HERE'S HOW WE TURNED OUR HIT PODCAST 'MIJA' INTO AN AUDIOBOOK IN 5 EASY STEPS

Feb 8 2024, Dispatch from Ochenta’s Paris office

When we launched in 2019 with our flagship series ‘Mija’ we knew we wanted to make a splash. It was a first-of-its-kind series written, produced and published in 3 languages featuring a singular voice. Mija skyrocketed to #1 in its category with its first season, and for every season launch since. So when we signed a historic partnership to bring Mija to the audiobook world we knew we had a big challenge before us: Making sure we made the best product for our podcast fans around the world in multiple languages, and making the best product for audiobook listeners to discover for the first time. Here’s how we did it:

STEP 1: MAINTAINING OWNERSHIP AND CREATIVE CONTROL

Ensure you have complete ownership of the content to ensure quality control of the transformation of the creative.

From the very beginning of the Ochenta adventure we focused on creating and developing valuable IP. In total, we have 17 titles and counting in a number of languages, ripe for adaptation.

In mapping out the additional content we’d be building out for this new audiobook version of Mija, we were able to analyze the source material directly, and make the difficult editorial choices about what stays and what goes OURSELVES.

Making sure we maintained our creative ownership and vision in the adaptation was crucial to making sure the audiobook adaptation was authentic and resonated with audiences old and new.

STEP 2: UNDERSTANDING THE AUDIENCE Make sure you understand your podcast AND potential audiobook audiences before diving in.

Mija is a show about immigration, and highlighting the nuances of multiculturalism for first and second generation immigrants. So we made sure the adaptation used language and discourse that could resonate with audiences that are listening to similar audiobook titles. Our podcast fans listen to other kinds of shows that deal with these themes, so it made sense for us to look at book genres and categories that match the themes of the audiobook to make sure we’re making an audiobook that matches the audience’s interests.

By doing a bit of market research, we learned  what our audiobook neighborhood looks like: fans of books like Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Americanah, The Good Immigrant, The House on Mango Street would also like our Mija.

That made it easier for us to project and plan the content to make sure the Mija audiobook compliments the ideal listener’s audio library.

STEP 3: WRITE THAT (AUDIO) BOOK!

You’re producing a new product for purchase, so make sure you create additional content that is worth paying for.

Here’s where it gets fun. Writing and planning additional content for the audiobook is a delightful experience. Especially if you’re adapting something you’ve had in archive for quite a while. We chose to adapt the very first season of Mija, originally released in 2019, so revisiting the content with a 2023 eye made a huge difference in the kind of audiobook content we produced.

Aside from making it relevant to today’s listener, the most important thing was to make sure we created NEW content that would be worth paying for.

For Mija, we immediately identified a clear editorial thread of ‘behind-the-scenes’ and the ‘truth-behind-the-fiction’ that we’d never explored before in the podcast.

The idea that the audiobook adaptation holds never-before-heard content is a unique selling point that should be at the forefront of any adaptation strategy.

In choosing where to focus your editorial line, remember to think about what your target audience would be most interested in.

STEP 4: PRODUCTION

Produce that audiobook, but make sure you get those audio specs right!

Now that you’ve written those extra chapters, it’s time to produce that extra content and remaster your existing content into a fully-fledged audiobook product that combines the best of both worlds.

For Mija, we decided to remaster old episodes and add chapter-by-chapter commentary so the listening experience could be akin to listening to a track-by-track commentary of a music album. For us that made the most sense: highlight the best parts of the original content and give listeners both old and new a nuanced perspective on the story.

Our biggest challenge was to mix those sessions down to audiobook specs, which aren’t the same as your typical podcast. Make sure you double check the sound design specs from your audiobook distribution channel to make sure you have the right ones. Additionally, if you did use any sound effects or music, make sure you’re aware of any restrictions regarding their use in multimedia outside of podcasts.

STEP 5: PUBLISH AND SELL, SELL, SELL

Find the right distribution channel to publish and sell your new audiobook.

So you’ve finished your podcast audiobook! Now it’s time to hit publish. Choose a publishing date with your audience needs in mind. Certain genres are more popular than others during specific seasons of the year, so watch for any holidays or dates that can coincide with your audiobook launch.

For Mija, we wanted to use the show as a starting point for our new slate of audiobooks, so we launched in January, but make sure you choose the best period to launch for your genre of  content.

Once you’ve chosen a distribution partner to sell the books, take advantage of your built-in customer base to make your first sale: Your podcast fans!

Promote the book as you would a new season, and make sure you give your podcast audience a sneak peak, and priority in your promotion strategy.

They’ll be the first ones to buy your books and get you on the radar of that brand new audiobook audience too.

WANT TO HOP ON THE AUDIOBOOK TRAIN?

CONTACT US FOR A CONSULT TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON OUR NEW PODCAST-TO-AUDIOBOOK SERVICE AND DISCOVER OUR FIRST 7 AUDIOBOOK TITLES ALREADY AVAILABLE IN YOUR FAVORITE AUDIOBOOK STORE IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH AND ITALIAN ( INSERT LINK TO LANDING PAGE FOR AUDIOBOOKS. ) -

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