Produce Audiobooks for Existing Books

Millions of books haven't been converted to audiobooks yet, and their authors often lack the time, equipment, or voice talent to do it themselves. If you have a good speaking voice and can deliver engaging narration, audiobook production offers both immediate income and long-term royalty potential.

For digital nomads, audiobook production requires finding quiet spaces—but that's the main constraint. Your laptop, quality microphone, and audio software travel with you. Many narrators record in closets, quiet Airbnbs, or even makeshift blanket forts to dampen sound. Once you nail the recording setup, you can produce audiobooks from anywhere.

How Audiobook Production Works

The typical audiobook workflow:

1. Audition - Authors post projects on ACX (Amazon's audiobook platform), you submit sample recordings
2. Get selected - Author chooses you based on audition and negotiates terms
3. Record - Read the entire book, doing character voices if fiction
4. Edit - Remove mistakes, mouth clicks, breaths; ensure consistent quality
5. Master - Meet ACX technical specifications (peak levels, noise floor, etc.)
6. Submit - Upload chapters, pass quality review
7. Get paid - Either per-finished-hour or ongoing royalty split

The process takes 2-4 weeks for a typical book, sometimes longer for complex fiction.

Payment Models Explained

Model	How It Works	Best For
Per Finished Hour (PFH)	Flat rate per hour of finished audio, paid on completion	Steady income, lower risk
Royalty Share	50% of ongoing royalties, no upfront payment	Potential passive income
Royalty Share Plus	Reduced PFH rate plus royalty split	Balanced approach

PFH rates by experience:

• Beginner (0-5 titles): $50-100 PFH
• Intermediate (5-20 titles): $100-200 PFH
• Experienced (20+ titles): $200-400+ PFH

Royalty share reality: Many books sell poorly and earn minimal royalties. A book selling 50 copies/month at $15 generates maybe $75-100 monthly, split 50/50 = $37-50/month for you. But some narrators have royalty portfolios earning $500-2,000+ monthly from accumulated projects.

Time Investment Per Book

A "finished hour" of audio typically requires:

Stage	Time Required
Reading/prep	1-2 hours
Recording	1.5-2 hours per finished hour
Editing	0.5-1 hour per finished hour
Mastering	30 min - 1 hour total

Example: 8-hour audiobook

• Reading: 2 hours
• Recording: 16 hours
• Editing: 6 hours
• Mastering: 1 hour
• Total: ~25 hours

At $150 PFH, that's $1,200 for 25 hours of work = $48/hour effective rate. Not bad, but not as lucrative as it might seem.

Equipment for Travel

Minimum setup:

• USB microphone (Rode NT-USB, Audio-Technica AT2020USB) - $100-200
• Laptop with DAW (Audacity is free, Adobe Audition preferred)
• Good headphones (closed-back for monitoring)
• Pop filter - $15-30

The real challenge: Recording environment

Audiobooks require:

• Consistent sound (no changes between sessions)
• No background noise (traffic, HVAC, neighbors)
• No echo/reverb
• Low noise floor (quiet room + good mic technique)

This is hard to achieve while traveling. Solutions:

• Book Airbnbs specifically with recording in mind (look for carpeted rooms, walk-in closets)
• Stay in one place during recording phases
• Build portable "blanket fort" for acoustic treatment
• Record during quiet hours (early morning, late night)

Getting Started on ACX

Step 1: Create samples Record sample chapters from public domain books in genres you want to narrate. You need 1-2 minute samples demonstrating your range.

Step 2: Build ACX profile

• Professional headshot
• Bio highlighting relevant experience
• Multiple samples in different styles
• Set realistic PFH rates (start low, around $100)

Step 3: Audition strategically

• Start with shorter books (under 50,000 words)
• Match genres to your voice (don't audition for everything)
• Customize each audition to the specific book
• Expect lots of rejections initially

Step 4: Deliver quality First books build reputation. Meet deadlines, communicate well, follow ACX specs exactly.

Realistic Income Expectations

Experience Level	Books/Month	PFH Rate	Monthly Income
Beginner	1-2	$75-100	$500-1,500
Intermediate	2-3	$125-175	$2,000-4,000
Experienced	2-4	$200-300	$4,000-8,000+

Plus any royalty income from previous projects.

Most narrators work with a mix of PFH and royalty-share projects. PFH pays bills; royalty-share builds long-term income.

Beyond ACX

Other platforms and opportunities:

• Upwork and Fiverr - Direct client work, often corporate narration
• Findaway Voices - Non-exclusive alternative to ACX
• Direct author relationships - Higher rates, more flexibility
• Corporate narration - Training videos, e-learning, podcasts

Many narrators start on ACX for visibility, then develop direct relationships for better margins.

The Nomad Reality

Audiobook narration is location-independent but environment-dependent. Most traveling narrators either:

• Stay in one place for 2-4 weeks while completing projects
• Carefully select accommodations with recording potential
• Focus on non-narration work (editing, production) while traveling actively

Use Notion to track projects, deadlines, and character notes. Google Drive works for file backup and sharing with authors.

What This Pairs Well With

Audiobook skills transfer to podcast production and custom song production. Some narrators start their own podcast to build an audience. The audio editing expertise applies across multiple income streams.

Getting started: Create sample recordings demonstrating different genres and tones. Set up a profile on ACX and audition for projects that match your voice. Invest in a quality USB or XLR microphone and learn audio editing basics. Start with shorter books to build reviews and experience. Consider specializing in genres you genuinely enjoy—fiction, business, self-help—where your enthusiasm comes through naturally.