Revised request below!
Hey everybody! I'm looking for some beta readers and figured it couldn't hurt to ask here.
I'm currently 3/4 of the way through a rewrite of my literary horror novel THE SERPENT ROOM. You can see me suffering in Query Letter Hell here, though be warned for spoilers and perhaps some misrepresentation of the real plot.
Here's a spoiler-free blurb:
Emily Price saw the devil in her house and lit a fire to keep him warm.
Twelve years of psychiatric medication later, Emily is the nanny for the eccentric, wealthy O'Connor family, at their isolated beach house. Emily feels a strange connection with them, even as they drink enough to put a liquor store out of business and take their fucking with a side of blood and bruises. But as she uncovers the family's demonic secrets, she fears for her life. And the only way to save herself is to go off the medication, risk her sanity, and summon the devil. Assuming he was ever there to begin with.
This is a WIP, though it is a second draft, and has gone through some polishing. I have 90,000 words ready to go to a reader now, and I estimate this draft will be 140,000 at most, finished by the end of November. It's far too long. I appreciate the time commitment for anyone willing to take this on. There is no rush at all.
I'm looking for someone to:
-give general feedback on structure, character development, pacing, etc.
-help me cut down the word count significantly
-help me isolate the main conflict/guide me on the query letter.
This book includes gore, explicit sex, dubious consent, incest, torture, and a very long Fourth of July party.
Send me a PM if you're interested and I'll send you the first two chapters. If you like it, and I find your feedback helpful, we can go from there. If not, no hard feelings.
Thanks!
ETA: Brutally honest is okay by me, but I'd like some good with the bad. A little positive re-enforcement goes a long way for me.
I'm currently 3/4 of the way through a rewrite of my literary horror novel THE SERPENT ROOM. You can see me suffering in Query Letter Hell here, though be warned for spoilers and perhaps some misrepresentation of the real plot.
Here's a spoiler-free blurb:
Emily Price saw the devil in her house and lit a fire to keep him warm.
Twelve years of psychiatric medication later, Emily is the nanny for the eccentric, wealthy O'Connor family, at their isolated beach house. Emily feels a strange connection with them, even as they drink enough to put a liquor store out of business and take their fucking with a side of blood and bruises. But as she uncovers the family's demonic secrets, she fears for her life. And the only way to save herself is to go off the medication, risk her sanity, and summon the devil. Assuming he was ever there to begin with.
This is a WIP, though it is a second draft, and has gone through some polishing. I have 90,000 words ready to go to a reader now, and I estimate this draft will be 140,000 at most, finished by the end of November. It's far too long. I appreciate the time commitment for anyone willing to take this on. There is no rush at all.
I'm looking for someone to:
-give general feedback on structure, character development, pacing, etc.
-help me cut down the word count significantly
-help me isolate the main conflict/guide me on the query letter.
This book includes gore, explicit sex, dubious consent, incest, torture, and a very long Fourth of July party.
Send me a PM if you're interested and I'll send you the first two chapters. If you like it, and I find your feedback helpful, we can go from there. If not, no hard feelings.
Thanks!
ETA: Brutally honest is okay by me, but I'd like some good with the bad. A little positive re-enforcement goes a long way for me.
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