My ACX Journey - Creating an Audible Audiobook

I have been wading into the deep waters of turning my debut novel into an Audiobook via Amazon's ACX services.

David E Graham

2/11/20251 min read

black and silver headphones on black and silver microphone
black and silver headphones on black and silver microphone

Thought I would detail, for those who are curious, my experience using Amazon's ACX service as I create my first audiobook.

So far the process has been pretty straightforward. I claimed the rights to my title on 2/3 and it took about a week in total (7 full days 5 biz days) for them to review and approve my rights. It then went into auditions phase as of 2/10. I have already received 11 submitted auditions based on a script I created from my book. I've enjoyed listening to different takes on the characters and the different narration styles. I do love how easy it is to reach out to talent directly and request adjustments to their styles or character voices/accents. So far I'm appreciative of the features on their site. I have already been working with someone I've decided is my Top Choice, and they have been extremely accommodating throughout the process. I am lucky in the fact that they have an exceptional track record with creating/engineering/narrating audiobooks of all genres and have been willing to coach me through the process.

Sometimes what readers read doesn't work for what listeners hear.

That was the first lesson I took away from this experience. I've had an invaluable teacher, who has navigated this world of audible books for years. He is an award winning narrator and sound editor, and I was lucky to get him to sign-on with me to work on my little debut.

I plan to make this a series where I share several snippets from my experience creating my first audiobook and I hope you enjoy the educational process as much as I am, as I continue to learn.

Check back here for more notes on my experiences as I work through the process!