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Help - Help - Help (beta reader wanted)

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denial

denial

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I don't know what's going on. This site seems to be perfect for what I need but it is also the kind of site I have the most trouble finding my way around. I've posted looking for a beta reader elsewhere a couple times and the first it vanished. The second it moved to this area I guess but I can't find it. But I have no idea where this area is. I got here via a link. So I have to figure that out.

What I'm looking for is a beta reader to read my 96 page (printed) book. It is mainly poetry based on a particular theme. It is a story about a spirit who arrived and stopped a while, to "reflect" and give, (for a particular reason). The book also consists of some writings of poetic thought and one "short story", if that is what it can be called. All the writing is connected to this one theme.

The book is entirely a 1 person project. I've written and illustrated it. Did the book layout & design, editing & proof reading. I've spent a great deal of time on it and having no one else look at it yet, I do realize that there could be some things I've overlooked.

I am not looking for a major overhaul. I just want to know if things are unclear or if there are too many or not enough commas and probably a few other obvious errors that I haven't noticed.

I can have the Print-On-Demand company I am using send you a copy if you give my an address to send it to. Since they just concluded their latest promotion I will have to till the next one but I will have it sent. So please let me know if you're interested. Thanks.
 

Parametric

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This is the Beta Readers, Mentors and Writing Partners forum, which is accessible via the main site index. Your other thread was also moved here.

People will be more inclined to help you if they see you giving back to the community. You might like to beta read other people's work and critique posts in Share Your Work.

As a side note, if the book has already been edited, copyedited, proofread and typeset for print, I suspect it's too late for a beta reader, but perhaps others will disagree. :)
 
denial

denial

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but....

I've done everything in the production of this book. that means that it could be full of mistakes. i am having it printed by a print-on-demand company. that means i can make changes any time along the way. it is never too late for it to be beta read. so that is what and why i am looking.
 

Parametric

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If you make changes now, it will need to be copyedited again, proofread again, and typeset again. That's likely to delay the release date, which will upset all the promotion you've set up and confuse the readers you've already reached. While technically a book can be read at any time, in practical terms, beta reading is one of the earliest processes a book goes through. Once you've repainted and redecorated your house, it's a little late to start thinking about knocking out walls. But who knows, perhaps you'll find someone who thinks differently. :)
 
denial

denial

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and....

i have not followed any rules. if someone beta reads my book and tells me that page 7 has an error in time (5 o clock, 7 o clock, 6 o clock) and i change it, i would make the change. it would take me several minutes to do it. i would prepare the new pdf and resubmit it to my POD co. the whole process would be done in less than a day. i have something i want beta read. if beta reading is not right, then i want it read. then if someone finds something problematic, they can tell me and i can decide to make or not make the change. my boss just redecorated the office. several issues were discovered after the redo. they corrected those problems. and we are all ok.
 
Brutal Mustang

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Perhaps someone will come around who likes poetry. If not, perhaps you can build up your post count to 50, and then put at least some of it in the Share Your Work forum.
 
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