Each one will have its advantages and drawbacks, so there is no need for a single-size audio book. Instead, consider your larger business goals, so you can decide the ways to turn a book into an audiobook that suits best for you.
OPTION 1
If you hire a producer, it will do everything possible to say and produce the audio book. Although it saves you the most time, you will also have the biggest expense.
OPTION 2
The royalty share is where a narrator creates an audio book without any payment in advance. It will however take 50% of all sales and you will have an exclusive seven-year deal with ACX.
You would not be able to use your audio book as an invitation to register for an email list or as a bonus. And if you are making a lot of money from audio book sales, it could probably cost more in the long run than hiring an open storyteller.
OPTION 3
My personal favorite method for development of audio books is the do-it-yourself approach. It saves many writers hundreds and thousands of dollars, and you can create a book in a matter of hours for a shorter book.
Perhaps the main reason for creating an audiobook from a book by yourself, particularly for non-fiction writers, is to develop a deeper link with the listeners.
What if I try to record myself and do not know if people want to hear me?
Firstly, it is important to remember that many people are somehow self-conscious about their voice when recording only because it does not sound the way they listen to it. Others would want to hear you say a novel. The best way to react though is to record a sample and get feedback.