Willing Beta Readers Volume III

[daeonica]

Availability: Available

Preferences: Completed stories only please. Novella length upwards; happy to read epics if I'm enjoying the story.

Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, Fantasy, SF (light on the science... more stories set in space than deeply sciencey. SF I like includes Becky Chambers, Firefly, Hitchhikers Guide.) Historical Romance (particularly Regency).

What I write: Urban Fantasy, sometimes with romance subplots.

Beta Style: Can be flexible depending on what you are looking for. I can look out for spelling & grammar, plot holes, places I think the pace is flagging a bit, characters acting out-of-character, consistency, timelines. I'll also let you know what I'm thinking as I read, if you're interested in hearing that, e.g. my guesses of where plot is going, whether I'm loving a particular scene.

Experience: I've beta read for a few people, including a traditionally published author. I've worked in publishing for the past 3 years and although not in Editorial, my job has involved a lot of proofreading and copyediting.

Timeline: I can do approximately 2-3k per day, potentially more if I'm really enjoying the story.

Contact: PM me with your genre, story length and a brief blurb.

 

[BonafideDreamer]

Availability: Available

Preferences: Only romance. No YA romance, though. I will love a sample of the first two chapters before deciding if I will beta the rest of the book. I am looking for books UNDER 60k words.

What I write: Realistic YA, Romance. I'm NOT looking for a beta swap, I just want to gain experience.

Beta Style: Always evolving as I gain more experience.

Experience: Newish, but I have beta read several manuscripts

Timeline: A week or two

Contact: PM

 

[AshlynnHeart]

Availability: Unavailable [As of January 1st 2019, I’m not Beta Reading anymore]

I'm in EST time. Please keep that in mind.
Preferences: My preferences are (all ages rating)Children, YA, and Adult. I like mysteries, realistic fiction, sci-fi, adventure, and crime. I also can read other genres outside of that. Though I do not read romance (as a central plot), erotica(sex scenes are okay.), or horror. Triggering topics don't bother me much aside from descriptive murder/gore.
What I write: I had written YA so far. Genres being soft sci-fi/fantasy, realistic fiction, and slight dystopian.
Beta Style: I will do what you ask of me. Keep in mind, you need to be very clear of what I need to do. Telling me by mail or a paper is fine. I am critical about story structure, what makes me bored or excite, and what flat out makes me stop reading or caring about the story. I read about three chapters in a sitting for about an hour each. If you decide to give me chunks I may get back to you faster with my responses.
Experience: My experience is of pure hobby. I'm currently on my second beta review at the moment. One project featured crime/suspense and currently historical/adventure/drama.
Timeline: It depends on the chapter and what is going with my life at the moment. For 25 chapters, it will take about two weeks most and a week at least. I will not read a big story for more than a month. I will not work on more than one story at a time.
Contact: By PM. I go by email address afterwards or by a beta reading website.

 

[Cal_Darin]

Hey folks! Sorry for deleting the other time. I meant to update it to "occupied" and accidentally deleted it.

Anywho, I'm back on the market, as it were!

Availability: OCCUPIED!

Preferences: Sci-Fi/fantasy is preferred. It's what I know!

What I write: Sci-Fi/fantasy!

Beta Style:Depending on length, I might be able to do line edits, but if it's a longer work, I'll probably give an overview/thoughts on general things that work or don't

Experience: I've beta read a few folks in my writing group!

Timeline: In the next few weeks, I've got quite a bit of time on my hands! But generally give me a month or two and I'll have it done!

Contact: PM me on here and I'll send you my email!

Thanks folks!

Cal

 

[starsknight]

Availability: Open as of 3/18/2020.

Preferences: Sci-fi/fantasy/speculative fiction, mysteries, thrillers. Mainly adult, but I'm open to some YA. No MG or younger. Not interested in most historical fiction, but if you write Age of Sail books (think C. S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian), I'll be happy to take a look. (Why yes, that is an oddly specific subgenre.) Romantic elements are fine, but no pure romances and no erotica. I don't read much of those genres, and therefore am not a good critiquer for them. No worries about triggering material--I read a lot of dark stuff--but if it's there only for shock value/not relevant to the plot, I'm not the reader for you.

I exclusively beta-read books which are in fairly good shape--it doesn't need to be perfect (if it did, you wouldn't be asking for feedback, you'd be sending it to agents), but if it's riddled with grammatical errors, I won't feel it's ready for beta reading. Along those lines, I don't generally read first drafts that haven't at least been through a single round of self-editing. Unless you're Stephen King or John Scalzi, in which case, send that baby on over.

What I write: Sci-fi/fantasy/speculative fiction.

Beta Style: Varies, based on what the author will find most helpful. Generally, I'll write up a few pages of overall impressions, as well as some notes sprinkled throughout the manuscript as to what I was feeling/thinking as I read. I prefer to work in MS Word or hard copy.

Generally, I'll focus on content rather than grammar issues, though I'll usually note the latter if I see a consistent problem. If you tell me you feel really solid on content and simply want help on a few grammatical or style issues, I'm happy to do that as well. (I will not copy or line edit a full manuscript, however.)

I'll always include notes on what is working for me as well as what isn't. However, I won't be shy about the parts that don't work for me (I won't be mean, but I will be honest). If you're looking only (or even primarily) for praise, we won't be a good fit.

Experience: I've beta read and critiqued numerous short stories and about twelve novels. I'm also a freelance editor, and I've done a significant amount of both content and copy editing over the years.

Timeline: Varies, depending on the length of the book and the depth of feedback.

Contact: PM me with your genre, word count, a quick (spoiler-free) description, and the first 500 words or so.

 

[Earthling]

Availability: Closed. I'm not looking for a swap so don't worry about offering. I'm having a writing slump at the moment so thought I'd spend some time beta-ing instead.

Preferences: Adult novels or novellas, please - 20k+. I read and love horror, thriller, romance, erotica, sci-fi, historical, humour... pretty much anything except fantasy. I even read *some* fantasy, but I'm very picky in that genre. Just tell me what your book is about and I'll let you know if I think I can help. My hard 'no's are anything heavy on military or politics, spy novels, epic or Tolkien-esque fantasy, and sci-fi set in space (set on other planets is fine, and I love alien invasions). With erotica, enthusiastic consent must be sought and given. I'm fine with profanity, explicit sex (including LGBT+), and gore... probably not all together, but maybe you can surprise me.

I don't read anything in present tense, no matter what genre.

What I Write: Contemporary romance.

Beta Style: My aim is to give you my reactions as if I'd bought your book and was settling down for a good read. When I give you comments I then switch on the writer side to try to fully explain *why* I had a certain reaction, but I'm not looking for flaws for the sake of it. If something makes me laugh, I tell you. If something makes me sit and hold my breath, scared for your character, I will tell you. I'll tell you if I'm confused, if I have questions, if I think a character is acting out-of-character... basically, whatever occurs to me as I'm reading. I'm honest but also constructive and never rude or mean (at least not intentionally!)

Experience: I've beta read many manuscripts from many different writers. I'm a professional writer and editor, though for specialised nonfiction - I'm just an amateur writer and reader when it comes to novels. As an author I'm agented and my first novel will be out with a Big 5 publisher in 2020.

Timeline: I'll generally have a manuscript back to you within a week. It depends how many I take on, but I will let you know and keep you updated if anything changes. Please tell me if you have a specific deadline.

Contact: Please send a PM and I'll give you my email address. I'd like the manuscript in Word or Google docs, because I leave in-line comments as I go.

Looking forward to some great reads!

 

[ReadWriteRachel]

Availability: CLOSED; lined up a project to read. I'll update when I'm open again!

Preferences: YA of all shapes and sorts, as long as it's 100k or less. I truly do love everything YA: fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mystery, contemporary, slightly literary, romance... I honestly can't think of a single genre I won't try in this age category. It's my bread and butter, the thing I truly love to read and write, and I don't see that changing anytime soon. Please hit me up with your YA!

What I Write: YA fantasy, often grounded in history or in a historical setting.

Beta Style: I don't do line edits or close reads, but I will give you between one and three pages of general reactions to my thoughts on the overall plot (what worked and what didn't), characters and their relationships, what I particularly liked or thought needed some tweaking, etc. Basically, like someone astutely put above, I beta-read like I've bought a copy of your book and have settled down to read it, giving my overall impressions as I go.

I don't have the time to correct every grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. issue, so please understand that I will not be marking these things. My eyes should not be the first to see your manuscript after you complete that first rough draft. I would like to see the full manuscript in its entirety; I prefer not to work in installments.

I'm simply reading for content, so markings within the manuscript itself will be minimal. Again: I rarely like to beta within a manuscript itself. I prefer to write my thoughts separately, since I feel I can parse them better outside of your document. If you expect in-line edits, we probably wouldn't be a good fit.

Experience: I've beta-read YA manuscripts for a few good writer friends since 2011. I have also completed applications for remote internships at a couple of different prominent literary agencies, which essentially required me to beta-read a client manuscript and offer my thoughts and edits, so I have some industry experience and insight into the process of professional manuscript reading. I spent a year as an acquisitions editor for a digital pulp fiction press, which required reading submissions and passing my thoughts on potential publication to the editor-in-chief. And finally, I also have a degree in professional writing from the University of Oklahoma, so I've spent a lot of years reading, writing, editing, and talking about manuscripts (both mine and those of others) with my professors and classmates.

Timeline: I request a month to read a manuscript and give you feedback. This is the maximum; I will usually have a manuscript turned around within two weeks. But I am a full-time preschool teacher writing novels of my own on the side, so please allow the full month!

Contact: Please send a PM with a description of your novel and your e-mail address. I will beta in MS Word, Google Docs, or an e-mailed PDF, since I rarely leave comments within the manuscript itself. No hard copies, please.

Can't wait to see what hits my inbox!

 

[mikeofmany]

• Availability: Picked up a few beta's to read.
• Preferences: I'm open to almost anything, I like to expose myself to all kinds of genre's In the past year I read Harlequin romance, Noir Crime, Cozy Mystery, Suspense, Horror, Erotica, pan-gendered/LGTBQ+, Hard Sci-Fi, and Sci-Fi Opera. I really like providing beta reading for rpg's both rules and setting fiction.
• What I write: Historical Romance, near-future Cyberpunk, Crime Mystery, Fantasy
• Beta Style: I beta like I've picked up your book off the stack of to be read books, and only have a few hours to enjoy myself. Getting lost in another's world and with their characters. I don't do line edits, will not correct grammar unless it really drives me crazy. I will make comments and suggestions in the margins, what works, what doesn't work. Then, when I've stopped reading, be it a few pages into the work or the entire manuscript- I'll give a page or so about what I liked, where I liked it, and what I didn't. Especially if I have to put it down before the work is finished-I'll tell you why.
• Experience: I've been in writer groups, critiquing a few pages of everyone's work each week since 2011. I've also been doing beta reading from other places and groups now for 4 years.
• Timeline: I will work with you, my daily/monthly life has some ups and downs so the longer it is, the longer I will ask. Many shorter works I have turned around in a few weeks or a month.
• Contact: Please PM me. Toss me word count, your pitch, and email address. I will work with MS Word, GDocs, Libre/Open Office standards, and plain text.

 

[Kat M]

Availability: I've got plenty to read and school is starting. Will reopen when I have more time.
Preferences: I usually read upmarket fiction - contemporary/mainstream, women's, and historical novels. If I like your premise, I will read in other genres or lengths, but I don't have as firm a handle on the conventions and tropes. Ask at your own risk.
What I write: Upmarket mainstream fiction . . . I think?
Beta Style: Big-picture, honest. I can tell you what worked for me and what didn't. I don't hold back positives if I see them, but I don't hunt for them either. I give in-line comments and overall comments. I will gladly answer specific questions of yours. I won't do line or grammar edits, though I'll mention if something drove me crazy. As I'm still kind of new to writing craft, I'll give feedback as a reader, though if I notice something from a writer's perspective, I'll say something. I am very open to follow-up questions.
Experience: Not much. You get what you pay for. I've critted a few works here on AW and beta-read for three AWers so far.
Timeline: We'll agree on something. I'll get it read and give thoughtful feedback within our chosen deadline.
Contact: PM me.

 

[Ellie1]

New beta reader will try anything!

Availability: Available until master's degree starts in September

Preferences: No preferences!

What I write: Until very recently, the occasional diary entry...

Beta Style: I'm still learning what is normally expected of a beta reader, but I'm open to providing a critique, line edit, or something in-between! I'm a wee bit OCD so I like the idea of using Word's Track Changes for proofreading, plus a separate document with a review/critique.

Experience: My interest comes from enjoying reading friends' work (academic and otherwise), and vague dreams of working as an editor someday. My writing experience is mainly academic at this point - I have a bachelor's degree in History - but I'm an avid reader (and TV- and movie-watcher...). Authors I love include Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Colm Toibin, Ali Smith, Sylvia Plath, Andrzej Sapkowski, Elena Ferrante, Angela Carter, and John Irving.

Timeline: I guess this will depend on the length of the piece, but I don't have much in the way of other commitments at the moment - just waitressing part-time and preparing for master's study.

Contact: Please PM me with a summary of your work and the word count, and let me know what style of beta read you're looking for. I'm currently mid-way through an article entitled 'How to Write a Great Critique' so hopefully by the time you get in touch I'll have a better idea of what I'm supposed to be doing ;-)

 

[CWDao]

Accidental deletion on my phone... Oops.

Availability: I'm available.

Preferences: I don't have any genre preference.

What I write: I'm writing a fantasy at the moment.

Beta Style: I'm willing to do whatever is requested of me, I'm no grammarian though. I think my strength is in plots.

Experience: Very little

Timeline: Depends on the type of writing and feedback. I read very quickly.

Contact: PM me first. If I'm interested, I'll send you my email.

 

[Penguin_Factory]

Availability: I'm down to clown. Currently unemployed, with ample free time (but see the warning at the bottom).

Preferences: I'd like to beta read something middle grade or YA, but I'll consider adult fantasy/contemporary/historical/anything that isn't thriller, crime or sci-fi.

What I write: I've written several complete fantasy/adventure middle-grade novels and am working on an adult fantasy novella.

Beta Style: I can do overall thoughts, line edits, whatevs.

Experience: I've only ever beta read for friends, but I have critiqued a lot of writing online.

Timeline: I will probably be very slow.

Contact: PM me with a google docs link or something to your first chapter, or some other suitable sample. If it's completely amateurish I won't go any further, but if there's something to work with then we might be able to party.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I have a neurological condition that waxes and wanes (mysteriously, like the tides) and which frequently prevents me from doing writerly things. At the moment I'm in a phase where I'm able to read and write, but I could get knocked on my ass tomorrow and be totally useless. If this happens, I'll have to put beta reading aside until I feel better, which could take days, weeks or potentially even months. So, beware.

 

[inkythoughts]

Availability: Available in June 2020.

Preferences: Adult fiction, YA fiction, Romance (adult, ya, contemporary, historical, erotica, suspense), Thriller (with a tilt towards psychological thrillers), Mystery. Will accept SF/Fantasy but it has to be spectacular. I will not make it through a subpar SF/Fantasy novel. Won't read horror.

What I write: I write general adult fiction, YA fiction, but I'm working on a YA psychological thriller at the moment.

Beta Style: Flexible, and I can do what you need. I'll give you an in-depth review of the overarching plot/story no matter what, including comments on narrative style, characterization, pacing, etc. I'll highlight glaringly obvious grammatical and syntax errors, and I'm open to doing a line-by-line critique, but be forewarned, the process will be much more slow-going. If something's not working, I like to make suggestions on how to fix it, that's just the way I operate. I'd prefer an open line of communication, so that questions and clarifications can be made throughout if necessary. If the novel is not something I can make it through, for whatever reason, I'm more than willing to be part of your revising process for a brief time to help kickstart your rewrite. As a final note, whatever I like, I'll make known, and whatever I absolutely love, I'll shower with praise. I'm polite, professional, and I'll give you a thorough review.

I'll accept anything- single chapters, a handful of chapters, or full-length novels. However, please be sure to send me a polished piece of work, not the first draft.

Experience: First time beta-reading, but I have a feeling both you and I will enjoy the experience. I've done chapter critiques, mostly on other platforms, as I'm still somewhat of a newbie here on AW, but the authors have always come away satisfied. I don't have any professional experience, but I will say this, whenever anyone who knows me has needed any type of writing reviewed and edited, they've always sought my opinion. I'm well-read, read constantly, and can keep pace with almost any type of writing.

Timeline: This will obviously vary, depending on how well the piece is written, the word count, and the type of feedback you request. I read quickly, but I like to give very thorough reviews, no matter what type of feedback you're requesting.

Contact: PM the title, genre, short synopsis, word count, and the type of feedback you'd like.

 

[c.k.archer]

Availability: Reading a few manuscripts right now, but feel free to reach out and I'll add you to my que.

Preferences: Adult or YA, I enjoy contemporary, speculative fiction, psychological horror/thrillers, and historical fiction. However, I’m pretty open to most things, especially those on the darker side. Please know, though, that I’m not the biggest fan of romance. I don’t mind it as a subplot, but if your novel is romance heavy, I may not be the best beta for you.

What I write: I write mostly contemporary and speculative fiction, but I’m a write-whatever-I-feel-like kind of person. I currently have a finished gritty YA contemporary and an adult paranormal WIP.

Beta Style: I try to be very thorough when I beta read. I use Microsoft Word and make comments in the manuscript as I go, so you can see reactions and thoughts I had as I read. Once I’ve finished, I do a final write up in which I give my in-depth, overall thoughts on the plot, characters, pacing, any particular things you may have asked me to focus on, etc. I won’t focus too much on line edits, since grammar is not my strong suit and I’m more of a big picture person. I will, however, point out any prose or dialogue that feels off. I can be a tough critic, but I promise I’m not scary or mean. I will compliment the crap out of you if I love something, and if something’s not working for me, I will point it out and tell you why in a constructive way. I will also happily give advice on how to fix things and/or point you to resources that might be helpful.

Experience: I’ve beta read and CP’d multiple manuscripts so I'd like to think I know what I’m doing here, haha! I'm also a writer myself and have been writing seriously for five years now. I've taken a few creative writing courses where I participated in critique workshops and have done even more outside learning about writing. Additionally, I have a BA in psychology, and live with mental illness myself, so if you need help with that rep in your manuscript, let me know!

Timeline: Depends on how busy I am and the length of the manuscript, but somewhere between 3 and 4 weeks.

Contact: DM me with your query/summary, and I’ll let you know if I’m interested or not. Then we can take it from there!

 

[Christopher Marcus]

SHORT STORIES AND/OR CONTEMPORARY FICTION

• Availability: I reckon can read about 5K words a week, give or take, and respond meaningfully.
• Preferences: contemporary fiction, preferably short stories and/or linked short stories (more short stories about the same characters, like Hemingway's Nick Adams stories).
• What I write: the same - contemporary fiction in the form of linked short stories (see my profile)
• Beta Style: I like to give you the overall picture of how I think character and story work. I don't like to nitpick (much). I'm generally friendly and I only do (and expect to receive) constructive feedback. I don't expect a swap but if we hit it off well, and I feel our styles and ambitions align, I might ask for it.
• Experience: I've written fiction in my spare time since 1992 - I have self-published short stories on my own website since 2011. I'm 45 years old and I have a masters in communications and a number of years of experience doing websites and shops for small businesses and generally that kind of life experience you tend to rake up at my age - with deaths in the family, illness and other crap but also the beautiful stuff - travel, raising a family and so on. I read voraciously, everything from the classics to scifi.
• Timeline: I could likely give you some usable feedback in a week or two, within the word limit.
• Contact: DM me and pitch - we'll take it from there!

 

[g_eke]

Availability: Available.

Preferences: contemporary or speculative fiction in the ~50-80k word range. I'll consider other genres, but bear in mind I will be less familiar with what's already out there. Where possible, I prefer if you can share via googledocs, so I can easily add comments inline.

What I write: contemporary and speculative fiction.

Beta Style: Impressions of plot, characters and style, glaring grammatical errors. Tell me what you want and I'll see if I can accommodate.

Experience: I'm new to this, so I'll keep a list here:

Beta Project 2019: Age of Heroines (Speculative Fiction) - received positive feedback for my comments on first three chapters.

Timeline: I'd commit to ~5k/week to begin with.

Contact: PM me through these boards.

 

[Kathella]

Availability: Currently Closed!

Preferences: I'll read just about anything. I'm not much of a history buff, so I can't offer much advice in terms of historical fiction or non-fiction, but I'll gladly critique the written elements.

What I write: Many varieties of fiction, including: supernatural fiction, near-future sci-fi, biblical inspired parodies, dramatic fiction, The Occasional Smut (TM), slice of life, and psych-horror. I've recently delved into poetry and non-fiction memoir writing, but I am far from an expert on any of the listed genres.

Beta Style: I can give you a general overview of the entire piece, as far as consistency of tone, strengths and weaknesses in plot development, and review for redundant language or points that lose a reader's interest. Tell me what you're looking for, and I'll let you know if I think I'm capable of offering it!

Experience: Bare minimum. I've helped review and critique written works in classes and with a handful of close writer friends.

Timeline: Depends entirely on the size of the piece. I would like to say a tentative month or so, but anything exceeding 80k words will likely take longer, and that can change based on the kind of feedback you're looking for.

Contact: Feel free to PM me here, or reach out through email. leondefriese (@) gmail (.com) is the best way to reach me!

 

[Starlite]

Availability: Full up right now.

Preferences: Fantasy and sci-fi are mainly what I read, so those are what I'd feel most comfortable giving my opinions on. No preference between secondary-world and real-world (any place/time). That said, I'd prefer to keep things under novel length for now.

What I write: Mainly Fantasy, some sci-fi. I know what I like, lol.

Beta Style: I've never really beta'd before, so I'm not really sure. I'll do my best to be honest, and work with you to help as best I can! I can also offer an Ashkenazi Jewish and a queer perspective where necessary.

Experience: Minimal, but I'm a quick learner.

Timeline: I have a lot of free time right now, so it shouldn't take me too long to return anything, but I don't want to rush things either, so I'll take a little time to let the story stew first.

Contact: PM me with a little about your story, how long it is, and what kind of beta you're looking for (if you know, no pressure)!

 

[lgallo]

Availability: Unavailable

Preferences: I prefer a polished near-complete draft: fantasy, romance, science fiction, women's fiction, novel or novella-length. If you have specific concerns about an unpolished piece, I can work with you, too!

What I write: Fantasy, with mythological/romantic subplots

Beta Style: I am a details-oriented person in general, but if you let me know ahead of time what feedback you are looking for (plot, characters, big-picture, line-by-line, etc.) I will be happy to tailor my feedback to your preferences.

Experience: Have beta-read for several family and friends, but am just getting my sea legs on AW

Timeline: Likely a week, longer if the manuscript is >60k words.

Contact: PM and include these details: Genre, Working Title, Word Count, and a Synopsis. If you would like to include any other notes, including specific requests, please do so.

 

[Murky]

Availability: Available

Preferences: Primarily fantasy, science fiction and sci-fi, but most other themes are also interesting. Romance is great, erotica not so much. Can read screenplays, teleplays and traditional manuscripts. Please no non-fiction though.
Since English is a second language, I suppose I will be more useful giving feedback on developmental issues; plot, characters, world-building etc. and impressions on how I feel the story flows etc.

What I write: Fantasy, science fiction and sci-fi.

Beta Style: Will adjust to your need and differences between in styles. I'm not good at being harsh / cruel / mean, but can adjust how direct I will be to your level of comfort

Experience: Within fiction, only a little, though my time as a TA at university. Within non-fiction (term papers) quite a bit from the same period.

Timeline: Don't really know how long things are supposed to take, but I am acutely aware of the agony of waiting for a reply to sent manuscript, and I will do my best to be as quick (but thorough) as possible.

Contact: Send me a PM if think I will be right for you and let me know a little about your project and what I can help with.

Thank you for considering me,
Murky

 

[Voodoo Chicken]

Availability: Available

Preferences: Memoir.

What I write: Memoir.

Beta Style: I can provide my opinion on narrative structure, voice, grammar, world building and any specific concerns you may have. I tend to be very direct, so I may not be a good fit if you are thin skinned.

Experience: I have been working on my own memoir for a few years now and have studied creative writing extensively during this time. Of course, I am also an avid reader and have been since a very young age.

Timeline: I am a fast (but attentive) reader and should be able to turn around most manuscripts within a few days. However, sometimes life happens. I am almost always online though and typically respond to emails within a few hours.

Contact: Send me a PM.

 

[airforceauthor]

• Availability: Available. But see below for my caveat, please.
  
  
• Preferences:
  Commercial fiction (espionage/military/thriller/suspense)
  Upmarket that isn't specifically women's fiction (think About a Boy or Up in the Air)

• What I write: Commercial fiction and upmarket, surprise!

• Beta Style: I always start with big picture and pacing (especially for thrillers/suspense). Do I care about the characters? If that's there, then I can go all the way down to line edits if requested.

• Experience: AW beta reader on and off for eight years. Published non-fiction in Scientific American, Nature Communications, other similar. Half-dozen fiction novellas published in anthologies. Have two novels on submission with fulls requested by agents for both.

• Timeline: Usually two weeks. If you need it faster we can talk. If it'll take longer I'll update you.

• Contact: Email: my AW username at [g] mail-dot-com.
  I don't check PMs that often

• Caveat: Aha! The wretched small print. Here it comes. As you've probably gathered from reading the sticky posts (you read the sticky posts, of course, because you rock): beta reading takes a lot of time and effort! So, obviously, send me your ready-to-go-to-the-agent-tomorrow draft.But also, I'd like to expand my circle of beta critique partners. You read in my genres, I read in yours, and we help each other get better. Hopefully this won't be a one-off type of thing. If that sounds like your speed, in your PM please let me know about your writing experience and willingness to swap in the future, as well as a little about your story -- if not a query letter then at least a nice elevator pitch.

 

[KDIvanov]

Availability: Currently unavailable.

Preferences: Fantasy, dark fantasy, magic realism and off-kilter literary. I am down to read your sex scenes and I love romance. I'm willing to read at any stage of the process, so long as the author is clear about what they are seeking. Examples include final thoughts on a close-as-possible-to-finished piece or a read-through of a second or third draft with focus on in potential plot-holes and problem areas the author would prefer to tackle prior to prettying everything up. Either way, I expect an effort to remove typos. I will respond primarily as a reader.

What I write: Dark fantasy.

Beta Style: I will (1) read your work and (2) tell you what I think in whatever form you prefer. I can say what does or does not work for me and offer suggestions, but I've been warned to be wary of people who know exactly what is wrong and exactly how it should be fixed.

Experience: A voracious reader of 20 years, aside from the five years I was still learning how to read.

Sensitivity: I also have life experiences that would position me to give sensitivity notes for those who specifically desire them. As someone who lives with (now managed) bipolar disorder, general anxiety and C-PTSD from childhood experiences, I can help ensure that these themes are presented in a way that is not harmful to my communities. I also have the whole "growing up poorer than poor in rural Indiana in the 90s/2000s" thing going for me. If these are notes you actually want, make sure to mention them and inquire further. Keep in mind that these would be informal notes and my experiences are specific and will not apply to those of others.

Timeline: Something I could finish prior to Sept. 24 would be best, but I can deal with spill-over. I will probably only accept one project for now.

Contact: Send me a PM.

 

[writbeyondmeasure]

Availability: Currently unavailable

Preferences: Looking for someone to swap my MG story (31k) with. I'd prefer something short <60k. MG or YA ideally. I'm not too fussed with genre except no memoirs or biographies please.

What I write: For work, I write science non-fiction (both the peer-reviewed stuff and general public friendly blogs and articles). For avocation, I write middle-grade.

Beta-Style: I'm happy to match you. If you're doing mine line-by-line, I'll do yours line-by-line with a general overview. Otherwise, I'll give a summary of my thoughts at the end of each scene/chapter and pick out key parts as examples of what I liked/didn't like.

Experience: I have formal training and a few years experience in science communication. I think my best asset as a Beta reader is I am a 'Young Adult' so I can give a review from the perspective of your intended audience (if you write YA). I have Beta read one other book before.

Timeline: My caveat is that I'm doing my PhD and that takes priority, but I'd aim for a 1-3 week turnaround.

Contact: Pm me

 

[S. Eli]

Available Whoops I beta read for someone and then looked at my beta stats and now i gotta. ASK FOR ME PLEASE i get weird when i'm desperate lol.

Timeline: I shoot for a month, but I've done much less before.

Feedback: I'm mostly useful for overall plot concerns and your books entertainment level, but I'm also a relatively (informed) PC person. So while I usually stop at offensive points, I make sure to gently point out what came across not-so-okay. It usually ends up being <100 in-line comments and about a page of an overall review.


Genres: (this is where I get specific). I do best with <90K. Horror, Romance, or Urban Fantasy are the only genres I will breeze through. Any age (i.e. Adult, YA, MG). I'm a binge reader so I try to read everything in one sitting (might be my problem, honestly).


PM if you're interested! Please give me some info on your story like the word count, the genre, and a pitch (rather than a query if you don't have one).