Audiobooks the Talk

Sales and Promotion – Audiobooks

The wind has laid. The clouds have cleared. It’s 37 degrees precisely. The weather is as near perfect as it can be in February, 2022 at the third winding down of this pandemic that won’t die. I may even consider going into a store today without looking like a bandit. Consider being the key word.

alexielinnauthor.com
Now available in Audible

On top of that, ‘Scarecrow Gets Three Wishes’ is now published. Azalia’s Bizarre Dilemma’ is being narrated by voice genius, Reanna Harrison. Sally the Loner Meets the Sourdough Kid’, a Vella Serial, is uploaded and running… But I feel heavy-hearted. Why?

‘Duh’, I say to myself with a dusting slap up-side the head, ‘now you have to promote and sell.’

 I hate selling myself and my works! But it’s a necessary evil that I’m ever-so-slowly getting better at…

One way I promote story visibility and sales is to turn each book into an audiobook.

There are a few options to get that job done. I use ACX Audible. Here’s why:

ACX Audible offers more than one method to pay talented storytellers that turn action words into dynamic 3D action with their voices.

There are plusses and minuses to each service. Check them out for yourself with a Google search for ‘audiobook services’ and go with what works for you.

Whichever service you choose, know that it takes a couple of months and a tad of work to take a book from print to a finished audiobook. Once the audiobook is finished and available for sale, promoting and getting it found begins.

Oh joy.

Audiobook Promo Codes lighten the load. Knowing how to use them lightens it even more.

ACX Audible assigns authors promo codes for free review copies of the story. The codes are very effective. But only if you get them out there in the world and redeemed by readers.

Here’s what I’ve found to be the simplest and most productive distribution method.

I’m currently a member of two Facebook groups (Cozy Mystery Audiobook Lovers and the brand-new Audible Lovers Cornucopia) that gives authors, narrators, and listeners a place to post and redeem the free promo codes. The Cornucopia is open to all genres and audiobook services.

Readers, writers, and listeners deserve the opportunity to get in on your best work. Offer it in any form available to you.

And, unless you’re a celebrity, include audiobooks in your sales toolbox.

On that note…

Happy Trails and Tales,

Alexie Linn

P.S. Since this new, finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow this blog and  follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

And just one more thing. Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE!

Oops! Another ‘One More Thing’… Click here to join our Audible Lovers Cornucopia group. It’s free and where you’ll find links to Free Audibles for your posting, listening and reviewing pleasure.

Serials Are Not Cereals

The Serial – That’s Serial, Not Cereal

Serials have been making a snail’s pace comeback. What’s a Serial?

A Serial is like a TV soap opera that you read. But it can move faster and have an end before the next millennium.

alexielinnauthor
A Serial to read with your Cereal

Serials are touted as entertainment on the run because you buy and read one episode at a time.

Vella serials are particularly suited to read on a smartphone and accessed through an App. Vellas cannot be downloaded to an E-reader like Kindle.

Episodes are purchased with tokens or ‘coins’, depending on the App.

Serials can, at the author’s discretion, become available in ebook and print version 30-days down the road. If you fell in love with a Serial, watch the author’s website and blog; follow the author wherever you can; or, better yet, tell the author you’d like to own it in book form. They’ll love you for it. 😊

Three reasons to indie publish a Serial are:

  1. Test Run – Get the feedback of whether readers are interested in your book’s topic before you compile, edit, and publish 100,000 + or – words.
  2. Build an audience – Perspective readers can ‘try before they buy’ your prose in more expensive and committed formats.
  3. Editing – Vella is my experience. It’s easy-peasy to edit one tiny episode of a Serial; while editing one chapter of a book entails several more steps and rereads of the entire project. The tradeoff is that Serials are uploaded one episode at a time.

Three reasons to read Serials:

  1. Give the author a test run. Do you and their prose click?
  2. Read an episode while you’re eating your cereal – or waiting for the bus – or stuck in traffic.
  3. Read it on your smartphone. No other devices or a book to carry around with you.

Three places to upload your Serial to…

  1. KDP/Vella –an Amazon company. Here’s where to find my latest Serial, Sally the Loner Meets the Sourdough Kid.
  2. Byliner Serials – A Barnes and Noble offering.
  3. Jukepop Serials – An indie publisher.

A Google search will give you 337,000,000 more details and options to choose from.

On that note…

Happy Trails and Tales,

Alexie Linn

P.S. Since this new, finely focused blog is just getting started, the easiest way to get updates is to follow this blog and  follow me on Facebook.  New posts should appear on the Alexie Linn page – if I’ve held my mouth right… 😊

If you only want updates and pre-order deals of new releases of Books, Vellas and Audibles, the easiest way is to follow me on Amazon. When you get an email notice of a new book release, simply ask for it by the title – or for all the Alexie Linn authored titles at your favorite retailer.

And just one more thing. Here’s where to find and follow me on Goodreads. Please do to get in on all that Goodreads has to offer. Goodreads is always at the very best price. It’s FREE!

But if you’d like to own this story in book form, send me an email here!