Audiobook Production Services for Indie Authors ($299 Done for You)

Audiobook Production Services for Indie Authors: Done for You or Do It Yourself

An audiobook production service turns your manuscript into finished audiobook files, handling the narration, editing and file preparation for you. AuthorVoices.ai offers Done-for-You audiobook production for indie authors at $299 one time: you upload the manuscript and choose a narrator, and the team handles manuscript and chapter setup, narrator configuration, full-book narration with AI voices, one quality clean-up pass, and delivers chapter MP3 files and a combined M4B. It covers one book up to 550,000 characters (about 102,000 words), with a typical turnaround of 7 to 10 business days after the manuscript and narrator choice are ready. Authors who prefer to do it themselves can produce the same kind of audiobook on AuthorVoices from $49 per book, and longer or multi-narrator books can ask for a custom quote.

Here is what a production service includes, how the three routes compare, and how to start.

What audiobook production includes

Manuscript preparation: splitting the book into chapters and sections, front and back matter.
Narration: a human narrator in a studio, or an AI voice.
Editing and quality control: catching misreads, mispronunciations and odd pauses.
Mastering and files: chapter files at consistent volume, plus a single audiobook file, ready for distributors.

Three routes for an indie author

1. Done-for-You with AuthorVoices, $299. The team does setup, narration with the AI narrator you choose (or your own cloned voice), one quality clean-up pass, and delivers chapter MP3s and an M4B. Up to 550,000 characters, typically 7 to 10 business days. Best if you want the audiobook made without learning the software.

2. Do it yourself on AuthorVoices, from $49. Upload an EPUB or DOCX, choose one of 165 voices, click Narrate Whole Book (most books finish in minutes, with no queue), fix any passage with Quick Fix, and export. Best if you want to control every line and spend less.

3. A human narrator or production studio. A professional reads and produces the book, paid by the finished hour or through a royalty share, depending on the producer. Best for performance-heavy fiction, or if you want the audiobook on Audible through ACX, which does not accept third-party AI narration. See how to hire an audiobook narrator.

Starting Done-for-You production

Create a free account and upload the manuscript as a project.

Choose a narrator. Listen to samples on the Narrators page or preview a voice reading your own paragraph on the homepage.

Select the project on the Done-for-You page and pay $299.

Receive the files: chapter MP3s and a combined M4B, typically 7 to 10 business days after the manuscript and narrator choice are ready.

Retail distribution submission is available separately.

All AuthorVoices prices

Free to try: sign up with no credit card and get 5,000 characters, about 5 to 6 minutes of finished audio. Voice previews with your own paragraph are free on the homepage.
Economy One-Book Pass, $49 one time: one book up to 400,000 characters (about 74,000 words), any narrator, plus 20,000 credits for pronunciation and line edits.
One-time book packages: Short Book $59 (about 55,800 words), Standard Book $89 (about 93,000 words), Long Book $129 (about 139,500 words). Purchased credits never expire.
Studio plans: $49, $99 or $149 a month for about 2, 5 or 10 audiobooks a month; annual billing saves 17%.
Done-for-You production: $299 one time for one book up to 550,000 characters (about 102,000 words), typically 7 to 10 business days.

Selling the audiobook

Distribution through SelfPublishing.pro reaches more than 50 retailers, including Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo, Spotify, Storytel, BookBeat and Scribd, with no upfront fee; authors keep 85% of net royalties, and distribution is non-exclusive. Audible and Amazon are not included, because they do not accept audiobooks narrated with third-party AI tools.

Already have narrated MP3s that need mastering? The free Spec Checker checks one file against common retailer specs, and the paid Distribution Ready Fix re-masters a complete audiobook from $19, priced by running time.

Frequently asked

How much does audiobook production cost for an indie author?

AuthorVoices Done-for-You production is $299 one time for one book up to 550,000 characters (about 102,000 words), including setup, AI narration, one clean-up pass and MP3 and M4B files. Producing it yourself on AuthorVoices costs from $49 per book.

How long does Done-for-You audiobook production take?

Typically 7 to 10 business days after the manuscript and narrator choice are ready.

What files do I receive?

Chapter MP3 files and a combined M4B audiobook file. Retail distribution submission is available separately.

Can a produced AuthorVoices audiobook go on Audible?

No. Audible and ACX do not accept audiobooks narrated with third-party AI tools. AuthorVoices distributes to more than 50 other retailers, including Apple Books, Google Play, Kobo and Spotify.