Beta Readers
Welcome to this three part series and this week’s blog post. Today’s topic is about Beta Readers, December 12th’s topic is Advance Reader Copies or ARCs, and December 19th will be about becoming part of the “Street Team”. With that said, now onto Beta Readers.
A beta reader is a person who reads an almost done manuscript. This person reads with an eye for story problems, grammar issues, and other problems that pop up. The reader should be a person who’s interested in the story and wants to see it succeed.
How to beta read? First, as a beta reader you make notes either using the comment button in the review section of Microsoft Word or using a different colored font within the document. Comments should be specific. By specific, I don’t mean your grammar sucks, I mean this section needs a verb or is missing a noun. Second, readers need to mark issues within the story itself. Meaning if you’re having problems like relating to a character or there’s a plot hole the author is unaware of, you need to let the author know with a specific example. An example within Flowers and Bones was people stating they don’t relate to the main character, we’ve fixed this issue in the current iteration, but wouldn’t have known about it, if the beta readers hadn’t pointed it out. Third, readers need to let the author know what they liked and enjoyed. Feedback is important to all authors and helps them create better stories.
Becoming a beta reader is fairly easy with us. If you would like to help us please join the Demons and Deities group on the Mae Jordan author page on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1278122738979852/?source_id=122221485059372 or sign up for our newsletter here: ravenwolfjordon@gmail.com or private message either of us on Facebook, we’ll be happy to have you look at our work.
December 6th we’ll be participating in an online party and will be holding a giveaway in addition to some games here: https://www.facebook.com/events/128205607859294/ .
December 12th will be about ARCs. Don’t forget to check out this week’s book review on Nancy Straight’s Blood Debt.
