Hi all. As the title implies, I'm in need of beta readers for my fantasy story. If you're able to help, please send me a private message with your email.
Thank you ahead of time.
Replies
Thanks for the reply Susan. I am waiting until I get a small group of people before I send chapters out so I don't have to worry too much about people dropping out.
Edward, the beta reader you had was not helpful at all, this is why you should gather a small group first so you do get the help you need.
I hope you have found some readers (this time of year I'm to busy, otherwise I would have volunteered). I would disagree with Edwards reply, although his response would be recommended once you've reached the final draft and you're completely satisfied with it.
Beta readers are the ones who will be reading mostly to discover whether your story is enjoyable & worth the effort, although they can be useful for pointing out glitches if they have the skills themselves. To get the best out of your beta readers it will help enormously if you set them a list of questions and things to note while they read. Such as - are the characters believable? Does the beginning make you want to read on? What do you most like about the story & what do you most dislike? Are there any holes in the plot? Does any character suddenly change (blue eyes become brown, short becomes tall etc etc)? Was the ending totally predictable, or a surprise? Did it tie up all the threads of the story and was it satisfying? And so on - I'm sure you can think of more that are appropriate.
Be prepared for some of your readers to drop out. It's actually a big ask and although people will be very well intentioned, some will get caught up in their busy lives and just not make it through. Good luck!
You need experts to read your work - not people who think they are experts.
I recently asked for proof readers for a technical book (electrical engineering) and contacted former colleaues. I had one eager reply, so sent off my book. After a month came the response - all it said was, 'The book is okay'. No corrections, no comments on grammar, no check on technical issues - nothing but 'okay'.
It is well worth while paying a professional reader to do the work for you.
Thanks for the reply Susan. I am waiting until I get a small group of people before I send chapters out so I don't have to worry too much about people dropping out.
Edward, the beta reader you had was not helpful at all, this is why you should gather a small group first so you do get the help you need.
I hope you have found some readers (this time of year I'm to busy, otherwise I would have volunteered). I would disagree with Edwards reply, although his response would be recommended once you've reached the final draft and you're completely satisfied with it.
Beta readers are the ones who will be reading mostly to discover whether your story is enjoyable & worth the effort, although they can be useful for pointing out glitches if they have the skills themselves. To get the best out of your beta readers it will help enormously if you set them a list of questions and things to note while they read. Such as - are the characters believable? Does the beginning make you want to read on? What do you most like about the story & what do you most dislike? Are there any holes in the plot? Does any character suddenly change (blue eyes become brown, short becomes tall etc etc)? Was the ending totally predictable, or a surprise? Did it tie up all the threads of the story and was it satisfying? And so on - I'm sure you can think of more that are appropriate.
Be prepared for some of your readers to drop out. It's actually a big ask and although people will be very well intentioned, some will get caught up in their busy lives and just not make it through. Good luck!
You need experts to read your work - not people who think they are experts.
I recently asked for proof readers for a technical book (electrical engineering) and contacted former colleaues. I had one eager reply, so sent off my book. After a month came the response - all it said was, 'The book is okay'. No corrections, no comments on grammar, no check on technical issues - nothing but 'okay'.
It is well worth while paying a professional reader to do the work for you.