Sample, Sale.
Posted on December 5, 2013 by Scott Jacobi
Marketing your ACX titles to potential listeners starts with a dynamic audio sample: in just a few short minutes, Audible listeners will decide if your audiobook is their next great listen. So what makes a great audio sample? Join us as we cover how to get the most out of this brief sound snippet.
A great sounding sample comes from the same place as the rest of your great sounding audiobook - your narrator! Make sure to cast thoughtfully, and don't be afraid to be proactive by using ACX's narrator search to find actors and invite them to audition for your title.
As your narrator begins producing your book, give some thought to 3 - 5 minutes of audio that will best represent your title and make it desirable to Audible's listeners. If you can find one representative scene of this length, great! Or, select more than one interesting passage, and have your narrator edit them together. If your title has action and romance, feature both scenes to really whet your fans' appetites.
If you're not sure how to best represent your book, ask your fans for their favorite scene from the print or eBook version. Or, ask your narrator for her recommendation. After all, collaboration is the name of the game on ACX!
Once your narrator has finished your book and uploaded the audio for review, you can approve the production and let us worry about getting the sample on Audible. In the meantime, you can download the retail audio sample file from ACX to your computer, then upload it to an audio sharing site like SoundCloud*. Share the link in your newsletter and on social media. SoundCloud even has a widget that you can place on your own website, further showcasing your audiobook to your fans.
The retail audio sample is a key part of your promotional efforts for your audiobook. Combining a little taste of what's to come with your other promotional efforts should start to generate some buzz about your book, and set you on the path to strong sales and reviews for your title.
How do you select the perfect retail audio sample?