There's so much work put in the process between writing a book and publishing it! One of the best people out there to aid a writer is a beta reader - someone who reads through a manuscript and gives honest opinion - and bloggers excel as this job! Today Inge from Of Wonderland is here to explain the process and how you can build it up as a service offered to writers looking for some critique and opinion!
Hello! I am honoured to have been asked for
Learnt It the Hard Way by Mishma and Jillian – I didn’t think I was an expert
at anything, really; that I had
anything to teach, yet here we are. It’s kind of cool, but also really
nerve-racking. I hope I’ll make sense!
I run a beta reading service on my blog, Of
Wonderland. I still can’t say I’m an expert because I’ve not had that many
clients yet, but I’m already learning a lot about what it means to be a
professional beta reader and what can be asked of you. I’m hoping to share a
bit of my wisdom with you today.
But first, What is a beta reader? Can you eat it?
A
beta reader is someone who reads books in their unfinished, unpublished form,
which they will then critique. They’ll provide
feedback in terms of plot, dialogue, consistency, pacing, and characterisation.
They do not edit or proofread, but will pick apart a book the way a normal
reader would. This will help the author improve their manuscript and make it as
good as it can be.
You can
eat a beta reader. However, that is considered cannibalism and is frowned upon
in most societies.
There
is a bit of a debate about whether or not you should pay for your beta readers.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to get a handful of
opinions on your book, because one reader equals only one opinion. I also
understand you can’t pay them all. The thing is, when you ask your friends for
feedback, chances are great that they’ll sugar-coat their opinions so as not to
hurt your feelings. This is, of course, really good for your ego, but perhaps
not so good for your book. That’s why it’s good to get at least one objective
person in there, someone who’ll work in detail.
So how do
you get started with beta reading? If you’d like to
start your own beta reading service, the first thing you have to do is put together an information post. Every
reader is different, so every beta reader will have a different work method as
well. Inform your audience of what you can offer them as a reader. Make it
personal! Show them who you are. I
decided to insert a bit of humour here and there, such as the cannibalism joke
(which I totally plagiarised from my own beta reading page – I can’t help it
that my past self is hilarious).
Let
them know what genres you read and don’t read –
it’s best to offer your opinion on genres you read a lot, because you know what
works and what doesn’t in those genres. You want to know what you’re talking
about.
You’ll
also have to set a price. You can, of course, do
this for free and earn an author’s undying gratitude in the process! But if
you’d like to earn a bit of money, the best thing you can do is do a quick
google to see what you can ask and
decide from there. Most people ask a certain amount per 1000 words.
Then spread
the word! No one will know about your beta reading services if they don’t
know you exist. Find websites where you can advertise your beta reading. Maybe
some writer forums will allow you to do this. Go forth and explore!
Any last
advice from me? Just like every reader is
different, every author is different, too. You’ll have to be a bit adaptable,
depending on the author’s wants and needs. I personally like to chat a bit back
and forth with the author in between reading – this doesn’t affect my opinion
of the book in any way, but it builds a relationship with the author, which I
like. Be professional in your information post (e.g. state the obvious – that
you won’t publish your feedback anywhere else), but if you go the extra mile
and get to know your client, you make the experience worthwhile and fun for both.
Good luck!
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