The Inside Scoop on Going Digital
Digital Marketing Controller Stephanie Carr shares the inside scoop on going digital with our ebook and audiobook services:
There are so many reasons that having your work available digitally can improve its chances of success. Ebooks are available internationally, opening your work up to a worldwide audience; they are relatively cheap to produce; there are no printing costs or potential ongoing storage costs to factor into your budget; readers can increase the size of the font or change the brightness of the screen; and best of all, thousands of them can be carried around in your pocket. At Troubador, around 75% of authors who publish a printed book with us will have an ebook produced as well; most readers browsing Amazon will expect to see both formats available and having an ebook edition alongside a paperback ensures that everyone can access your work, regardless of their reading preferences.
Due to the current situation in the UK with COVID-19 meaning, the majority of us are spending a lot more time at home, with bookshops and other retailers temporarily shutting up shop, browsing for your next read has suddenly become a lot more difficult – are retailers still accepting online orders? How long will it take for my book to arrive? Amazon, for one, is prioritizing essential (grocery and medical) orders, and so there may be longer lead-in times delivery on non-essentials. This is where ebooks swoop in and save the day. Postage and packaging? Not applicable! Long delivery times? Download and it’s on your e-reading device in seconds! Due to the lower costs of production and distribution, ebooks tend also to be considerably cheaper to buy than their physical counterparts, which can be appealing to those browsing online during those long days stuck at home.
Once the final files for your physical book have been approved for printing, we can begin work on an ebook version and would aim to have a proof to you within two weeks, which would give you time to accumulate reviews and feedback online that could then help to boost sales of the printed book upon its release further down the line. We offer a range of ebook marketing services designed to get reviews and feedback for our titles left on retailers’ sites, and again, these can help to drive interest in the ebook while also being there to use in any marketing you may carry out for a future paperback version.
If audio is more your thing, perhaps consider an audiobook version of your work. With many of us using this time of social distancing to start writing a novel, or finally get down to tackling those household jobs we’ve been putting off, an audiobook playing in the background is a great (and increasingly popular) way of accessing new titles. I’ve personally just started a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle (which I’m sure I’ll regret in a few days) and an audiobook playing in the background means I can still access my favourite books without having to stop what I’m doing! Troubador launched its audiobook production and distribution service in 2018 and offers professional recording and editing as well as distribution to major audiobook retailers including Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. Browse our range of talented voice-over artists and actors on our website, and contact us with any questions you might have.
