A beta reader is the first person to read your manuscript when you are finally ready to share it with another set of eyes. When you’ve polished your draft to the best of your ability, a beta reader will read your draft and offer critical feedback that can help you get your piece ready for public consumption
What a Beta Reader Does:
- Reads your manuscript from start to finish with the eyes of an average reader
- Offers critical feedback on story, character, plot, pacing, dialogue
- Catch glaring grammatical issues
- Check continuity
- Check the tone of the piece for your desired audience/genre
- Returns your work in a timely manner
What a Beta Reader Does Not Do:
- Line editing
- Copy editing
- Fact-checking
- In-depth professional editing
- Hangs on to your work for an extended period of time, holding up your process
Why I’m Your Perfect Beta Reader:
- I’ll be up front about how long I will take to read and comment on your piece, and will stick to the deadline we set
- You can highlight anything in particular you’d like me to consider while I’m reading for you
- We’ll sign a standard non-disclosure agreement so you know you can trust me with your creative materials
- My rates are highly competitive
- I’ll read your short story, novel, non-fiction book, essay, memoir, play or screenplay regardless of the genre you are writing
- When your work gets published, I will happily read the final product and offer a genuine review