Putting together an audiobook marketing campaign requires a few key ingredients, and now it’s easier than ever to include listener reviews! Rights Holders and Producers with an eligible audiobook for sale through ACX can visit the new Promo Code dashboard on ACX.com to access Promo Codes good for a free copy of your audiobook on Audible. You’ll receive 25 codes per book for each of Audible’s US and UK marketplaces and will be able track which have and haven’t been redeemed yet.
Codes will be available for your newly published ACX audiobooks as soon as they go on sale, and you can generate codes for your backlist audiobooks whenever you’re ready to promote those titles.
Learn how to access this marketing tool, then read below for ideas on turning your codes into listener reviews.
Serving Suggestions
First off, bookmark the new ACX promo code redemption pages on Audible, audible.com/acx-promo and audible.co.uk/acx-promo, and make sure include the appropriate link when distributing your codes. ACX promo codes can only be redeemed at those links.
We recommend using Promo Codes to garner early reviews of your audiobook, and to reward your fans for engaging with you and your marketing efforts. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Send your promo codes to audiobook reviewers. We’ve covered this topic in an episode of ACX University, so check out our video, then do some Googling to find out who’s reviewing audiobooks in your genre.
- Empower your street team/beta readers. Send them each a code for your audiobook in exchange for an honest review – just make sure they mention that they got the audiobook for free in the review itself.
- Use promo codes as fan rewards. Need to compel your listeners to take an action, like signing up for your newsletter or filling out a survey? Offer a free copy of your audiobook as the carrot on the end of the stick.
- Run a social media giveaway. It can be as simple as “like/share/tag a friend in this post for a free audiobook.” Just make sure to check the promotion/contest guidelines on your platform of choice before posting.
- Swap codes with your peers. These codes are specific to your ACX audiobook, so find authors and narrators willing to do a “code swap,” where both sides give away codes good for the others’ book. This way, you’ll each expose new audiences to your awesome-sounding audiobooks.
- Feature a review in an audiobook ad or in your newsletter. Once you’ve used the steps above to gain reviews of your audio productions, feature your favorite in your marketing efforts – 84 percent of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation.
Promo Codes are served up for titles with exclusive distribution, and provide another flavor for your audiobook marketing palette. We can’t wait to read all the glowing reviews you’ll earn!
Audiobook Creation Exchange Blog (ACX) 
Not helpful for those with nonexclusive titles–this makes is promo the other venues more vigorously than Audible/ACX. Not sure that’s in the best interest of the author, VO artist, or amazon. *sigh*
Do the codes expire? (If so, I’m thinking don’t generate the codes until I’ve got a big promotion planned?)
Hi There,
Promo Codes are good for the length of the audiobook’s initial distribution terms, which is seven years from the publication date. So go ahead and start promoting!
More info here: https://audible-acx.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9902/kw/promo%20codes%20expire
– Scott
As a reviewer, I love this change. It saves me 3 or so clicks and it makes the process less stressful for the Author/Narrator. Thanks for making this change.
Hi, I’m doing an audiobook giveaway (I have 4 audiobooks out so far). What kind of instructions do I give them? Do you have a “script” of that somewhere? In addition to the promo code, do I give them the specific book link on Audible, or the audible code promo redemption page you listed above? Thx!
Hi K.B.,
All you’ll need to do is send fans one Promo Code each and make sure to tell them to redeem them at http://www.audible.com/acx-promo or http://www.audible.co.uk/acx-promo, depending on their where the listener is located. Audible will take care of the rest.
– Scott
sorry my first audiobook is live. but the promo code tab remains empty. is it to wait or is there some problem? 6 hours have passed.
Hi Mery,
Kindly contact support@acx.com with details about the audiobook in question, and they’ll get your sorted out.
Cheers,
Scott
Scott, Why is it taking so long for the US Promo Codes to show redeemed? The UK codes show being redeemed the next day, but the US Codes I shared on May 23, 24th which I know have been redeemed that day are not all showing as redeemed.
Hi Andrea,
Could you kindly contact support@acx.com with details, including the audiobook in question as well as the specific codes you believe to have been redeemed? We’d be happy to look into this for you.
– Scott
Because all of my books are Audible exclusives, I literally had a few thousand codes to give away, I’ve had over 1100 redeemed to date, 772 on the author side, 356 as a publisher for other books. The demand for certain book codes, Memorizing Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, helped me decide on what project to pursue next, so I can, of course, get a few more codes. Thank you!
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