Two heads are beta than one

telford · Apr 8, 2010

Hello AW members,
I have completed my adult SF military MS and I need a fresh pair of eyes to look it over and critique. In return I would do the same for anyone with a completed MS. Warning: this contains violence. Warning 2: This is 200k. If anyone is interested in doing a swap then send me a PM and we'll talk. Cheers, Telford.

leahzero · Apr 8, 2010

I don't know if you're aware of this, but 200k is generally considered way too long for a debut novelist, particularly in sci-fi. Unless you were planning to self-publish, this will be a problem.

telford · Apr 9, 2010

Two heads are Beta than one.

Thanks for that Leah,
Yes, people keep telling me that. I don't relish the idea of chopping 60K from my book and that is why I asked for a fresh pair of eyes. I know that I will face an uphill battle as a first timer to get it even looked at. However, I would like to postpone the buthcering until a few betas have looked at the work. Perhaps their fresh eyes can see a way around the problem that has not occurred to me. I hope so. Anyway, this, for me, is a learning forum and I look forward to any and all opinions. And I thank you for yours. Cheers, T.

Caitlin Black · Apr 9, 2010

If it was a 200k fantasy story (instead of SF military, which I know little about) I'd read it through for you and tell you what can be cut... but I don't read that genre.

It seems to me you're going to have a lot of trouble finding betas before you cut stuff out of it. It's a lot of work to read 200k and make notes.

eurodan49 · Apr 9, 2010

Regardless of genre, agents/publishers seem to shy away from anything above the magic 100…. unless you’re a household name. Consider splitting it in two. Query the first only, with the mention that it could be turned into a series.

lachlan · Apr 9, 2010

Could I look at chapter 1, then decide if I want to keep going?

telford · Apr 9, 2010

Two heads are Beta than one.

Thanks for that Lachlan. I too have been around the block. I will try to send the first chapter as an attachment to an e-mail and see if that works. I think that you will get a feel for where I'm going from that and then we will see what happens from there. Feel free to be completely honest but bear in mind that I don't have private health cover. Cheers, T.

lachlan · Apr 10, 2010

I've got the chapter, skimmed it, and am now settling in to read.

lachlan · Apr 10, 2010

Comments pm'ed to you. Let me know if you have any questions at all. Thanks for letting me see this!

Two heads are beta than one

telford

We learn by doing

leahzero

The colors! THE COLORS!

telford

We learn by doing

Caitlin Black

Wild one

eurodan49

lachlan

I've been around the block.

telford

We learn by doing

lachlan

I've been around the block.

lachlan

I've been around the block.