Audiobook Manuscript Submission Guidelines

For Content Monsta Audiobook Production

Producing a professional audiobook requires more than recording a voice reading a book aloud.
Your manuscript must be prepared specifically for audio narration and compatibility with modern AI voice systems, including ElevenLabs.

To proceed with production, your manuscript must follow these standards exactly.
If it does not, production will pause until corrections are made.

1. Core Principle: Only What You Want Spoken

Your manuscript must contain only the words you want spoken aloud.
Every character will be treated as narration.

• No visual-only elements
• No formatting artifacts
• No headers, footers, or page numbers
• No hidden or decorative text
• No content that relies on visual context alone

If something should not be heard by a listener, it must not appear in the document.

2. Accepted File Formats

We accept only:

• Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx)
• Google Docs (edit or comment access)
• Plain text (.txt)

We do not accept:

• PDF files
• InDesign or Canva files
• EPUB, MOBI, or Kindle formats
• Locked or non-editable files
• Text embedded in images

Other formats must be converted and cleaned before submission.

3. Computer-Readable Text

Your manuscript must be 100 percent computer-readable text.

• All text must be selectable
• No scanned pages
• No text inside images
• No graphic-based charts or tables

If text cannot be copied and pasted cleanly, it is not ready for production.

** IMPORTANT NOTE ** It is good practice to break long paragraphs so that pauses occur in the reading.

4. Remove Page Artifacts

Audiobooks do not use pages.

• Page numbers
• Drop caps
• Running headers or footers
• Repeated book or author names
• Auto-repeated chapter titles
• Decorative dividers or symbols

5. Images and Visuals

Audiobooks cannot display visuals. Each image must be handled intentionally.

Your options:

1. Remove the image entirely
2. Replace it with a spoken-word description

Descriptions should be written as natural narration and placed exactly where they should be spoken.
Avoid references such as “above,” “below,” or “as you can see.”

6. Tables

Tables must be rewritten for audio.

• No grid-based tables
• No spreadsheet-style layouts
• No visually dependent column headers

Rewrite tables as short paragraphs or clear bullet points.

7. Bullet Points

• Keep bullets concise and conversational
• Avoid deep nesting
• Ensure each bullet makes sense when spoken
• Remove symbols without spoken meaning

Each bullet will be read as a complete statement.

8. Chapter Structure

Use clear, simple chapter titles that appear once, exactly as they should be spoken.

Recommended:

Each chapter must be given an “H1” header level in your Word or Google doc. This allows for us to easily identify your chapters and set them apart from other section divisions of your book.

• Chapter One: Introduction
• Chapter Two: The Core Concept

Avoid decorative formatting, stylized typography, or visual separators.

9. Punctuation and Readability

• Remove excessive capitalization
• Spell out acronyms on first use
• Confirm spelling of names and terms
• Use punctuation to reflect natural speech pacing

If a word is difficult to pronounce, add a phonetic spelling in parentheses on first use.

10. Final Checklist

• File is Word, Google Docs, or TXT
• All text is editable and selectable
• No PDFs, scanned pages, or image-based text
• No headers, footers, or page numbers
• Images removed or rewritten as narration
• Tables rewritten for audio
• Only spoken words remain
• Document reads smoothly out loud

Helpful test: read several pages aloud and revise anything that sounds awkward or visually dependent.

11. Submission Policy

Audiobook production cannot begin until a clean, compliant manuscript is received.

• Revisions will be requested if needed
• Production pauses until corrections are submitted

12. Recommendation

If your book was written for print, plan for a dedicated audio edit pass.
Audiobooks reward clarity, flow, and spoken rhythm.

Authors who prepare clean manuscripts consistently produce better audiobooks.