Generate Amazon/Audible Audiobooks in Minutes with AI

[@steveweyerts]

My KDP does not yet have the audio option?

[@mlp4apc]

It's only through invite.

[@ButterFly-jm2fb]

Cannot see any audiobook add button, sorry.

[@ivnpck2911]

11/13/2024 the audiobook option is option is not available

[@jerimassi1889]

The reason some of you can't see the audiobook add button is because as of this writing, Amazon is still doing this as a Beta Testing exercise, and so the more prolific/successful Amazon writers are getting "invited" to be Beta Testers. When I started, the audiobook interface didn't work properly and messed up my entire KDP interface for three days. But, once "invited" to be a Beta Tester, you can't refuse. Bear in mind, the man narrating this video is simply pushing a button, doing no editing or correcting whatsoever, and generating crap AI versions of his crap AI books. Yes you can do that, and you can do that all the way up until KDP starts eliminating crap written books. Because that is coming too. You may have noticed KDP inserting a questionaire about how much you are relying on AI for text and artwork. That's step one of clearing out the stuff that is majority-AI generated. All the time that KDP is developing AI tools to assist writers, they are also developing algorithms to find AI generated books that are crap. There will be a sweep, and they will get rid of those books and get rid of those "authors". So write your books. Don't generate AI crap books. And when you get the opportunity to do audio, go through your text-based book with the audiobook interface, and apply edits and pronunication corrections. That will be how you stay alive on KDP.

[@Qpublishing09]

Thank you i should have read this an hour ago LOL, appreciated

[@PulpParadise]

Regarding "write your own book" and "crap AI books," I've tortured myself by reading books that are written by a multiple bestselling author (before the AI was an option) who I tried simply because of the person's record. WORST books ever. I tried multiple books by this author but they all just plain sucked. Meanwhile, I have read many AI generated stories (not sure about books so far) that were good. AI also understands grammar, spelling, and more, something that is severely lacking in the current education system, from what I've seen. I have no problem allowing AI to assist me when writing and my initial comment shows that more people should as well. I understand the whole "it's not fair" bit about AI being so much faster and/or better, but take it from someone who's first typewriter was a manual, sometimes it's just better to embrace the new technology and move on. The technology isn't going away, no matter how much you may want it to. Big business is using AI and that's not going away either. My guess is that Amazon is closely monitoring the results of the AI books and will only cull if they feel the need to. Don't hold your breath on that one; as mentioned above, absolutely horrible books are selling on Amazon every single day. Amazon gets a healthy chunk of other people's work and they don't want to kill that particular golden goose.

[@jerimassi1889]

@@PulpParadise geez, practice brevity! Or did you let AI write that overlong mansplaining sermons to me?

[@rodluc2001]

8 minutes of video and at the end you don't even let us hear the result? What's the point?

[@jerrygray5510]

This option is not showing up on my KDP account.

[@RidleyPark]

It's funny that Amazon exempts itself from abiding by its own rules. ACX does not accept non-human-narrated books, and doesn't accept padding around rectangular books as a cover image, yet it does both here. 🤣 smh Just thought I'd mention it.

[@MrMiaumee]

Technically it is, because ACX is not the same as KDP so they can afford to play around. The AI-narrated books are here to stay and you can bet that Amazon is trying to incorporate to ensure that they can compete with other big tech companies.

[@PulpParadise]

This was my thought as well, but since this video is 9 months old, I think I'll see if that has changed since then.

[@dawngreenfieldireland8661]

Amazon's Virtual Voice is in Beta and is not released to all KDP authors. I have 18 novels and 7 nonfiction books and I don't have it on KDP yet.

[@writerbyluck]

Your video is very helpful! Thank you!

[@AuthorBrianJackson]

Ingrid, thanks for the reply. I'm glad you liked it :-).

[@writerbyluck]

I shared it with a friend who right now is paying a fair amount of money for a traditional human reader. I am with you in the camp of offer the audio versions and edit if necessary but at a cost 3.99 who is to argue?@@AuthorBrianJackson

[@AuthorBrianJackson]

Ingrid, thanks for sharing. :-) ---Brian

[@RNontherun]

Is this for ebook only?

[@kennedyreid2504]

thank you!

[@AuthorBrianJackson]

Kennedy, you're welcome :-).

[@KH-bi3fr]

But it also says I must list my books on their Select distribution which means Amazon has exclusive rights to distribute even my print copy of the book.

[@AuthorBrianJackson]

I never saw the requirement. Note the their Select program only applies to eBooks.

[@UConceptPublishing]

the thing is that it's still in beta and not everyone gets the link to created the virtual voices

[@eclecticdreams]

As someone who has listened to a fair amount of AI voice generated audiobooks-- *please* use the editors of whatever AI voice program you use to fix Pronunciation issues! It's so annoying to hear things like, "The tears rolled down her cheeks," mispronounced as, "The tares rolled down her cheeks." If you see the value in hiring an editor to edit your book for things like typos and spelling mistakes, you should see the value in going through and fixing the pronunciation errors that an AI voice will make. It's time consuming, and sometimes even a bit difficult to find a workable fix, but do you really want to be charging people money for audio with glaring errors in it?

[@AuthorBrianJackson]

Wow! Excellent input. Thanks :-).

[@chrischater8645]

Great video, Brian! Thank you.

[@BrianJackson2]

Chris, you're welcome :-). ---Brian

[@MyLife3636]

This is a horrific thing for hard-working narrators who are so much better than anything AI!

[@MrMiaumee]

It is, but the market is amoral. The same thing had happened to hotel, taxi drivers, and it's just going to happen to other industries at a larger scale...

[@AremuJejeofdavillage]

I need a narrator 😢 where is the best place to find them? Are there places besides Fiverr?

[@silentdreams1220]

Do you have to be a published author? I've heard so many ads for AI generated books that you can "build" then have them published on Amazon and Audible, as well as other platforms. But those webinars was $4K from you to teach you.

[@dmandrewsauthor]

Can't see it - must only be rolled out to some authors or only to US.

[@AuthorBrianJackson]

DM, sorry to read this. The US is often first with other countries following. All the best.

[@dmandrewsauthor]

@@AuthorBrianJackson Still waiting for Kindle Vella here in the UK too ;) No problem.

[@softsoundart7460]

I don't have the link either and I'm in the US. I wonder if it's still in beta.

[@mandywarchola]

I can’t see it either. How do you get it?

[@dmandrewsauthor]

You can't get it until KDP release it to you..I read that it was in beta. It has been rolled out in the US but possibly not to everyone in the US yet, and I believe only certain books qualify too@@mandywarchola

[@HillsgroveMike]

YEA!!!!!!!

[@jillkthomas]

thanks for this, just got my email from KDP letting me know i can participate in this. All over it. Thanks for showing us what it looks like.

[@Qpublishing09]

Its by invitation only from KDP themselves that BS

[@Observer111]

Hello Mr. Jackson. I cannot in good conscience come out in favor of ai read audiobooks. KZbin is infested with ai generated content from producers whose only goal is to put up ai generated "content" using ai generated "voice" with kitten videos backing it for instance. Other content concerning men's issues are being produced in "video factories" pumping out several duplicates of the same content with slight variations. The content and the sound and pronunciation is garbage. The only aim is to generate enough content quickly to get pay from youtube the lazy way. Pronunciation is not even considered. The tone is robotic and annoying. The almighty dollar is all that is considered without a single thought to producing entertaining or informative or quality content. You might think it's a great thing, but, I'd advise you to think again. Personally I've purchased and listened to hundreds of book from Audible read enjoyably by human narrators who are skilled at what they do. No more. I'm killing my subscription. I will not support a company that sells annoying garbage like ai robo-speech.

[@AuthorBrianJackson]

Thanks for the reply. You're right. Having spent weeks recording Audible audiobooks and hundreds of dollars hiring narrators on ACX, I am of course thrilled to see a new book promotional avenue for my sagging book line(s) that I can implement with virtually no effort. I love getting feedback from the listener's side. You're right. Audiobook voices are still annoying, but that's changing fast. As a listener, I look forward to, someday, being able to listen to any book I want in any voice I want with perfect timing and pronunciation. Like it or not, I think you're swimming against an inevitable tide. AI is already everywhere and it's spreading fast. All the best, and again, thanks for commenting :-).

[@Observer111]

@@AuthorBrianJackson Thanks for your reply Mr. Jackson. Yes. It's an inevitable tide. That is why I call it an infestation in the same way covid was. That doesn't make it good or right. It's just another symptom of our times. I'll deal with it in my way. All the best to you anyway.