As I’ve mentioned a number of times, I’m a big fan of audiobooks – so much so that I’m committed to making audio versions of all my titles. (In fact, you can get a 30-day free trial of Audible – as well as a free copy of any one of my audio titles – by clicking on the desired audiobook here.) Of course, none of that is surprising given that audio has been the fastest-growing segment of the book market for the past few years. Traditionally, however, it has been difficult to market audiobooks, for a number of reasons.
First of all (and in contrast to other book formats), authors typically don’t control pricing when it comes to audiobooks. Price is usually based on length, and without the ability to occasionally place items on sale, advertising audio titles can be a challenge. To their credit, however, several audiobook producers/retailers (notably ACX/Audible and Findaway Voices) will provide authors with promotion codes that can be redeemed for free audio titles.
Second, there simply haven’t been that many platforms out there for advertising audiobooks. Thus, even if an author had promo codes to distribute, finding an audience to give them to was often difficult.
Thankfully, the days of beating the bushes for audio advertising venues is seemingly over. In recent months, a number of platforms have sprung up in this space, focusing for the most part on the distribution and redemption of audiobook promo codes. Bearing in mind how difficult it’s been to market audio titles in the past, I thought it would be worthwhile to highlight a couple of sites where authors can promote (and listeners can get) free audiobooks:
This was the first – and for quite some time, seemingly the only – dedicated place for authors to offer promo codes to listeners. Authors pay a measly 12 bucks per title and essentially get matched up with listeners who’d like a free promo code for their book. (FYI: the service is free for listeners, who basically get an email of audio titles each week and simply request a code from the author of any audiobook that piques their interest.) Having used it myself, I can say that the service is incredibly effective and well worth the cost.
This is another platform very similar to Audiobook Boom: listeners search a list of available titles and request promo codes from the author of any audiobook that catches their eye. It’s free for listeners, while authors will pay a price between $8 and $14, depending on various factors.
Like other platforms in this area, listeners can peruse a slate of audiobooks and request promo codes for those that interest them – all for free. The cost to authors is $10 per listing for the “Basic Plan,” up to $25/month for a subscription plan (which allows 8 titles to be listed). Also, there’s the additional benefit to authors of simply having to do nothing other than upload promo codes, because the site will distribute them to interested listeners for you.
This one appears to be a sister site to Audiobook Boom, with the main difference being that (1) listeners don’t have to register here in order to get promo codes and (2) the process is fully automated with respect to the distribution of codes, so authors don’t really have to do anything after uploading their promo codes. (The site itself does an excellent job of breaking down the differences between the two services, as well as why each might appeal to different authors.) The cost is $12 per title, $55 for 5 titles, or $99 for 10 titles.
StoryOrigin
StoryOrigin in and of itself isn’t really a platform for readers or listeners. It’s more of a site where authors join together in promotional endeavors, which are then sent out to readers via newletters, social media, etc. That said, a number of authors have participated in several StoryOrigin audio promotions, which focus on giving away promo codes. Here are a few of them:
- Sounds of the Future
- Speculative Fiction Audiobook Giveaway
- Audiobooks for UK Listeners
- Fantasy for the Ears
(FYI: For anyone focused on audiobooks in the StoryOrigin links, I wouldn’t worry too much about the dates of the promotions. I can almost guarantee you that any author contacted for a promo code will gladly provide it if they have any left.)
In retrospect, it’s nice to see that the number of advertising venues for audio has significantly increased. It’s not only great for authors, but for listeners as well. I’m sure I haven’t noted everything that’s out there (for instance, there are a number of Facebook groups that focus on giving away promo codes), but I will try to update the sites as more become known to me.
I am now using all of these. Thank you for sharing. I was all but limited to the one monthly credit on audible until now.
Awesome! Glad the info was useful.
Thanks, as soon as I get time I will check all these out.
Any update for the next Kid Sensation book? That was one hell of a cliffhanger you left us with and I am dying daily to read on.
Glad to hear you enjoyed the last book. I’m working on Kid Sensation #8, and can hopefully wrap it up in the next few weeks.