Apple increases royalties

[Mammasan]

Got this email from Findaway today.

"We've got great news to share with you today: your Apple Books royalty rate has increased from 25% to 45%!

Since you've published a book with Findaway Voices, we wanted to let you know that the new royalty rate is taking effect over the next 48 hours. Apple Books is also now accepting the retail list price you've previously set for your audiobook."

[Vidya]

thanks for the info. Do you think it would now be worth hosting an audiobook only on Apple Books and directing our ebook readers to that?

[Astrid Torquay]

I'm just starting production of an audiobook with Findaway and was happy to see this message.

ACX is not a possibility for me, and I worried that I would miss out because of the lower royalties from going wide, although if ACX was an option I would have worried about the 7-year clause. (There's always something to worry about!)

But this is encouraging -- it suggests that other retailers are going to seriously try to compete with ACX on the reported audiobook boom, by trying to get more and better content.

[Mammasan]

thanks for the info. Do you think it would now be worth hosting an audiobook only on Apple Books and directing our ebook readers to that?

I'm afraid I have no idea. I am the world's worst marketer.

[Bill Hiatt]

thanks for the info. Do you think it would now be worth hosting an audiobook only on Apple Books and directing our ebook readers to that?

The problem is not knowing what share of the audiobook market Apple has. (It's always irked me that ACX doesn't break down sales by outlet. I can tell how many Amazon sales I get on audiobooks through Author Central, but I have no way to divide the Audible and Apple sales.)

My gut reaction is that strategy might get you more royalties on the books you sell, but it could cause a significant drop in the number of sales.