What do you think of this audiobook business idea

[Bob Magness]

Alright, I have been listening to a lot of audiobooks this past year. I really enjoy them when my eyes are busy with something else. I have been buying them from itunes or Audible.com. I realize many free ones from the public domain are available at LibriVox but I find the quality touch and go, so I usually end up paying for a professionally recorded one.

So that got me to thinking. There are tons of public domain books out there, many of which haven't been recorded into audio format yet. What is to stop someone from setting up a sound room, purchasing some decent recording equipment, and producing audiobooks from this non-copyrighted material and selling them for a modest profit? Is it unethical to profit off of public domain material? The way I see it you are charging for the time and effort investment you put into the recording process.

I was also thinking about a niche for faster readers/listeners. In my opinion most audiobooks are recorded way too slow. I almost always listen to mine on double speed on my iphone. I realize they record them slow because most listeners probably want it that way. But not ALL listeners. Surely there are other listeners out there, like me, who are more comfortable with a faster pace (not the extreme of an auctioneer mind you). If you operated within that niche you could even produce audiobooks that have been done before because you would be offering something a bit different.

Does this sound like a feasible side business? I just know that I am often looking for audiobooks of a particular title and can't find them. When I do find them they are just too slow, forcing me to listen to them at double speed. It seems like a demand waiting to be filled. Or perhaps I am over projecting and I am the only person demanding such a thing.

What do you all think?

 

[saliotthomas]

Been a big listener of audio (every days) i think it is a good idea.
I'm not to keen on the fast going and i like slow reading (specialy stuff like Eco, or lately Bolano) and i hate when it's already done, making the book sound like it's read by Bugs bunny.
I don't know if you tried already to find good reader but i would think they are not has easy as you think to come by. I mean trully good, some of the young actors are very unoying.
Last, there is a hugh choice of pirate audio books, specialy in less "legal" countries, of easy access, so you but up against a legal and illegal market.

Anyway, one live and learn and if you have the energie, the brain, and the money to back it up, it can only work.
Good luck to you.

 

[The Butcher]

I myself,don't want to listen to a book while doing something. I'm one of those people who has to have it in their hands.

 

[beer good]

I work with audiobooks, and I can tell you it's not a unique idea - obviously that doesn't mean it's a bad idea, and I'm sure there's a niche for it if someone isn't already doing it. I know there are publishers all over the place putting out printed and e-book versions of public domain books, and unless we're talking about books that are meant by the author to be free, I don't see any ethical concerns.

The tricky part, I would think, would be

a) getting decent recording quality. There's a reason most professional audiobooks are recorded in proper recording studios by proper recording engineers, read by proper actors and produced by proper producers. Getting something that sounds professional (or at least professional enough for people to want to pay for it) if you read it yourself at your kitchen table is harder than it sounds - far from impossible, but not easy either.

b) getting distribution. Just as with paper books, it's not enough to have the product, you have to bring it to people somehow. Especially if you're going to distribute on any sort of physical carrier (CDs, USB sticks, etc) rather than just by mp3 download, it's going to cost money and probably require some sort of distribution deal. I'm not sure what it takes to get into Audible or iTunes, but I'd look into it if I were you.

That said, it's definitely not a bad idea, and good luck.

 

[Bob Magness]

Thanks, beer good. You bring up excellent points. And you are right, plenty of publishers out there are already making audio books of public domain classics. To compete I would need a niche, such as going for the more obscure tites or doing the popular ones in a different manner. I really do believe there might be a demand out there for faster audio books, at least in the nonfiction sector.

And yeah, doing it at the kitchen table would produce kitchen table quaility, much like I find at LibriVox. But that is fine, they are volunteers. If I am going to expect my listeners to shell out $5, $10, $15 or whatever amount, I'll have to put in more effort and equipment to provide more quality. Then if it turns out there IS a demand I could always hire professional voice actors.

Anyway, it is just an idea I am tossing around. I don't retire for another 9 years. But some extra income on the side never hurt.

 

[booktags]

As with any business it's usually more about the marketing than anything else. Creating a good product will probably be the easiest and least expensive thing you do. In addition to what beer good has mentioned you should look into setting up your own download server and internet marketing that focuses on repeat visitors.

 

[Misfit]

There's something about actually having a book in my hands, flipping through the pages, smelling that 'new book' smell, that makes reading all the more enjoyable for me. Maybe I'm just weird.. haha..