Why You Should Be Making An Audiobook

It’s only natural to wonder whether taking the time to convert your book into an audiobook is worth it. For most people, it feels like a pretty new medium. But as audiobook downloads continue to increase each year ¹, we wanted to help show you why they have become such an important part of a book’s (and author’s) journey.

So, if you’re still on the fence about whether or not you should be exploring an audiobook version of your book, we’ve put together 6 reasons for you to take the plunge…

1. Reaching A Wider Audience

It’s becoming harder and harder to carve out quality, uninterrupted quiet time to pick up a book and enjoy reading. Audiobooks are the friend of multitaskers because they offer flexibility and convenience.

They allow people to continue enjoying books whilst doing other things… like the dreaded housework or cooking; whilst walking the dog or exercising, commuting or travelling. They also save on packing space when you’re off on your holidays. But most importantly of all, they make your book accessible to those with visual impairments or reading difficulties. 

And because you can do other things whilst listening to an audiobook, there’s a better chance that someone will get all the way to the end of it, quicker.

2. Worldwide Availability & Discoverability 

For us, this is one of the most exciting benefits of making an audiobook. Your words and thoughts can reach people across the world, instantly and without the need for local distribution, travel or postage! It helps you build a global following, fast, with hardly any of the carbon footprint!

This is even better news when you couple it with the trend that UK books are becoming increasingly popular abroad. “The value of the consumer export market grew by 8% to £918m in 2023, with the top three export countries being Australia, the US and Germany.This “means that the appetite for UK books and UK authors around the world continues to grow, which is great news”, said Publishers Association’s chief executive, Dan Conway. ” ²

3. Increasing Sales & Revenue

The audiobook market is growing rapidly, offering an additional income stream beyond print and eBooks. And it works for all types of books. According to the Neilson Understanding the UK Audiobook Consumer 2024, non-fiction books overtook fiction books in downloads for the first time in 2024 with 73% of audiobook consumers listening to non-fiction, while 69% listen to fiction. Which leads nicely on to…

4. Building Your Author Brand

A well-narrated audiobook can establish you as a professional in your genre and expand your influence and credibility. It will help you reach places and people you haven’t had contact with before (see point 2!). And by narrating your own book, you’re also imparting your personality and emotions, which allows your listeners to get to know and understand you better.

5. Standing Out In A Competitive Market

There are still plenty of books that don’t have an audio version, giving you a competitive edge and greater chance of discoverability.

6. Repurposing Content

With your book fully edited and ready to go, you have ample content to clip up that can be used for all manner of marketing escapades on social media, podcasts, YouTube, blogs and websites.

So… what are you waiting for???

If we can help you with your audiobook questions or you’re ready to explore the idea more, please do get in touch. No matter where you are in the world 🙂

References

1. Neilson: Neilson Understanding the UK Audiobook Consumer 2024
2. Guardian: UK Audiobook Downloads  Up 17% on last year