@darcy - this is a super helpful article. Question about read-to-me/read-along formats. How does this process work? Do you have to prep the files specifically for this format prior to upload (eg insert audio into a fixed format epub file), or does the app do it for you if you provide both audio and epub files? And if the former, are you doing this yourself or do you hire it out. I've been researching and it feels fairly onerous to try to figure it out myself...
@darcy - this is a super helpful article. Question about read-to-me/read-along formats. How does this process work? Do you have to prep the files specifically for this format prior to upload (eg insert audio into a fixed format epub file), or does the app do it for you if you provide both audio and epub files? And if the former, are you doing this yourself or do you hire it out. I've been researching and it feels fairly onerous to try to figure it out myself...
The read-to-me format totally depends on the platform. When EPIC! does it, I just give them an ebook and audio files and they create it.
I've created read-to-me and it is indeed hard. You can sell it on GooglePlay and, I think, on Apple. But outside the apps, it's not worth it.
For example, I licensed this book to another company to create a read-to-me version. They charge $19.99 for it because it's enhanced, and I get few sales: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Darcy_Pattison_The_Nantucket_Sea_Monster?id=UoVDDwAAQBAJ
Instead, people buy this one for $5.99: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Darcy_Pattison_The_Nantucket_Sea_Monster_6_8_histo?id=YDORDwAAQBAJ
That is, IF they buy either. For only ~$10/month, you can get an app with 40,000 ebooks and lots of audiobooks. That's what parents choose to do.
Thanks, appreciate the candid feedback.