The publisher produces the audiobook, but Authors have little creative control over the book’s production, distribution, or marketing. When an Author signs a traditional publishing contract, they turn control over to the publisher. Then, the publisher has the right to make all the money that comes from the book’s sales (minus an Author’s negotiated royalty). On the other hand, traditional publishers purchase the rights to Authors’ books with an upfront payment called an advance. Most importantly, the Author retains all rights to their book and all the profits. They also get to specify which audio changes they’d like before the book is released. Typically, Authors have a say in how the narrator sounds. With a production company, Authors pay a flat fee, a per-finished-hour rate (PFH), or, in rarer cases, a portion of future royalties in exchange for an audio version of their book. They aren’t looking for a traditional publisher, a.k.a., a company that buys and controls the rights to the book. Most self-published Authors are in the market for a production company, a.k.a., a company that helps them produce an audiobook.

There’s a big difference between a “publisher” and a “production company.”

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