Hello,
I am looking for a beta reader for my novel, which features a 22 year old protagonist and is set in Canada. It is inspired by Jane Austen's Emma.
Here is the synopsis:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Pakistani girl, between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, is in desperate need of a husband.
Twenty-two year old Aisha Ali doesn't believe in love. Or dating. What she does believe in is arranged marriage, and that’s exactly what she does at The Islamic Marriage Bureau: she matches people up. But when Adam Swift, a recent Muslim convert from Toronto, comes to small town Windsor Bay, Aisha’s views on men and marriage get shaken up.
Adam has no problem challenging Aisha’s beliefs. Or questioning her methods. Especially when he’s convinced that matching handsome Yusuf and timid Halima is not the best thing to do, despite Aisha’s claims that they’re a match made in heaven. Only after breaking a few hearts and ruining a potential relationship does Aisha learn her lesson.
But all of Aisha’s newfound revelations disappear instantly when Adam proposes and she rejects him in the same breath. (She’s of Pakistani origin. He’s not. What would the aunties say?) Adam’s proposal forces Aisha to confront her prejudices, as she struggles to accept the man that her community never will. Torn between her Western upbringing and Eastern culture, Aisha sets out to change cultural expectations and maybe find herself along the way.
My MS is 113,000 words and what I need help with most is paring it down so that it hovers closer to the 100,000 mark, which is what is acceptable for debut authors, I have heard.
I have previously worked with a beta who helped me cut it down, but I've now realised that it's still too long.
Any help in this regard would be much appreciated. I'm not looking for line editing, but help in tightening the MS up and cutting out words. Comments about theme, characters, dialogue, etc. will also be welcome.
Feel free to directly message me or reply to this thread if you're interested.
Thanks!
Ikhlas
I am looking for a beta reader for my novel, which features a 22 year old protagonist and is set in Canada. It is inspired by Jane Austen's Emma.
Here is the synopsis:
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Pakistani girl, between the ages of twenty and twenty-five, is in desperate need of a husband.
Twenty-two year old Aisha Ali doesn't believe in love. Or dating. What she does believe in is arranged marriage, and that’s exactly what she does at The Islamic Marriage Bureau: she matches people up. But when Adam Swift, a recent Muslim convert from Toronto, comes to small town Windsor Bay, Aisha’s views on men and marriage get shaken up.
Adam has no problem challenging Aisha’s beliefs. Or questioning her methods. Especially when he’s convinced that matching handsome Yusuf and timid Halima is not the best thing to do, despite Aisha’s claims that they’re a match made in heaven. Only after breaking a few hearts and ruining a potential relationship does Aisha learn her lesson.
But all of Aisha’s newfound revelations disappear instantly when Adam proposes and she rejects him in the same breath. (She’s of Pakistani origin. He’s not. What would the aunties say?) Adam’s proposal forces Aisha to confront her prejudices, as she struggles to accept the man that her community never will. Torn between her Western upbringing and Eastern culture, Aisha sets out to change cultural expectations and maybe find herself along the way.
My MS is 113,000 words and what I need help with most is paring it down so that it hovers closer to the 100,000 mark, which is what is acceptable for debut authors, I have heard.
I have previously worked with a beta who helped me cut it down, but I've now realised that it's still too long.
Any help in this regard would be much appreciated. I'm not looking for line editing, but help in tightening the MS up and cutting out words. Comments about theme, characters, dialogue, etc. will also be welcome.
Feel free to directly message me or reply to this thread if you're interested.
Thanks!
Ikhlas