
Where stories become Obsessions
Storytelling ~ Narration ~ Voice Over ~ Audiobook Production
—Free Promotional Snippets—
Free promotional audio snippets are available for authors on a first come, first served basis depending on current workload and scheduling availability.
Includes:
Up to 3 minutes of audio
Cleanly produced promotional narration
Perfect for TikTok, Instagram Reels, teasers, trailers, BookTok, & audiobook marketing
Submit a 150-300 word excerpt (about 1-2 minutes of narration) that is social media friendly and 100% human-written. You must own the rights to the work, and it cannot already be an audiobook or currently in production as an audiobook with another narrator.
Offered as time allows between active production projects. Extended promotional content, cinematic trailers, or additional edits may be quoted separately depending on scope and production complexity.
—WELCOME TO THE ALCHEMY—
Stories are more than words on a page.
They are tension waiting to ignite. Emotion waiting to consume.
Chaos waiting to breathe.
I’m Scarlett Cross—
audiobook narrator, voice actor, and The Audiobook Alchemist.
I specialize in transforming emotionally charged fiction into immersive performances that pull listeners completely into the story.
From seductive tension and razor-sharp banter to devastating heartbreak and beautifully twisted character work, every performance is crafted to make listeners feel the story instead of simply hearing it.Dark romance. Fantasy. Psychological thrillers. Gothic horror. Paranormal chaos. Morally gray disasters with catastrophic chemistry.
Give me the villains. The monsters. The doomed love stories. The feral women. The stories that leave people staring at the ceiling afterward questioning their emotional stability.
That’s my craft.
That’s the alchemy.
I don't just narrate stories. I embody them. I give words pulse, tension, rage, heartbreak, seduction, humor, and life.
—Voice Demos—
Hear the Range
i
Dark Romance Demo
ii
Spicy Duet Demo
18+
iii
Fantasy/Paranormal Demo
iv
Emotional Damage Demo
v
Comedy/Snark Demo
18+
vi
Villain/Monster Demo
—Catalogue—
The Library
—Coming Soon—
Oath of Fire by Jennifer Smith
Dark Mafia Romance • Duet • Morally GrayTentacle Daddy by Ivy Graves
Monster Romance • Duet • Immersive AudioDressed to Kill by Tegan Maher
Paranormal Mystery • Magic • ComedyBatter & Banter: Survivors Power Cookbook
Fundraiser Book for SurvivorsPower.org
Full Cast Production
—In The Booth—
Song of the Stars by Kaiti Mills
Fantasy Romance • Snarky FMC • Character-DrivenChains of the Union by J.D. Crist
Dark Romance • Badass FMC • Dual POVTake Me Officer by AL Alpha
Fetish Erotica • Duet • Steamy Romance
—Future Projects—
The Shadow Assignment by Jennie Bryant
Dark Military Romance • Slow Burn • No SpiceWhen Lightning Strikes by River Hale
Dark Romance • LGBTQ+ • Dual POVBound in Blood by Toni Goode
Vampire Dark Romance • Dual POV • Slow BurnSnapshots & Lyrics by Cheri Marie
Rockstar Romance • Forced Proximity • DuetSinners & Saints: Sword of the Gods by P.B. Holcomb
Psychological Thriller • Suspense • Character-DrivenPendragon Prodigy by R.W. McNabb
Narration & Production • Epic Fantasy • Full Cast
—Studio—
The Workshop
| Home Studio Specs | |
|---|---|
| MICROPHONE | Rode NT-1 XLR |
| INTERFACE | Focusrite Scarlett Solo |
| SOFTWARE | Reaper DAW with Clarity Vx Pro & iZotope plug-ins |
| SETUP | Fully Soundproofed Booth with Pop Filter |
—Skills—
The Craft
| Skills | |
|---|---|
| PERFORMANCE | Cinematic narration • Character-driven storytelling • Dual POV Multi-cast • Emotionally immersive delivery • Distinct character voices |
| PRODUCTION | Broadcast-quality recording • ACX mastering • Precision editing Noise cleanup • Platform-ready delivery |
| IMMERSIVE AUDIO | Graphic audio • Sound design integration • Audio drama production • Atmospheric mixing |
| GENRES | Dark romance • Psychological thriller • Horror • Erotica • LGBTQ+ romance • Romcom • Romantic Tragedy • Mystery • Paranormal • Sci-Fi • Fantasy |
| US ACCENTS | General American • Boston • New Jersey / New York • Midwestern (US) Southern (US) • Transatlantic • Western (US) |
| OTHER ACCENTS | Australian • British (Gen) • Canadian (Eng) • Caribbean • Eastern European French • German • Greek • Hispanic • Irish • Italian • Middle Eastern New Zealand • Russian • Scottish • Slavic • Swedish • Turkish |
—Rates—
Narration & Production
Rates may vary depending on vocal demands, character complexity, production scope, & turnaround timeline.
| Narration Services | Raw Audio PFH | Series Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Author Promo Snippets < 3 min | FREE | FREE |
| Raw Audio Narration | $150 | $100 |
| Micro Projects 3-30 min | $50 | $40 |
| Mini Projects 31-59 min | $100 | $80 |
| Accent/Dialect Intensive | +20% | +15% |
—Fully Produced Audiobooks—
If you are looking for both narration & production, just add the above prices to the prices below.
| Production Services | Standard Rate (PFH) | Series Rate (PFH) |
|---|---|---|
| Editing, Clean-up, Mastering | $100 | $85 |
| Duet Dialogue Alignment | $150 | $125 |
| Multi-cast Assembly | $200 | $175 |
| Immersive Audio | $250+ | $225+ |
—Production-Only Services—
Already have narration recorded? Production-only services are available for authors, publishers, and fellow narrators.
Immersive audio pricing varies depending on cast size, sound design complexity, layering requirements, and overall production scope.
—Royalty Share Plus—
Royalty Share Plus projects may be considered for:
established indie authors
ongoing series
strong marketing potential
projects that are a strong creative fit
Send me a message to see if your story qualifies.
—Frequently Asked Questions—
Working with Scarlett
—What Is Your Narration Style?
I focus on emotionally immersive storytelling with strong character differentiation, natural dialogue, authentic chemistry, and performances that make listeners feel the story rather than simply hear it.
—What genres do you narrate?
I specialize in dark romance, fantasy, paranormal romance, gothic fiction, psychological thrillers, horror, rom-coms, and emotionally driven fiction.
—Do you provide auditions?
Yes. I offer short (2-3 minutes max) custom auditions so authors can hear how I interpret their characters and story.
—Can you perform multiple character voices?
Absolutely. Character differentiation and emotionally driven performance are core parts of my narration style. However, I do not do impersonations. You can provide a character or celebrity for me to use as inspiration, but I am not aiming to sound exactly like them, but rather be influenced by them.
—Can you perform accents?
Yes. I can perform a variety of accents and dialects when appropriate for the project. Feel free to ask about specific accent needs.
—Do you narrate nonfiction?
Depends on the project, but the short answer is yes. If you are interested in me narrating a nonfiction title, please contact me so we can discuss.
—Do you offer dual, duet, and multicast narration?
Yes. I am available for dual, duet, and multicast narration projects and can collaborate with approved co-narrators.
—Do you work with male co-narrators?
Yes. If your project requires duet narration, we can discuss casting options and existing professional partnerships.
—Why "The Audiobook Alchemist"?
Because great narration transforms words on a page into living, breathing experiences. My goal is to bring stories to life through performance, emotion, and immersion.
—How Involved Can I Be In Production?
As much or as little as you'd like. Some authors prefer regular check-ins, pronunciation discussions, and character collaboration, while others prefer to hand over the manuscript and trust the process. We'll find a workflow that fits your comfort level and creative vision.
—Will You Narrate My Book While Live On Social Media?
Only with your permission, and only the portions you have explicitly approved for public performance. Protecting your work and respecting your rights as the author is important to me, and no material will be shared publicly without your consent.
Booking & Availability
—How far in advance should I book?
Project timelines vary based on length and current availability. Contact me as early as possible to reserve your preferred production window.
—Do you offer series discounts?
Yes. Discounts may be available for multi-book contracts and ongoing series commitments.
—Do you accept rush projects?
Yes, rush delivery may be available depending on my schedule. Additional fees may apply.
—What payment methods do you accept?
Payment options will be discussed during the contracting process.
—What audio formats do you deliver?
I can provide FLAC, WAV and MP3 files, formatted to industry standards and platform requirements.
Industry Terms
—What Are Single, Dual, Duet, and Multicast/Full cast Narration
SingleNarration
One narrator voices all of the characters and chapters in the book.
Dual Narration
In dual narration, each narrator records all chapters from their assigned character's point of view and ALL the characters within those chapters (including the male characters).
Duet Narration
In duet narration, narrators perform the narration in their POV chapters and all of the dialogue of their assigned female or male characters in all chapters regardless of POV.
Multicast/Full Cast Narration
Each narrator will be assigned characters. If those characters have their own POV chapters, they will serve as the main narrator for those chapters, but will do all of the dialogue for their assigned characters regardless of chapter POV.
—What Is PFH?—
PFH = Per Finished Hour
This means pricing is based on the final completed runtime of the audiobook, not the raw recording time.Example:
A finished 5-hour audiobook at $200 PFH would total $1,000.
—what is raw audio vs. produced audio?
All narration prices are based on raw unedited or mastered audio.
Raw Audio
includes the narration performance only, with basic organization and minimal editing. It is ideal for authors or publishers who have their own production team handling editing, cleanup, and mastering.
Produced Audio
is a fully finished, platform-ready audiobook. It includes narration, editing, audio cleanup, mastering, quality control, and final formatting to industry standards.
Production Breakdowns
—How Long Does Production Take?
A finished hour contains 60 finished minutes.
| Production Type | Hours of work per Finished Hour |
|---|---|
| Nonfiction/Easy Read | 3-5 hours |
| Standard Fiction | 5-8 hours |
| Character-heavy Romance/Fantasy | 6-12 hours |
| Duet Production | 10-20+ hours |
| Immersive Audio | 20-60+ hours |
—How Long Would My Audiobook Be?
Most audiobooks average 8,500–9,500 words per finished hour. For example, an 80,000-word novel typically results in an audiobook between 8.5 and 10 hours long, depending on narration pace, dialogue, and genre.
| Word Count | Approx. Finished Hours |
|---|---|
| 20,000 Words | 2-2.5 hours |
| 40,000 Words | 5-8 hours |
| 60,000 Words | 6.5-7.5 hours |
| 80,000 Words | 8.5-10 hours |
| 100,000 Words | 10.5-12 hours |
| 120,000 Words | 13-14.5 hours |
| 150,000 Words | 16-18 hours |
—Why Does Audiobook Production Take So Long?
The minute you hear isn't the minute I record.
Before it reaches listeners:
Performed
Re-recorded when needed
Edited
Cleaned
Mastered
Quality checked
Every finished minute of audio typically represents
5–10 minutes of production work.
That's why a 10-hour audiobook often requires 50–100+ hours of work from manuscript to finished product.
—What happens if there is a mistake in the final audio?
Errors made during narration or production are corrected at no additional cost.
—What if I make changes to the manuscript after recording begins?
Changes made after production starts may incur additional fees depending on the scope of revisions.
—1 min finished audio =
5-10 min professional work
A 10-hour audiobook often represents 50–100+ hours of work behind the scenes.
Recording the Performance
2-4 minutes work
Fixing Mistakes (aka Pickups)
1-2 minutes work
Editing & Cleaning Audio
1-2 minutes work
Mastering & Quality Check
1-2 minutes work
So on the lowest end from the times above:
2+1+1+1 = 5 minutes of work
to produce 1 minute of audio.
—Industry Real Time Ratio (RTR) Averages
In audiobook production, people usually talk about a Real Time Ratio (RTR) — how many minutes or hours of work it takes to create 1 minute or 1 hour of finished audio.
| Workflow | RTR 1 Finished Minute |
|---|---|
| Experienced Narrator, clean script, minimal editing | 1 : 3-5 minutes |
| Typical Professional Audiobook Production | 1 : 6-10 minutes |
| Performance-heavy fiction with multiple character voices | 1 : 10-20 minutes |
| Duet Narration | 1 : 12-25 minutes |
| Full Immersive/Cinematic Audio | 1 : 20-60+ minutes |
—How much work goes into a 10-hour audiobook?
A 10-hour audiobook does not take 10 hours to make.
A 10-hour Audiobook is roughly 100k words.
Standard (Single Narrator) Production
50–100 hours of work
Duet Production
100-200+ hours of work
Immersive Audio Production
200-600+ hours of work
—Contact—
Send me your story
Snippets, auditions, narration inquiries, collaborations, or just a hello — I read everything that lands in my inbox.
Scarlett Cross Audio · The Audiobook Alchemist
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