Your book
The numbers
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finished hours
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upfront production cost
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your royalty / sale (upfront)
your royalty / sale (royalty share)
Pay upfront vs royalty share
Pay upfront: you pay the narrator now and keep all the royalties. Royalty share: $0 now, but you split royalties 50/50 with the narrator for ACX's 7-year term.
PAY UPFRONT
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profit over 7 yrs
Break-even: –
An honest note on ACX royalties. Figures assume full-price à-la-carte sales. In reality a big share of Audible sales come through membership credits and discounts, so the average royalty per sale is often lower than retail × rate. Treat these as an optimistic ceiling, then sanity-check against your real marketing reach. Royalty share is ACX exclusive (40%) split 50/50, so you keep ~20% — but pay $0 upfront.
Audiobook ROI — quick answers
How much does it cost to make an audiobook?
Paying a narrator upfront, roughly $2,000–$3,500 for a typical 80,000-word book (~8.6 finished hours at $250–$400 per finished hour). Royalty share is $0 upfront, split 50/50. Full cost breakdown →
Paying a narrator upfront, roughly $2,000–$3,500 for a typical 80,000-word book (~8.6 finished hours at $250–$400 per finished hour). Royalty share is $0 upfront, split 50/50. Full cost breakdown →
Upfront or royalty share — which earns more?
Royalty share wins at low or uncertain sales (you risk nothing); paying upfront earns more once you sell steadily and clear break-even. The calculator shows your crossover. Compare the two →
Royalty share wins at low or uncertain sales (you risk nothing); paying upfront earns more once you sell steadily and clear break-even. The calculator shows your crossover. Compare the two →
Are these numbers accurate?
Treat them as an honest optimistic ceiling. ACX pays on net sales, and member/discount pricing means the real average royalty per sale is often lower than list price × rate — so sanity-check against your realistic reach.
Treat them as an honest optimistic ceiling. ACX pays on net sales, and member/discount pricing means the real average royalty per sale is often lower than list price × rate — so sanity-check against your realistic reach.
Do audiobooks actually make money?
They can, but most take a year or more of steady sales to break even. Will mine make money? →
They can, but most take a year or more of steady sales to break even. Will mine make money? →
Whichever model fits — I narrate audiobooks
Authentic Nigerian / West African narration, ACX-ready. Pay per finished hour or royalty share on select titles. Start with a free first-chapter audition — hear your book before you commit.
See narration packages & free audition →📖 Read the full guide: Will my audiobook make money? · More free tools