How to publish your audiobooks with Kobo Writing Life
Here at Kobo Writing Life, we recently launched the audiobook addition to our publishing platform. Since then, the market for audiobooks has risen exponentially, meaning there is no better time than now to get your audiobooks published. You’re never too late to get involved with something as exciting as audiobook publishing and distribution.
Plus, Kobo Writing Life does not require exclusivity for your audiobooks, AND we accept auto-narrated audiobooks as read by AI programs. We also offer promotional support for audiobooks and work with our authors to ensure that your audiobook reaches as wide an audience as possible.
Uploading audiobooks and publishing with Kobo Writing Life can be completed in 10 simple steps:
1. Request audiobook access
2. Select “create new audiobook"
3. Fill out your audiobook’s metadata
4. Choose your categories
5. Upload your cover
6. Upload your audio files
7. Organize your files (by creating a table of contents)
8. Select the countries wherein you hold the rights to your audiobook
9. Set the price
10. Publish!
For a more comprehensive breakdown of each step, check out our instructions here.
Now, on to some frequently asked questions!
Is there a size limit to audio files?
Yes! An individual file cannot exceed 200 MB in size and all files combined cannot exceed 2 GB in size.
Do you accept auto-narrated audiobooks?
Yes! If you do use AI narration for your audiobook, we simply ask that you indicate this in your metadata by a) mentioning that your book is auto-narrated somewhere in the description and b) attributing the narrator to the name of the AI voice used (as seen in the Google Play narrators – all of them have mononyms).
Do you require exclusivity?
No! We do not require exclusivity at all. You publish your audiobooks with us as well as other platforms.
Do you have promotions for audiobooks?
Yes! We frequently have promotional opportunities specifically for audiobooks. Plus, every year we celebrate audiobook month in June with merchandising and sales, so be sure to join the celebration next year!
Do you offer other merchandising opportunities for audiobooks?
Yes! We frequently feature audiobooks as points of discussion on our podcast, our blog, and more. If you are interested in learning more, contact us at writinglife@kobo.com
KWL has also put together an audiobook – or, rather, a podiobook – all about audiobooks. This free download features a compilation of several of our popular podcast episodes all about the art and crafting of audiobooks.
And, lastly, if you’re looking to begin your audiobook publishing journey, we highly recommend this informative video on how audiobook uploads work on KWL. As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact our team at writinglife@kobo.com.