This week audiobook publisher, award-winning podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed speaker, Tina Dietz, took a timeout to chat with me about her passion for helping authors grow their audiences, why you should produce an audiobook, and the bright future of audio content.(Podcast on The Writer Files, December 4, 2018)
Tina is an entrepreneur and content marketing expert who has been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes (to name a few), and her company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, helps authors and entrepreneurs expand their audiences with audio content.She is an award-winning podcaster and an expert in leveraging and repurposing content, and her company specializes deeply in audiobook production and publishing for one simple reason …
Tina and her cohorts love to help authors expand their audiences, income, influence, and opportunities.
Audible is offering our listeners a free audiobook with a 30-day trial membership. Just go to audibletrial.com/writerfiles and browse the unmatched selection of audio programs – download a title free and start listening. It’s that easy. Go to audibletrial.com/writerfiles to get started today.
In Part One of this file Tina Dietz and I talk about:
The Renaissance of audiobooks, the fastest growing format in publishing
When authors should start thinking about audiobook production
The importance of reading your book out loud for editing
Tina’s twisty journey from voice acting to helping authors’ tell their own stories with audio
Why audiobooks are more popular than ever
And who can benefit the most from publishing an audiobook today
Audiobook sales will top 3 billion dollars in 2018. We’re going to give you some tips and ideas you can use to promote your audiobook masterpiece!
So you’ve decided to publish an audiobook version of your book – great idea! Audiobook sales will top 3 billion dollars in 2018. BUT, guess what?
That also means you need to (gasp!) market your audiobook. Many authors think of marketing as a big scary thing you have to do in order to avoid failure, but think about your marketing time as time spent getting to know your readers and finding out what interests them.
Whether you’re promoting online, in print, or by word of mouth, there are many different options you can use to help in this process. To help get you started, we’re going to give you some tips and ideas you can use to promote your masterpiece!
Connect with Amazon
After your audiobook has been completed, the first thing you should do is look your book up on Amazon to ensure that the audiobook version is listed on the book’s page. If your audiobook is not listed, contact Amazon to request that the editions get combined. This is particularly helpful because some people exclusively listen to audiobooks, and if they are looking for the book, they will see the audiobook available on the same page in one easy search. Whispersync can also help here, because it synchronizes the Audible audiobook and the Kindle e-book so that you can switch between them with ease. You can go from reading your book in the living room to jumping in the car and listening right where you left off in the story.
Social Media
Promoting your work online and via social media is a must for any author. Based on who your reader is, focus your efforts on using the social media platform that your readers most use. Do you have an author page on Facebook if that’s where your readers are most? If it’s Twitter, use hashtags wisely so that people who are searching for your book or general book genre can identify your project by interest. Facebook also allows you to promote your post by adding a filter to it to enable traffic with the specific interest. Overall, posting on social media sites using videos created to promote your audiobook (with a snippet of your 5 minute retail sample) or quote memes pulled from your audiobook’s content will bring attention and will also be great for your book’s search engine optimization efforts by back linking to your book’s sales pages.
Promote to Audio Listeners via Podcasts
Just as you wouldn’t want to waste time pitching your audiobook to a paperback only crowd, you don’t want to promote your audiobook to them either. You want to focus on the audio listeners and the best place to find them is through podcasts! Podcast audiences are already listening and therefore they’re more likely to also be listening to audiobooks. Listen to some podcasts that would be a good fit for your audiobook and take some notes on the audience, jot down contact info, and contact podcasters about what you could bring to the show as a guest. Special giveaways or an inside view of your creative or writing process are good hooks to get listeners to tune in. You can also use your 5 minute audiobook retail sample in your podcast interview or in the episode’s “show notes” to give listeners a preview-both creating interest and generating traffic back to your audiobook’s sales page.
Be Their Guest
Being featured on someone else’s website as a guest blogger is a great way to get noticed and promote your work. In addition to guest blogs, consider Tweet chats, local radio stations, and YouTube interviews. You can reach out to hosts in the same friendly and value-oriented way that you would to ask to be on a podcast. If your audiobook narrator has a blog, ask them if you can guest blog and then host your narrator on your own blog for an article or interview. The more channels you appear on, the more you get the word out about your work. You can even write a blog that interviews the main character of the story and publish this on sites that engage with your readers and audience. This is a fun way to get attention, and it engages your readers in even more.
Free Audiobook Sample
Giving people an easy, risk-free way to sample your audiobook will peak their interest and have them craving more. When you create your audiobook, you have a “5 minute retail sample” that is featured on your audiobook retail pages so that potential listeners can have a taste of your work. You can use the 5 minute audio clip as a free sample that you can embed on your website in blog posts and on all social media platforms.
Reviews
Just as there are reviewers for standard print books and e-books, there are also reviewers who specialize in audiobook reviews. By using a google search or checking directories you can find publications, websites, bloggers, and many others that you can submit your audiobook for a review. As these reviews start pouring in, use the positives to your advantage. Post or share these reviews on your websites or social media accounts to draw in more attention, and to spread the word. If you use ACX to produce your audiobook, you can email ACX to receive 25 free promo codes that can be used to send your audiobook to potential reviewers in exchange for a review.
Video Book Trailer
Sometimes people make their audiobook trailers too long and it can lose the listener’s interest or make them feel as if they have already learned all there is to know already about the book. You want to keep it edgy and have the audience eager to know more or find out what happens next. Also, keep in mind that most people are always in a hurry and only have but a minute or two to spare, so try to get as much detail as you need squeezed into a video that’s two minutes or less. To make it easy, you can again use the 5 minute retail sample of your audiobook to help create your book trailer. Make sure to feature your trailer on your website, social media sites, and even in your e-mail signature.
There are hundreds of ways authors and narrators can market audiobooks, but it’s important to focus on making a connection with readers. Learn where your readers spend their time the most, and that will help you determine where you should focus on sharing about your work. If you offer valuable content and engagement, you will see the same in return, and remember that listening is the new reading, so promoting your audiobook and doing it well is worth it.
Want help creating & promoting your audiobook? My team and I have the expertise you need to unleash your masterpiece
In this week’s episode, Mark speaks with Tina Dietz who is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert.(Podcast on Stark Reflections, October 12, 2018)
Prior to the interview, Mark shares a few personal updates that include the launch of his new traditionally published book Macabre Montreal, and how that book launch interfered with attending the NIGHT OF THE WRITING DEAD event in Pittsburgh that same weekend.
The link between writing/expression and entrepreneurship
How writing (particularly in print) can be an enduring format as a tangible legacy
Tina’s introduction into podcasting and audiobook production
Tina’s Forbes article “Do You Sound Like a Leader?” that focuses on the relationship between vocal qualities and how a person is viewed as a leader
Getting used to and comfortable with the sound of one’s own voice
Breathing techniques and facial exercises used for voice or singing voice
Food and drink to avoid when doing voice work (dairy and citrus, for example)
The coaching Tina does helping authors getting ready to do interviews for radio or podcasting
The difference between forms of media like television, radio and podcasting
Trends in the audiobook industry that authors might not be familiar with
The concept that anything you create needs to be an asset and not a burdenThe free download that Tina has on her website that helps demystifies the audiobook process – www.launchyouraudiobook.com
Things to consider when deciding between narrating and producting an audiobook yourself or outsourcing that
How Tina’s clients often “come for the audiobooks and then stay for everything else”
The pre-interview Tina sent to Mark ahead of the podcast which made things so much easier for Mark
In the post-interview reflections, Mark talks about how Tina’s info PDF made his job as an interviewer so much easier and he also shares a link to a WORD document template that authors can download and modify so they have something similar to use for their own podcast or radio interviews.
Tina Dietz is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert who has been featured on media outlets including ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post, and Forbes. Tina’s podcast, The StartSomething Show, was named by INC magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs. Tina’s company, StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, connects leaders, entrepreneurs and experts with larger audiences, resulting in expanded influence and income. Tina divides her time between the US and Costa Rica, where she’s part of a leadership team building a conscious community called Vista Mundo.
The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Interested in learning more about audiobooks and howyou can be using audio in your writing career ?
The popularity of devices like Alexa have created a rise in the demand for audio to educate and entertain commuters and laundry-folders alike. James talks to Tina Dietz about creating audiobooks from both our fiction and non-fiction work.(Podcast on Self Publishing Formula, September 14, 2018)
This week’s highlights include:
The importance of creativity in every type of business
How creativity makes us more productive
The different approaches to audiobooks by fiction and non-fiction authors
Thoughts on narrating your book yourself
The range of costs for producing an audiobook, including what you can expect to pay a narrator
Auditioning narrators to find the right voice for your book
Providing character information to narrators to find a good fit
Reading your book out loud yourself to get a sense of your characters’ voices
The three reasons for starting a podcast
Resources mentioned in this episode:
PATREON: Self Publishing Formula Podcast’s Patreon page
She gives us the low down on audiobooks, how to get them recorded, how they fit into the marketing of your other book formats, and how to promote/market them to your audience.
She also talks about the expanding audiobook industry and why we should all be considering adding audiobooks to our inventory of books.
Tina gave us some amazing ideas for how to promote audiobooks, or even just using audio to promote your print or ebook versions of your book. She’s a very smart marketer, with a strong grasp of the audio market, and this is a must-listen episode for anyone who’s thinking of getting into audiobooks, or who already has audiobooks on sale. (Or in fact anyone who thinks they could use audio in any way to help with the marketing of their books. ???? )
About Tina
Tina Dietz MS, NCC is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and content marketing expert who has been featured on media outlets including ABC, Inc.com, Huffington Post and Forbes. Tina’s podcast, The StartSomething Show, was named by INC magazine as one of the top 35 podcasts for entrepreneurs.
Tina has been building businesses for over 20 years and is the owner of StartSomething Creative Business Solutions, a company committed to connecting experts, authors, and entrepreneurs with their ideal audiences through audio branding and marketing with a deep specialty in audiobook publishing, podcasting, and thought leadership.
Why using audio to get your kids to learn is an easy and convenient way to give them opportunities to become even more well-rounded and well-educated.
In a world full of distractions like YouTube, thousands of different video games, social media, toys, sports, etc., it’s not always easy to get our kids to learn, much less develop and cultivate their interests and skills. But school is enough, right? Wrong. Everyone learns differently-some visually, some are more hands-on learners, and some learn best through audio, which provides a large variety of ways for kids to learn.
With the rise in popularity of podcasts and audiobooks, more and more ways to help kids get get excited about learning and discover new interests are popping up every day. Using audio to help kids learn is an easy and convenient way to give our kids opportunities to become even more well-rounded and well-educated, hopefully resulting in a young person who grows up to love learning.
Here are some ways you can use audio to get your kids to learn so that you can get started right away. They’ll thank you for it!
Using audiobooks to get kids to learn is different from reading with them and is also very different from just sitting them in front of the TV and allowing them to watch shows (even if they are educational). Listening to audiobooks forces children to use different skills than reading and allows for much more imagination than the TV. Children who find reading difficult can also find great relief in being able to listen to a book. Audiobooks are great for car rides, time when children are self-entertaining while you’re cooking dinner, or even for you to listen to together and discuss after. Some ideas of ways to use audiobooks for children’s learning are:
Find fun stories for themThere are tons of audiobooks for children of fun, engaging stories with colorful language for them to use their imaginations, learn words, get excited about listening to the stories, and want to talk about them after. These can be great conversation starters, so make sure to engage with your child about what you listen to together!
Provide sketchbooks and crayons or pencilsThis helps them to further utilize their imagination. While they’re listening, they can draw what they think their favorite characters might look like, strengthening their creativity and encouraging them to use a part of their brain that looking at pictures in books doesn’t activate.
In the case of children who find reading difficult, audiobooks can be a tremendous reliefKids can keep up with their schoolwork easier and also become more confident in their reading abilities by listening to an audiobook at the same time that they’re following along with a print or digital version of the book. By engaging more than one of their learning senses at the same time, the brain can integrate the information with more ease.
Be close by to answer any questionsIn order for an audiobook to really be engaging and educational, you’ll want to make sure you can define unknown words for them, answer questions about the story as it unfolds, or even just listen to their excitement as they tell you all about what they’re listening to.
More than half of people in the US listen to podcasts weekly, and yes, they can be used for children as well. Many people think that podcasts are always about business or politics, but there are a ton of different podcasts that exist, and many of them are for children! Some teachers utilize podcasts in their classrooms, and you can use them at home to get your kids to learn, too. There are book club podcasts for kids, science ones, fictional stories, and so much more. Podcasts can be utilized similarly to audiobooks to help kids learn, but they can also be used in the following ways:
Podcasts offer the advantage of being shorter, and once your child finds one they particularly like, there are usually a whole slew of episodes from that one podcaster from which they can choose.
You can have them create their own podcasts! – Free podcast recording software might not be good enough quality to publish, but it IS good enough to encourage your kids to research topics they like or write their own story. Help them record it, have fun with it, and listen to it as a family (or with friends) later. They’ll have something they’re proud of, and it will encourage them to delve further into their interests and passions. It also encourages a use of words that children usually aren’t otherwise engaging.
Podcasts are free and easy to download. Put them on your phone, tablet, or even on your computer.
Long story short, there are SO many options when it comes to using audio to help children to learn, and create the beautiful “side effect” of giving you and your kids great conversation topics to explore together. While we still greatly encourage and recommend that you read with your kids and have them read any and all types of books, podcasts and audiobooks are a great addition to any child’s learning and language skills. They’re also an excellent resource for children with learning challenges. Audio teaches all kids to listen for things to talk about later, to develop their imaginations, and develop the ability to ask engaging questions.
Do you have a favorite audiobook or podcast that would be great for kids or families?Please share in the comments, and have fun learning!
When you turn your book into an audiobook, you do so in the hopes that it will bring in more income. Have you heard about the audible bounty program?
When you set off to turn your book into an audiobook, you do so in the hopes that it will bring in more income from the book you spent so much time and energy writing and publishing. Many authors assume that the only way to make money from publishing an audiobook is through sales, but there’s also another, lesser known way to make money with your audiobook.
ACX is a marketplace for professional narrators, agents, publishers, and rights holders to create audiobooks and distribute them to Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. Just recently, they have announced a new version of their Bounty Referral Program, which will increase payout to its members and provides many member benefits.
What is the Bounty Referral Program, you might ask? It allows those who are selling audiobooks another option for making money off all their hard work. Through the Bounty Referral Program, members can earn up to $75 each time a new Audible listener becomes a member using your referral link, plus any royalties earned from the sale of the audiobook itself.
When an audiobook has been produced on ACX, the rights holder will receive trackable referral links that is unique to each of the audiobooks published. For those who entered into a Royalty Share agreement with a narrator, (as opposed to paying the narrator up front for their services) $50 will go to the creator of the audiobook, and $25 will go to the narrator for each bounty.
When marketing your audiobook, you’ll want to make sure you use your unique ACX tracking URL to bring any listeners straight to the book without any delay. If that user isn’t currently registered on Audible, that $75 bounty will be added right to the audiobook creator’s account. This means it’s important to share with your email list, social media followers, and friends and family. As an audiobook creator, you’ll want to make sure you let everyone know how very magical it can be to listen to a book rather than read it when listening to a story.
Particularly when listening to non-fiction, it can be helpful for listeners to do something at the same time as listening, such as taking notes or even multi-tasking (we all know people who prefer it!). When including your book URL in marketing efforts, you can also include clips of your audio, your retail sample, a book trailer, or a good, old-fashioned book synopsis. Even those who have read your book may be interested in listening to the book to hear it differently.
The ACX Bounty Referral Program not only gives you a chance to bring even more listeners to Audible to listen to each audiobook you publish, but it also will bring you additional income with each new Audible member who comes in with your unique link.
Considering publishing an audiobook on ACX? The Bounty Referral Program might encourage you further. Need help? Our team at StartSomething Creative Business Solutions can take care of the whole production and publishing process for you or help you along the way!
Need help producing and publishing your audiobook?
Have you ever wondered how to have a launch that reaches tens of thousands of people or more? Here are 5 very friendly and quite un-technical ways nonfiction authors can use to boost your online presence by making simple, authentic ‘asks.’
No matter how technical and digital our world becomes, many of the best book and audiobook marketing comes down to simply asking. Have you ever wondered how to have a launch that reaches tens of thousands of people or more? I participate in those book launches all the time, and the key isn’t the technology used or some magic email formula.
Asking is what makes the difference, and in particular, having the relationships where asking is even possible. Your friends, colleagues, and fans want to put their words where more people can see them. It’s up to you to lead them and let them know what actions they can take that will make the biggest difference.
Here are 5 very friendly and quite un-technical ways you can use to boost your online presence by making simple, authentic ‘asks.’
1. Ask friends, colleagues and fans to post their reviews on Amazon and Goodreads
Here’s an important tip when asking for reviews – pre-write samples of reviews to give your tribe an idea of what to write. Many people (including myself) often want to help but deal with a shortage of time and attention. If you help shortcut the process, you’ll get better results and you’re also showing that you respect people’s time and energy in helping you.
2. Create a testimonial page on your website
Any testimonials or reviews that you get on LinkedIn, Amazon, Goodreads, or other places you can collect into one space, and then sprinkle generously around your website as little eye-catching quotes.
3. Get friendlier with Goodreads
Even I sometimes forget what a cool resource Goodreads is. Spend a little time each week connecting on Goodreads, and make sure your profile is fully fleshed out in detail, and that you also add your own list of books that you love. Goodreads is for people who LOVE books, who hunger for books, and you can connect with bloggers and reviewers through this platform as well.
4. Offer bloggers in your niche that you respect advanced reading copies of your book
Let the blogger know why you chose to reach out to them, and ask if they’d like to offer feedback and/or a review of your book. And, for goodness sake, share some of their blog posts with YOUR tribe via social media or email as an act of goodwill and relationship building.
5. Go on an online book tour via podcast interviews
One in every 3 people in North America listens to podcasts. That’s over 65 million people! Seek out shows and hosts that resonate with your message and topic, and, in the immortal words of Bill and Ted, “BE EXCELLENT.” Also make sure the host gets a copy of your Audiobook’s 5 minute retail sample to share when you do get an interview on a podcast. You can listen to some of our author’s 5 minute retail samples here to get an idea of what they sound like. Click here and scroll down the page.
Marketing your book isn’t a “one time and done” proposition. You can always use your book to continually build your audience, your brand, and your platform as an expert. One of the biggest mistakes that authors make is getting bored with their book and thinking that they need to move on to the next big thing, when what’s really needed is persistence, creativity, and small steps every day rather than grand gestures.
What has worked well for you in getting the word out about your work, or, if you’re already an author, your book? Which of these strategies would you like to add next? Make sure to leave your comments below!
Ready to explore audiobooks, podcasting, and creative content marketing for your book?
Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and apparently writers are writing!
May is a big month for events in the nonfiction world, and for books and writing in general. I’m pretty sure that as the weather improves, writers emerge from their blankies, blinking at the sun and needing human contact, so event organizers plan accordingly.
3 Events for Nonfiction Writers in May
Nonfiction Writers Conference – Virtual – May 4-6
The opening session features a conversation with Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author of The Four Tendencies, Better Than Before, and The Happiness Project. Additional sessions cover how to write, publish, promote and profit with nonfiction books.
Participants can also register for our popular Ask-a-Pro sessions, free 15-minute consultations with industry pros. A private Facebook group is also available for all attendees to gather and exchange ideas.
CLICK HERE for the event website and more information.
Self-Publishing University “Less Talk, More Action” Conference – Virtual – May 31
A one day online conference focused on book marketing and increasing sales!
This conference offers 10 international Speakers ready to pour into you the help you need and have been searching for around the vital topic of Book Marketing!
The aim of this conference is to bring authors, agents and publishers in one place to have a hearty, healthy and value added discussion on the issues facing authors today and how they can better prepare themselves for success in the near future. Straight to the point, no sales, no fluff and taking action is the order of the day.
CLICK HERE for the event website and more information.
Book Expo America – New York City – May 31-June 1
THE BIG KAHUNA! I have colleagues who attend and work this event every year, and they quite literally train for it because it’s so huge. Tons of events, tons of exhibits, the scope will blow your mind and give you ideas, info, and contacts for the entire next year to work with.CLICK HERE for the event website and more information.
**HINT: if you’re a blogger or show host with a show about publishing, books, etc. consider applying for a press pass for this show.Remember the pen IS truly mightier than the sword, and getting your creative juices flowing is key to getting your work and message out into the world. Is writing and publishing already part of your world, or are those areas emerging for you? What motivates you in this arena, or what stops you from publishing? Sound off in the comments!
Do you want to know how to create a great audiobook? Listen as audiobook publishing expert, Tina Dietz as she shares her treasure trove of tips and techniques to get your message heard.(Podcast on Book Marketing Mentors, December, 2017)
Do you want to know how to create a great audiobook? Listen as audiobook publishing expert, Tina Dietz as she shares her treasure trove of tips and techniques to get your message heard.
When she was two years old, someone handed Tina a tape recorder and that was that a lifelong love affair was born. Today, Tina is a speaker, audiobook publisher, podcast producer, and internationally acclaimed business coach who’s been featured on ABC, Inc.com, Forbes and Huffington Post. Her company, Start Something Creative Business Solutions, works with authors, experts, and entrepreneurs who want more than just a business and want more than a routine life. They want a business oasis. Tina splits her time between the US and Costa Rica.
In this week’s powerful podcast episode “How to Create a Great Audiobook” you will discover …
How necessary it is for you to have an audiobook
What are some audiobook basics you need to understand
What audiobook trends you need to know about
Who is the best person to read your book
The importance of using an oral edit
Top mistakes to avoid when creating a great audiobook
And much, much more…
This episode features practical tools and techniques to help listeners who want to market a book. It provides invaluable and powerful information listeners will want to know to supercharge a book marketing strategy.
Listen to this week’s interview and discover how to get you and your book noticed and your voice heard in a crowded marketplace.
To Download the transcript from this podcast interview “How to Create a Great Audiobook,” visit Book Marketing Mentors' page.
Wondering how you can leverage your books and work?
