that
asked
Megan Derr:
Hihi, related to one of your other recent asks, would you be willing to educate us briefly on the economics of audio book productions? What is the order of magnitude cost like for those vs publishing paperback? Is there a big gap on the break-even point for audio productions? I have never really understood the totality of what it takes to publish, and who better to ask than someone who has so much experience!
Megan Derr
So the next audiobook I want to do is Heart of the Lost Star. It is just shy of 113,000 words. Those books (many of my books) are narrated by Michael Stellman. I do not recall exactly what he charges, but I believe it's in the range of $200 per finished hour.
The High King's Golden Tongue is about 111,000 words, so they're pretty comparable. It's just over 11 hours long, which means it cost $2200 to produce, which sounds right IIRC. That means Heart is going to cost closer to $2400, give or take. A book like Bound, which is 200k, would cost at least 5,000, possibly a lot more, since that narrator, Sean Crisden, has higher rates.
Which is doable for me, eventually. I make good money for someone in such a niche field as queer fantasy romance. BUT I never made my royalties through LT3. When the company closed, I didn't really have much of anything, and it's only in the past few months, since about January, that I've really started to see my royalties in full. There have been emergencies to deal with (trips to vet, struggling family, etc.) so the money I've been trying to save for audiobooks keeps going to other things.
Now this pandemic is hitting everyone had, especially my family, who largely work in food service.
Once I get to the point I can publish the audiobooks, they will quickly pay for themselves. It's a project I desperately want to do. But when you start off in a hole a hundred feet deep, it takes time to climb out of it.
But I am sorry. My personal problems should not affect my readers, and I know all of you really want to see more audiobooks. I promise I am doing my best, and my primary goal this year is to get at least one out.
My plan is to catch upon High Court, then work on DwtD, interspersing those with stand-alones like Black Magic.
I will get there, and I apologize again it's taking me so long.
I hope everyone is doing okay through all this upheaval. If you're not on FB or twitter, I have said that if you want any of my ebooks, just email meganaderr@gmail.com and LMK what format you want, and I'll send it/them to you.
<3
Meg
The High King's Golden Tongue is about 111,000 words, so they're pretty comparable. It's just over 11 hours long, which means it cost $2200 to produce, which sounds right IIRC. That means Heart is going to cost closer to $2400, give or take. A book like Bound, which is 200k, would cost at least 5,000, possibly a lot more, since that narrator, Sean Crisden, has higher rates.
Which is doable for me, eventually. I make good money for someone in such a niche field as queer fantasy romance. BUT I never made my royalties through LT3. When the company closed, I didn't really have much of anything, and it's only in the past few months, since about January, that I've really started to see my royalties in full. There have been emergencies to deal with (trips to vet, struggling family, etc.) so the money I've been trying to save for audiobooks keeps going to other things.
Now this pandemic is hitting everyone had, especially my family, who largely work in food service.
Once I get to the point I can publish the audiobooks, they will quickly pay for themselves. It's a project I desperately want to do. But when you start off in a hole a hundred feet deep, it takes time to climb out of it.
But I am sorry. My personal problems should not affect my readers, and I know all of you really want to see more audiobooks. I promise I am doing my best, and my primary goal this year is to get at least one out.
My plan is to catch upon High Court, then work on DwtD, interspersing those with stand-alones like Black Magic.
I will get there, and I apologize again it's taking me so long.
I hope everyone is doing okay through all this upheaval. If you're not on FB or twitter, I have said that if you want any of my ebooks, just email meganaderr@gmail.com and LMK what format you want, and I'll send it/them to you.
<3
Meg
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