The Audiobook Narrator Side Hustle

This 6-figure side hustle caught my attention when a friend sent me an article with this caption: "I get paid $100 an hour just for reading books – my side hustle costs no money to start and I can do it in my pajamas." (She was referring to her side hustle on the site www.ACX.com .)

Thanks for this suggestion Michael Giambra

Introduction

Well, that was just too hard to pass up. With my normal skepticism containing my enthusiasm, I set out to prove that claim wrong. After all, there are 2080 hours in a 52-week work period, working only 40 hours per week. So, claiming to make $100/hour means the person was talking about a $200,000 salary. Turns out, there was some truth to that claim.

Spoiler Alert Sidebar - Sort Of

You'd have to be a real hustler to make that much on ACX, but with the average ACX job paying $300 per 'finished' hour of narration - or a piece of the action instead - I could see how it could be done. Generally,?beginning narrators on ACX get a lower rate - $10 to $100 per finished hour - and experienced narrators may get between $100 and $500 per finished hour.?

The trick is understanding how the term "per finished hour" (PFH) impacts your income. PFH means that if it takes you 3 hours to get to a "finished hour" of work, 2 of those hours are going to be "on your dime." But in the world of voice acting, that's what it's going to take. And who knows, if your voice is like some of the famous actors out there that do cartoon voice-overs, this may be how you get discovered. Star salaries for a major cartoon production can be staggering.

As an example, according to Variety magazine, Eddie Murphy and his co-stars for Shrek - Mike Myers and Cameron Diaz - deferred their salaries on the first film so they were making just a little bit more than scale, and instead, they chose to take a share of the box office which amounted to ...drum roll... around $3 million each. In the sequel, it's estimated that the stars made about $35,000 per hour. Imagine working a little less than 30 hours to make $1,000,000.

Back to the Introduction

Do you love to read? Do you have a great voice and enjoy telling stories? If so, then becoming an audiobook narrator might be a great 6-figure side hustle for you. Audiobook narration is a great way to make money, and there are plenty of opportunities available through www.ACX.com .

Useless Factoid: Turns out that the average audiobook reader on Audible.com purchases 17 audiobooks per year.

In this Side Hustles Newsletter, we will discuss how to get started as an audiobook narrator and the steps you need to take to find success. So, if you're interested in making some extra cash by sharing your voice and love of books with the world, keep reading.

What is ACX.com?

Let’s start with what ACX does.?It’s like a matchmaker between authors and voice-over narrators.?This short video from their site will explain how it works:

Authors and publishers can post their book projects on the ACX website, and narrators can audition for these projects. If you are selected to narrate a book, you will be given a contract that outlines your rights and responsibilities as well as the compensation you will receive.

How Do I Get Started as an Audiobook Narrator?

The first step to becoming an audiobook narrator is to create a profile on ACX.com. You will need to upload a demo reel of your narration work, so be sure to put your best foot forward. What does that mean? You'll want to show multiple acting voices to show your versatility, from your Donald Duck imitation to your Godfather imitation. (Not sure how those would be used together in a book, but you get the idea.) If you want to hear one of the better ones, take a listen to this demo reel by Elizabeth Turner: Demo Reel . Once your profile is created, you can then start auditioning for book projects.

When you find a book project that you're interested in, you submit a proposal to the author or publisher outlining your narration fee and availability. If your proposal is accepted, you will be given the contract and further instructions on how to proceed.

What Are the Steps to Successfully Narrating an Audiobook?

There are a few key steps you need to take in order to successfully narrate an audiobook:

1. Choose the right book. When you're first starting out, it's important to choose a book that is a good fit for your voice and style. Don't try to tackle a huge epic fantasy if you're not comfortable with that genre, for example. Stick to something that you're familiar with and that you know you can do well.
2. Get comfortable with the material. Once you've been given the book, take some time to get comfortable with the content. Read through it a few times so that you have a good understanding of the story and the characters.
3. Find your voice. Every narrator has their own unique style, so find what works for you and run with it. Don't try to imitate someone else's narration style, just be yourself.
4. Record a practice session. Before you start recording the actual audiobook, it's a good idea to do a practice session or two. This will help you get comfortable with the material, check your recording equipment, and make sure that you're happy with the way your narration sounds.
5. Follow the instructions. When you're ready to start recording, be sure to follow the instructions that you've been given. This includes things like marking each chapter in your script so that you can easily find your place, recording at a consistent volume, and taking breaks as needed.
6. Edit and submit your files. Once you've recorded all of the chapters, it's time to edit your files and submit them to the author or publisher. Be sure to listen through your recordings carefully and make any necessary adjustments before you send them off.

Following these tips will help you to professionally - and successfully - narrate an audiobook.

How much can I make producing and narrating audiobooks on ACX.com?

A voice-over actor can make anywhere from $100 to $5,000 per audiobook on ACX.com. The average is around $300 per finished hour of audio. Payment is made once the audiobook is completed and approved by the rights holder, and can be deposited directly into your bank account or PayPal account.

Producers who have a strong vocal performance and can produce high-quality audio files seem to be in demand and can command higher rates. Some producers may also receive royalties for each audiobook sold, which can add up to significant earnings over time.

What Are Some Examples of Listings

When I went to their search function, I was presented with 2,255 books that were looking for narration. See the red arrow below. I then sorted the list by "Amazon Sales Rank - Bestselling." What I was looking for was any book with a sales rank lower than 10,000. The one below had an Amazon Sales Rank of 1,390. That meant it was close to the top of the best-seller list. This author decided it would be cheaper to pay per finished hour than to give a percentage of the profits:

And here's one that has an Amazon Sales Rank of 1,473 and is offering a share of the profits:

Sidebar: What's the magic of the 10,000 Amazon Sales Rank? It's what most sellers on Amazon say will produce $10,000 per month in sales. Entrepreneurs look for those products and try to duplicate them by buying them from China. But that's for another side hustle newsletter.

Conclusion and Summary

Audiobook narration appears to be a great way to make money as a voice-over actor. ACX.com helps with match-making by connecting narrators with authors, publishers, and producers who are looking to produce an audiobook. Getting started is relatively easy and doesn't cost anything if you have a good microphone. The hardest part is that you will need to create a profile on ACX.com and then upload a demo reel of your work. The demo real will be your challenge.

Once your profile is created, you can start 'auditioning' for book projects. When you find a book project that you are interested in, you will submit a proposal to the author or publisher outlining your narration fee and availability. If your proposal is accepted, you will be given the contract and further instructions on how to proceed.

As recommended above (and from ACX), there are a few key steps you need to take in order to successfully narrate an audiobook: choose the right book, get comfortable with the material, "find your voice," record a practice session, follow the instructions, and edit and submit your files. But that's the beauty of it.

Voice-over actors can make anywhere from $100 to $5,000 per audiobook on ACX.com. The average is around $300 per finished hour of audio. If you're looking to figure out the length of the recording, the average speaking rate is about 155 words per minute. If you're a natural at speaking (which does come over time), this will become more lucrative as you reduce the number of times you have to record a session to get to that final "finished hour."

Payment is made once the audiobook is completed and approved by the rights holder, and can be deposited directly into your bank account or PayPal account. And to that young lady's claim of making $100/hour in her pajamas, I guess you can do all of this in your pajamas as claimed.

What's next? Become a producer. If you're a highly experienced narrator with at least 25 audiobook credits, you can apply to be an?Audible Approved Producer .

Producers who can produce high-quality audio files are in demand and can command higher rates. As a producer, you're now recruiting and directing the talent, as well as putting together the final product. Some producers may also receive royalties for each audiobook sold, which can add up to significant earnings over time. Seems this made it past my skepticism and I give it a "thumbs-up" for making the six-figure mark. Good luck and for practice, read your babies a bedtime story tonight.

? Copyright, Joe DiDonato, Side Hustles Newsletter #21