Breaking Barriers in Audiobook Publishing: Cody Sisco’s Broken Mirror and the Future of Self-Published Audio

Cody Sisco just made history.

His sci-fi novel Broken Mirror is the first full-length book to be fully produced and published using Spoken’s purpose-built studio workflow. In a publishing landscape where audiobooks are expensive and time-consuming to produce, Cody has proved that there’s another way—one that dramatically reduces cost, effort, and time, while expanding creative possibilities for indie authors.

Spoken is revolutionizing self-published audio, and Broken Mirror is the proof. With a stunning 53-chapter production featuring multi-character narration, Cody has unlocked a new kind of immersive storytelling—one that feels less like a traditional audiobook and more like a radio play for the modern era.

From Beta to Breakthrough

Cody first started experimenting with Spoken’s platform last fall. “It was a previous version,” he recalls, “and I could upload a few chapters, but the ability to create a full-length audiobook in chapters—working with it like a real book—hadn’t been implemented yet.” When the full functionality arrived, he knew it was time. “I thought, ‘This is really cool. I can actually do this.’”

The project quickly became more than just an audio adaptation; it became an artistic experiment in casting, performance, and adaptation. Rather than using a single narrator—the standard format for most self-published audiobooks—Cody tapped into Spoken’s library of voice actors to cast his characters, carefully selecting the right voices to bring them to life.

“What Spoken has created with multi-character narration is almost closer to a radio play,” Cody explains. “If the writing and the performance come together in the right way, the characters really come alive. It’s something completely new that indie authors wouldn’t have been able to do before.”

The scale of the project was unprecedented: 54 different character voices. Even Cody didn’t realize just how vast his cast was until one of Spoken’s co-founders, Phil Marshall, pointed it out.

“Phil Marshall did a shoutout today and said there were 54 characters in the book, and I was like, ‘I didn’t even realize that.’”

Building an Audio Cast: The Creative Challenge

Beyond just the number of characters, Cody faced the challenge of choosing the right voices for each role—an experience he describes as an unexpectedly engaging creative exercise.

“It was almost like a casting call,” he says. “I had to match what was possible with what my vision for each character was. Some voices were perfect right away, others I had to tweak. But overall, it was an exciting way to see the story come to life.”

One of the most compelling aspects of Spoken’s system is that when an actor’s voice clone is used, they get paid. While Spoken supports AI-generated narration, supporting actor’s voice clones ensures that human voice actors still have a stake in the future of audio self-publishing.

The Future of Indie Audiobooks

Cody sees Spoken as more than just a tool for production; he sees it as a new kind of publishing ecosystem. “We’re still figuring out what the new creative economy for audio publishing looks like,” he explains.

The platform offers a low-cost, DIY alternative to expensive studio recordings, democratizing audiobook production in the same way self-publishing revolutionized ebooks. Traditionally, an audiobook can cost thousands of dollars to produce, with uncertain returns for indie authors. With Spoken, the cost is a fraction of that, opening the door for more authors to bring their books to life in audio.

“I often tell authors to read their work aloud—it’s one of the best ways to refine your writing. Spoken takes that idea to the next level. You don’t just read it; you hear it performed. You experience it in a new way.”

And Spoken’s potential doesn’t stop there. Cody envisions a future where authors collaborate with their audiences to make creative choices—perhaps even letting listeners vote on which voices suit their favorite characters.

What’s Next for Cody—and for Spoken?

Cody isn’t done yet. With Broken Mirror now live on Spoken, he’s already thinking about what’s next.

“I know I need to take a break,” he laughs, “but I’m already thinking about uploading the sequel. And a related short story. And maybe something brand new. It’s kind of addictive.”

And with a platform like Spoken, it’s easy to see why. The technology is enabling authors to do what was once impossible, and Cody Sisco’s work is the first—but certainly not the last—full-length novel to prove what’s possible.

If you’re an indie author wondering whether Spoken is worth trying, Cody has some simple advice:

“You never know what will give you new insight into your creative process or spark fresh ideas. For me, Spoken did that. So why not give it a shot?”

Listening Is

Believing Is

Listening Is Believing Is

Spoken Beta V0.8: Introducing Discovery On Spoken, Lexicon, and more!

Since some of our more groundbreaking enhancements of our V0.7 release including single-sitting full audiobook narration and custom-generated character voices, we're settling in to a few important requests, the ones from YOU!

We’ve now added email and password as a way to register for Spoken, but with our V0.8 release today we have added a number of other important enhancements. We're listening (because you're listening)!

Let’s dive in.

“On Spoken” Updates, driven by Playlists, Topics of Interest, and Techie Things

This, no doubt, will be the first thing you'll notice about the release: Our updates to the On Spoken page. The first "carousels" you'll see are curated lists from our content team. This is the new concept of Playlists, and soon (next release) users will be able to create and share their own.

Listeners have asked that we make it easy to find and discover the projects and writers that match the genres and projects they like, and  the writers they already follow. Using our new Topics of Interest list (more information on that below), we now rotate a genre carousel of projects from each of the topics that you follow. This new layer of personalization should help listeners more quickly find the authors, and stories, they’ll love.

We also now rotate through the authors you follow to suggest similar authors.

And we rotate through the projects you like to suggest similar projects.

Topics of interest

Listeners asked that we improve our personalization of content on our On Spoken page, and we're starting by requiring every user choose at least three topics of interest so that we personalized content by genre. This is the beginning of our framework for a unique project discovery experience that will grow significantly over time. If you’re familiar with Spoken already, you know about our channel tag system. This enhancement builds on that foundation (with more expected in the next release).

With every genre in our Explore page, or for any channel tag you click on, you can follow that topic.

Drag to reorder

Users can reorder their projects on their profile page by dragging the corner handle.

Lexicon: 

You (especially you SciFi and Fantasy writers) have asked us for it, and we're listening: The ability to detect, and manually input, a lexicon of words to mass-correct mispronunciations. We now automagically detect the words that might have multiple or difficult pronunciation to seed your Lexicon, found at the top of the Passages tab in Studio. The first step is to select, or add, a lexicon word or phrase. Next, you will go through to identify how many instances of that word or phrase exist in your passages. Then, you will generate and play how it sounds without any change. Finally, you can add a phonetic alias and test how your replacement will sound. Spell out the word or phrase how it sounds, e.g. “T'Challa” might be “TuhChahluh".

Terms of use

We have added a "Key Points" section at the top to summarize important aspects of the agreement, and we have updated our Third Party Website and Third Party Services section with additional information to clarify our relationship with services like the narration technology services. 

Other updates

• Home page background design change

• Spacing between carousels tightened up

• Em dash padding change from 200ms to 500ms

• 2000ms padding between author intro and first chapter

• Review titles can be longer without getting cut off

• Search bug fixes

• Merge character button always visible on page

• Fixes regarding adding new installments

The Era of Spoken Storytelling: Why We’re at a Turning Point for Authors

By Spoken Co-Founder Andrew Wallner and Content Strategist Stacy Smith Rogers

There has never been a better time to be a self-published author, even for writers struggling to affordably build their platforms and earn money from their writing. With recent ground-breaking advancements in technology, self-published authors have unprecedented opportunities to bring their stories to life through immersive audio performances. 

This new era of storytelling is rooted in tradition and bolstered by technology. It unlocks new creative possibilities for writers, redefines engagement between authors and audiences, and carves out new economic opportunities for storytellers. 

Even better, it’s fun.

Spoken Experience is Eye- (and Ear-) Opening

In a recent interview with Spoken, author Jessica Wheeler shared how the process of giving voice to her writing has opened up a whole new creative experience for her. “It’s inspired me to write more because the studio is just plain fun. It’s fun to do it and it’s fun to hear your work come to life. I would say for someone who’s more comfortable with a notebook, this has been so eye-opening.”

Wheeler has traditionally published poetry and is visible on several platforms but branched out to prose when she started publishing on Spoken because she wants to build her audience and connect with readers in new ways. One of her short stories, On a Bench by the Sea, was selected as a 2025 Staff Pick. (See a trailer of it here.) 

“Authors who seek to build their brands can now connect with growing audiences through affordable narration …” – Spoken CEO Phil Marshall

Like a lot of other indie authors narrating their work on Spoken, Wheeler is embracing the affordability and accessibility of quality narration on the platform. What was once reserved for major publishing houses or self-publishers with expansive budgets is now within reach for independent creators. The barriers that traditionally made audiobook production expensive and time-consuming—voice talent, studio recording, distribution—have been significantly reduced by AI-driven narration, streamlined publishing platforms, and growing audience demand.

Spoken is driven by AI automation, fueled by a three-tier economic model and fostered by a vibrant storytelling community that connects creators in new ways. One of the key features that makes Spoken unique is the ability to cast multiple voices for a project, sourcing from the voices of real voice actors (who can profit from it) and from a vast library of system-generated voices, including custom voices the authors can design themselves through prompts.

New Storytelling Economy for Creators

Spoken Founder and CEO Phillip Marshall explains how this new era in storytelling is groundbreaking not only because of the tech behind it, but because of how it helps writers, and in some cases, the actors who are lending their voices to the technology. “Authors who seek to build their brands can now connect with growing audiences through affordable narration, even uploading an entire novel with multiple voices. And for those authors who produce short works, there’s an opportunity for them to showcase their unique pieces alongside other authors. That gives listeners a broad range of works to choose from,” he said. 

“What’s even better, is that after we move through the beta phase, we have a monetization plan in place that enables authors to make money in ways they have never done before. So, for the first time, these writers can self-publish spoken stories, build their brand, and share their work in a way that benefits them.” According to Marshall, this isn’t just a shift in format. It’s an entirely new economy for creators who have never had a viable way to monetize their work in audio storytelling. 

“I think Spoken is going to speak for itself” – Author Jessica Wheeler

In today's fast-paced digital landscape, storytelling is undergoing a profound transformation. The resurgence of audio storytelling marks a return to our roots, where narratives were shared orally, fostering deep connections and communal experiences. For authors like Wheeler who are using the studio experience in Spoken to foster their own creativity and reach readers in new ways, it’s not just about authors pushing a button or the automation of the process. It's about being a part of this new era in storytelling. “It’s not going to take them long to see what the potential is,” Wheeler noted, emphasizing her excitement in casting voices for her stories and how that has contributed to her editing process. “I think Spoken is going to speak for itself,” she added. 

Why This Moment in Audio Storytelling Matters

Just as platforms like Instagram revolutionized visual storytelling, audio is now poised to become the next frontier in narrative expression. This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about a fundamental shift in the way audiences consume and interact with narrative-based written content.

• The Spoken Word Audio Report released in 2023 from NPR and Edison Research highlights that almost half (48 percent) — approximately 135M people — of people in the U.S. age 13 or older listen to some type of spoken word audio daily. According to the report, listeners spent 31 percent of their daily audio time with spoken word, which is a 55 percent increase in the last decade.

• The global audiobooks market (estimated at $10 billion) is expected to continue to grow at more than 25 percent each year.

• Thirty-eight percent of American adults listened to an audiobook in the last year - that equates to nearly 100 million people, listening to an average of five books in a year (up from four just a year earlier)

“This is a monumental time in the audio self-publishing industry,” Marshall added. “Here at Spoken, we’re creating a platform where authors are rewarded, and we’re delivering listeners a high-quality audio experience in a format that celebrates authors and readers alike. We believe that Spoken storytelling is the missing link that finally allows unpublished authors to turn their passion into sustainable income.”

What’s Next for Aspiring Authors?

Join us! Tune in and listen to a narrated version of this article on Spoken. (The voices cast for this performance are those of real voice actors.)

Learn more about the Spoken experience at spoken.press. and follow along on socials at social.press. And when you have time, check out the interview with Jessica Wheeler on Spoken's YouTube channel. Jessica's story, On a Bench by the Sea, and others can be found at spoken.press.