It’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for another posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.

Audio plays such a vital role in how we experience the world. Whether through the sound-effects in movies (Who can forget the Jaws sound-effect?) or being aware of what’s going on around us, audio cues us how to react.

Which is why it’s important as authors that we understand how audio can impact our business.

Some authors are using music to go with reels and other videos they are producing for social media to advertise their books (whether as an aesthetic or character stories). Others are recording short videos of themselves talking about their books which they share on various social media platforms (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc.).

I did an audio post for Instagram to let my followers know about my issue with Amazon.

Podcasts are also popular, especially among non-fiction authors. Just think of the many podcasts centring around writing and publishing that you listen to. Some accompany their podcasts with videos to share on platforms like YouTube to reach another audience.

I personally do a folklore podcast which ties to my writing. (Learn more about my podcast here.)

And, of course, audiobooks are the obvious audio companion of the fiction author. Your book can be an eBook, a paperback, a hardback, large print, have a special edition with foil covering – and it can be an audiobook.

Unlike social media and podcasts, audiobooks don’t have to be done by the author. Narrators can be hired to do the work. You can have your books digitally narrated. And you can be the narrator yourself. The options are endless.

You can learn more about my own audiobooks here.

There are so many avenues to pursue audio as an author and to grow your brand, audience and revenue. To ignore it, is leaving money on the table.

I’ll be delving into various aspects of the ways authors can use audio in their author business in a series of posts over the next couple of months. (I’ll update links below.) I also published a book (in all formats currently available to me) for you to delve into if you are interested to skip ahead and get the full benefit of my experience.

Adventures in Audio series:

• An Introduction to Audio Production
• Building a Recording Studio
• Recording and Publishing a Podcast
• Recording and Publishing Audiobooks

Have you ventured into the world of audio? How do you consume audio? You can find more author-centred posts here.

I have a book out to help authors with various parts of this audio journey:

Adventures in Audio: Audiobooks, Podcasts and More for Authors by Ronel Janse van Vuuren

Remember that you can request all of my books from your local library!

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