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Author’s Republic is Audiobooks.com New Distribution Service

3286083026_c1584371af_bIf you have a fully finished audiobook and are ready to distribute it then you should check out audiobooks.com's new service.

Launching this week, Author’s Republic enables authors and publishers to distribute audiobooks to several retailers and distributors, including Audible, Findaway, Downpour, and Overdrive, as well as Amazon and iTunes (via Audible) and B&N, Scribd, and TuneIn (via Findaway).

According to the press release, Author’s Republic pays 25% of the sale price in Audible, Amazon, and iTunes, and 35% of the sale price in other channels.

But that’s not actually true. The FAQ more clearly states that AR pays 70% of the net proceeds (a variable amount which is considerably less).

But Audiobooks.com thinks this could still appeal to some authors. From the press release:

Author’s Republic will appeal strongly to international authors and publishers who are often excluded from similar distribution services based on regional restrictions. Author’s Republic offers a "back-door" for international authors to bring their audiobooks to the sizeable North American market.

Other stand-out features include the ability to set an MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price), easy monthly royalty payments sent through PayPal, and free ISBNs for any audiobooks submitted through the service.

"There are a lot of places to sell audiobooks, but until now, there was no easy way for authors to access them," says Singhal. "Services like Smashwords and Draft2Digital have done great things for eBook distribution. Now, Author’s Republic is doing the same thing for audiobooks."

Given that Audible is the majority of the market, this doesn’t strike me as really all that useful. If one has the audiobook already, one could simply deal directly with Audible. Or, one could go through ACX to get the audiobook made in the first place by professionals.

But if an author or publisher wants to cover all the bases then this would be a relatively convenient way to do so.

P.S. While we’re on the topic, Author’s Republic does have a tool which authors can use to produce an audiobook. It’s a DIY iOS app called Recordio.

image by meddygarnet

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The Digital Experience Platform for Publishers | Digital Book World November 23, 2015 um 8:11 am

[…] Author’s Republic is Audiobooks.com New Distribution Service (Digital Reader) Launching this week, Author’s Republic enables authors and publishers to distribute audiobooks to several retailers and distributors, including Audible, Findaway, Downpour and Overdrive, as well as Amazon and iTunes (via Audible) and Barnes & Noble, Scribd and TuneIn (via Findaway). According to the press release, Author’s Republic pays 25 percent of the sale price in Audible, Amazon and iTunes, and 35 percent of the sale price in other channels. […]


SteveHut November 23, 2015 um 12:24 pm

On the royalty percentage…very tricky read – the below applies only to NON-Audible/Amazon/iTunes. The cool upside is you _may_ be able to set your own price(YMMV depending on the retailer) as that is currently the main drawback to Audible/Amazon…them selling normally expensive ($10-20) audiobooks for $1.99 as whispersync add ons, which kills your ability to make back on your investment in a reasonable timeframe. From their FAQ:
Q: What do you mean, "up to" 35%?

A: Hang onto your hats, we’re going on a bumpy mathematical ride:
When your book is sold on any retailer OTHER than Audible, Amazon and iTunes, we will generally receive a higher rate of royalties than their 25%, but we also take a little bit to keep the site running, feed ourselves, pipe fresh air into the dungeon where we keep our developers, etc. Because the actual rate varies from retailer to retailer, to be perfectly accurate, you will receive 70% of the total royalties we receive from each sale of your book.

From most retailers, the royalty rate that we get is 50% of whatever your book is sold for, and you’ll get 70% of that. 70% of that 50% = 35% of what your book is sold for.

If a retailer offers us a royalty rate of 40% of whatever your book is sold for, you’d get 70% of that, too. 70% of that 40% = 28% of what your book is sold for.


Mackay Bell January 19, 2017 um 1:03 pm

It would be nice to see some competition in audio books.


Apple, Audible End Exclusivity Deal for Audiobooks | The Digital Reader January 19, 2017 um 9:21 pm

[…] the long run we're going to see more competition as Audible's competitors, including Author's Republic, secure deals with […]


Tips for Recording and Publishing Your Own Audiobooks February 16, 2017 um 1:02 pm

[…] probably the most popular service, but there are other options. According to The Digital Reader, Author’s Republic distributes audiobooks to “Audible, Findaway, Downpour, and Overdrive, as well as Amazon and […]


Liam October 3, 2017 um 4:15 pm

The website looks impressive and the promises sound good. I have tried signing up to Author’s Republic, but the automatic email verification does not seem to work, and there is no contact information that I can find on the website. So, now the whole thing is starting to look a little 'iffy.'


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