PROFESSIONAL AUDIOBOOK PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION SUPPORT
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Create Your Own Voice Clone
Want to hear your own voice narrating your book without spending weeks behind a microphone? Find out how a professional voice clone can make that possible.
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Optional Add-Ons
Want a little more? Add casting help, cover adaptation, promotional audio, or extra production touches to your audiobook.
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FAQs
Because obviously you have questions. AI voices, rights, royalties, distribution, payments, full cast options...
Bring Your CHARACTERS TO LIFE!
Imagine hearing your characters speak and your story brought to life as a professionally produced audiobook without the cost of traditional studio narration.
Digital narration has made audiobook production genuinely accessible to independent authors. Whether you want a single narrator or a full cast of character voices, I can turn your finished manuscript into an audiobook ready for listeners.
Your audiobook can be published on Spotify and other major platforms that accept digitally narrated audiobooks, giving you another way to reach readers and another format to sell your book!
You retain all rights to your book and receive all royalties.
Single narrator or full cast
Choose a single narrator for a traditional audiobook experience, or bring your characters to life with a full cast of individually selected voices.
You choose how you want your characters to sound and I handle all the technical aspects of the production and preparation for distribution.
HOW CAN THIS cost SO MUCH LESS THAN live narration?
Professional Voice Clones are created from the voices of real people who record substantial amounts of high-quality source material so their voices can be used for narration without requiring them to sit in a recording booth and read an entire book.
I created my own professional voice clone, and many people are now using it to narrate their articles and books.
More importantly, the people who make their voices available through the ElevenLabs Voice Library are eligible to be paid when their voices are used by paying customers.
These are not robot voices. They are cloned from real human voices and can be remarkably expressive and natural.
But producing an audiobook isn’t simply a case of pushing a button and having a finished book pop out.
The narration has to be overseen throughout production line by line for consistency, pronunciation, pacing, and expression. Audio has to be regenerated when something doesn't work, assembled correctly, edited, and quality checked. It is a time-consuming process that requires patience and a good ear.
Want to see what that actually looks like? I recorded myself producing 5:22 of finished full-cast audio. It took 38 minutes. I’ve sped the video up 12× so you can watch the production process while the embedded timer shows the actual time passing.
Audiobook Production
THE PROBLEM I WANTED TO SOLVE
In 2018, I had The Lost Valor of Love professionally narrated by Ana Clements. It cost more than $4,000, was a lengthy production process, and I never earned back what I spent on it. I desperately wanted to produce the rest of the series, but the cost was out of reach.
For most independent authors, paying a professional voice actor to narrate an entire book is a very difficult investment to justify, which means most of us never get to hear our stories come to life.
In 2025, still having not let go of my dream to hear my stories come to life, I started using ElevenLabs to create my own full-cast audiobook for I, Cassandra before moving on to The Lost Valor of Love. Through trial and error, and as the technology improved, I have become adept at producing audiobooks to a professional standard.
I can now use that experience to produce expressive, studio-quality audiobooks for independent authors at a fraction of the cost of traditional narration.
What’s included
manuscript preparation for audio
digital narration created from a professionally cloned human voice (not a robot voice!)
pronunciation and delivery corrections
chapter assembly
editing for consistency and professional finish
full quality-control listen
finished audiobook files you can use for future distribution on new platforms
Narration options
Single narrator
Choose my professionally trained digital voice, or select a single narrator from the ElevenLabs Voice Library to suit the tone of your book. Some voices carry an additional usage surcharge, which will be included in your quote where applicable.
If you want to use a digital version of your own voice, I can also help you explore that option.
Full cast
I can also produce full-cast audiobooks using different voices for narration and individual characters.
Before production begins, you’ll need a free ElevenLabs account so you can browse the available voices and choose the ones you want for your characters.
Some voices cost more to use than others, so once you’ve selected your cast, I’ll confirm the final production quote based on the book’s length, number of voices, and any additional voice costs.
Once the cast is approved, I handle the production, editing, consistency, and final assembly.
Full-cast production pricing does not include music, sound effects, or audio-drama sound design.
Pricing
Single-narrator production: 3¢ USD per word
Minimum project fee: $900
For example:
30,000 words — $900
40,000 words — $1,200
55,000 words — $1,650
70,000 words — $2,100
First-time publishing and distribution account setup assistance for Spotify, ElevenLabs, and INaudio: $250.
Projects are normally split into two payments: 50% to begin and 50% when production is complete, before the final files are delivered or the audiobook is uploaded for distribution. Any account setup fee is payable in full with the first payment.
Distribution
Digitally narrated audiobooks can currently be sold through Spotify, ElevenLabs, and INaudio, which distributes to participating retailers including Barnes & Noble and other retailers that accept digital narration.
Audible is not currently included because its standard ACX route does not accept externally produced AI-assisted narration (for now, though this may change).
Interested?
Send me your book details, word count, and whether you’re interested in single narration or a full cast.
For single-narrator projects, I can prepare a short sample so you can hear how your book could sound. For full-cast projects, see the sample below for production quality.
CREATE YOUR OWN VOICE CLONE
Want your audiobook narrated in your own voice — without having to record the entire book yourself?
I can help you create and prepare a professional digital clone of your voice for use in your audiobook.
This is a guided setup service designed to give your voice clone the best possible source material and determine whether the finished voice is suitable for professional long-form narration.
What’s included
guidance on the basic recording requirements for a professional voice clone
guidance through the ElevenLabs Professional Voice Clone setup process
review of one short test recording before you record your full training material
one test of the completed voice clone for audiobook suitability
What you’ll need
Professional Voice Cloning requires a substantial amount of clean, consistent source audio. ElevenLabs currently accepts a minimum of around 30 minutes, with longer recordings — ideally up to approximately three hours — recommended for the best-quality results.
Because your clone learns from the way you record, your source material should sound the way you want your audiobook narration to sound.
You’ll also need:
a good-quality microphone
headphones
a quiet recording space with minimal echo and background noise
an eligible ElevenLabs account
time to record your training material
My own professional voice clone was created using a RØDE NT-USB+ microphone, acoustic sound treatment, and RØDE NTH-100 headphones.
You don’t have to use the same equipment, but phone and laptop recordings made in untreated rooms are unlikely to provide the quality I would recommend for professional audiobook production.
How it works
You record your own voice and create and verify your Professional Voice Clone through your own ElevenLabs account. I guide you through the process, review the audio quality, and help you prepare the material correctly.
Once the clone has been created, I’ll test it using audiobook material and assess whether it meets the standard needed for long-form narration.
Not every voice clone will be suitable for a professional audiobook. If the finished clone does not produce a sufficiently good result, I’ll tell you rather than build an entire audiobook around a voice that isn’t working.
You can then choose another narration option.
Price
Professional Voice Clone Setup Assistance: $350 USD
ElevenLabs subscription costs, recording equipment, and any additional hardware or software are not included.
The fee covers the setup and testing process described above. Additional recording sessions, repeated troubleshooting, or substantial re-recording assistance can be quoted separately if required.
Ready to hear yourself narrate your book?
Shoot me a message with a little information about your book and your current recording setup, and we can determine whether creating your own professional voice clone is the right option for your audiobook.
Optional Add-ons
Full-Cast Voice Casting Assistance — from $150
Don’t want to search through voices yourself? Give me your character notes and I can help narrow down suitable options for you to audition and approve.
Music & Sound Effects Integration — from $200
If you supply finished music or sound-effect files that you have the rights to use, I can incorporate them into your audiobook. Pricing depends on the amount of audio and complexity of placement.
Original music creation and full audio-drama sound design are not included.
Audiobook Cover Adaptation — $50
I can adapt your existing book cover into the square format required for audiobook distribution.
This is adaptation of an existing cover, not original cover design.
Promotional Audiobook Clip — $100
A polished short audio excerpt from your finished audiobook for use on your website, newsletter, Substack, or social media.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this AI narration?
The audiobook is produced using digital voice technology, but the voices are cloned from real human voices rather than traditional computer-generated “robot” voices. The finished audio is then edited, corrected, assembled, and quality-checked by me.
Will I still own my audiobook?
Yes. You retain all rights to your book and the finished audiobook, and you receive all royalties from its distribution.
Can I hear what my book will sound like first?
For single-narrator projects, yes. I can produce a short sample using my digital voice before you commit to full production.
For full-cast projects, you can listen to the I, Cassandra sample on this page to hear the overall production quality.
Can I choose the voices for my characters?
Absolutely. For full-cast production, you create a free ElevenLabs account and browse and listen to the available voices yourself. You choose the voices you feel are right for your characters.
Some voices cost more to use than others, so I’ll confirm your final quote once your cast has been selected.
Do I need my own ElevenLabs account?
For a single-narrator audiobook using my voice, no.
For a full-cast audiobook, you’ll need a free ElevenLabs account so you can browse and audition voices before choosing your cast.
Can you HELP ME clone my own voice?
Potentially. Creating a professional-quality digital voice requires high-quality source recordings and a significant amount of recording material.
For a Professional Voice Clone, ElevenLabs recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of clean audio, with 1–3 hours preferred for the best results. If the voice will be used for an audiobook, the recordings should also reflect the narration style you want the finished audiobook to have.
My own professional voice clone was created using a RØDE NT-USB+ microphone, acoustic sound treatment, and RØDE NTH-100 headphones to produce clean, controlled source audio.
You don’t necessarily need the same equipment, but you will need a suitable microphone, headphones, and a quiet recording environment with minimal echo and background noise.
I can guide you through the recording and voice-cloning process for an additional setup fee. We’ll test the resulting voice before production begins to make sure it is suitable for long-form narration and meets the required production standard.
If your voice clone doesn’t produce a sufficiently good result, you can choose another narration option instead.
Does full-cast production include music and sound effects?
No. Standard full-cast production pricing covers the narration and production of the audiobook itself.
Full-cast production pricing does not include music, sound effects, or audio-drama sound design.
Where can my audiobook be sold?
Digitally narrated audiobooks can currently be distributed through Spotify, INaudio (which distributes to participating retailers including Barnes & Noble, and other retailers that accept digital narration).
Audible is not currently included because its standard ACX route does not accept externally produced AI-assisted narration.
Do you handle publishing and distribution for me?
I can help you set up the accounts needed to publish and distribute your audiobook through Spotify, ElevenLabs, and INaudio.
First-time publishing and distribution account setup assistance is $250.
Your publishing accounts remain yours, and royalties are paid directly to you.
How do payments work?
Audiobook production is normally split into two payments: 50% to begin and 50% when production is complete.
The final balance must be paid before the finished audiobook files are delivered or uploaded for distribution.
Any account setup fee is paid in full with the first payment.
How much will my audiobook cost?
Single-narrator production is 3¢ USD per word, with a minimum project fee of $900.
Full-cast audiobooks are quoted individually because the cost depends on the length of the book, number of characters, voices selected, and production complexity.
What do you need from me to get started?
Send me your finished manuscript, approximate word count, and whether you’re interested in a single narrator or full cast.
From there, I’ll let you know the next steps.
Let’s GET YOUR BOOK OUT THERE!
I offer audiobook production, editing, and coaching services to suit different writers, projects, and budgets — including single-chapter reviews if you want professional feedback on your book for a fraction of the cost of a full edit.
I’d love to help you reach your goals!
