# Launching an email blast service for audiobooks



## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Perhaps of some interest: audiobookblast.com. Given the drought of places to market audiobooks, we're hoping this will be the bookbub of the audiobook world.

Not taking author submissions yet as we need to cultivate more listeners, but if you help spread the word, it will be more successful for you.

Feedback welcome.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

What is the strategy here?  Will you be promoting free, discount or full-price audiobooks?  From which service(s)? 

I love audiobooks- with a 45-min commute twice a day, audio is how I get most of my reading done.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Depends on the price and the number of subscribers you get.  How do you plan on building your list? I'll be glad to tweet it once you're set up.


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

Thanks for setting this up!

Looks similar to Audavoxx, and for them, as a potential advertiser, I don't have anything to go on as to why I should promote there - no samples, no covers, no descriptions, etc.  As a listener, also, if I didn't see some examples of books that are currently on discount, then I think I'd be a little leery of signing up. I think people also want to sign up by genre.  On Bookbub, there is a sliding banner of titles recently on discount so that gives the customer an idea of the quality of the offering.

I think I might also add a privacy page that clearly states who you are as well as how you safeguard personally identifiable information, how you implement age restrictions, etc.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

The strategy is 3-fold (and laid out on the site).

- Listen & Review. ACX gives you 25 codes for free downloads. Listeners can fill out a form which goes directly to the author so the author can gift them the book in exchange for an unbiased review.
- Whispersync deals. If your ebook is free (or cheap), we can advertise that the accompanying audiobook is only $1.99 (or whatever) more. Both for cheap!
- General promotion. Just want eyeballs? our list can do that.

Right now, the program is early. We launched, literally, today and are building the listener base organically. We're hitting Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter. Im also experimenting with some facebook ads. 

Prices will start very low (a couple of bucks per title. Hello Fiverr) and go up as the listener base goes up and we analyze how much success people are having.

But right now, listenership is key. We absolutely won't move forward without subscribers.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

555aaa said:


> I don't have anything to go on as to why I should promote there - no samples, no covers, no descriptions, etc. As a listener, also, if I didn't see some examples of books that are currently on discount, then I think I'd be a little leery of signing up. I think people also want to sign up by genre. On Bookbub, there is a sliding banner of titles recently on discount so that gives the customer an idea of the quality of the offering.


Sign up by genre. That's interesting and has been requested. Curiously BookBub doesn't do this. As a matter of fact, I don't think many of the ebook services that do that. Am I wrong?



555aaa said:


> I think I might also add a privacy page that clearly states who you are as well as how you safeguard personally identifiable information, how you implement age restrictions, etc.


Bottom of the page, though not as detailed as you suggest.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Terms and policies added with much more detail. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## Sangria (Jan 3, 2015)

I think this is a great idea! And yes, definitely allow subscribers to specify which genres they're interested in. BookBub and most of the successful book-promo newsletters do this. The BookBub signup form takes you right to a page where you click boxes for the genres you want to hear about. There's a handy list of all the genres they offer on their Pricing page: https://www.bookbub.com/partners/pricing (not that you need to cover all these genres, but it gives you a place to start).

Good luck with your launch!


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I was going to post about this, but no need now. One thing I will say, is that Jeff has been running a very successful audio reviewer page for quite a while now. I've had great responses from reviewers there. So to me, that means he'll have a good core of listeners to start things off. Building a list is obviously the hard part, but someone had to do it. I've been tearing my hair out over audio promo for over a year now.

I asked the bookbub guys on their Q and A about something like this, and they basically said "Not going to ever happen" So it's up to somebody else to do it. I'm sure it was because of pricing and affiliate fees at Audible. If there's a way it can be made to work, I think a narrator like Jeff will find it.


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## Cheyanne (Jan 9, 2013)

We definitely need a service like this! I just signed up and told my Twitter followers about it as well. Good luck!


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

Awesome.  Proofing my 8th audiobook as I write this.  Good luck!


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## Guest (Feb 25, 2015)

Wonderful idea and just tweeted. Fingers crossed that it takes off!


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## JETaylor (Jan 25, 2011)

FB and tweeted.  I've got the last four books in production for audio and everything before that is already out there.

I'll be interested in seeing where this goes as well.


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

A slight 'detour' here - if you(all) did a book through ACX on the pay for production deal, and you are on the exclusive ACX contract, you can revert to non-exclusive after one year. That will allow you to offer your book on other sites (like gumroad, cdbaby or bandcamp) at your own price point, or offer it free. But if you did royalty share, you can't.

http://www.acx.com/help/contracts-agreements/200474550#change-contract

Authors with a series might consider putting their first book in non-exclusive, which gives them (the rights holder) the ability to do giveaways, discounts, beyond the ACX codes, and sell on other sites (at the expense of lower ACX royalties - so that book becomes your ACX loss leader). I suspect several authors here have passed the one year mark already. Maybe Jeffry you could do the free book of the day, for example, exclusively for your subscribers. I would be happy to offer one of my books as free for a day. I think it might be cool also to do something like a weekly contest to win a free audio player pre-loaded with some of that weeks audiobooks.

Thanks again and darn it this is something I was thinking of doing!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Tweeted and Facebooked.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

555aaa said:


> A slight 'detour' here - if you(all) did a book through ACX on the pay for production deal, and you are on the exclusive ACX contract, you can revert to non-exclusive after one year. That will allow you to offer your book on other sites (like gumroad, cdbaby or bandcamp) at your own price point, or offer it free. But if you did royalty share, you can't.


I intend to fully support CDBaby and any other retailers where you guys have books listed. As much as I enjoy working with the good folks at Audible, this ain't their show. I'm already in talks with Downpour.com to see what they can do to amp up their presence.

Honestly, this will never have the volume of subscribers of bookbub. There just aren't enough audiobook listeners out there as compared to ebook readers. As of today, we have 150 subscribers. Not too shabby for 24 hours after launch. Slow and steady wins the race.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Aaaaand, subscribers can now choose categories of books they like.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

555aaa said:


> A slight 'detour' here - if you(all) did a book through ACX on the pay for production deal, and you are on the exclusive ACX contract, you can revert to non-exclusive after one year. That will allow you to offer your book on other sites (like gumroad, cdbaby or bandcamp) at your own price point, or offer it free. But if you did royalty share, you can't.
> 
> http://www.acx.com/help/contracts-agreements/200474550#change-contract
> 
> ...


I never considered that. What does that do to the royalty escalator? I assumed the 7 year exclusivity I signed was binding.


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

Mark E. Cooper said:


> I never considered that. What does that do to the royalty escalator? I assumed the 7 year exclusivity I signed was binding.


It says in clause 12 (a) on the contract that you switch to the non-exclusive rate as of the date you sent them notification, at least that's how I read it, although they get 60 days to make the changeover. The royalty escalator went away in March 2014, and also those were on a higher base rate overall I think. So that might be a bit of a hit on books earning on the older scale. If you signed after March 2014, then the exclusive rate was 40%, with no escalator term. Those will be eligible to convert over to non-exclusive 25% rate in the next few months.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

555aaa said:


> It says in clause 12 (a) on the contract that you switch to the non-exclusive rate as of the date you sent them notification, at least that's how I read it, although they get 60 days to make the changeover. The royalty escalator went away in March 2014, and also those were on a higher base rate overall I think. So that might be a bit of a hit on books earning on the older scale. If you signed after March 2014, then the exclusive rate was 40%, with no escalator term. Those will be eligible to convert over to non-exclusive 25% rate in the next few months.


My first 8 are all in the old scheme. Most of them are at 54% currently and climbing. My last 4 will be on the 40% basic thing forever.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Excellent feedback, thank you. I'll have to figure out how to make that happen.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

JeffreyKafer said:


> Excellent feedback, thank you. I'll have to figure out how to make that happen.


There weren't any tick boxes when I signed up were there? WHO STOLE MY BOXES? If others have boxes, I WANT boxes too!


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

Awesome! Good luck with the site.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I'm glad to see someone's finally doing this. Good luck with it. We need more options out there for audio promotion.


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## kimberlyloth (May 15, 2014)

Can you let us know when you will be open for authors to sign up for promotion. I think this is a great idea and I just subscribed .


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Absolutely, I'll let you know. We now have over 500 subscribers, so we're doing a test run to see if there is any meaningful bump in sales with that subscriber level.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I found my tickboxes! All I did was update my preferences and voila!


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

The inaugural email of audiobook Blast is going out on Tuesday. We've got just over 500 subscribers (and climbing), so this first one is a test to see if it moves the needle in terms of sales. 

However, I'd like to keep getting more data, so the next one will also be free for any authors who are willing to report back on their sales or giveaways. If you want to be included, go to audiobookblast.com/authors. And of course, during this trial run, it's free. So you have nothing to lose.


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2015)

Very interesting Jeffrey.

This is a great idea and there's really a need for sites that help readers find audiobooks. Best of luck!


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I'm in for Way of the Wolf. We'll see how it goes. I have high hopes for this long term.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

I just submitted by audiobook. I'll be happy to report back with results.


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

Submitted an Audible book, a cdbaby book, and a CD which is on sale. Hope that will help you get started!


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## jenminkman (Mar 2, 2013)

I just signed up as a listener because I love audiobooks, they're so convenient for long commutes and (believe it or not) reading while skiing. Last year, I read two books while gliding down the slopes of Montafon in Austria, haha 

I hope this will work out! Promoting audio is next to impossible. The only thing that ever worked for me with some ROI was a BB on a freebie and the title was WhisperSynced at that point. I also promoted with AudioFile Magazine, but that was mostly just very expensive. They did review my title in their magazine, though, so that's pretty cool.


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## MyraScott (Jul 18, 2014)

Some feedback on the mailing:

The blurbs are not great. Take a look at Bookbub and see how they summarize a story with key points. 

40 is too many to list on a single mailing. 

Honestly, I felt overwhelmed and while I could use a couple audiobooks right now (I'm listening to radio in the car! No!) I got so distracted reading the long blurbs then seeing how many books were listed... I didn't download any. 

Just some thoughts.  Model yourself after what works.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

The blurb is something the author will have to provide, then. I'm not about to summarize someone else's book that I've not read. 

And you only got 40 if you chose EVERY genre. If I reduce the total number, then those who chose fewer genres will only get a small number of books. Most people average about 7 genres.


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

Got my first email blast today  Looked good.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

I'm doing another free week for anyone who wants to pimp their book. 

I've made some tweaks since the first blast went out, including limiting the blurb to 50 words or less.

So go ahead and register at audiobookblast.com/authors


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

JeffreyKafer said:


> I'm doing another free week for anyone who wants to pimp their book.
> 
> I've made some tweaks since the first blast went out, including limiting the blurb to 50 words or less.
> 
> So go ahead and register at audiobookblast.com/authors


How is this going? I only subbed to my favourites. sci-fi & fantasy, paranormal. The first blast came through fine. Not too many choices etc. As for descriptions. I assume they come from the audible product pages. They should be fine. If too long, I would truncate them at a natural stopping point. No need to rewrite etc.

I know a mailing that doesn't even show covers. I hated it at first but then I realised Iwas cclicking a LOT more (because I had to) Saying something like "look at that cover, isn't it great?" in my mailing list using a plain text link gets a lot of clicks. Curiosity killed the cat and all that!


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Hard to quantify how well it's going. The people who were in last week's blast (mostly narrators giving away ACX codes) seemed thrilled. They gave away lots of codes. But like anything, there are people who didn't have the same success, merely because their title was very niche or just didn't come across as compelling.

The person submitting now has to give me a blurb that's 50 words max, like BookBub. That definitely cuts down the scrolling necessary to see all the books.


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

I started to receive several emails from "Square Space". At first I thought it was spam but since email subject was "Form Submission" I decided to check. It took a few seconds (I'm slow) but I finally realized Audioblast must have blasted my audiobook!

I'm very happy with the response, thanks Jeff!

Feedback... is it possible for you to brand the emails as coming from you vs that "Square Space"? If it happened to me, it might happen to other authors, and they won't figure out it's coming from you and they won't contact the folks that want the audiobook. Especially since these emails came about a week or so since I submitted, so I had forgotten and didn't know my audiobook was being blasted.










Thanks a lot for the blast, I'm pleased with it so far! Good work.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

Alan Petersen said:


> I started to receive several emails from "Square Space". At first I thought it was spam but since email subject was "Form Submission" I decided to check. It took a few seconds (I'm slow) but I finally realized Audioblast must have blasted my audiobook!
> 
> I'm very happy with the response, thanks Jeff!
> 
> ...


Oh crap... I wonder if my spam thingy killed any of those. I don't "think" it did. Damn, I hope I haven't lost any submissions. I didn't get any at all, so that could mean anything haha!


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

I asked Squarespace if there was any way I could change the emails of the forms and they said no. That pretty much blows. So what I think I'll have to do is send a welcome letter to each new advertiser, telling them what to expect.

Mark, you didn't have a Listen and Review, you had a Whispersync Deal, so you'll need to check your dashboard to see if you had any sales.


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## Kate. (Oct 7, 2014)

Oh, drat, did I miss the free weeks?

I'd love to use the Listen and Review deal. Do you have any data on it yet - average number of requests, for example?


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

The Listen and Review deals are the best by far. But of course, that depends on your book. Thrillers, mysteries, fantasy and romance seem to be the best. Several people gave away 16 copies of their audiobook, which may not seem like a lot in this Kindle world, but is quite impressive since Audible gives you 25 codes at the outset. On the flip side, some niche books get zero attention. And the rest get all numbers in between.

What I AM noticing is the importance of a REALLY GOOD COVER. Those with half-baked, amateurish covers don't get nearly the clicks as those that look professionally done.

I put one of my own books up on the very first blast and sold 3 copies in a general ad. Seems pathetic at first glance, but when you consider that was $15 for a $5 investment, not a bad deal. We've taken on an extra 150 or so subscribers since then, so it can only improve.


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## Kate. (Oct 7, 2014)

Thanks - that's very helpful!


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## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

JeffreyKafer said:


> Sign up by genre. That's interesting and has been requested. Curiously BookBub doesn't do this.


Bookbub does include genres in subscribers' signups. They call them "categories." I get Bookbub emails only for the books in the categories I selected.

I just found this thread and signed up. I'll be submitting to the service if and when I ever get my first audiobook recorded. (If and when my voice ever returns to normal.)

Jeffrey, will your service vett and reject titles like BB does? I missed that if it was mentioned.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

We have categories, now.

I'm not vetting any titles now, though I do reserve the right. We're not as in demand as BookBub, obviously, so I'm not too picky.


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## Wansit (Sep 27, 2012)

Looks like its going well! Great plan and thanks for improving the techniques as you go. I just got a new book Whispersynced so I'll see if I can go in with the Read/Review program.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

Thanks Jeff. I have to wait 2 or 3 days for the ACX dash to update. Do you have a 30 day advertiser limit?


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

30 day limit for the same book, but an advertiser can list different books within that time period.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

JeffreyKafer said:


> 30 day limit for the same book, but an advertiser can list different books within that time period.


Excellent. What would you recommend on current data (small as the sample is) review of SciFi books, or whisper deal for new adult/light romantic fantasy?


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Free Listen & Review audiobooks seem to be the bigger draw.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

JeffreyKafer said:


> Free Listen & Review audiobooks seem to be the bigger draw.


Right you are. I just happen to have 100 UK codes and 25 US codes left


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## Censored (Oct 31, 2014)

Tweeted and Facebooked this a while back. Will do again. I look forward to participating in this as soon as my first audiobook is ready!


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I can't be sure yet, because ACX dash is 2-3 days behind, BUT I suddenly have 3 new reviews for Way of The Wolf (the book I put forward). No idea if that is coincidence or not. Reviews are like buses. They're never there when you want one, then suddenly five turn up nose to tail!


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## Caimin (Sep 18, 2012)

Excellent idea - good luck with the project. I'm releasing a self-publishing resources book shortly, this will be a useful addition to the audiobooks section.


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## Kate. (Oct 7, 2014)

The newsletter with my audiobook went out nearly 24 hours ago, and I've had eight requests for it. If just half of those requesters review the book, I'll be very happy!


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Glad to hear it!


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## Alan Petersen (May 20, 2011)

I've  already received my first Audible review from an Audioblast subscriber. Awesome!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Wow, going to need to visit more often--been on hiatus writing the next thriller (and new nonfiction). I've found that my nonfiction sells better on audible, go figure--so may want to test this out. Thanks for a great new addition to author promos!


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## jackconnerbooks (Nov 18, 2014)

My narrator has just finished the final version of my first audio book ("The Atomic Sea: Part One", and soon it will be up and running on ACX. This service sounds like just the thing we need to help get the word out. 

Thanks for the tip!


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I had a total of 10 review requests. I'm satisfied with that. Reviews of audio REALLY help on Audible I have found.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Hey, Jeffrey--

I was on vacation and missed giving you an official welcome to the Writers' Café for your service! So here it is!

Welcome! [br][br]You're welcome to promote your business and website here in the Writers' Café![br][br]Now that you have an official thread, you'll want to add your listing to our Yellow Pages Listing, found here:[br]http://www.kboards.com/yp/[br][br]The listing is free to KB members and is completely self-service; you can add and edit your listing from the page. More information on our Yellow Pages listing can be found here.[br][br]In your thread here, we ask that the same basic rules be followed as we have for authors in the Book Bazaar: you may have this one thread about your service and must post to it rather than start a new thread each time. New threads about the service wil be removed. Please bookmark this thread so that you can find it again to post to. And, you may not make back-to-back posts to the thread within seven days. If someone responds (such as this post), you may reply but otherwise must wait seven days, thanks![br][br]Betsy[br]KBoards Moderator [br][br]Note that this welcome does not constitute an endorsement or vetting of a service by KBoards. Members should do due diligence when considering using a service, for example, by asking KB members for feedback and doing an Internet search such as "service provider name" complaints.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

For anyone who missed it or is curious, here's the archive of this week's blast:

http://goo.gl/axsAaF


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

My results - I ran three audiobooks with Jeffry's initial go-round: one on Audible (via the ACX download codes), one on CD baby via CD baby download codes, and one that was an "on sale" CD. I offered 20 and sent out 14 download codes, roughly equally split between the two, and from that, received an extra five reviews. I did note that some of my requesters were duplicates (the same person requesting two of my books).  Didn't sell any CDs, and my reviewers were all over on Audible (even when they downloaded the book from CD baby).


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Thanks for sharing this info. I was curious how the CD baby thing was going to go.

It doesn't sound like you were too happy with the results, seeing as how the subscribers (and most audiobook listeners, actually) are Audible-centric.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

All told, I received 14 requests for my books Rune Gate and Chosen. I don't mind if there are duplicates (I had a few) because I consider this an investment in the book's long term future. Reviews on Audible are really important, especially any review that critiques the narrator. It costs me nothing to send 2 audiobooks rather than 1. The codes are free to me. Unlike Bookbub and similar services, audiobookblast is about gaining reviews not sales (in my opinion) Of course, sales are enhanced by good reviews too, but that stat is hard to estimate long term.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

The more ratings and reviews you get on Audible, the more likely you are to catch the eye of the merchandising team who have the power to add your book to a sale or promotion. That's when the book flies off the shelf and the money comes in. So reviews and ratings are critical, but difficult to get organically.


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## 555aaa (Jan 28, 2014)

JeffreyKafer said:


> Thanks for sharing this info. I was curious how the CD baby thing was going to go.
> 
> It doesn't sound like you were too happy with the results, seeing as how the subscribers (and most audiobook listeners, actually) are Audible-centric.


On the contrary, I was pleased overall with how it went, I was just disappointed that none of the reviewers left CD baby reviews (which really isn't that useful anyway as CD baby has basically no "discoverability" for audioooks) The reviewers seem to be pretty enthusiastic listeners. In comparison, when I've tried to give away coupons elsewhere (like on Kboards or Goodreads), that has been a total failure. When I gave away actual physical CDs on Goodreads, that did garner reviews also - which is why I still recommend making CDs even if you are eventually going exclusive at Audible, and using those CDs in the pre-release phase, for promos.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Audiobook listeners are a different breed. If you offer them free audiobooks, they will actually listen and review it if you ask. This is different from ebook readers who often subscribe to bookbub and others because they want a bunch of books on their kindle and will get to it when they can. This is not to disparage them, but I do the same thing. Free ebook! Cool, lemme add it to my library....

Already, I've had authors tell me that new reviews have gone up for their audiobooks within a week of getting the title. I've also gotten several messages from listeners (whom I don't actually know) asking how they can let the author know they've listened and left a review. Audiobook listeners are a very passionate bunch of readers.


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## Usedtoposthere (Nov 19, 2013)

JeffreyKafer said:


> The more ratings and reviews you get on Audible, the more likely you are to catch the eye of the merchandising team who have the power to add your book to a sale or promotion. That's when the book flies off the shelf and the money comes in. So reviews and ratings are critical, but difficult to get organically.


This is true--the merchandising thing. They really, really like written reviews.

I find that audiobook listeners are much more likely than ebook readers to RATE a book (give stars), but not any more likely to write a review. (I get the bulk of my written reviews from an "early reading" group. I have about 40 folks signed up for that, and a waiting list. It's very helpful. BUT the review average isn't any different from the overall average. They aren't better ratings--just written reviews.)


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I'm still getting a trickle of requests a week after the blast went out. Almost used up my last few codes. I'll email for more.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

I signed up and the offer went out last Tuesday for my suspense HIDE AND SEEK. I've had 7 requests for codes (6 US, one UK) so far. 

Curious to see how many reviews I'll eventually get, and now very likely to try this again with the other three (nonfiction) titles I have on Audible.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

7 requests is pretty good. And the title was LOST AND FOUND, by the way. Just clarifying so you don't submit the wrong title next time.

As well, I've implemented a money-back guarantee.

We offer a guarantee for Listen & Review titles:
Fiction: At least 5 review requests or your money back
non-fiction: At least 3 review requests or your money back.
We like to give a week or so for the requests to filter in. Many titles get requests a week or two later.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

JeffreyKafer said:


> 7 requests is pretty good. And the title was LOST AND FOUND, by the way. Just clarifying so you don't submit the wrong title next time.
> 
> As well, I've implemented a money-back guarantee.
> 
> ...


Doh! Of course it was Lost And Found, haven't yet voiced the other book. Just heard from the first listener, and she said she loved it--would review on Goodreads and Audible, woot! I've offered/given away codes and free books before but rarely got ratings and even less frequently reviews. I'm duly impressed.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

I'm thrilled at the positive response I'm getting for the service. I'm glad to be filling a marketing niche.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I think I reached 20 in the end. Very pleased with the service so far, and I'm looking forward to another 20 with different books!


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

report back and let me know how those requests convert into actual reviews.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Just realized, you voiced one of my publisher's books. Neat! (Bob Mayer, that is).

Okay, gonna submit my kitten book and see what happens with nonfiction. It's my kindle best seller, and coming up on kitten season again, but the "behavior" titles do better on Audible.

Edit: Not sure what category it fits--slating it for "self help" since it is a how-to informational title. *shrug*


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Got it. Note that any submission after Friday will go in the following week's blast. in other words, not this Tuesday's, but NEXT Tuesday's.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Thanks, yes---the following week is fine.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Last week's Audiobook Blast for those interested: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=268e6d3f603e9f02e4a1233f9&id=07cf3d9e94&e=ee4e1c5c35


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

I'm looking forward to Tuesday's blast. I'm seeing around 20 reviewers each time.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Of the seven requests, so far 2 have reviewed favorably (only one posted so far...there seems to be a delay between posts going "live). And they've also asked me to alert them to when the sequel comes out in audio, yay!

Will be interested to see how my Tuesday nonfiction offering goes.


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## Censored (Oct 31, 2014)

Signed up for a read and review. Looking forward to it!


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Be sure and request that they offer a "written" review on the audible.com site. I've discovered that some who previously listened (and liked!) my audio books simply posted review on the amazon page...it SAYS it's for the audio book, but that never gets posted to audible.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

I can add language to that effect on the listener side of the site, too. Thanks for that tidbit.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Thanks Jeffrey.

Well, my nonfiction kitten book was supposed to go out this morning but I didn't see it -- I think it was in "self help" but maybe it went in something different that I hadn't subscribed to.  

Oh well...will see if I get any response.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Had a few wrinkles in this week's blast. Refunding everyone who's book didn't show up and giving them a free listing next week. Thanks for being early adopters.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Classy! Thanks a bunch.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

This week's blast for those interested: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=268e6d3f603e9f02e4a1233f9&id=8e1a92589e&e=ee4e1c5c35

Seeing an interesting trend. New subscribers are actively looking at the archives and requesting titles that were listed in the very first blast. the gift that keeps on giving.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

And I shared on my blog about my new book cover, AND that the book would be available for free but only through AudioBookBlast.com and to be sure and sign up. Today, I got a request for the kitten book from two of my facebook friends/reviewers as soon as the blast went out. Woot!


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Excellent! Can I get a testimonial from you for the site?


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Sure...let me come up with something pithy to say.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

Do you think Amazon's crack down will effect Audiobookblast? As long as the reviewers announce their gift for an honest review it should still be alright don't you  think?


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

Oh dear....perhaps I need to send a follow up note to folks. I have previously reminded them to say "I received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review" but haven't done that with the several "gift" ones that I sent.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Mark E. Cooper said:


> Do you think Amazon's crack down will effect Audiobookblast? As long as the reviewers announce their gift for an honest review it should still be alright don't you think?


What Amazon crackdown?

It's on the listener page, but I'll put it in bold on every signup page going forward.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

This week's Audiobook Blast: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=268e6d3f603e9f02e4a1233f9&id=bc2d4c89ef&e=ee4e1c5c35


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

This week's audiobook blast: http://ow.ly/MxJEx

We've got about 1000 subscribers now. Not quite Bookbub's 2.5 million, but I'm happy with the growth thus far.


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## Amyshojai (May 3, 2010)

So far I've received 1 review on the nonfiction (a great one!) and three on the fiction. Very pleased with results thus far, as I think others will be coming in. Need to do another one on the dog competability book.

Congrats on growing the list!


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## Censored (Oct 31, 2014)

FictionFugitive said:


> Signed up for a read and review. Looking forward to it!


I had thirteen requests for reviews. Sent to everyone. Got one review.


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## JenEllision (Jan 13, 2014)

My audiobook was in this week's blast and as promised, I got 5 review requests! If even one of them winds up reviewing, I'll be very pleased ^_^


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

FictionFugitive said:


> I had thirteen requests for reviews. Sent to everyone. Got one review.


They have a month to review. If not, then feel free to follow up. Or blacklist them if you decide to do it again.


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## Kate. (Oct 7, 2014)

I was very, very happy with my results. It took a while for them all to filter through, but I had five reviews in total.


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## davegledhill (Apr 22, 2015)

There is a definite lack of audiobook marketing opportunities. Just signed up with "Defector" and looking forward to seeing how I fare.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Got it! Make sure you're signed up for the email blast or you won't see the ad. Seems obvious, but you'd be surprised how emails I get Tuesday morning from authors who forgot.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

This week's Audiobook Blast: http://buff.ly/1Fii2Vy


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

"Combat" went out in this week's AudioBookBlast email, but I have some reviews already and was more interested in seeing if the email led to straight sales, so I didn't offer any free promo codes and just went for the "Promotion" option (vs. the Listen and Review option). So far...the needle hasn't twitched    I think ACX sales data is updated fairly regularly, so given it's been >24 hours since the email went out, I don't know if I would recommend the service if you just want to boost sales (at least not yet - perhaps when there are more subscribers, or with books in another genre).  That said, I'll consider trying it again as a review generating service, if folks see some success with that angle.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

ACX data is NOT updated regularly. It's always 2+ days behind. That said, most people really want free audiobooks to listen to and review.

Here's the blast from yesterday for those interested: http://goo.gl/tmSwud


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

JeffreyKafer said:


> Most people really want free audiobooks to listen to and review.


Certainly true. I would just recommend keeping a close eye on how other customers' titles perform with the "Promotion" option as you scale this concept...have other titles on promotion sold more copies than their typical average? If not, and the trend continues, I would stop listing that as an option to authors.

(and just in case, because forum posts suck at conveying tone: it was only $5, so I don't really care that I didn't sell anything! I hope your service takes off, because I think it's sorely needed...and I hope the promo option works out over the long term, as well. Mainly just wanted to add a data point to the thread for those considering the service going forward.)


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

JeffreyKafer said:


> ACX data is NOT updated regularly.


Good to know! I'll follow up tomorrow and edit my post as needed...[crosses fingers]


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Piers Platt said:


> Certainly true. I would just recommend keeping a close eye on how other customers' titles perform with the "Promotion" option as you scale this concept...have other titles on promotion sold more copies than their typical average? If not, and the trend continues, I would stop listing that as an option to authors.


You certainly have a point. I would hate for someone to be turned off by the service, thinking they are going to get huge numbers. But even if you sell a handful, you've recouped your investment. Ah bookbub, you've spoiled the authors!

Certainly the free books are king, but I've also noticed a few sales of Whispersync deals, especially those where the ebook is free and the audiobook is $1.99. Granted not huge sales, but a handful to make it worth the bucks.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

JeffreyKafer said:


> You certainly have a point. I would hate for someone to be turned off by the service, thinking they are going to get huge numbers. But even if you sell a handful, you've recouped your investment. Ah bookbub, you've spoiled the authors!
> 
> Certainly the free books are king, but I've also noticed a few sales of Whispersync deals, especially those where the ebook is free and the audiobook is $1.99. Granted not huge sales, but a handful to make it worth the bucks.


Yes, I bought a whispersync book from your audiobook blast a few weeks ago.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

And how'd it work out for you?


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

JeffreyKafer said:


> And how'd it work out for you?


It was a decent story and good narration. A Light and easy read/listen.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you bought an *ad* for a whispersync title. 

I've removed the option to buy general promotions. The handful that are sold each week are not up the expectations of the authors. I'll revisit them later after our subscriber numbers are higher.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

JeffreyKafer said:


> Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you bought an *ad* for a whispersync title.
> 
> I've removed the option to buy general promotions. The handful that are sold each week are not up the expectations of the authors. I'll revisit them later after our subscriber numbers are higher.


No, I bought the actual book and audiobook. I really like whispersync.


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## Piers Platt (Mar 27, 2014)

Checking back in as promised - I think I got 2 sales on the day the email went out.  Which is, honestly, 2 more than I would have gotten!  And probably a 1.6x return on what I invested.

So Jeff, keep building that list!  Some of the people on it buy books, they aren't all freebie-hunters (I think).  I'll be keeping an eye on your numbers and willing to test out another ad if you decide to offer it again.


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## Bishoppess (Apr 11, 2015)

Coming in late. Just signed up as a listener. Like the categories, but examples of the books available  (covers especially) would be nice. And maybe buttons so people can tell their friends on Facebook and stuff. I'm gonna try copy and pasting the link (my phone hates these shenanigans), but a button would be so much easier


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

I verified in my latest ACX earnings reports that we DO get paid for the promo copies we give out. I redeemed all the promo codes into my account first. Then I gifted the book to people and used one of the 25 credits in my account to "pay" for the book. So if you gift out more than 4 copies, you'll earn more than the cost of a listing in my service. And if you don't gift out 5 or more copies, I give you your money back. So there's no way to lose money on the deal, as far as I can tell. YMMV.


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## Wayne Stinnett (Feb 5, 2014)

I just subscribed for Mysteries and Thrillers. Why no Action/Adventure genre? I'll be looking at advertising with you.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

No action adventure because I figured thrillers and/or mystery would cover it. If I segment too much, you run the risk of being seen by a very tiny audience.


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## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

JeffreyKafer said:


> I verified in my latest ACX earnings reports that we DO get paid for the promo copies we give out. I redeemed all the promo codes into my account first. Then I gifted the book to people and used one of the 25 credits in my account to "pay" for the book. So if you gift out more than 4 copies, you'll earn more than the cost of a listing in my service. And if you don't gift out 5 or more copies, I give you your money back. So there's no way to lose money on the deal, as far as I can tell. YMMV.


REALLY? I assumed without looking that we did not. Dang. Thats nice.


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

VydorScope said:


> REALLY? I assumed without looking that we did not. Dang. Thats nice.


This has always been true. ACX just don't tell anyone for obvious reasons. The codes we get are indistinguishable (once used and in our accounts) to gift codes. Authors get paid for gifts of course, so it's obvious when you think about it.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

For anyone interested, here's this week's Blast: http://goo.gl/iUnhhi


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

This week's Blast: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=268e6d3f603e9f02e4a1233f9&id=278c5bb045


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

This week's Blast: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=268e6d3f603e9f02e4a1233f9&id=d702208a6d


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

This Week's Blast: http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=268e6d3f603e9f02e4a1233f9&id=c8650ae6cd&e=d83a24a510


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Not sure anyone's looking at this thread any more, but here's some info since launch.

1) We have over 1500 subscribers and are growing by double digits every day.
2) We average about 30 free audiobooks every week
3) We have an open rate of 43.8%
4) A click rate of 12.8%

So far so good. And here's this week's blast: http://eepurl.com/buMtT9


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## Kate. (Oct 7, 2014)

I'm still reading, Jeffrey.  Just waiting to produce a new audiobook before I promote with you again!


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## DHantke (Jul 29, 2015)

I put my audiobook up through audioblast a few weeks ago. Ended up getting 12 sales and 8 reviews out of it... Beyond worth the small price of posting it. I write thrillers.


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## edwardgtalbot (Apr 28, 2010)

Keep up the good work!
Just signed up for your email - my wife is a big audiobook listener. At some point by the end of the year, I'm going to look to starting to record some of my books as audiobooks which I've done once in the distant past. Currently working through getting them in print first, which in this day and age might be less important than audio as I think about it.

And folks, there are very few better audiobook narrators than Jeffery Kafer if you're looking for a narrator


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Thanks, Edward. You're very kind. Best of luck on your audiobook project!


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## Mark E. Cooper (May 29, 2011)

JeffreyKafer said:


> Not sure anyone's looking at this thread any more, but here's some info since launch.
> 
> 1) We have over 1500 subscribers and are growing by double digits every day.
> 2) We average about 30 free audiobooks every week
> ...


Of course we do. It's in our bookmarks.


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## 68564 (Mar 17, 2013)

Mark E. Cooper said:


> Of course we do. It's in our bookmarks.


I get an email of every post.


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Hey all, just wanted to let you know that we've got a new Embargo program to warn others about people who don't review. If you gave away codes and didn't get reviews, then add these people to our Embargo so you can let others know. http://audiobookblast.com/embargo


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## JeffreyKafer (May 22, 2011)

Hey all, just letting you know that Audiobook Blast is now AudiobookBOOM.com 

Thanks!


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