4 Self-Publishing Secrets: Audiobooks, Pricing, Keywords

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The four self-publishing secrets I keep coming back to: make audiobooks, price your ebooks for a healthy margin, pick your keywords before you write, and keep practicing, because it gets easier. Many people say the time for self-publishing is over. It is not. More people than ever own a phone or tablet that can read Kindle books and play audiobooks, and that keeps the market growing.

But a growing market does not mean you will make money. Most self-published books sell very little, and the usual reasons come down to these four points.

1. Why should I make audiobooks?

Audiobook sales grew 9% in 2025 to $2.43 billion, according to the Audio Publishers Association. I read two or three books a week and often look for the latest business books in audio, and many times they are not available. That gap is the opportunity.

You can produce an audiobook without paying anything up front by using ACX, where a narrator works for a share of the royalties. I would still avoid splitting royalties if you can afford to pay a narrator a flat fee, because owning the book fully yourself is better in the long run. You can also narrate the book yourself. ACX’s royalty model changed in 2026: for new users from 26-May-26, ACX lists 50% for exclusive distribution and 30% for non-exclusive, and it says the legacy royalty model will be discontinued by the end of the year. Check ACX’s current terms for your country before you start.

The step-by-step process is in how to get your audiobooks produced on ACX. Audiobooks are also one of the more passive income streams once they are live.

2. How should I price my ebook?

Choosing the wrong price will cost you. Most authors price their ebooks too low, and the key to making real money is a healthy profit margin. On Amazon.com, KDP’s 70% royalty option covers list prices from $2.99 to $12.99 (since 7-Jul-26; the top used to be $9.99). Below $2.99 the 35% rate applies, so a 99 cent book earns very little per sale.

Review your prices from time to time. If a book is not selling at all, a price change may help. If it is selling well, you may be able to raise the price. The right price depends on your genre and your readers, which is something I help authors work out in coaching. If you are tempted by 99 cents, read how authors who sell ebooks for 99 cents justify the time first.

3. Why do keywords matter most?

Unless you are famous and people already know and love you, they will find you through keywords. This is the single most important thing to think about before you write a book. Choose keywords that readers already search for and that sell books, then check that the niche is not already crowded. A tool like Publisher Rocket makes this much faster.

Most people ignore this and publish books with titles nobody is searching for. Then they are surprised when nobody buys, and some decide that book marketing is dead when the real problem was the keywords.

4. Does self-publishing get easier?

Yes. The more you practice the skills of self-publishing, the easier it gets. I remember struggling with each skill at the start. There are a thousand ways to do any task, and that can tempt you to give up. The right help speeds this up. With coaching, you get straight answers and a clear next step, and producing a new book soon becomes second nature.

I have been reading Hustle: The Power to Charge Your Life with Money, Meaning, and Momentum, which points out that staying in the ring and trying over and over again is the key to “getting lucky”. That is something I need reminding of, and perhaps you do too.

Should I put my ebook in KDP Select?

Only if you are happy to sell that ebook on Amazon alone. KDP Select is a free program with a 90-day enrollment period. During it, the Kindle ebook can be sold only through KDP and public libraries, though you can still sell print and other formats elsewhere. Enrollment renews automatically unless you turn renewal off, and you can cancel within three days of the start. Whether it pays depends on your genre, so make it a test you can undo rather than a default.

If you would like a clear plan for your next book, book a free 25-minute discovery call with me.

~ Chris Baird

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