Rights Holders
- What do you mean by 'Rights Holder'?
- How do I know if I have the rights to my book?
- How do I know what territory rights I have for my book?
- How do I hire a particular narrator I see on ACX?
- Can I ask a Producer to audition for my book?
- How can I pay for my ACX audiobook production?
- Can I narrate my own audiobook?
- I don't hold my audio rights. Do I have any options for making an audiobook?
What do you mean by 'Rights Holder'?
The Rights Holder is the person or entity that owns all rights required to make a book available for production and distribution as an audiobook. The Rights Holder may be the book’s author, a publisher, a literary agent, or the author’s estate.
Rights Holders use ACX to:
- Make books available for production as audiobooks;
- Grant audiobook production rights to Producers, in order to create the book
- Grant distribution rights of the finished audiobook to Audible.
How do I know if I have the rights to my book?
Check the contract for your book. It should state whether digital audio rights (or simply “audio rights” or “all rights”) were already granted to the publisher. If you’re still not 100% certain about what the contract says—and please be completely certain—call your agent or lawyer and inquire. Learn more about territory rights here.
How do I know what territory rights I have for my book?
If you’re not completely certain which territory rights you have, check your contracts and/or ask your agent. If you’re still not sure, contact us and we’ll try to help. Note that we cannot dispense legal advice, but perhaps we can help point you in the right direction.
Books are often published with territory restrictions. In other words, they’re licensed to be sold only in a specific region. Also, your book may be licensed in more than one area or territory, by more than one publishing house.
To protect everyone, we need to understand what territory rights you have. That’s why we ask you to indicate this when you’re posting your title profile.
How do I hire a particular narrator I see on ACX?
You have two choices:
- Click the “Send Message” button on his or her profile and ask them to audition for your title. Include a link to your Title Profile, and make sure you’ve created a rich Title Profile, including an audition script for them to read.
- Click the “Make Offer” button on their profile if you’re ready to make them a binding Offer to produce your audiobook. Make sure that the narrator is also a full-fledged Producer, ready to produce your audiobook.
Please note: The narrators you find on ACX are expected to be Producers, and create fully produced, retail-ready audiobooks. As Producers, they may work with third parties to assist in the production of your audiobook, but the audiobook should be in their voice, or the voice they auditioned with.
Can I ask a Producer to audition for my book?
You can ask as many Producers as you’d like to audition for your book. Remember, Producers include narrators and studio professionals. In fact, we advise you to make an Offer to a Producer only after you hear an audition from the actual book you want them to record.
From a narrator’s ACX profile page, simply click “Send Message” and write them a note. Include a link to your Title Profile, which should contain a one or two-page Audition Script you want narrators to read and record.
How can I pay for my ACX audiobook production?
You and your Producer can agree to a Pay for Production Fee (a one-time flat fee based on the length of the finished audiobook) or a Royalty Share Deal (in which case your Producer won't earn money up front, but will instead share in the proceeds from the sale of your audiobook 50-50). Read more about your options for paying for your production.
Can I narrate my own audiobook?
Audiobook listeners love to hear an author's words in his or her own voice, and we encourage you to try your hand at narrating. Search Google for a local recording studio that has experience producing professional audiobooks. If you can’t find a local studio, try contacting the ACX team. We also give tips to help you become a more effective narrator and even set up a simple home recording studio here.
I don't hold my audio rights. Do I have any options for making an audiobook?
You or your agent should read your contract to determine who owns the audio rights. If the publisher holds the rights and has not produced your book as an audiobook, and if they don’t have plans to do so in the immediate future, you should request that your title be added to ACX—by either you or the publisher. Note that you will have to contact the publisher and inquire as to whether they'd be interested in posting the book on ACX as well.
