As an author in today’s diverse publishing landscape, and a prolific narrator who has worked on over 40 books to date, I know the allure of getting your book into as many formats as possible is tempting. With audiobooks gaining in popularity, platforms like KDP offering Virtual Voice AI narration in beta might appear as a golden opportunity to quickly and cheaply convert your eBooks into audiobooks.
Especially if hiring a professional narrator or doing it yourself has been cost and time prohibitive up until now.
However, before diving into the world of AI-narrated audiobooks, it’s crucial to understand the potential long-term implications this shortcut might have on both your sales and author brand, if those sorts of things matter to you.
Again, I obviously may have a bias toward human narration but my years of narration are not a factor in some of my points below. I have also used Google Voices early in 2023 to test the waters with creating audiobooks for my two Spanish translated books without breaking the bank, so I relate to fellow authors who are weighing the pros and cons of this.
I also am not facing this with my head buried in the sand; I believe AI WILL get better and better, and eventually AI-generated narration will become close to indistinguishable from human narration.
But we’re not there yet.
So until we are, I still want to throw out some considerations so you can make the best decision possible about whether virtual voices is worth it in the long run.
I also concede some of these thoughts are hypotheticals I could be wrong about, while others are using logical outcomes, as well.
First impressions are lasting
The quality of an audiobook can significantly influence a listener’s first impression of your work. AI, while advanced, still often lacks the ability to convey the emotional depth and nuanced storytelling that a professional human narrator offers. For many listeners, a bland or monotone AI voice could be their first and last encounter with your work, potentially skewing their perception of your overall storytelling abilities permanently, even if unfairly.
I recently tried listening to the audiobook of a colleague and I couldn’t make it past the half hour mark or so before giving up. The AI struggled to properly cite Scripture references, pronounce names correctly, and deal with nuance like a skilled human narrator would. I had patience and understanding as, again, I’m a human narrator. But what about a first time listener dipping their toe in the audiobook waters and this is their first experience?
Brand perception and overall experience
Audiobooks are not merely an alternative format—they are an extension of your brand. A poorly received AI-narrated audiobook might lead potential readers to perceive all your formats—eBook, print, and audio—as inferior. This assumption could deter them from exploring your work further, thereby affecting your brand’s reputation and decreasing the likelihood of future sales across all platforms.
The value of word-of-mouth
In the literary world, recommendations are gold. A compelling, emotionally engaging audiobook narrated by a skilled human can turn passive listeners into active promoters of your work. This organic marketing is invaluable.
On the contrary, AI-generated audiobooks might not inspire the same enthusiasm and could lead to less favorable reviews, limiting your exposure and potential sales growth.
Meeting listener expectations
Listeners today expect a high-quality audio experience. They look for the kind of engaging, dynamic storytelling that human narrators excel at delivering. AI-generated narration, often lacking in personality and adaptability, can fall short of these expectations, potentially leading listeners to abandon the audiobook, and with it, a develop a negative impression of the associated eBook and print versions.
For fiction especially, human narration will continue to be a strong market as AI still has not mastered the variety of voices and nuance humans can. Human narrators can understand and interpret literary devices such as irony, sarcasm, and humor in ways that AI typically cannot.
However, non-fiction, which I specialize in, is more informational, so the utilitarian digital voices may be more acceptable. But ask yourself this; would individuals who routinely utilize text-to-speech for non-fiction material actually invest in AI-generated audiobooks, given they already have access to a similar technology at no cost?
Time will tell.
Long-term financial impact?
While the initial costs of AI narration might seem low, the potential decrease in book sales across all formats due to poor reception can be much more costly in the long run. Engaging a professional human narrator might require a higher upfront investment, but it also offers a higher potential return through better listener engagement, stronger sales, and a more robust fan base.
Building a loyal audience
The journey of building a loyal readership requires connecting with your audience on an emotional level. Human narrators can make your characters come alive, delivering performances that resonate and remain with listeners long after the story ends. This emotional connection is hard to replicate with AI, potentially making it more challenging to build a dedicated following.
What about releasing an AI version first to “test the waters” and THEN later hire a narrator if sales are good?
Consider the consumer’s choice between purchasing a frozen, oven-ready pizza and dining at a finer restaurant. The frozen pizza represents a convenient and cost-effective option; it’s readily available, quick to serve, and fits a tight budget. On the other hand, dining out at a finer restaurant for a freshly-made pizza offers a premium experience; the ambiance, the service, and the superior taste of a pizza made by culinary experts.
In this scenario, the sales of frozen pizzas wouldn’t necessarily provide accurate data on whether a finer restaurant would flourish in the same environment or circumstances. Many customers prioritize quality, experience, and the pleasure of eating a meal prepared by a skilled chef, despite the higher cost.
That said, if a customer purchased your pizza expecting delivery from your restaurant but instead received a frozen pizza with oven instructions, they’d be disappointed.
Similarly, while AI-generated audiobooks provide accessibility and affordability, they cannot yet fully replicate the immersive and emotive experience delivered by a talented human narrator. Therefore, judging the potential success of human-narrated audiobooks solely by the performance of their AI-generated counterparts will likely be misleading if used to determine whether to invest in a fine dining Italian restaurant, so to speak.
Each product appeals to different segments of the market. Some consumers will always prefer the convenience and price point of AI and are willing to tolerate deficiencies that come with it, while others are willing to pay a premium for the enhanced experience offered by human narration. Thus, it’s crucial for an author to understand these market dynamics and consider providing both options to cater effectively to diverse listener preferences.
Conclusion (for now)
Choosing the right mode of narration for your audiobook is a critical decision that goes beyond mere cost analysis. As tempting as it may be to use AI for its speed and affordability, the potential damage to your sales and brand might outweigh these initial benefits.
Investing in human talent not only preserves the integrity of your narrative but also enhances your chances of success in the competitive literary market. Remember, in the world of storytelling, quality should never be compromised.
