What is a beta reader?
Well, Wikipedia describes a beta reader (also spelled betareader, or shortened to beta) as "a person who reads a written work, generally fiction, with what has been described as "a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, characterization, and general style of a story prior to its release to the general public."
So that's what I'm looking for: someone who can second guess my work before I foist it onto an unsuspecting public. Although in this case, I'm not looking for an editor-type who has a meticulous eye for fulls stops and semi colons, more for the generalist who understands characterization and can comment on the general style of a story.
There's no benefits and it can be quite stomach-churning at times. But there is the satisfaction of knowing you contributed to a better book, and you do get a mention on the acknowledgement page, along with a free e-copy of the book when it's published.
If you love to read SciFi, and would like to give this a try, please message me on my FB page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jim-Graham/125582784212980 or email me on jimsgraham@hotmail.com
Best
J
Which book are you looking for a beta reader for? have you got something new? i'll do it.
ReplyDeleteHi, Peter. Thank you for the offer.
ReplyDeleteI'm 1/3 -1/2 way through the sequel to SCAT, and it's at about this point I ask a friend or two if they think I'm onto something, or not. My friends, though, are all Asian or Brit expats living in Asia, and work long hours and aren't particularly fans of SciFi. I was rather hoping to find some SciFi readers in the English markets.
I reckon I'll be ready to pass a section of a partially polished manuscript in about a month for some beta reader thoughts. It'll be the part of the book that sets the parameters for everything that follows. I'm not sure if you have read Scat, but it'd be like reading the pathfinder section of SCAT - things have changed, new rules apply, but the story is still moving forward...
If you still want to, I can start the list with your name.
Cheers
Jim
If you're up for that, I