In today's video, we're going to be discussing how you can earn a living, or simply make
a little extra gas money, by narrating audiobooks on Amazon's ACX platform.
Audio Creative Exchange or ACX is a website owned and operated by Amazon that's dedicated
to audiobooks.
On this website, everyone from publishers to literary agents and authors comes to look
for narrators.
Most small-time publishers or self-published authors don't have the resources to hire big-name
narrators.
So instead, they come to ACX, where they can make a post describing their book and what
they are willing to pay to have it narrated.
Why is this a great side hustle?
Because anyone can apply as a narrator.
ACX has no requirements, applications, or other hoops to jump through to become a narrator.
Simply open up an account and start making bids to narrate books that pique your interest.
As long as you have access to a computer and a decent microphone, you can start making
money today with this platform.
Of course, we can’t forget that other platforms such as Voices, Spoken Realms, Bunny Studio,
Backstage, and Voice 123 also offer similar services.
That said, ACX is the biggest and most reputable player in the industry at the moment.
And since Amazon is such a well-known e-commerce heavyweight, their ACX platform is typically
the best place to start for beginners How to Start Amazon ACX
First things first, you'll need to create an account on Amazon ACX.
This process is fairly straightforward and it’s also completely free.
Just fill out your basic profile information, create a username and password, and you'll
be good to go.
Next, you'll need to upload a sample of your work.
This will help authors find you and also makes your profile more attractive.
Don't worry if you've never narrated any audiobooks before.
You can always just pick up your favorite novel, turn on your microphone and record
yourself reading a few paragraphs.
Many programs will help you record audio for free, something like Audacity is a great place
to start.
Most people in the field recommend investing in a decent condenser mic if you don't already
have one.
It's also beneficial to pick up a pop filter to make sure that your recording is as clean
as possible.
If you can't afford a mic right now, you can always use your phone's built-in microphone.
Most phones these days, such as iPhones, Samsung Galaxy flagships, and Google Pixels actually
have a fairly decent mic setup that is capable of recording a nice clean audio sample.
But, you should definitely plan to invest in higher end equipment if you plan on seeking
higher-paid opportunities down the line.
After you've uploaded a sample or two of your voice to your ACX profile, it's time to audition.
Depending on what book you want to narrate, you might be asked to record a sample of yourself
reading a portion of the book.
Some authors might also request you to narrate it in an accent.
So, if you can nail something like a Scottish or Australian accent, your chances of being
selected for higher-paying projects will significantly increase.
After auditioning for a gig, assuming that the client likes your sound, you'll get an
offer.
You'll then be asked how you want to get paid.
Sometimes pay is by the hour, while other times, clients will pay you one lump sum for
an entire project.
On top of your base pay, you might also get offered a percentage of each audiobook sale
as a royalty.
When discussing pay, it's perfectly okay to not accept the first offer that the client
sends your way.
Negotiation is key to getting the best pay, but just bear in mind that if you ask for
too much, the client can always opt to go with another narrator instead.
Some beginners may be better off accepting lower pay to build their portfolios in the
beginning, giving you more room to negotiate pay in the future with a bit of experience
under your belt.
After going back and forth with the client and arriving at a pay rate that you both agree
on, it's time to record.
Most clients will give you a deadline to complete your work by.
As with any job, we recommend getting your project completed as fast as you can without
sacrificing on quality.
If the project is long, doing it all in one setting might be harsh on your voice.
Take breaks as needed, drink plenty of water, and pay attention to what your voice is telling
you.
Hopefully this goes without saying, but you'll also want to make sure that you're recording
in an environment that is as quiet as possible.
Don't record in a room with other people, pets, air conditioning units, or other noise-creating
distractions.
Your client will want a nice, crisp recording of their material that doesn't include anything
but your voice.
If you can afford it, it might be worth it to install noise-dampening paneling in your
office or workspace to ensure that you get the cleanest recording.
If you're recording with Audacity, the program has a really useful built-in noise reducer
that does a good job at canceling out unwanted noise.
After you've finished up recording and sent your audio files to the client, you'll get
paid.
If you agreed to getting paid royalties, you'll receive a payment every month that the audiobook
continues to be sold.
After your first recording is done, you can jump right back into ACX and apply for more
gigs.
As you develope a good reputation as a reliable narrator, clients may even seek out your services
without you having to audition at all.
The best way to make money with ACX – especially if you want to start narrating full-time – is
to audition for as many books as you can.
If you only apply for one project at a time, you will likely only get selected to narrate
every now and then, but if you apply for many books, you could get up to 10 or 15 projects.
Projects To Avoid Before representing yourself as a competent
narrator, it's important to familiarize yourself with the ins and out of audiobook narrations.
While clients are free to be choosy when selecting narrators, you should be choosy as well about
what projects you select.
ACX is an open marketplace, which means that anyone can get on there and post anything
they want.
As such, you'd be wise to stick to books in popular genres so that you can build up a
portfolio of your work that shows off your skills in an attractive manner.
The top three genres are Sci-Fi, Romance, and Mystery.
Your best bet is to stick with these three genres and try to stay within the 6-8 hour
duration.
You’ll have to be on the lookout for fake listings and scam posts.
The most problematic books tend to be shorts that are listed as Royalty Share projects.
It's also a good idea to keep an eye out for clients who aren't actually the rights holders
to a book they want narrated.
Some people will try to create audiobooks illegally.
If you have any doubts as to the authenticity of the right holder, contact the publisher
or author outside of ACX so that you can verify the listing.
If you end up narrating an illegal book, the scammer will benefit by getting paid for each
sale until the listing gets taken down.
Unfortunately, at that point, all of your hard work will be for nothing.
You might make a couple of bucks in royalties at first, but once the audiobook has been
removed from Amazon, you won't make another dime.
An author and narrator named Craig Tollifson has come up with a couple of excellent tools
that help you determine if a listing is legitimate.
One is a page that shows all flagged listings of titles that are suspected to be fraudulent
in nature.
The other is the "Author Snoop Utility" which authenticates the ACX rights holder's name
in addition to their past and current projects on the site.
Both of these tools can be found at Audiobookscout.com.
A few other red flags to be aware of include bestselling books by well-known authors or
brands, books with no Amazon ratings or sales rank, books that don't let you "Look Inside",
titles that already have audiobooks, and audition text that is poorly written or repetitive.
Best Amazon Side Hustle Narrating books with Amazon ACX is a great
way to make a little extra cash on the side, but it can also be an excellent opportunity
to start a new career that in time could potentially replace your current day job.
It's best to keep your expectations low when you first start.
You're not going to start making bank right out of the gate, but after you've built up
your portfolio and you continue to audition for multiple books at a time, you'll likely
start seeing some lucrative results.
Don’t forget this is just one of many side hustles that are possible on Amazon.
Check out our previous video here to see our list of the most profitable side hustles on
Amazon today, and let us know if there’s anything you want to learn more about in the
comments.
We’ll see you in the next video.