Deciding to convert your novel into an audiobook is an investment in your brand. An investment that can be costly for most. Once you find the right voice actor for your project, the next step should be considering the cost associated in producing your audiobook.  As a narrator, I charge comparable rate to industry standards. 

My goal is simple. I produce quality, professional and affordable audiobooks. I am committed to delivering a project that meets the specifications of major audiobook streaming platforms. Most important, I bring your characters to life creating an elevated experience for listeners. In order to do this we need to discuss the cost associated with narrating and postproduction of a project.

My standard rate is $200 per finished hour. What does that mean?  As a voice actor, I can spend hours recording tracks for your audiobook. Once the book has been recorded, you end up with raw audio tracks. This audio needs to be cleaned. The next part of the audiobook process is called post-production. Audio post-production is essential to creating a polished and professional audiobook for distribution.

 Audio Post- production is where the sound engineer (Me) will listen to the entire raw audio track and eliminate any unwanted sounds. This includes breaths, clicks, and other noise that can creep into the audio. Then the audio track will be equalized to make sure the narration and pacing are consistent throughout the track. Next up is the mixing and mastering process. Once this step has been completed, the audio track is rendered one last time to make sure it meets industry standards before it is uploaded for distribution.  All of this can take hours of manual work.  But you ae only charged for the finished product. 

Now that I have explained the process, let's talk about the cost associated with my rates. Even though it may take hours (almost double or triple the hours of your finished audio) to create the audio track, it is the finished project that you pay for. How do I determine the finished hourly rate? My rate calculation is as follows; 9300 words per finished hour of audio.  What does that mean? Let me give you an example to illustrate the cost of an audiobook.

Example- Book 1                                                                                                                     Example- Book 2

Word count- 75000                                                                                                               Word Count - 40000

75000 / 9300 = 8.70 HOURS                                                                                           40000 /9300 = 4.30 HOURS

8.70 HOURS  x $200 =$1740.00                                                                                   4.30 HOURS x $200 = $860

The cost of producing audiobook is $1740.00                                                      The cost of producing audiobook is $860

I hope the examples helped to understand how I calculate my rate for audiobook production.  But before any project is started a virtual meeting will be scheduled to finalize the cost and any additional audio specification requested. The inclusion of sound effects (Cellphone ringing, footsteps, car alarms ect.) can be arranged in the audiobook production at an additional cost.

To make the process of producing an audiobook an affordable investment, I do offer a payment plan for authors and publishing companies.  I require half down to start the project with the remaining  balance to be paid within two weeks after the completed project. The down payment is nonrefundable.  Any additional payment options  need to be addressed prior to starting the project and will be included the contract.