authors who want to record their audiobooks through their production services and make their titles available for sale through audiobook retailers and library partners.
These are the main audiobook distribution and production platforms on the internet:
| Audiobook Platform | Service | Who Can Upload Audiobooks | Partner Retailers |
| ACX | Distribution/Production | US, UK citizens or permanent residents | Audible, Amazon, iTunes. |
| Findaway Voices | Distribution/Production | Overseas plus US and UK citizens or permanent residents | Audible, Amazon, iTunes, Google Books, Rakuten Kobo, Nook, Bibliotheca, Storytel, Scribd, Chirp, Anyplay, Overdrive, Hoopla, Walmart, Beek, Baker & Taylor, Bajalibros.com, Audiobooksnow, Odilo, Bidi, Authors Direct, Downpour, Ebsco, Publishing, Follet, Cliq, 3Leaf Group, Mlol, Audiobooks MZ, Libro.fm, Perma-bound, Ubook, Bookmate, 24symbols, Audiobooks.com, Hummingbird, Leamos, Wheelers, Estories, Bokus Play, Instaread, Axiell. |
How Much Can You Make With Distribution Platforms
Keeping track of how many sales each of your audiobooks make on each retailer is very important to how much acceptance each title gets. Take into account that subscribers of audiobook retailer websites are offered several options to download or buy your audiobook, lowering the download sale price to a quarter of the full price.
The following examples are based on lifetime sales full price:
| Audiobook Price and Length | Royalties Per 1 Sale | 1,000 downloads | 5,000 downloads | 15,000 downloads |
| $10 (1 – 3 hours) | $4 | $4,000 | $20,000 | $60,000 |
| $19 (10 – 20 hours) | $7,6 | $7,600 | $38,000 | $114,000 |
| $25 (20+ hours) | $10 | $10,000 | $50,000 | $150,000 |
Con: Don’t expect to make thousands of sales during your first year of publishing your audiobooks. It’s a process like anything else in life. Although there is a probability that your titles find an eager audience from the beginning, your minimum goal for lifetime sales should not be inferior to 1,000 per title.
How Much Does It Cost To Sell Your Audiobook on Your Website
To know how much it takes to sell your audiobook on your website, bear in mind these three main tasks that must happen every year: website maintenance (hosting, theme, plugins, emailer services), organic traffic ads, and paid traffic ads.
Look at the details of how much you need to spend per year on your website, to make it fast, safe and attractive to your new visitors and current audience.
Annual Website Maintenance
| Hosting | Theme | Plugins for Speed, Image Resizing, Opt-in | Emailer Company |
| Shared hosting $36 Exclusive hosting $80 – $120 | $50 – $59 | $120 | $600 per 5,000 subscribers $1753 per 10,000 – 25,000 subscribers |
| Pro: A shared host can do a good job with less than 100,000 pageviews a month | Pro: The safety and aesthetics of the theme engage new visitors to explore your webpage and know more about you | Speed is extremely important for organic ranking on search engines | Honestly, an emailer does a good job once you have achieved above 75,000 page views per month |
- A beginner website on a tight budget (no emailer services) needs $215 per year on average
- A beginner website with more than one year of experience and emailer services needs $815 per year on average.
- A steady three-year-old website making sales needs $1,000 per year on average.
Organic Traffic Ads
Organic traffic costs and mastering its techniques can bring thousands or dozens of thousands of new visitors per month if it’s done right.
Pro: Facebook groups, Instagram, or Pinterest posts, cost nothing to publish. These are some strategies to gain free organic visitors to your webpage and sales page:
- Create a post 1 – 3 times per day, from Monday to Saturday
- Take note every other week of wish times and types of posts are the ones that get the most visitors.
- Keep refining that technique to build an email subscribers list and you will gain a loyal audience
- Facebook groups can make a huge impact. You need to post frequently and always include a question that requires people to interact with your Facebook page
- Make sure your Facebook business page is set to lead the visitors to your webpage or sales page
- Make sure the size of the images is suitable for each social media. Pinterest is very selective about what pins to show their audiences regarding that aspect
- Make sure the audio samples on your posts and webpage are high quality!
- Use up to 30 hashtags per post on Instagram
- Use up to 4 hashtags per post on Facebook
- Use up to 4 – 5 hashtags per post on Pinterest
- Organic traffic requires patience and perseverance. Of course, a lot of time from your daily agenda must be reserved for generating organic traffic
- Platforms such as Later and Publer allow you to program your posts in advance. I love them! They give extra tips to reach more audiences.
- They both offer a free account with a limited amount of posts per month. Publer has lower prices. Later gives better tips and training sessions.
Paid Social Media Ads
The average budget for social media ads starts at 5 dollars per day. You can choose how long you want your first campaign to be as well as your top daily, weekly or monthly budget. That means an average of $140 to $400 a month, on the lower end budget during the first months while you get to know your perfect target audience.
These ads look like any other post, showing a static image or a short video clip plus a Call To Action button that takes the visitors that click on it to your webpage, sales page, or retailer website.
The difference is that you need to decide what your target audience is, their likes, hobbies, occupations, favorite brands, favorite genres, etc.
Con: Making intuitive attempts with your first ads can lead you to spend a large budget with minimum or no return on your investment. You may end up thinking paid ads don’t work when it’s completely the opposite once you reach a level of expertise without having to hire a marketing agency!
In the beginning, you need to experiment making combinations of these categories, and when you notice how many of those visitors explore your webpage by clicking on several sections on it, go to the ad settings and save that audience!
Knowing the exact profile of the visitors that buy your books will improve your sales, as you continue refining your ads.
If you focus your ads on leading those visitors to your webpage, make sure you have an audio product to offer for free for subscribing to your newsletter. That will help you build a subscriber list and that is the secret of making money online with email marketing.
How Much Can You Make Selling Your Audiobooks In Your Website
Pro: Once you are confident in applying organic and paid traffic techniques, you can expect the full price of each sale, therefore you won’t need the same large amounts of sales as in a retailer platform to get the same or even a better income from your royalties.
Let’s use the same full prices for three different length audiobooks:
| AudiobookPrice and Length | 500 downloads | 2,000 downloads | 7,000 downloads |
| $10(1 – 3 hours) | $5,000 | $20,000 | $70,000 |
| $19(10 – 20 hours) | $9,500 | $38,000 | $133,000 |
| $25(20+ hours) | $12,500 | $50,000 | $175,000 |
Use Google Analytics To Know The Profile of Your Visitors and Buyers
Google Analytics is a great tool to get to know your visitors’ profiles and how likely it is to see them buying your audio products. It’s essential to see your traffic grow month after month.
Hack: In addition to making sales, you can consider having a blog on your webpage and enable some ad spaces in it. This strategy can bring you some extra cash every month which you can use to pay for your website maintenance fees and paid ads.
Learn how to set up a Google Analytics account
The most important features in Google Analytics you need to master:
