Beta Reading
CONGRATULATIONS! You've finished your manuscript! It's a fantastic milestone that is worthy of celebration. After all, writing a book is hard work and you deserve a pat on the back. But now, it's onto the next step - beta reading! As a beta reader, I will give you feedback on things that are working as well as things that could do with a little more work.
"We are all
apprentices in a craft
where no one ever
becomes a master."
~ Ernest Hemingway
SERVICE DESCRIPTION
An alpha reader works with you while your manuscript is in its early stages of development, typically before the first draft is completed. These readers might be friends, family members, or writing partners who have a strong understanding of your goals, preferences, and writing style. They look at the rough draft and where possible they help you to catch potential issues, provide constructive feedback, and help you to keep your creative vision on track.
Beta readers, on the other hand, read a completed draft of a written work before it is submitted for professional editing or before it is published. They provide feedback on the work's plot, characters, pacing, writing style, topes, as well as other story elements.
Beta readers are not editors. Nor are they critique partners. They won't help you to make your characters more interesting, fix your grammar or punctuation, or fix that gaping plot hole. Nor will they correct your typos. What they will do is provide feedback on elements of your narrative that need improvement, as well as suggestions for revisions.
Hiring a professional editor can be expensive. As such, you don't want to hire an editor before your manuscript is ready for their input. It's important to make your manuscript as good as you possibly can before hiring an editing professional.
Beta readers typically provide general feedback in the form of written comments, highlighting areas that need improvement, and making suggestions for revisions. The author can then use this feedback to improve the manuscript before submitting it for professional editing or publication.
And no, you absolutely cannot make do with a beta reader instead of an editor. No matter what, before submitting to a publisher, you will need to hire a professional editor to help polish your manuscript.
As a beta reader, it is my job to help you make your manuscript the best that it can possibly be. As a writer, I know all the elements to look for and have written or editing just about every genre. I will give you honest and professional feedback on elements that are working well as well as elements that could do with a second pass.
Elements I will cover include:
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the concept
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point of view
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pacing
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tone & mood
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language
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characters
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structure
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plot
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dialogue
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etc.
PRICE
Price is based on the number of words in the manuscript. All prices are in Australian dollars (AUD).
Up to:
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3000 words
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15,000 words
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30,000 words
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60,000 words
-
80,000 words
-
100,000 words
-
120,000 words
= $30
= $50
= $40
= $60
= $80
= $100
= $120
THINGS I WON'T READ
Beta reading is suitable for writers at all levels off experience, whether you're just starting out or whether you've been published before.
No matter where you are on your writing journey, if publishing is your goal, it goes without saying that you should have your manuscript assessed before sending it out to potential agents or publishers to ensure that all the parts of your story are working in concert, and that your manuscript is the best that it can possibly be.
However, as much as you love that children's picture book you've just finished, or that middle-grade or YA novel you've been working on for months, I won't read those. I'm not an expert in either of those formats. Neither am I an expert in on poetry, memoir, or any kind of non-fiction.
However, if you've got a novel or a short story, I'm the beta reader for you! I will read any genre of novel.
CONTACT ME
I'm keen to discuss your project and the ways in which I can help you so the sooner you contact me, the sooner we can get started! I'm more than happy to chat with you via Google or Teams.