Personal service · by hand

Your audiobook, checked against the manuscript and mastered to any spec.

I've QC'd and mastered thousands of audiobooks for major publishers. I'll listen to every minute of your book with the manuscript open, give you a timestamped pickup list, and master the finished files myself to whatever spec your retailer or publisher requires.

Apply for a spotSee a sample pickup list

I take 4 books a month so every one gets a full listen.

  • ACX / Audible
  • Findaway / Spotify
  • Apple Books
  • Kobo
  • Google Play
  • Publisher house specs

Why a human pass

Software can measure your audio. It can't hear a skipped line.

Greenlit's automated mastering gets your levels to spec. A QC listen catches what listeners leave reviews about: a dropped word, a character's name said two different ways, a sentence read twice.

Every word against the text

I follow your manuscript line by line and flag misreads, skipped words, added words and wrong names.

One book, one sound

Chapter 1 and chapter 30 should sound like the same room on the same day. I match them by ear, not only by meter.

Fixed if it bounces

If a retailer or publisher rejects my files for a technical reason, I fix and resend them at no charge.

Scope

What's included

Included

  • Full listen at normal speed against your manuscript
  • Timestamped pickup list: chapter, time, page and line, what was read, what the text says
  • Pronunciation consistency check against your guide
  • Light repair: pops, plosives, mouth noise, short noise bursts
  • Chapter-to-chapter tone and level matching
  • Mastering to your delivery spec: ACX, Findaway, Apple, Kobo, Google, or a publisher's house spec sheet
  • One round of pickups mastered into place

Not included

  • Recording pickups (you or your narrator re-record the flagged lines)
  • Editing raw sessions: cutting retakes, punch-and-roll cleanup
  • Rescuing audio with heavy echo, hum or distortion. Run the free check first and I'll tell you if it's workable.
  • Extra pickup rounds after the first (quoted separately)

Sample deliverable

What your pickup list looks like

An excerpt from an example book. Each row tells your narrator exactly where to go and what to say. You get one sheet per book, sorted by chapter.

The Lantern Keeper · example titleCh 1–4 of 22 · 1 h 52 m listenedPickup list v1
#ChTimePage · lineTypeHeardScript saysNote
01104:17p.3 · ¶2Skipped word“…the tower stood against the sea.”“…the tower stood alone against the sea.”Re-read the full sentence.
02111:52p.7 · ¶4Pronunciation“Ma-REN”Maren (guide: “MAR-en”)Said correctly from Ch 2 on. Pick up this line only.
03202:08p.12 · ¶1Misread“She walked through the door.”“She walked to the door.”Changes the blocking for the next scene.
04218:40p.19 · ¶3Doubled line“He didn’t answer. He didn’t answer.”“He didn’t answer.”Edit fix, no pickup needed. I’ll cut it.
05307:33p.26 · ¶5Added word“…and then the light went out.”“…and the light went out.”Small, but it breaks the rhythm of the line.
06321:15p.31 · ¶2Character voiceTobias in narrator voice“Not tonight,” Tobias said.Re-read in his voice.
07400:46p.34 · ¶1NoisePage turn under “the morning came”–Too loud to clean without artifacts. Pick up the sentence.
08413:02p.39 · ¶6Room change13:02–15:40 sounds like a different mic position–I can match it closely. Re-record if you want it seamless.
Pickups needed 6Fixed in edit 1Optional 1Estimated pickup session ~10 min

Process

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Free check

    Run one chapter through the free Greenlit check so we both know the audio is workable.

  2. Step 2

    Apply

    Tell me about the book. I'll confirm a start date and send an invoice for half up front.

  3. Step 3

    Send files

    Upload finished chapters, your final manuscript and a pronunciation guide.

  4. Step 4

    QC + pickup list

    I listen to the whole book and send your list. Typical turnaround: 7–10 business days.

  5. Step 5

    Master + deliver

    You send pickups, I master them in, and you get files built to your spec. The balance is due at delivery.

Pricing

Priced per finished hour

A finished hour is one hour of the final audiobook. A typical 80,000-word novel runs about 9 finished hours.

QC + Mastering

$150 / finished hour

  • Full listen against your manuscript
  • Timestamped pickup list
  • Hand mastering to any delivery spec
  • One pickup round mastered in
  • Technical rejection fix included

9-hour novel ≈ $1,350 · 3-hour minimum

Studio Lifetime owners: $125 / finished hour (≈ $1,125)

Apply for a spot

QC only

$95 / finished hour

  • Full listen against your manuscript
  • Timestamped pickup list
  • You master it yourself, or run it through Greenlit

9-hour novel ≈ $855 · 3-hour minimum

Studio Lifetime owners: $80 / finished hour (≈ $720)

Apply for QC only

Only need levels fixed? Greenlit's automated mastering costs a fraction of this and runs in minutes.

Questions

FAQ

Do I need to send the manuscript?

Yes. QC means checking what was read against what was written. Send the final version that matches the recording, as a PDF or Word file.

Which specs do you master to?

Any of them. ACX/Audible, Findaway/Spotify, Apple Books, Kobo and Google Play, plus publisher house specs. I work to those every day. If you're delivering to a publisher, send me their spec sheet with your files.

Who records the pickups?

You or your narrator. I tell you exactly which lines to re-record, then I master the new takes into place so they match the surrounding audio.

What if my audio isn't good enough?

Run a chapter through the free check before you apply. If the noise floor or room sound is too far off, I'll say so before you pay anything.

Is my book guaranteed to pass?

I guarantee the technical side: levels, peaks, noise floor, room tone, file format and naming for your spec. If the files are rejected for any of those, I fix them free. Retailers can also reject for content or performance reasons, which I can't control.

Is there a discount?

Yes, for Greenlit Studio Lifetime owners only: $125 per finished hour on QC + Mastering and $80 on QC only. I'll confirm your license when you apply.

Do you keep my files?

I delete your audio and manuscript 30 days after delivery.

Apply

Tell me about your book

I reply within 2 business days with a start date and a quote.