So you’ve thought about turning one of your beloved creations into an audiobook. You’ve thought about it a lot. For a long time. If you’re a self-published author, you’ve already covered similar territory in the long journey to seeing your words on the printed page and in the hands of someone else: a stranger, a disinterested reader, a buyer. There is so much to learn when embarking on the self-publication journey beyond the scope of writing a great book. And, now, you have to learn a whole new set of distinctions, technologies, sources, and skills in order to give voice to your words and add a new product to your portfolio. Daunting, right?

I thought about it for ages before I took the plunge. My middle grade tearjerker, Believe, is relatively successful on Amazon, selling 200–500 copies a month, except for December, when it hits the thousand range. Consequently, I started to receive queries from companies offering to buy the rights to produce it as an audiobook, as well as narrators and other professionals. I came close to selling off the rights, but, in the end, I couldn’t quite do it. As an indie author, I’ve gotten used to calling all the shots. What if I didn’t like the end result? Did I really want to part with my full panoply of rights and benefits for a period of seven years? How much would it really take to learn to do this myself?

I suppose I should have known how I would answer these questions. My approach to self-publishing, ever since the fateful day I lost my agent and took that fork in the road, has been to do almost everything myself. I sub out the cover design and hire a copyeditor, but I format the interior and handle all the production and marketing of my books, and, although it is a labor, I suppose it is one of love.

Once I had decided to produce an audiobook, my first step was to transform a large closet off an unused bedroom into an audio booth with the addition of some foam tiles and to research and purchase a microphone array. There are endless resources online about what to purchase and where and the decisions to be made along the way. The research was significant, but not too daunting nor too technical. I had chosen to narrate the book myself as well as edit and master the audio files, and that required similar research, but, in the end, the process was relatively simple—if time-consuming. After many weeks of trial and error, and lots of growth as a narrator and editor, I finally had a finished product that I distributed through ACX on Amazon, which is where most (but not all) of my books sell.

I published in May 2024, and since then, according to my trusty dashboard, have sold 89 copies. I have also been named a finalist in a delightful indie contest, the Wishing Shelf Book Awards, which uses U.K. primary and secondary school students as judges.

I would not say that the addition of this asset to my portfolio has been a resounding financial success—not yet—but I have found it to be tremendously enriching. There is something about diving into your work from this new perspective that is surprisingly intimate as you rediscover familiar ground.

I’ve begun production on Vasilisa now, the first book in my Old Rus series based on Russian and Ukrainian folklore, and this time I’m working with a narrator, a friend and theater professional who brings my witches and ogres to life. Here is another win-win: in our burgeoning joint venture, she is developing new skills, and I am hearing Vasilisa dramatized in a way that I would never be able to accomplish. Needless to say, I’m hooked. Once mastered, any new set of skills is yours forever, as are the assets you create.

Would I recommend this for everyone? Probably not, or at least not the way I’m doing it. There are so many ways to share the burden of production if you’re willing to spend a bit of money and do the research to find your way forward. But, for those of us who like to own all of it, I highly recommend learning to do most of it yourself. The empowerment, the discovery, the joy are well worth the effort—as is the partnership if you can find people and friends who want to share the journey with you. If you decide, like me, to take the plunge, just remember to hold your expectations lightly and to look for the hidden benefits along the way. And, when you see that new product on your digital shelf, take a moment to appreciate all the effort and learning that went into creating it. That is the true joy of the indie journey.

Julie Mathison is the founder of Starr Creek Press and the author of four novels for young readers.