Selling podcasts/audiobooks is it possible?
Peter H.M. Brooks
Audiobooks are selling (even on the iTunes site) for good money, whilst
podcasts are all free.
Fair enough if the content is quite different. However, if you put
together a podcast, or series of podcasts that teach something useful -
how to play the trumpet or write a good dashboard widget, say -
wouldn't it be nice to be able to sell the course?
My idea would be to have an introduction that is free and covers the
topic briefly to give an idea of your style, pace and method. This
might be enough for many. If they like it, however, they could then pay
to subscribe to the rest of the podcasts/chapters/installments.
At the moment, it would be necessary to write an audiobook to do this.
However, most audiobooks are made from existing published books. I'd
like to produce a new book, entirely in audio to teach a subject (that
I teach already) and put it out there for people to buy.
Is this possible?
What is the best way of doing this?
Is it possible to use iTunes Podcasting for this?
How, if you can't use podcasting, can you get a new audiobook (that
isn't based on a print book) into the iTunes audiobook shop?
Richard Elswick
I expect to start publishing my own book there soon and possibly a friends as well.
I have not looked at making money via the audiobook from iTunes yet, but nice point about free verse profit.
Rich Elswick
Is this possible?
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Peter H.M. Brooks
I'm keen on the idea of being able to try something before buying it.
If somebody finds the introduction enough, or it isn't their style,
then everybody is happy. If they like the style and want more, then
they know what they're paying for and shouldn't be disappointed either.
nige101uk (podcastlive.co.uk)
work away for free on a chapter by chapter basis. Unabridged with a
standard intro and ending quoting the website you can buy the book at
should you not want to wait for the next thrilling installment. This,
to me seems like a better way to go and certainly more in keeping with
the ethos of the podcasting community. At the end of the day, readers
like to be able to hold something more tangible in their hands than a
collection of mp3s. Sales seem to continue even after the whole 'book'
has been podcast.
I've been involved in podcasting for little over a year and see the way
forward for people to be making money on side issues rather than the
podcast itself which I believe should remain free.
That's my 2 cents worth anyway.
Nigel
Seth Russell
I know that podcasting is very new, and even audiobooks quite new.
Audiobooks are selling (even on the iTunes site) for good money, whilst
podcasts are all free.
Fair enough if the content is quite different. However, if you put
together a podcast, or series of podcasts that teach something useful -
how to play the trumpet or write a good dashboard widget, say -
wouldn't it be nice to be able to sell the course?
My idea would be to have an introduction that is free and covers the
topic briefly to give an idea of your style, pace and method. This
might be enough for many. If they like it, however, they could then pay
to subscribe to the rest of the podcasts/chapters/installments.
At the moment, it would be necessary to write an audiobook to do this.
However, most audiobooks are made from existing published books. I'd
like to produce a new book, entirely in audio to teach a subject (that
I teach already) and put it out there for people to buy.
Is this possible?
Yes. There was some discussion of this on my blog see http://fastblogit.com/permalink/?item=2359 . Essentially if you have a blog where you can control the access of items pointing to the mp3 files of the "podcasts" and have a buy button on the introductory or teaser items, then you can easily sell audio books. If anyone is interested in actually doing this, i will be glad to take the small steps that are necessary to get from here to there.
Seth Russell
Web Developer
http://fastblogit.com/seth/
